Exam Card 7

 Reading 

 1. Read the story and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

THE CONDEMNED ROOM¹

Dear Mom,

I am working very hard on cleaning my room. But I want to go to Katy’s this afternoon to work on our Halloween costumes. Can I finish tomorrow? I would get up early and do it before breakfast and I’ll do a good job. Please, write back.

Love, The Prisoner in Tower # 3

Dear Prisoner, No.

Love, Mom.

For days Sam’s mother never came up to her room. And then one day Sam would come home from school and find the Condemned sign on her door. Her mother had made the sign. It said: “The room is condemned. Its owner may not go anywhere or do anything until the area is restored”. In other words, Sam was to stay in until she cleaned her room.

It wasn’t fair. She was always getting the Condemned sign. Her brother hardly ever did. And his room was really disgusting, with posters of rock stars and basketball stars and movie stars wearing tiny bikinis covering every inch of his walls. But, her mother pointed out, his floor was clean and his desk as well. That was all she cared about.

Sam had been in her room for three hours now. She sat on the floor, looking at everything she was supposed to be putting away. It was possible she might be there all day. There were her clothes, lying high on her chair and overflowing onto the floor. Dirty shoes. An umbrella from when it rained on Tuesday. Library books. Magazines with pictures of cool teen­movie stars that Rebecca had given her. Her piano music from yesterday’s lesson. And different little things: nail polish remover, cotton balls, a tennis­ball, a note pad from Katy, rocks from rock collection they were making for science, pencils, chewing gum. And about twelve dirty handkerchiefs.

The thing to do, Sam decided, was sort everything into piles. A pile of dirty laundry, a pile of her dresser drawers, a pile to throw away. That was how her father, the organization man, would do it. She sighed. It was impossible to imagine she couldn’t leave her room all week­end. She decided to paint her finger nails instead.

¹ condemned room [kəndemd ˈruːm] комната, признанная небезопасной для проживания

2.  The author tells us about her brother’s room. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3.  What made Sam’s Mum write a message?

4.  Is Sam going to clean the room? Why do you think so?

Listening

II. Listen to the conversation and answer the questions below.

1.  Where was Tina going?

2.  What happened at the airport?

3.  Why was Tina scared during the flight?

Speaking

III. Let’s talk about Art