Use of English. For items 1–15, read the text and choose which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Spelling is a major problem to many students — and, indeed, native speakers — of English. This is (1) ______ surprising when you consider just how illogical the English spelling (2) ______ is. The spelling of such basic words as right, through, once, and who seems to (3) ______ no relation to their (4) ______. And how can the words go, sew, and though all rhyme with (5) ______ other? There have been attempts in the (6) ______ to reform English spelling. The playwright George Bernard Shaw was an enthusiastic (7) ______ for a more phonetic approach. In a clever illustration of the absurdity of English spelling he suggested that the word fish be (8) ______ by the letters ghoti: the gh from enough, the o from women, and the ti from nation. When he died in 1950, he (9) ______ a large part of his estate to promote spelling reform. So why do we (10) ______ in spelling words the way we do, (11) ______ the efforts of reformers like Shaw? One reason is that we are too (12) ______ with the words as they are currently spelt. It is certain that any change in the rules (13) ______ be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to (14) ______. Another is that there is (15) ______ a variety of regional accents within the English-speaking world that it would be unfair to select just one as the standard model for spelling. Варианты: 1 A just, B hardly, C nearly, D strongly; 2 A system, B procedure, C method, D schedule; 3 A hold, B keep, C carry, D bear; 4 A voice, B speech, C vocation, D pronunciation; 5 A the, B every, C each, D one; 6 A history, B years, C past, D ages; 7 A campaigner, B demonstrator, C champion, D candidate; 8 A described, B represented, C signed, D written; 9 A inherited, B left, C gave, D divided; 10 A insist, B continue, C keep, D persist; 11 A in spite, B despite, C however, D although; 12 A accustomed, B used, C friendly, D familiar; 13 A would, B might, C ought, D should; 14 A require, B enforce, C make, D oblige; 15 A many, B quite, C such, D so.

Перевод задания: Прочитайте текст и выберите для каждого пропуска лучший вариант ответа (A, B, C или D).

Answers:

1. B — hardly: устойчивое сочетание hardly surprising означает «едва ли удивительно».
2. A — system: English spelling system — «система английского правописания».
3. D — bear: сочетание bear no relation to означает «не иметь никакого отношения к».
4. D — pronunciation: написание не соответствует произношению.
5. C — each: устойчивое выражение each other — «друг с другом».
6. C — past: in the past — «в прошлом».
7. A — campaigner: речь идёт о стороннике кампании за реформу правописания.
8. D — written: слово предлагается записать буквами ghoti.
9. B — left: leave an estate — оставить имущество или часть состояния.
10. A — insist: конструкция insist on означает «настаивать на».
11. B — despite: перед существительным употребляется despite — «несмотря на».
12. A — accustomed: сочетание be accustomed to означает «привыкнуть к».
13. A — would: условная конструкция: любое изменение правил было бы крайне трудным.
14. B — enforce: enforce rules — «ввести правила в действие», «обеспечить соблюдение правил».
15. C — such: конструкция such a variety ... that — «такое разнообразие…, что».

Ответ: 1 — B; 2 — A; 3 — D; 4 — D; 5 — C; 6 — C; 7 — A; 8 — D; 9 — B; 10 — A; 11 — B; 12 — A; 13 — A; 14 — B; 15 — C.

Перевод ответов: 1 — B; 2 — A; 3 — D; 4 — D; 5 — C; 6 — C; 7 — A; 8 — D; 9 — B; 10 — A; 11 — B; 12 — A; 13 — A; 14 — B; 15 — C.