How did kana end up living in japan

How did kana end up living in japan

Задание №6107.
Аудирование. ЕГЭ по английскому

Вы услышите 6 высказываний. Установите соответствие между высказываниями каждого говорящего A—F и утверждениями, данными в списке 1—7. Используйте каждое утверждение, обозначенное соответствующей цифрой, только один раз. В задании есть одно лишнее утверждение. Прослушайте запись дважды.

1. It’s difficult but satisfying to create small models of large things.
2. Finding and keeping unusual and special items is an enjoyable pastime.
3. All you need are two simple, common items to practise this hobby.
4. Photographing beautiful moments in nature takes some time and care.
5. Making films at home is actually more difficult than it sounds.
6. With this hobby, you can make beautiful accessories from natural materials.
7. This hobby involves making something you can use in the bathroom.

Решение:
Утверждение 4 (Photographing beautiful moments in nature takes some time and care. — Съемка красивых моментов на природе требует времени и осторожности) соответствует высказыванию спикера A: «You wait until it looks right at you, then snap!»

Утверждение 3 (All you need are two simple, common items to practise this hobby. — Все, что вам нужно, – это два простых, обычных предмета, чтобы практиковать это хобби) соответствует высказыванию спикера B: «You can capture these moments on paper, with just an average everyday pencil. »

Утверждение 6 (With this hobby, you can make beautiful accessories from natural materials. — С помощью этого хобби можно делать красивые аксессуары из натуральных материалов) соответствует высказыванию спикера C: «My mum saw them and mentioned that they’d make great earrings.»

Утверждение 2 (Finding and keeping unusual and special items is an enjoyable pastime. — Находить и хранить необычные и особенные предметы – приятное времяпрепровождение) соответствует высказыванию спикера D: «But I decided that collecting something would be a fun hobby.»

Утверждение 7 (This hobby involves making something you can use in the bathroom. — Это хобби включает в себя изготовление чего-то, что можно использовать в ванной) соответствует высказыванию спикера E: «. and she said to me, ‘I can teach you how to make soap.’»

Утверждение 1 (It’s difficult but satisfying to create small models of large things. — Создавать маленькие модели больших вещей сложно, но приятно) соответствует высказыванию спикера F: «OK, it is rather involved, but I love making wooden aeroplanes. »

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Источник: Тесты для подготовки к ЕГЭ по английскому языку, 2019. Вербицкая М., Манн М., Тейлор-Ноулз С.
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ЕГЭ: упражнение 5 на высказывания и утверждения

Вы услышите 6 высказываний. Установите соответствие между высказываниями каждого говорящего A-F и утверждениями, данными в списке 1-7. Используйте каждое утверждение, обозначенное соответствующей цифрой, только один раз. В задании есть одно лишнее утверждение.

1. Sadly, many forests are cut down so that homes can be built.
2. In some ways, people can help a forest grow.
3. An unattended fire is a forests worst enemy.
4. We should try to avoid sacrificing forests for farmland.
5. Whatever you bring into the forest must leave with you.
6. A persons wooden furniture was once an animal’s home.
7. Eco-tourism can raise money to protect forests and the species that live in them.

A – 5
B – 1
C – 3
D – 4
E – 2
F – 6

Speaker A: My family and I used to go camping when I was a kid. We had such great fun together, sitting by the campfire, roasting marshmallows and telling stories. I didn’t pay much attention to it then, but some of our fellow campers had some bad habits. You would see empty crisp packets and plastic bottles here and there. It wasn’t enough to put you off, but still, the campers should have taken those things with them on their way out.

Speaker B: We’ve all read those terrible stories about the state of the worlds forests, that they’re being cut down or burnt down and little is being done to stop it. It’s disheartening to say the least. I realise that countries grow and need space to accommodate their expanding populations. But still, whenever they clear the woods to build a new residential area, they are destroying wildlife habitat. Where are the birds and the animals going to live?

Speaker С: Camping is a terrific pastime. Still, there are rules to follow when camping in a forest. Breaking some of the rules might not land you in hot water, but one that will is walking away from a campfire while its still burning. Even if its just on its last smoking embers, all it takes is a few dried leaves to create a raging inferno. You’ll destroy the forest and harm the animals who live there.

Speaker D: Forests are cleared for a number of reasons, and sadly, the progress of mankind has been bad news for our planets trees. As our population continues to grow, more people need food to put on their dinner table. And that means more needs to be grown. Forests have disappeared because land was needed to grow vegetables or herd cattle. Its too bad we cant find a way to produce the things we cat without tearing down a forest to do it.

Speaker E: When a fire is ravaging a forest, it’s hard to stop it. The firemen do their job, although their main concern is saving homes. After the fire ends, there’s a mess left to deal with. A forest regenerates over time, but there are organisations that can give it a boost. They gather seeds and plant them in individual containers. When the trees are big enough, they plant them in the forest, giving it a chance to regenerate faster.

Speaker F: On a recent camping trip, my friend spotted a raccoon while we were sitting by the campfire. It quickly ran away when we noticed it, and my friend left the fire to see where it went. She found its whole family in a tree! But I remember her saying, “One day, their home could be gone!” She was right. Many trees are cut down just to end up as someone’s desk. I hope that never happens to that tree.

ЕГЭ – диалог (интервью) 54 с вопросами и выбором ответов

Вы услышите интервью с менеджером по окружающей среде. В следующих заданиях выберите правильный ответ.

1. A managed forest is a place where
1) people can neither plant nor cut down trees.
2) people can plant trees but they are not allowed to cut them down.
3) people can plant and cut down trees.

2. The forest helps to produce high quality water by
1) making it reach the streams through the soil.
2) increasing the velocity of rainwater as it runs across the surface.
3) preventing rainwater from getting into the streams.

3. What did the manager NOT mention while speaking about the importance of trees cities?
1) Trees serve as a natural air-conditioner.
2) Trees can prevent the rapid surface water runoff.
3) Trees improve air quality and attract wildlife.

4. The manager is worried that droughts
1) could destroy the forest ultimately.
2) could retard the growth of trees.
3) could make trees resistant to disease and attack by insects.

5. The saltwater intrusion in the river
1) can be reduced by interbasin transfers.
2) is lower in time of droughts.
3) is caused by both natural and artificial reasons.

6. The saltwater intrusion in the river results in
1) employees’ lay-off.
2) using saltwater in production of pulp and paper.
3) accepting more logs from loggers.

7. According to the manager, the saltwater intrusion
1) could have no impact on wildlife.
2) is a rare and unusual phenomenon.
3) may happen more often in the future.

1 – 3
2 – 1
3 – 2
4 – 2
5 – 3
6 – 1
7 – 3

Question: Can you explain the difference between a managed and unmanaged forest before we talk about water quality?
Answer: An example of an unmanaged forest might be a national park where by law, no forest management activities are allowed. They are strictly there to serve as recreation and as just natural areas. That’s one extreme, and then you have, say, land that is owned by the forest industry. We own the land to produce timber, to produce raw materials for our mills. When I speak of a managed forest, I’m talking about a place where trees are planted, they are nurtured through their lifetime, and they’re thinned. There might be some fertilization, then ultimately, they are harvested, taken to a mill to make forest products, and then the next forest is started.
Question: In your view, what is the role of the forest in producing high quality water?
Answer: In any given river basin the best water quality comes from the forest. This is true, whether it’s a national park where basically nothing is going on, or whether it’s a very heavily managed forest. If you think about a forest, when it rains, some of the rain is intercepted by the tops of the trees and held there. The velocity of the rain is reduced as it falls down through the forest canopy, so that when the rain actually strikes the forest floor, it’s striking it with much less force. Plus, the forest floor is covered with leaves and bushes and other vegetation that also helps to absorb the velocity of the water as it falls. Therefore, you don’t get the rapid surface water runoff from the rainfall that you might get in some other land use, worse case being pavement. In addition to that, the trees have deep root systems, which create opportunities for lots of underground water storage. The water will eventually seep its way through the soil into the streams, rather than running across the surface and perhaps picking up sediment and other pollutants that can get into the water* That’s it in a nutshell, that’s what the forest does for water quality.
Question: What advice would you give to developers or city planners about the importance of trees?
Answer: I think trees are important in cities for a number of reasons. First of all, they make for a more attractive place. Additionally, trees mitigate, to some degree, hot temperatures and provide shade. Trees, especially in a hot climate, can make it more comfortable. As we all know, trees take in carbon dioxide, and give off oxygen and that’s something that we all need and certainly the more trees you have scattered out through developed areas, the more places you have for songbirds and squirrels and other types of wildlife.
Question: When the drought occurred last summer, we had a state of emergency. As an Environmental Manager, what is your view of what was happening and what it may mean from a larger perspective?
Answer: We’ve always had droughts and certainly the drought of last year was an extremely difficult one. Just looking at it from a forestry standpoint, you have to worry about whether the trees are getting enough water and certainly, the trees that had recently been planted just the winter before. That year is a critical year and they need enough water in their first year.
Question: So you really do get worried about it, because it could destroy the forest ultimately, if there wasn’t enough water, especially for the new crops?
Answer: A drought could probably not destroy the forest, but it certainly does slow down its growth. If trees are stressed by drought, it makes them more susceptible to disease and to attack by insects. As I mentioned, the trees that have just recently been planted, are particularly susceptible to drought in that first year.
Question: Speaking about saltwater intrusion, how do you see the problem getting started in the first place?
Answer: The saltwater moving up the river is largely a result of not enough fresh water coming down the river to keep the saltwater out where it’s supposed to be. This holds true particularly in times of drought, it allows the saltwater to come farther and farther up the river.
Question: What are the reasons why water is reduced downstream?
Answer: The freshwater flow can be reduced for a number of reasons. One is natural drought, which we can’t do a whole lot about. Another is interbasin transfer, say, if someone in one river basin is pulling their drinking water out of a particular river, using it, treating it and then discharging it into a different river, then certainly there’s been a net loss of fresh water flow coming down the river where that water was drawn. Consumptive uses can also affect the volume of fresh water. I mean uses where water is taken out of the river for manufacturing practices and released as steam, as opposed to being treated and released back into the river. Certainly as population increases, people need more water for drinking and washing clothes and more and more water is drawn out of the river.
Question: Many industries use water and fresh water is a key to the economy of the areas. What happened last year to your company when salt was making its way up the river? What would the salt have done if it had gotten into your operations?
Answer: If the saltwater comes far enough up the river and gets into the water intake where our manufacturing facility takes in the water, we cannot use saltwater in the process that we use to make pulp and paper. That results in having to shut the operations down and that entails great costs, plus it sends employees home. It puts us in a position where we are no longer able to accept logs from loggers, so it affects the loggers that are out in the countryside.
Question: How concerned are you about the future of saltwater intrusion, as upriver as you are?
Answer: We’ve always experienced saltwater intrusion in these coastal rivers. It is a natural phenomenon. However, more water will be drawn out of the river upstream, as the population increases, or if you have more situations of interbasin transfer. We don’t have a lot of that going on right now, but should that increase in the future, then the obvious result would be more frequent occurrences of saltwater coming up the river and that does give us concern. The intrusion of saltwater in these fresh water rivers not only has an impact, say, on manufacturing, but also has an impact on the biological communities that are in these rivers. I’m not an expert in that but I think I know enough to predict that when the water becomes saltier, the dissolved oxygen content will decrease and in most cases less dissolved oxygen is not good for many of the fish and plant communities that are in these river systems.

How did kana end up living in japan

Задание №6108.
Аудирование. ЕГЭ по английскому

Вы услышите диалог. Определите, какие из приведённых утверждений А—G соответствуют содержанию текста (1 — True), какие не соответствуют (2 — False) и о чём в тексте не сказано, то есть на основании текста нельзя дать ни положительного, ни отрицательного ответа (3 — Not stated). Прослушайте запись дважды.

A. Darren got his back support band from the hospital.
B. Darren went to hospital in an ambulance.
C. Darren has never had a back problem from lifting things before.
D. Sonias uncle takes medication for his back problem.
E. Darren doesn’t intend to lift heavy objects again.
F. Sonia suggests using a different part of the body to lift things.
G. Darren thinks his excuse for hurting his back was reasonable.

Решение:
Утверждение A (Darren got his back support band from the hospital. — Даррен получил свою поддерживающую ленту для спины из больницы) не соответствует содержанию диалога — False:
Darren: The hospital recommended I wear one for a while, so I went to the chemists and picked one up.

Утверждение B (Darren went to hospital in an ambulance. — Даррен попал в больницу на машине скорой помощи) не соответствует содержанию диалога — False:
Darren: My friend helped me to a chair and then after the pain got a little better, his dad took me to the hospital.

Утверждение C (Darren has never had a back problem from lifting things before. — У Даррена никогда раньше не было проблем со спиной из-за подъема вещей) соответствует содержанию диалога — True:
Darren: I’ve actually had back problems before, although not from lifting things.

Утверждение D (Sonias uncle takes medication for his back problem. — Дядя Сониас принимает лекарства от проблемы со спиной) не отражено в диалоге — Not stated.

Утверждение E (Darren doesn’t intend to lift heavy objects again. — Даррен не собирается снова поднимать тяжелые предметы) соответствует содержанию диалога — True:
Darren: Well, I certainly want to avoid that. I think it’s safe to say I won’t be lifting anything heavy any more.

Утверждение G (Darren thinks his excuse for hurting his back was reasonable. — Даррен считает, что причина, по которой он потянул спину, была разумной) не соответствует содержанию диалога — False:
Sonia: No! Don’t say that! You must have a better reason for putting your back out!
Darren: I know, it’s awful, isn’t it, but it’s the truth!

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Источник: Тесты для подготовки к ЕГЭ по английскому языку, 2019. Вербицкая М., Манн М., Тейлор-Ноулз С.
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How did kana end up living in japan

При выполнении заданий с кратким ответом впишите в поле для ответа цифру, которая соответствует номеру правильного ответа, или число, слово, последовательность букв (слов) или цифр. Ответ следует записывать без пробелов и каких-либо дополнительных символов. Для выполнения заданий 1, 2 прослушайте аудиозапись и выпишите правильную последовательность цифр. Для выполнения заданий 3—9 прослушайте интервью и выберите один из трех вариантов ответа. В задании 10 установите соответствие между текстами A—G и заголовками 1—8. В задании один заголовок лишний. В задании 11 прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A—F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1—7. Одна из частей в списке 1—7 лишняя. Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12—18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

При выполнении заданий 19—25, преобразуйте, если необходимо, слова, напечатанные заглавными буквами так, чтобы они грамматически соответствовали содержанию текстов. Записывайте ответы без пробелов, запятых и других дополнительных символов; не копируйте слова-ответы из браузера, вписывайте их, набирая с клавиатуры. При выполнении заданий 26—31, образуйте от слов, напечатанных заглавными буквами однокоренные слова так, чтобы они грамматически и лексически соответствовали содержанию текста. Записывайте ответы без пробелов, запятых и других дополнительных символов; не копируйте слова-ответы из браузера, вписывайте их, набирая с клавиатуры. Прочитайте текст с пропусками, обозначенными номерами 32—38. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Если вариант задан учителем, вы можете вписать или загрузить в систему ответы к заданиям с развернутым ответом. Учитель увидит результаты выполнения заданий с кратким ответом и сможет оценить загруженные ответы к заданиям с развернутым ответом. Выставленные учителем баллы отобразятся в вашей статистике.

Вы услышите диалог дважды. Определите, является ли следующее утверждение верным, или неверным, или о нем нет информации.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

Mike’s administrative work was very well paid.

Вы услышите диалог дважды. Определите, является ли следующее утверждение верным, или неверным, или о нем нет информации.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

Mary did not do well at University because she had to earn her living.

Вы услышите диалог дважды. Определите, является ли следующее утверждение верным, или неверным, или о нем нет информации.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

Mary was younger than the other students at her university.

Вы услышите диалог дважды. Определите, является ли следующее утверждение верным, или неверным, или о нем нет информации.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

Mary thinks that regular classes are rather time-consuming.

Вы услышите диалог дважды. Определите, является ли следующее утверждение верным, или неверным, или о нем нет информации.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

Mary thinks that she can’t study better than when she was younger.

Вы услышите диалог дважды. Определите, является ли следующее утверждение верным, или неверным, или о нем нет информации.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

Distance learning seems to be very convenient for Mary.

Вы услышите диалог дважды. Определите, является ли следующее утверждение верным, или неверным, или о нем нет информации.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

Mike does not feel disappointed about going to University.

Вы услышите репортаж дважды. Выберите правильный ответ 1, 2 или 3.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

What changes, according to Susan, are taking place in town life?

1) More and more people prefer to meet out in pubs and clubs.

2) People’s homes are becoming a more popular place to meet.

3) People prefer eating at home to eating out.

Вы услышите репортаж дважды. Выберите правильный ответ 1, 2 или 3.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

How does Susan feel about shops and shopping?

1) She thinks small shops should disappear.

2) Every time she goes shopping she feels annoyed.

3) She dislikes the atmosphere in big shops.

Вы услышите репортаж дважды. Выберите правильный ответ 1, 2 или 3.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

What does Susan think about the book Birdsong?

1) It gives a new perspective on war.

2) It shows how differently people view war.

3) It reveals hidden causes of war.

Вы услышите репортаж дважды. Выберите правильный ответ 1, 2 или 3.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

Why did Susan read The Remains of the Day twice?

1) It was very popular at one time.

2) She enjoyed the film based on it.

3) She did it to kill time.

Вы услышите репортаж дважды. Выберите правильный ответ 1, 2 или 3.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

Why does Susan enjoy reading books?

1) The reading habit runs in her family.

2) She has taken to reading on the way to and from work.

3) She was encouraged to read in her childhood.

Вы услышите репортаж дважды. Выберите правильный ответ 1, 2 или 3.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

What is Susan’s opinion of book reviews?

1) They give misleading information about books.

2) They criticize books written by young authors.

3) They give good recommendation on books to read.

Вы услышите репортаж дважды. Выберите правильный ответ 1, 2 или 3.

Воспользуйтесь плеером, чтобы прослушать запись.

What is Susan’s attitude to gossip books?

1) She doesn’t think they are worth reading.

2) She enjoys reading them.

3) She thinks they are appealing to most people.

The narrator and his companion decided to choose the Cardona ski resort because

1) it was a short distance from Queenstown.

2) they couldn’t find a room at other resorts.

3) somebody said that it was worth going to.

4) it was popular with snowboarders.

Whilst travelling in 2001, I had my first but definitely not last go at snowboarding. Rhona and I went to the Cardona ski resort, a couple of hours from Queenstown in New Zealand. We had been staying in Queenstown for a couple of weeks and had tried a couple of the local ski resorts. They had been so popular, that there was almost no room to stay. The problem for me with this was that with so many people moving around me, my eyes were constantly re-focusing. This meant that I couldn’t see a thing! As I had never snowboarded before, we decided that it was going to be a problem. A guy at one of the local ski rental shops recommended that we should try Cardona.

On arrival I went straight to the Ski Patrol and explained my situation. They suggested that I should wear a vest, that they supplied, with the words ‘BLIND SKIER’ on the front and back on top of my jacket. They told me that this was more for the benefit of the other skiers around me. I must admit, I wasn’t very keen to do this, but thought I would give it a try.

Once onto the slopes, I put my vest on and began to practise my limited skills. Because I have done some other board sports, i. e. skateboarding, surfing, etc., it wasn’t too hard to learn the basics. Once I was comfortable with this, I headed off for the ski lift and the big slopes. As I stood in the queue I could hear people talking about that ‘poor blind guy’. This niggled me a bit, but I decided to try to ignore it. At the top of the lift I stepped off and strapped my feet onto the board.

As we headed off I could hear more people talking about the vest. I was starting to get paranoid. Then as I gathered speed and Rhona would shout directions, I realized that the people who saw the vest were getting out of my way. Fantastic! This was better than a white stick in a crowd. We picked up speed turning left, then right, hitting a few bumps, but mainly going really well. I even managed to control the snowboard. Well, sort of control it. Before I knew it, we had zipped down a long straight slope and had come to the end of the run. The adrenaline was buzzing and I was ‘high as a kite’. What a feeling. I got back on the ski lift and headed back up. This time I was going to do the run solo!

I had memorized the slope from my first run and felt very confident. As I came off the lift, I rushed to get started. Again, I could hear people talking about me, but now it didn’t matter. The vest was a definite benefit for the novice snowboarder! I took the first stage at a steady pace, looking for my first left bend. No problems there. I found that easy enough. I was now looking for my fast approaching right bend. I missed this one completely and ended up in the safety netting at the edge of the run.

We boarded at Cardona for two days and had a fantastic time. Because it is a bit of a drive away from most of the tourist places, it is not as busy as the other ski resorts. It is mostly visited by the locals and I think that says something. If you get the chance, I would definitely recommend Cardona. I would also like to thank the Ski Patrol for that great suggestion. Without the vest, I am sure there could have been some crashes, caused by me. But with the vest, everyone just got out of the way. However, I think that if I was to get a vest for myself, it would probably read ‘BLIND&DAFT’.

The Ski Patrol suggested that the narrator should wear a vest in order to

1) make it easier for them to locate the narrator in case of an accident.

2) make the narrator feel more confident during his first go at snowboarding.

3) keep an eye on him on the slope.

4) prevent other people from colliding with him on the slopes.

Whilst travelling in 2001, I had my first but definitely not last go at snowboarding. Rhona and I went to the Cardona ski resort, a couple of hours from Queenstown in New Zealand. We had been staying in Queenstown for a couple of weeks and had tried a couple of the local ski resorts. They had been so popular, that there was almost no room to stay. The problem for me with this was that with so many people moving around me, my eyes were constantly re-focusing. This meant that I couldn’t see a thing! As I had never snowboarded before, we decided that it was going to be a problem. A guy at one of the local ski rental shops recommended that we should try Cardona.

On arrival I went straight to the Ski Patrol and explained my situation. They suggested that I should wear a vest, that they supplied, with the words ‘BLIND SKIER’ on the front and back on top of my jacket. They told me that this was more for the benefit of the other skiers around me. I must admit, I wasn’t very keen to do this, but thought I would give it a try.

Once onto the slopes, I put my vest on and began to practise my limited skills. Because I have done some other board sports, i. e. skateboarding, surfing, etc., it wasn’t too hard to learn the basics. Once I was comfortable with this, I headed off for the ski lift and the big slopes. As I stood in the queue I could hear people talking about that ‘poor blind guy’. This niggled me a bit, but I decided to try to ignore it. At the top of the lift I stepped off and strapped my feet onto the board.

As we headed off I could hear more people talking about the vest. I was starting to get paranoid. Then as I gathered speed and Rhona would shout directions, I realized that the people who saw the vest were getting out of my way. Fantastic! This was better than a white stick in a crowd. We picked up speed turning left, then right, hitting a few bumps, but mainly going really well. I even managed to control the snowboard. Well, sort of control it. Before I knew it, we had zipped down a long straight slope and had come to the end of the run. The adrenaline was buzzing and I was ‘high as a kite’. What a feeling. I got back on the ski lift and headed back up. This time I was going to do the run solo!

I had memorized the slope from my first run and felt very confident. As I came off the lift, I rushed to get started. Again, I could hear people talking about me, but now it didn’t matter. The vest was a definite benefit for the novice snowboarder! I took the first stage at a steady pace, looking for my first left bend. No problems there. I found that easy enough. I was now looking for my fast approaching right bend. I missed this one completely and ended up in the safety netting at the edge of the run.

We boarded at Cardona for two days and had a fantastic time. Because it is a bit of a drive away from most of the tourist places, it is not as busy as the other ski resorts. It is mostly visited by the locals and I think that says something. If you get the chance, I would definitely recommend Cardona. I would also like to thank the Ski Patrol for that great suggestion. Without the vest, I am sure there could have been some crashes, caused by me. But with the vest, everyone just got out of the way. However, I think that if I was to get a vest for myself, it would probably read ‘BLIND&DAFT’.

When the narrator was standing in the queue he

1) felt annoyed by people’s comments.

2) felt comfortable in his vest.

3) tried to focus his eyes on the track.

4) tried to ignore his fear.

Whilst travelling in 2001, I had my first but definitely not last go at snowboarding. Rhona and I went to the Cardona ski resort, a couple of hours from Queenstown in New Zealand. We had been staying in Queenstown for a couple of weeks and had tried a couple of the local ski resorts. They had been so popular, that there was almost no room to stay. The problem for me with this was that with so many people moving around me, my eyes were constantly re-focusing. This meant that I couldn’t see a thing! As I had never snowboarded before, we decided that it was going to be a problem. A guy at one of the local ski rental shops recommended that we should try Cardona.

On arrival I went straight to the Ski Patrol and explained my situation. They suggested that I should wear a vest, that they supplied, with the words ‘BLIND SKIER’ on the front and back on top of my jacket. They told me that this was more for the benefit of the other skiers around me. I must admit, I wasn’t very keen to do this, but thought I would give it a try.

Once onto the slopes, I put my vest on and began to practise my limited skills. Because I have done some other board sports, i. e. skateboarding, surfing, etc., it wasn’t too hard to learn the basics. Once I was comfortable with this, I headed off for the ski lift and the big slopes. As I stood in the queue I could hear people talking about that ‘poor blind guy’. This niggled me a bit, but I decided to try to ignore it. At the top of the lift I stepped off and strapped my feet onto the board.

As we headed off I could hear more people talking about the vest. I was starting to get paranoid. Then as I gathered speed and Rhona would shout directions, I realized that the people who saw the vest were getting out of my way. Fantastic! This was better than a white stick in a crowd. We picked up speed turning left, then right, hitting a few bumps, but mainly going really well. I even managed to control the snowboard. Well, sort of control it. Before I knew it, we had zipped down a long straight slope and had come to the end of the run. The adrenaline was buzzing and I was ‘high as a kite’. What a feeling. I got back on the ski lift and headed back up. This time I was going to do the run solo!

I had memorized the slope from my first run and felt very confident. As I came off the lift, I rushed to get started. Again, I could hear people talking about me, but now it didn’t matter. The vest was a definite benefit for the novice snowboarder! I took the first stage at a steady pace, looking for my first left bend. No problems there. I found that easy enough. I was now looking for my fast approaching right bend. I missed this one completely and ended up in the safety netting at the edge of the run.

We boarded at Cardona for two days and had a fantastic time. Because it is a bit of a drive away from most of the tourist places, it is not as busy as the other ski resorts. It is mostly visited by the locals and I think that says something. If you get the chance, I would definitely recommend Cardona. I would also like to thank the Ski Patrol for that great suggestion. Without the vest, I am sure there could have been some crashes, caused by me. But with the vest, everyone just got out of the way. However, I think that if I was to get a vest for myself, it would probably read ‘BLIND&DAFT’.

The narrator did the second run solo and he

1) tried to memorize all the bends.

2) failed to go round one of the bends.

3) tried not to listen to Rhona’s directions.

4) fell down and was injured.

Whilst travelling in 2001, I had my first but definitely not last go at snowboarding. Rhona and I went to the Cardona ski resort, a couple of hours from Queenstown in New Zealand. We had been staying in Queenstown for a couple of weeks and had tried a couple of the local ski resorts. They had been so popular, that there was almost no room to stay. The problem for me with this was that with so many people moving around me, my eyes were constantly re-focusing. This meant that I couldn’t see a thing! As I had never snowboarded before, we decided that it was going to be a problem. A guy at one of the local ski rental shops recommended that we should try Cardona.

On arrival I went straight to the Ski Patrol and explained my situation. They suggested that I should wear a vest, that they supplied, with the words ‘BLIND SKIER’ on the front and back on top of my jacket. They told me that this was more for the benefit of the other skiers around me. I must admit, I wasn’t very keen to do this, but thought I would give it a try.

Once onto the slopes, I put my vest on and began to practise my limited skills. Because I have done some other board sports, i. e. skateboarding, surfing, etc., it wasn’t too hard to learn the basics. Once I was comfortable with this, I headed off for the ski lift and the big slopes. As I stood in the queue I could hear people talking about that ‘poor blind guy’. This niggled me a bit, but I decided to try to ignore it. At the top of the lift I stepped off and strapped my feet onto the board.

As we headed off I could hear more people talking about the vest. I was starting to get paranoid. Then as I gathered speed and Rhona would shout directions, I realized that the people who saw the vest were getting out of my way. Fantastic! This was better than a white stick in a crowd. We picked up speed turning left, then right, hitting a few bumps, but mainly going really well. I even managed to control the snowboard. Well, sort of control it. Before I knew it, we had zipped down a long straight slope and had come to the end of the run. The adrenaline was buzzing and I was ‘high as a kite’. What a feeling. I got back on the ski lift and headed back up. This time I was going to do the run solo!

I had memorized the slope from my first run and felt very confident. As I came off the lift, I rushed to get started. Again, I could hear people talking about me, but now it didn’t matter. The vest was a definite benefit for the novice snowboarder! I took the first stage at a steady pace, looking for my first left bend. No problems there. I found that easy enough. I was now looking for my fast approaching right bend. I missed this one completely and ended up in the safety netting at the edge of the run.

We boarded at Cardona for two days and had a fantastic time. Because it is a bit of a drive away from most of the tourist places, it is not as busy as the other ski resorts. It is mostly visited by the locals and I think that says something. If you get the chance, I would definitely recommend Cardona. I would also like to thank the Ski Patrol for that great suggestion. Without the vest, I am sure there could have been some crashes, caused by me. But with the vest, everyone just got out of the way. However, I think that if I was to get a vest for myself, it would probably read ‘BLIND&DAFT’.

The narrator believes that his successful leaps into the air and landing on his feet were due to

1) his personal courage.

2) people’s encouragement.

3) his intensive practising.

Whilst travelling in 2001, I had my first but definitely not last go at snowboarding. Rhona and I went to the Cardona ski resort, a couple of hours from Queenstown in New Zealand. We had been staying in Queenstown for a couple of weeks and had tried a couple of the local ski resorts. They had been so popular, that there was almost no room to stay. The problem for me with this was that with so many people moving around me, my eyes were constantly re-focusing. This meant that I couldn’t see a thing! As I had never snowboarded before, we decided that it was going to be a problem. A guy at one of the local ski rental shops recommended that we should try Cardona.

On arrival I went straight to the Ski Patrol and explained my situation. They suggested that I should wear a vest, that they supplied, with the words ‘BLIND SKIER’ on the front and back on top of my jacket. They told me that this was more for the benefit of the other skiers around me. I must admit, I wasn’t very keen to do this, but thought I would give it a try.

Once onto the slopes, I put my vest on and began to practise my limited skills. Because I have done some other board sports, i. e. skateboarding, surfing, etc., it wasn’t too hard to learn the basics. Once I was comfortable with this, I headed off for the ski lift and the big slopes. As I stood in the queue I could hear people talking about that ‘poor blind guy’. This niggled me a bit, but I decided to try to ignore it. At the top of the lift I stepped off and strapped my feet onto the board.

As we headed off I could hear more people talking about the vest. I was starting to get paranoid. Then as I gathered speed and Rhona would shout directions, I realized that the people who saw the vest were getting out of my way. Fantastic! This was better than a white stick in a crowd. We picked up speed turning left, then right, hitting a few bumps, but mainly going really well. I even managed to control the snowboard. Well, sort of control it. Before I knew it, we had zipped down a long straight slope and had come to the end of the run. The adrenaline was buzzing and I was ‘high as a kite’. What a feeling. I got back on the ski lift and headed back up. This time I was going to do the run solo!

I had memorized the slope from my first run and felt very confident. As I came off the lift, I rushed to get started. Again, I could hear people talking about me, but now it didn’t matter. The vest was a definite benefit for the novice snowboarder! I took the first stage at a steady pace, looking for my first left bend. No problems there. I found that easy enough. I was now looking for my fast approaching right bend. I missed this one completely and ended up in the safety netting at the edge of the run.

We boarded at Cardona for two days and had a fantastic time. Because it is a bit of a drive away from most of the tourist places, it is not as busy as the other ski resorts. It is mostly visited by the locals and I think that says something. If you get the chance, I would definitely recommend Cardona. I would also like to thank the Ski Patrol for that great suggestion. Without the vest, I am sure there could have been some crashes, caused by me. But with the vest, everyone just got out of the way. However, I think that if I was to get a vest for myself, it would probably read ‘BLIND&DAFT’.

The narrator recommends the Cardona ski resort because

1) of the Ski Patrol efficient service

2) skiers are supplied with vests there.

3) it is less crowded than other places.

4) there are few crashes on the slopes.

Whilst travelling in 2001, I had my first but definitely not last go at snowboarding. Rhona and I went to the Cardona ski resort, a couple of hours from Queenstown in New Zealand. We had been staying in Queenstown for a couple of weeks and had tried a couple of the local ski resorts. They had been so popular, that there was almost no room to stay. The problem for me with this was that with so many people moving around me, my eyes were constantly re-focusing. This meant that I couldn’t see a thing! As I had never snowboarded before, we decided that it was going to be a problem. A guy at one of the local ski rental shops recommended that we should try Cardona.

On arrival I went straight to the Ski Patrol and explained my situation. They suggested that I should wear a vest, that they supplied, with the words ‘BLIND SKIER’ on the front and back on top of my jacket. They told me that this was more for the benefit of the other skiers around me. I must admit, I wasn’t very keen to do this, but thought I would give it a try.

Once onto the slopes, I put my vest on and began to practise my limited skills. Because I have done some other board sports, i. e. skateboarding, surfing, etc., it wasn’t too hard to learn the basics. Once I was comfortable with this, I headed off for the ski lift and the big slopes. As I stood in the queue I could hear people talking about that ‘poor blind guy’. This niggled me a bit, but I decided to try to ignore it. At the top of the lift I stepped off and strapped my feet onto the board.

As we headed off I could hear more people talking about the vest. I was starting to get paranoid. Then as I gathered speed and Rhona would shout directions, I realized that the people who saw the vest were getting out of my way. Fantastic! This was better than a white stick in a crowd. We picked up speed turning left, then right, hitting a few bumps, but mainly going really well. I even managed to control the snowboard. Well, sort of control it. Before I knew it, we had zipped down a long straight slope and had come to the end of the run. The adrenaline was buzzing and I was ‘high as a kite’. What a feeling. I got back on the ski lift and headed back up. This time I was going to do the run solo!

I had memorized the slope from my first run and felt very confident. As I came off the lift, I rushed to get started. Again, I could hear people talking about me, but now it didn’t matter. The vest was a definite benefit for the novice snowboarder! I took the first stage at a steady pace, looking for my first left bend. No problems there. I found that easy enough. I was now looking for my fast approaching right bend. I missed this one completely and ended up in the safety netting at the edge of the run.

We boarded at Cardona for two days and had a fantastic time. Because it is a bit of a drive away from most of the tourist places, it is not as busy as the other ski resorts. It is mostly visited by the locals and I think that says something. If you get the chance, I would definitely recommend Cardona. I would also like to thank the Ski Patrol for that great suggestion. Without the vest, I am sure there could have been some crashes, caused by me. But with the vest, everyone just got out of the way. However, I think that if I was to get a vest for myself, it would probably read ‘BLIND&DAFT’.

The narrator says that his research for the book

1) brought him to Russia to work as a journalist.

2) made him go to the war in Afghanistan.

3) led him to take part in the war in Africa.

4) brought him to a river bank in Africa.

The introduction to a new biography of Gannibal by the Author

Alexander Pushkin was not only Russia’s greatest poet, but he was also the great-grandson of an African slave. The slave, whose godfather was Peter the Great, claimed to have royal blood of his own. Certainly his Russian descendants believed that he was an African prince. His descendants have included members as well as close friends of the English royal family. So the legend goes on.

Pushkin told the story of his black ancestor in ‘The Negro of Peter the Great’, but this biography tells a different version. The main difference is between fact and fiction. The Russian poet hoped to discover a biographical truth by sticking to the facts, only to discover that facts are slippery and not always true. His biography turned into a novel. Even then, it was left unfinished after six and a half chapters. The scrawled manuscript comes to an end with a line of dialogue — ‘Sit down, you scoundrel, let’s talk!’ — and a line of dots. Pushkin could be speaking to himself. In any case, it’s now time to stand up and carry on with the story. I have tried to join up the dots.

This is a book, then, about a missing link between the storyteller and his subject, an African prince; between the various branches of a family and its roots; between Pushkin and Africa; Africa and Europe; Europe and Russia; black and white. It is the story of a remarkable life and it poses the question: how is such a life to be explained?

My own explanation began in 2001, while I was living in Russia and working there as a journalist. The first draft was written during the war in Afghanistan, on the road to Kabul, but it describes my journey to the frontline of a different kind of war in Africa between the armies of Ethiopia and Eritrea. According to legend, Pushkin’s ancestor was born there, on the northern bank of the River Mareb, where I was arrested for taking photographs and compass readings, on suspicion of being a spy. Understandably my captors didn’t believe that I was only a journalist researching the life of Russia’s greatest writer. At the military camp, where I was held for a number of hours, the commandant looked me up and down when I asked, in my best posh English accent, ‘I say, my good man, can you tell me, basically, what is going on here?’ ‘Basically,’ he replied, with distaste, ‘you are in prison!’ The incident taught me something. Journalists, like biographers, are meant to respect facts, and by retracing Gannibal’s footsteps, I hoped to find a true story.

Some of those journeys lie behind the book, and are used whenever it is helpful to show that the past often retains a physical presence for the biographer — in landscapes, buildings, portraits, and above all in the trace of handwriting on original letters or journals. But my own journeys are not the point of the book. It is Gannibal’s story. I am only following him. Descriptions of Africa and the slave trade result from my journeys, but this is not a book about a ‘stolen legacy’, nor certainly about the intellectual wars that have been part of black history in recent years. Biographers, like novelists, should tell stories. I have tried to do this. I should, however, point out from the outset that Gannibal was not the only black face to be seen in the centre of fashionable St Petersburg at that time. Negro slaves were a common sight in the grand salons of Millionaires’ Street and they appeared in a variety of roles, such as pets, pages, footmen, mascots, mistresses, favourites and adopted children. At the Winter Palace, so-called court Arabs, usually Ethiopians dressed in turbans and baggy trousers stood guard like stage extras in the marble wings.