МОСКОВСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ ГУМАНИТАРНЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ им.М.А.Шолохова
Кафедра: секция английского языка Курс ГАК
Наименование дисциплины: английский язык
Приложение к экзаменационному билету № 23
From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunised from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. The expectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter of men, women and children on the roads. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly mutilated each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man's very worst qualities. The surprising thing is that society smiles so benignly on the motorist and seems to condone his behaviour. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy traffic, towns are made ugly by huge car parks, the countryside is desecrated by road networks.
With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest are not strict enough. Here are a few examples of what can be done. All drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through stringent annual tests for safety. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be imposed on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for manufacturers, as has been done in the USA. These measures may sound inordinately harsh, but surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.
Stringent -- strict, severe, that must be obeyed.
Toll -- something lost or suffered.
Экзаменационный билет утвержден на заседании кафедры
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МОСКОВСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ ГУМАНИТАРНЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ им.М.А.Шолохова
Кафедра: секция английского языка Курс ГАК
Наименование дисциплины: английский язык
Приложение к экзаменационному билету № 22
When you think of the tremendous technological progress we have made, it's amazing how little we have developed in other respects. We may speak contemptuously of the poor Romans because they relished the orgies of slaughter that went on their arenas. We may forgive them condescendingly because they lived 2000 years ago and obviously knew no better. But are we any less blood-thirsty? Why do boxing matches attract such universal interest? Don't the spectators hope they will see some violence? Human being remain as blood-thirsty as they were. The only difference between ourselves and the Romans is that while they were honest enough to admit that they enjoyed watching hungry lions tearing people apart and eating them alive, we find all sorts sophisticated arguments to defend sports which should have been banned long ago; sports which are quite as barbarous as, say, public hanging or bear-baiting.
It really is incredible that in this day and age we should still sit back and watch two men batter each other to pulp in a boxing ring, that we should still allow hunting or bull-fighting, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. Any talk of "the sporting spirit" is sheer hypocrisy. Spectators are willing to pay vast sums of money to see violence. They are disappointed if a big fight is over in two rounds instead of fifteen.
For centuries man has been trying to improve himself spiritually and emotionally – admittedly with little success. But at least we no longer tolerate the sight of madmen cooped up in cages, or public floggings. Social welfare systems are in operation in many parts of the world. The law is the biggest instrument of social change and it may exert great civilizing influence. If we banned dangerous and violent sports, we would be moving one step further to improving mankind.
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Экзаменационный билет утвержден на заседании кафедры
« »______________2010г. Зав. кафедрой_____________
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