1. Do you live far from your office?
2. He hadn’t yet finished his work when I saw him.
3. I was woken up by my mother.
4. Besides literature we have to study history and mathematics.
5. I borrowed a book from the library.
6. For further information, see Page 123.
7. He offered to help us.
8. He suggested that we should take part in that festival.
9. The report will be ready by Monday.
10. She couldn’t answer either of the questions.

II. Give the correct form of the verbs in brackets

1. By that time he had finished his work.
2. If you brought a chair with you, you could have sat.
3. I only understood that lesson after I had read it several times.
4. You will not be able to catch the 7:30 train unless you take a taxi.
5. I will call you as soon as he comes back.
6. If I am ever in Moscow, I am going to visit Tretiakov Picture Gallery.
7. I haven’t seen him since we left school.
8. I said that I will try to enter the university the next year.
9. He was sure that she would not be late for the meeting the following day.
10. Have you painted the walls yet?

III Put the following into indirect speech.

1. “If it rains this afternoon, we’ll have to postpone the match”, the coach said to us.

The coach told us that if it rains this afternoon, we will have to postpone the match.

2. “Will you come and see me next week-end?”, she said to her cousin.

She asked her cousin if they would come see her next week-end.

3. “Where were you the day before yesterday, Henry?”, he said.

He asked Henry where he was the day before yesterday.

4. “Don’t belive everything you hear’”, he warned me.

He warned me not to believe everything I hear.

5. “Why do the prices go up continually in Armenia?”, she wondered.

She wondered why the prices continually go up in Armenia.

6. Nelly asks, “Which is the most beautiful region in Armenia?”

Nelly asked which region was the most beautiful region in Armenia.

7. She said to the teacher, “May I go out for a minute?”

She asked the teacher if she could go out for a minute.

8. Peter said, “My father is making a report at the meeting tomorrow.”

Peter said his father would be making a report at the meeting tomorrow.

9. My sister said to me, “I got a strange E-mail from my teacher two days ago.”

My sister told me she got a strange E-mail from her teacher two days ago.

10. The detective asked me, “What were you doing at the university at such a late hour.”

The detective asked me what I was doing at the university at such a late hour.

IV Translate into English

1. Մեր տան դիմաց դպրոցի մի նոր շենք է կառուցվում:

In front of our house a new school building is being built.

2. Երբ ես քայլում էի փողոցով, ինչ-որ մեկը հարցրեց ինձ, թե որն է մետրոյի ամենամոտ կայարանը:

When I was walking down the street, someone asked me which metro station is the closest.

3. Մենք չենք հանդիպել դպրոցն ավարտելուց ի վեր:

We haven’t met after school ended.

4. Հարկ է որ դուք ավելի շատ ուշադրություն դարձնեք քերականությանը:

It is important that you focus more on grammar.

5. Երբ դու համալսարանի ուսանող լինես, քեզ կթույլատրեն գրքեր վերցնել այս գրադարանից:

When you’re a student at this university, they will let you borrow books from this library.

6. Նա ասաց, որ կկարողանա թարգմանել այդ տեքստը հաջորդ օրը:

He said that he would be able to translate this text tomorrow.

7. Եթե դու ճշմարտությունը չասես, այլևս քո հետ չեմ խոսի երբեք:

If you don’t tell the truth, I won’t talk with you anymore.

8. Առնո Բաբաջանյան փողոցը կառուցված կլինի մինչև ամառվա վերջը:

Arno Babajanyan street will have finished construction by the end of summer.

9. Ուսանողների քննում են 7-րդ սենյակում:

The students are taking the test in the 7th room.

10. Ցավում եմ, բայց դուք ստիպված կլինեք ևս մեկ անգամ հանձնել այս քննությունը

I regret to inform you that you will have to take this test one more time.

V. Can we ever truly know history

Humans have been documenting history for thousands of years, with recorded history going back around 5000 years. A lot of human history has been found, but not without many difficulties along the way. Much of what we know of history is inferred from limited evidence and information, and as such what we know of history can be somewhat shaky.

In addition, despite how much has been found, significantly more has been lost, even if you do not go into much detail. There are many different reasons for this. One of those reasons is that the records, objects, and locations that historians use to trace history are prone to destruction. Natural disasters and wars have often lead to large scale destruction which has limited the information historians have about the past. Furthermore, these objects will also naturally decay and weather due to wind, rain, animals, etc. which can lead to their distortion and make them harder to analyse. This is why many historians started to specifically preserve historical documents in dry, sealed areas to prevent the further decay and loss of records.

Humans have been recording history for a very long time, over 5000 years. Understanding our past is not only very interesting, but also helpful for understanding the nuances of culture and human behaviour. I personally believe that the study and preservation of human history is very important, as learning about the culture, lifestyle, etc. of the past is very interesting. There are many other practical benefits of studying history, but to me the number one reason history should be studied is that it is interesting to learn about the civilisations of the past.

However, I believe that unfortunately, people will also never truly be able to explore history in its entirety, as there are just too many factors limiting knowledge. Generally, far back in the past many things were not documented with anywhere near the detail they would be now, so there are many gaps in information such as exact army head counts and populations. There is also the issue of decay. Many historical artifacts will weather and erode by natural means, slowly reducing the information they can provide. This is why many historical artifacts are preserved in dry, sealed spaces. Many things have also been deliberately destroyed during wars and sieges, further adding to this uncertainty.

While it is true that most of history has likely been lost forever, I believe the study of human history should never stop. It helps us understand our cultures, the people of the past, and it is generally a connection to the past which is irreplaceable.

Translate into English

1. -Ինչու՞ ես գրքերդ թողնում գրասեղանի վրա:

• -Որպեսզի միշտ չփնտրեմ դրանք:

Why do you leave your books on the desk?

-To not have to search for them all the time.

2. Նա օգտագործում էր Grammarly ծրագիրը, որպեսզի լեզվական սխալներ չանի:

He used Grammarly so that he wouldn’t make linguistic mistakes.

3. Ես ուզում եմ համալսարան գնալ, որպեսզի տեսնեմ պարոն Հաթկինսին:

I want to go to university to see Mr. Hatkins.

4. Մատուցողը պետք է քաղաքավարի լինի հաճախորդների նկատմամբ, որպեսզի չկորցնի իր աշխատանքը:

The waiter needs to be civil with customers to not lose his job.

5. Ես բառարան նայեցի (look up in the dictionary), որպեսզի գտնեմ այդ բառի ճիշտ թարգմանությունը:

I checked the dictionary to find that word’s correct translation.

6. Նա փող է խնայում, որպեսզի նոր ավտոմեքենա գնի:

He was saving money to buy a new car.

7. Ինչու՞ աջ շրջվեցիր: – Որպեսզի խուսափեմ տնօրենին հանդիպելուց:

Why did you turn right? – To avoid seeing the principal.

8. Ես կորցրել էի իմ բանկային քարտը և ստիպված էի բանկ գնալ, որպեսզի պատվիրեմ նորը:

I lost my credit card and I had to go to the bank to get a new one.

Translate into English

1.Ես վախենում եմ թափառող շներից և այդ պատճառով գիշերները տնից դուրս չեմ գնում:

I’m afraid of roaming dogs, which is why I don’t leave the house at night.

2.Ես վախենում եմ ուտել այս սունկը: Այն թարմ չի թվում:

I am afraid of eating that mushroom. It doesn’t seem fresh.

3. Ես երբեք չեմ լողացել այս գետում: Ասում են, որ այս գետում Պիրաններ կան: Ես վախենում եմ դրանց հանդիպել:

I have never swum in this lake. They say that there are piranhas in there. I’m afraid to meet them.

4. Թռիր ջուրը: Ի՞նչ ես ասում, ես վախենում եմ խեղդվելուց(get drowned): Անծանոթ գետ է:

Jump into the water. What are you saying, I’m afraid of drowning. That lake is unfamiliar.

Translate into English

1.Սա բավականաչափ հետաքրքիր գիրք է:

This is an interesting enough book.

2. Այս գիրքը բավականաչափ հետաքրքիր է:

This book is interesting enough.

Translate into English

1.Ոմն (ինչ-որ մի) Ռեբեկա ինձ հաղորդագրություն է ուղարկել:

A Rebecca sent me a news article.

2.Ոչ, սա այն Երևանը չէ, որտեղ ես անցկացրել եմ իմ մանկությունը: Այն շատ է փոխվել:

This is not the Yerevan where I spent my childhood. It has changed a lot.

3. Հակոբյանները որոշել են իրենց արձակուրդը անցկացնել Իսպանիայում:

The Hakopyans have decided to spend their vacation in Spain.

Translate into English

1. Աղքատները չեն հասկանում հարուստներին, իսկ հարուստներն էլ չեն հասկանում աղքատներին:

The poor don’t understand the rich, and the rich don’t understand the poor.

2. Շտապ օգնության ավտոմեքենաները վիրավորներին տարան հիվանդանոց:

The emergency cars took the injured to the hospital.

3. Գործազուրկներն իրենք են մեղավոր (to be to blame for something) իրենց կարգավիճակի (status) համար:

The unemployed are to blame for their status.

4. Երիտասարդները չեն հասկանում ծերերին, իսկ ծերերն էլ չեն հասկանում երիտասարդներին:

The young don’t understand the elderly, and the elderly don’t understand the young.

5. Հաշմանդամների քանակը ավելացավ 44-օրյա պատերազմից հետո:

The injured increased in numbers after the 44 day war.

6. Անտուն մարդկանց քանակն ավելացավ 44-օրյա պատերազմից հետո:

The homeless increased in numbers after the 44 day war.

7. Տարեցների կենսաթոշակները բավականաչափ չեն արժանապատիվ կյանքով ապրելու համար: (to live a dignified life)

The pensions of the elderly are not enough to live a dignified life.

Standardised testing is something that has become crucial to most educational systems over time. The main point of testing overall is typically to help students and teachers gauge academic progress, while standardised testing typically exists so students can have some evidence of their achievements to show to colleges and employers. Every system uses different rules, regulations, and guidelines to decide how the tests should be created, administered, and examined, and each system enforces them to different levels.

This is one way in which standardised testing can fall short. Standardised testing can be extremely stressful. One of the most extreme examples of a stressful exam is the national college admission exam in China, the Gaokao. The Gaokao is extremely strictly enforced and the syllabus is extensive and difficult. This single exam is also considered one of the most important qualifications students can have for college. This causes pressure so immense that some students are driven to suicide, which is unfortunately not uncommon. This highlights the issue of balancing both freedom and strictness. For standardised testing to be successful in its goal, it needs to be of a reasonable difficulty which the target group of students can reasonably handle with enough effort, while still being difficult enough to actually challenge students.

However, regardless of balance another issue with standardised testing is that this can lead to a significant financial and regional bias in college admissions and some unfairness between countries. Every college has their own criteria which they accept, but colleges in the same country typically have somewhat similar requirements. Colleges from less developed countries typically accept qualifications from education systems in richer countries, while the opposite is rarely true. For instance, the UK has A levels and Switzerland has the IB program, both of which are recognised almost globally. On the other hand, most poorer countries have a national exam that is mainly accepted by colleges in the country itself. This can lead to a gap in the opportunities people are offered based on their financial status and birthplace. For people living in less developed countres, international A levels and IB programs are simply not accessible either because of the price or because there simply are no schools offering education with these systems, so they have to work significantly harder with extracurriculars and projects to even match what students in first world countries get with education alone.

Overall, the issues most commonly brought up by people is that standardised testing sucks the passion out of subjects. Standardised testing is one of the only ways that admissions officers and employers can gauge an applicant’s proficiency in a field, as it somewhat engages students to apply their knowledge practically without the need for individual effort from interested parties. The issue with this is the standardisation itself. Students cannot do wellby simply being proficient in the subject, they have to study test taking methods. This can make it much more difficult for those who learn in different ways and at different paces to prove themselves. There are many people who excel in certain subjects or crafts but have to go above and beyond to prove that solely due to the fact that they do not have the skill of taking tests. This makes it much harder for them to pursue a career in fields they are interested in, which greatly reduces the opportunities they have.

However, many organisations in charge of such exams take measures to account for some of these issues. For instance, Pearson, an organisation which administers A level exams, will deal with the issue of balancing difficulty by grading tests on a curve to ensure that the grade distribution is relatively consistent for all exams, and every session they may make some revisions to the system for creating exams, creating mark schemes and examining tests in order to maintain this balance. To further help students prepare for the test taking aspect of tests, they have every past paper and mark scheme except for those from the last year available online, and while they may occasionally change question styles, they almost never change the general structure of exams. Another measure that has been taken is that many colleges and universities offer scholarship programs to those on lower incomes, which will help those in poorer countries afford higher educations. However, some issues, such as the reduction of passion, are somewhat unsolvable, and are just part of the nature of standardised tests.

Bearing all this in mind, standardised testing is an inherently flawed system which can make opportunities somewhat inaccessible to many groups, but it is a necessary evil, as it is also one of the only realistic ways that colleges, universities and workplaces can get an overview of a candidate’s capabilities without immense amounts of time and effort.

1.A customs union is an organization of autonomous countries.

The word autonomous in the sentence is closest in meaning to …

a) massive

b) acclaimed

c) prosperous

d) independent

2. Until the late nineteenth century all rubber was extracted haphazardly from trees found in the jungles of South America.

The word haphazardly in the sentence is closest in meaning to

a) carelessly

b) secretly

c) constantly

d) dangerously

3.Some animals’ coloration uses bold, disruptive markings to scare predators.

The word disruptive in this sentence is closest in meaning to

a) disturbing

b) distinctive

c) brilliant

d) unfavorable

4. Fans are used to circulate air in rooms and buildings. Even though air circulated by a fan is comforting, no fan actually cools the air.

The word actually in this sentence is closest in meaning to

a) legitimately

b) factually

c) truly

d) essentially

5. For women in the 1920s, freedom in dress reflected their new freedom to take up careers. A revolutionary changes closest in meaning e affected the types of clothes worn by most women. For example, trousers became acceptable attire for almost all activities.

The word acceptable in the passage is closest in meaning to

a) usable

b) endurable

c) believable

d) permissible

II.Reading comprehension

By Heart (անգիր)

Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter. Yet this is not always the case.

A famous actor in a highly successful play was once cast in the role of an aristocrat who had been imprisoned in the Bastille for twenty years. In the last act, a jailer (բանտապահ) would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance, he always insisted that it should be written out in full.

One night, the jailer decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if, after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell. Just then the jailer appeared with the precious letter in his hands. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual. It was simply a blank sheet of paper. The jailer looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had learnt his lines by heart. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: “The light is dim. Read the letter to me.” And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the jailer. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either, the jailer replied: “The light is indeed dim, sir. I must get my glasses.” With this, he hurried off the stage. Much to the aristocrat’s amusement, the jailer returned a few moments later with a pair of glasses and the usual copy of the letter which he proceeded to read to the prisoner.

Choose the right answer

1.Why are actors in some ways unfortunate?

a) They have to remember very long texts by heart.

b) They get bored by repeating the same lines night after night.

c) They are paid less than engineers.

2. The prisoner always insisted that the letter be written on the sheet of paper because

a) he didn’t want to learn the contents of the letter by heart.

b) he wanted everything to be real on the stage.

c) the spectators could see that it was only a blank sheet of paper.

3. Why did the jailer bring a blank sheet of paper instead of the letter?

a) He didn’t do it on purpose. He had simply been mistaken.

b) He did it on purpose because he didn’t like the famous actor.

c) He simply wanted to make sure that the famous actor knew his part by heart.

Complete the sentences

1. If you were in my position, what would you have done?
2. If I need help, I will let you know.
3. I would follow that advice if I were you.
4. I would have passed the exam if I had studied harder.
5. I am not looking forward to school tomorrow.
6. Instead of self-diagnosing, you should see a doctor.
7. Don’t you think this room needs cleaning?
8. You should avoid eating too much.
9. You should give up smoking.
10. Before leaving the house, I always wash my teeth.
11. Not only was I late for the bus, the next bus was delayed!
12. Never have I ever been late to class.
13. You had better apologise to her.
14. I would rather stay home than go to the mall.
15. No sooner had I left the house, I saw that it started raining.
16. Hardly had he come home, when the phone rang.
17. Only then did he realize that his phone was out of battery.
18. Whatever you do you can’t pretend you don’t need to do your homework.
19. I would rather you be honest next time.
20. He wondered why his alarm hadn’t gone off.

Creative writing task

I. Let’s learn some new ways of expressing ideas

You agree with your interlocutor and add something.

Model: It is important that you travel.

I agree. But where you travel is also essential.

1.It is important that you listen to music.

I agree. But what music you listen to also matters.

2. It is important that you work.

I agree. But what work you do is also important.

3. It is important that you eat.

I agree. But what you eat is also important.

4.It is important that you read.

I agree. But what you read is also important.

Model: We haven’t earned much money implementing this project.

What does money matter, anyway? (Փողն ի՞նչ նշանակություն ունի: )

We shouldn’t be afraid of rain if we go on an excursion. (Անձրևն ի՞նչ նշանակություն ունի:

What does rain matter, anyway?

We are not sorry that we spent so much time on roaming in Paris. (Ժամանակն ի՞նչ նշանակություն ունի)

What does time matter, anyway?

It’s so noisy in here/ (Աղմուկն ի՞նչ նշանակություն ունի)

What does noise matter, anyway?

Model: Is it probable that the weather will change for the worse?

Yes, it is likely to change for the worse.

Is it probable that transport fares will go up? (Այո, հավանական է, որ բարձրանան:)

Yes, they are likely to go up.

Is it probable that my parcel will get there before Christmas? (Այո, հավանական է կհասնի մինչև Ս.Ծնունդ)

Yes, it is likely to get there before Christmas.

Is it probable that Adriano Celentano will act in this movie? (Այո, հավանական է, որ նա կխաղա այս ֆիլմում)

Yes, it is likely that he will act in this movie.

Model: This problem is very difficult. I can’t solve it.

This math problem is too difficult to be solved.

The tea is very hot. I can’t drink it.

The tea is too hot to be drank.

Chinese is very difficult to learn.

Chinese is too difficult to be learned.

It is hard to understand this dialect.

This dialect is too hard to be understood.

Challenging ideas to be contradicted

1. Teenagers should listen to their parents when making a final decision about their future profession.

I agree that to some extent, teenagers should consider their parents’ opinions regarding future professions. Parents have much more experience with careers and life in general, so they are likely to be more knowledgable on professions.

However, teenagers cannot fully listen to their parents when making that decision. This is because parents often do not fully understand what their teenagers are passionate about, or they may understand and not accept it. In these cases, if teenagers listen to their parents, they may end up at an unfulfilling job or a job they have no passion for. This can lead to them feeling discontent and dissatisfied with their profession.

2. Humanity can’t get rid of the Internet and continue developing.

Currently, the internet is so integrated in the world that is hard not to use it. Communication, navigation, research, job applications, and so many other crucial things work on the internet. Furthermore, billions, if not trillions have been spent on servers, routers and infrastructure that primarily use the internet.

However, getting rid of the internet could be positive for the world in many ways. First of all, getting rid of the internet would greatly reduce the impact we have on the environment. The electricity and water we use to power and cool the servers which run the internet can increase global warming and greatly affect local communities by using their water supplies. Furthermore, much of the internet and social media aims to divide and anger people to make a profit from their engagement and data, which has led to a general rise in violence and division in much of the world. If the internet stopped being used, people would have to engage with people in person, and this would lead to a much more realistic and grounded worldview.

3. The main task of public schools is to enlarge the amount of information being taught.

A large amount of information being taught will give students more general knowledge of everything, and because people typically only retain a portion of the information that they don’t use from school, people will remember more basic facts about every subject.

However, having information be taught meticulously and with more personal attention from teachers will have a much more positive effect on students. Firstly, if schools teach less information from each subject, this allows the school and teachers to pick out specific, more important information from each subject, which is more likely to be relevant and, as a result, remembered by students. Furthermore, if less information is being taught, teachers can spend more time assisting students who are slower to learn or struggle with certain subjects.

• Some people think that men and women are equal and so women should do any job they want. Others feel that men and women are not equal, therefore, there are certain jobs which are not suitable for women. There are people who say that men should be paid more than women. What is your opinion?

Mentally and cognitively speaking, men and women are equal. They might think differently in certain ways, but this only encourages both men and women having the same sorts of jobs. In many jobs having conflicting viewpoints and ideas to consider can be great for the final result. However, many people still hold the belief that women and their ideas are inferior to men, so they ignore their input unless a male repeats it. This belief is based completely on outdated stereotypes and should not exist.

However, it is undeniable that physically speaking, men are much stronger on average. This generally makes men better suited to blue collar jobs that require intense physical labour, such as construction and working on an oil rig. Because of how risky these sorts of jobs are, they also tend to pay quite high. While it is true that some women are paid lower than men without reason, research done on the wage gap is generally skewed. This is because when analysing the wage gap, researchers tend to compare the average wage of women to the average wage of men, which does not account for a wide range of factors.

In an ideal equal world, men and women would be paid the same. But if everyone was paid fairly, then because of these high-risk high-reward blue collar jobs, men would have a slightly higher salary on average.

• There seems to be an increasing trend towards assessing students through exams rather than continual assessment. But there are people who are for moving away from traditional exams. What are the advantages and disadvantages of exams as a form of assessment?

Exams can encourage students to refresh their knowledge and go over it until they can remember it well enough to write a test on it. In theory, exams should work extremely well for testing and solidifying a student’s knowledge. However, in practice, this is far from the truth. Written exams can work well for STEM subjects, as in these subjects, you learn theoretical material from books, and then applicable skills such as researching and writing papers from experience.

For humanitarian subjects such as history and literature, this does not work. Due to the structure of written exams, any mistakes are punished harshly, and mistakes are hard to define in these subjects. Many stories in history are the culmination of research and vague retellings, which can’t paint the whole picture. In literature, many works have several unique interpretations which are all plausible. Oral exams might offer much more freedom in the form of answers, but all forms of examination have one problem; They can erase a student’s passion for the subject. Learning hundreds of pages of material well enough to retell it all orally can demoralize students and push them away from subjects.

• A great number of professionals, such as doctors, teachers are leaving their own poorer countries to work in developed countries. What problems does this cause? What solutions can you suggest to deal with this situation?

The main reason a lot of professionals leave for first world countries is money. In first world countries, professionals tend to be paid better to account for the higher cost of living. They also tend to have more disposable income as a result. Meanwhile, in many poorer countries, professionals can sometimes be lower to lower-middle class and have worse living situations. When professionals leave, this is very bad for the country, as the quality of services/research will drop.

The main reason for low pay is a lack of funding. Institutes dealing with education, research, healthcare, and other sectors that require professonals are often underfunded in third world countries. These should normally be at least partially funded by the government, but oftentimes this does not happen. Not due to a lack of funding, but rather corruption in the government. Corruption is present in all nations, but countries that do not have as much money are affected more. The only real way to fix this would be to prosecute and punish these politicians more severely.

Even if these institutes get proper funding, many professionals may still leave to richer countries. It’s simply not possible to provide all professionals with the same wages they would get in first world countries. These professionals are gonna want that increase in salary, especially if they want to send that money back to support their family.