ОГЭ-2024. Английский. Все задания открытого банка ФИПИ. Кирилл Игоревич Вахрушев. Читать онлайн. Hotlib. HOTLIB.NET

Channel Tunnel?

A. The Channel Tunnel (or Chunnel) is a long tunnel between England and France under the English Channel. The section under the sea is 38km long and the entire length is 50.5km. At its lowest point it is 75 metres deep. The Channel Tunnel is the longest undersea tunnel in the world. The tunnel was recognised as one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Modern World’ by the American Society of Engineers.

B. For centuries, crossing the English Channel via boat had been considered a miserable task. The windy weather and choppy water made travellers seasick. So, in 1802, French engineer Albert Favier was the first person whoproposed to dig a tunnel under the water of the channel. Favier’s plan was adopted by French leader Napoleon Bonaparte. But the British rejected the plan. They feared that Napoleon wanted to build the tunnel in order to invade England.

C. At the end of the 20th century the idea was revived. The digging of the Channel Tunnel began simultaneously from the British and the French coasts. The greatest challenge was making sure that both the British side of the tunnel and the French side actually met up in the middle. Special lasers and surveying equipment were used. On December 1, 1990, the meeting of the two sides was officially celebrated. For the first time in history, Great Britain and France were connected.

D. Although the meeting of the two sides of the service tunnel was a cause for great celebration, it certainly wasn’t the end of the Channel Tunnel building project. Crossover tunnels, land tunnels from the coast to the terminals, electrical systems, fireproof doors, the ventilation system and train tracks all had to be added. Also, large train terminals had to be built at Folkestone in Great Britain and Coquelles in France.

E. It took 13,000 engineers and technicians to construct the Channel Tunnel. In fact, there are two running tunnels, one each way. Additionally, there is a smaller service tunnel with a crossover in the middle, so in case there’s an emergency, the trains can actually change to either side. It is wrong to call it a tunnel as there are actually three tunnels. The tunnels are about 50 meters below the seabed.

F. If you want to use the tunnel, you have got a choice. You can either go on a passenger train, the Eurostar, which departs from London, Paris and Brussels city centres. Or you can go on the drive-on service, called the Eurotunnel Shuttle, starting close to the tunnel entrance where you drive your car or truck onto special rail cars.

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The Сrown Jewels

Every year, millions of visitors come to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. The Crown Jewels have been kept in the Tower since 1303 after they were stolen from Westminster Abbey. Luckily, that time most of the Crown Jewels were found shortly afterwards and put in the Tower.

Although there have been a few attempts to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower, none of them have succeeded. But the name of one of the thieves has remained in the British history. He was Thomas Blood.

On the 9th May, 1660, Thomas Blood, dressed as a priest, came to the Tower. He came with three well-dressed young men.

Thomas Blood had already been to the Tower a few days earlier. He was with a woman whom he introduced as his ‘wife’. When they were walking round the Tower, the ‘wife’ pretended to feel unwell and fainted. Talbert Edwards, who was Master of the Jewel House and lived in the Jewel House with his family, took the woman upstairs to his family’s rooms. He also asked his wife to help the fainted lady. In an hour or so the lady felt better and left the Tower with her ‘husband’.

On the second visit, Thomas Blood, again dressed as a priest, brought a present for Edwards’ wife for her help and attention to his ‘wife’. He gained the confidence of the Master of the Jewel House, Talbot Edwards, and asked him to show the Crown Jewels to his friends. Talbot Edwards agreed and took them to the room where the Crown Jewels were kept. Suddenly Blood took out a hammer from under his priest’s dress and struck the Master on the head. Talbert Edwards fell down and fainted. Thomas Blood took the king’s crown and made it flat with the hammer in order to put the crown into a large pocket of his priest dress. The other three men took other royal jewels and hid them in their pockets.

By chance, Talbert Edwards’ son, Wythe, arrived at the Tower earlier than expected. He found his father lying unconscious and bleeding. Wythe raised the alarm. Though Thomas Blood and his gang had left the jewel room, they were caught when they were getting out of the Tower. The broken crown and the jewels were found with them.

A report was immediately sent to the king, and Charles II sent for Thomas Blood. The king wanted to talk to the thief who had committed such a wicked crime. The end of the story is unbelievable. Thomas Blood was not punished. Moreover, Blood was awarded a pension of £500 a year. At the same time the Master of the Jewel House Talbot Edwards was dismissed for his carelessness. Later, he died in misery.

Since Thomas Blood’s attempt in 1600 up to the present date, there have been no attempts to steal the jewels. Nowadays the priceless collection is open for the public to view and the Crown Jewels are considered to be the most well-guarded treasures in the world. They are kept in the Tower and are guarded by the Yeomen Warders, commonly known as the Beefeaters.

13 Nowadays British kings and queens use the Crown Jewels for ceremonial events.