Reading Task, страница 57 - гдз по английскому языку 8 класс (starlight) рабочая тетрадь Баранова, Дули

Reading Task

Read the text. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences (A-H) the one that fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra sentence.

The Zone of Silence

Deserts are often considered eerie, isolated places. However, there is one desert spot which takes this isolation one step further.

Six hundred kilometres from the US border in the Chihuahua Desert of Mexico lies an area that has perplexed scientists for decades. 1 This is why it has become known as the Zone of Silence.

The mysterious Zone of Silence was first discovered in the 1930s when a Mexican pilot reported problems while flying over the region. 2 However, the phenomenon was not confirmed until 1970 when an American rocket flew hundreds of kilometres off course and crashed into the area! It was suspected that an invisible force within the desert had caused this strange occurrence. But nobody could explain what this curious force could be.

In order to uncover the mystery of the peculiar desert, government investigators were sent out to the crash site. 3 Since then, a research centre has been constructed at the heart of the zone and scientists from around the world have come to study the area. Despite all this attention, the reason behind the sound wave silence remains a mystery to this day.

The mystery becomes even more intriguing with the high number of UFO sightings that have been witnessed over the years in the zone. 4 Most of the eye-witness accounts of alien encounters describe strange human-like creatures with long blonde hair, wearing raincoats and hats.

Many of the mysterious lights in the night sky can be attributed to the high concentration of meteor strikes in the zone. The area seems to be a magnet for space debris, and has even attracted the largest meteorite ever recorded on Earth. 5

So does anyone actually live in this creepy area? Well actually, they do! 6 It seems that almost all of the people living there have a story to tell about a strange light in the sky or other mysterious occurrences. They have also learned to live without television and with weak radio signals.

Curiously enough, the Zone of Silence with all its UFO and meteor attraction is located on the same latitude as another mysterious planetary spot: the Bermuda Triangle in the Atlantic Ocean. 7 Could this just be a coincidence, or could this invisible line point towards an even greater mystery that has yet to unfold?

A Reports of strange lights, flying saucers, burning bushes and alien encounters have made the zone a UFO hotspot.

B This car-sized fireball struck the zone in 1969, producing a shockwave that could be heard many kilometres away!

C He claimed that he could not transmit radio signals and that his plane instruments seemed to fail.

D This infamous stretch of water has long been known as an area where countless ships and planes have disappeared.

E For unexplained reasons, no radio, television or satellite signals can be transmitted in the area.

F Some scientists believe that region was once submerged beneath the sea.

G Just 40 kilometres from the zone lies the town of Ceballos, where residents have got used to the unique attributes of the area.

H Upon arrival they became immediately aware of the 'silence' when they couldn't communicate with each other via radio transmissions.

Reading Task

RNE Match texts A—G with headings 1—8. Put your answers into the table. Each heading can only be used once. There is one extra heading.

A Deserts are often considered eerie, isolated places but there is one desert spot which takes this isolation one step further. Six hundred kilometres from the US border in the Chihuahua Desert of Mexico, lies an area that has perplexed scientists for decades. For unexplained reasons, no radio, television or satellite signals can be transmitted in this remote area. This is why it has become known as the Zone of Silence, or the Mapimí Silent Zone.

B The mysterious Zone of Silence was first detected in the 1930s, when a Mexican pilot reported problems while flying over the region. He claimed that he could not transmit radio signals and that his plane instruments seemed to fail. However, the phenomenon was not confirmed until 1970, when an American rocket flew hundreds of kilometres off course and crashed into the area. It was suspected that an invisible force within the desert had caused this strange occurrence.

C The mystery of the Zone of Silence becomes even more intriguing with the high number of UFO sightings that have been witnessed in the area over the years. Reports of flying saucers, burning bushes and alien encounters have made the zone a UFO hotspot. Most of the eyewitness accounts of alien encounters describe strange, humanlike creatures with long blond hair, wearing raincoats and hats. A visiting researcher who was lost in the desert many years ago reported that he was shown back to his research centre by three creatures matching the description. Similarly, a television crew once stuck in the desert reported that they had received help from strange humanoid beings.

D Although the area sounds like a creepy, faraway place that no one would want to go near, it is actually inhabited. Just 40 kilometres from the Zone lies the town of Ceballos, where residents have got used to the unique attributes of the area. It seems that all of the people living there have a story to tell about mysterious occurrences. They have also learned to live without television and with weak radio signals.

E Another curious phenomenon that is connected with the Zone is the appearance of strange lights in the sky. Farmers in the area say that at night, the sky is often filled with mysterious lights that either float in the sky or land on the desert, sometimes setting fire to bushes. Yet these lights can be attributed to the high concentration of meteor strikes in the area. The Zone seems to be a magnet for space debris, and has even attracted the largest meteorite ever recorded on Earth. This car-sized fireball struck the Zone in 1969, producing a shockwave that could be heard many kilometres away.

F A team of government investigators was once sent to the area in order to uncover the secrets of the peculiar desert. When they arrived, they immediately became aware of the ‘silence’ as they couldn't communicate with each other via radio transmissions. Since then, a research centre has been constructed at the heart of the Zone and scientists from around the world have come to study the area. Despite all this attention, the reason behind the sound wave silence remains a mystery to this day.

G Curiously enough, the Zone of Silence, with all its UFO and meteor attraction, is located on the same latitude as another puzzling planetary spot: the Bermuda Triangle in the Atlantic Ocean. This infamous stretch of water has long been known as an area where countless ships and planes have disappeared. One has to wonder whether this is merely a coincidence, or whether this invisible line points towards an even greater mystery that has yet to unfold.

1 A REASONABLE EXPLANATION

2 LOCALS HAVE ADAPTED

3 PARALLEL MYSTERIES

4 POPULAR WITH TOURISTS

5 IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

6 AVIATION TROUBLES

7 INTERNATIONAL INTEREST

8 EXTRATERRESTRIAL VISITORS

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Соотнесите тексты A—G с заголовками 1—8. Внесите свои ответы в таблицу. Каждый заголовок может быть использован только один раз. Есть один лишний заголовок.

Ответ:

A: 5 (In the middle of nowhere) / В глуши

B: 6 (Aviation troubles) / Авиационные проблемы

C: 8 (Extraterrestrial visitors) / Внеземные посетители

D: 2 (Locals have adapted) / Местные жители приспособились

E: 1 (A reasonable explanation) / Разумное объяснение

F: 7 (International interest) / Международный интерес

G: 3 (Parallel mysteries) / Параллельные загадки