Диалоги на английском языке с переводом (уровень Intermediate). № 153. Тема: Проблемы с соседкой по комнате.

For centuries, people have speculated over the origins of human language. What is the world's oldest spoken language? Have all languages developed from a single source? How did words come to be, in the very beginning? Such questions are fascinating, and they have provoked experiments and discussion which dates back 3,000 years. The answer is simple. We have no direct knowledge of the origins and early development of language. Nor is it easy to imagine how such knowledge might ever be obtained. We can only speculate, arrive at our own conclusions, and remain dissatisfied. But the theorising continues, and these days there is a renewed interest, as new archeological finds and modern techniques of analysis provide fresh hints of what may once have been.

(1) The passage suggests that…
a) we might never know the origins of human language. /
b) there is debate about which is the world's oldest spoken language. /
c) all languages developed from a single source. /

(2) The word they refers to:
a) words /
b) experiments and discussion /
c) questions /

(3) Recent archeological finds have…
a) reopened old debates. /
b) created new interest in the topic. /
c) been made possible by new technology. /

For centuries, honey was used as an antiseptic to treat wounds - the ancient Egyptians are known to have relied on its healing properties. Many similar cases have been documented, and although research is still at an early stage it has indicated that honey has considerable potential in treating scrapes and wounds that nothing else will heal. In a study reported in the European Journal of Medical Research, honey outperformed antiseptics and antibiotics in the treatment of infected post-operative wounds after Caesarean sections and hysterectomies, healing 22 out of 26 wounds (85 per cent); routine treatment healed 50 per cent. Honey works partly because the sugar content draws moisture from the wound - which then inhibits bacterial growth.

(4) it refers to:
a) honey /
b) research /
c) potential /

(5) According to the text…
a) honey is routinely used by doctors today. /
b) honey is almost as effective as antiseptics and antibiotics. /
c) research is still being done into possible medical uses for honey. /

(6) According to the text, honey helps to heal wounds because
a) it stops bacteria from growing. /
b) it is moist. /
c) the ancient Egyptians used it. /