Read the text below. For questions 11 to 15, choose the best answer (a, b, c or d). ‘Heavier than air flying machines are impossible,’ said the well-known scientist Lord Kelvin in 1895. Thomas Watson, the chairman of IBM in 1943, was wrong too when he said that he thought there would be a world market for only five or so computers.
Predictions can, of course, be wrong, and it is very difficult to predict what the world will be like in 100, 50, or even 20 years from now. But this is something that scientists and politicians often do. They do so because they invent things and make decisions that shape the future of the world that we live in.
In the past they didn’t have to think too much about the impact that their decisions had on the natural world. But that is now changing. An increasing number of people believe that we should live within the rules set by nature. In other words, they think that in a world of fixed and limited resources, what is used today will not be there for our children. We must therefore look at each human activity and try to change it or create alternatives if it is not sustainable. The rules for this are set by nature, not by man.
11. What was Lord Kelvin suggesting?
A) It is difficult to make accurate predictions.
B) It would be possible for people to fly.
C) It would be impossible for people to fly.
D) There would only be a few computers.
12. According to the text, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A) Lord Kelvin and Thomas Watson were good friends.
B) The world does not have unlimited natural resources.
C) Our children will not make predictions about the future.
D) It is easy to predict what the world will be like 20 years from now.
Предлог for часто используется в значении "в течение" и обозначает длительность какого-то месяца. Употребление предлога зависит от эмоционального окраса и значения, которое вы привносите. Сравните:
1. I traveled a lot this month. - В этом месяце я много путешествовал(-а).
She has been travelling around Europe for three months. - Она путешествовала по Европе в течение месяца.
2. This film lasts an hour. - Этот фильм длится около часа.
It lasts for four years and ends with graduation examination. - Оно продолжается в течение четырех лет и завершается выпускными экзаменами.
'I was used to doing' и 'I used to do' - это разные предложения по смыслу и по грамматике.
Выражение 'to be/get used to doing something' означает "привыкнуть/иметь привычку делать что-то". Например, My mom is used to getting up early in the morning. = Моя мама привыкла (имеет привычку) рано вставать.
Выражение 'used to do something' используется, чтобы рассказать о старых привычках, т.е. о том, что раньше регулярно происходило, а теперь нет (повторяющиеся действия в Переводится 'used to' - "раньше...", "имел(а) обыкновение..." Например, 'I used to play with dolls' = Раньше я играла в куклы (а теперь я уже большая и в куклы не играю).
Таким образом, предложение 'I was used to doing' означает "Я имел (когда-то в привычку делать что-то", а 'I used to do'= "Раньше я делал это, а теперь нет (причем, это не было привычкой, а просто происходило регулярно в "