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• В этом задании нужно прочитать текст и ответить на вопросы к нему, выбрав правильный ответ из четырёх предложенных вариантов.
• Сначала следует бегло прочитать текст, чтобы понять его общее содержание и структуру, а затем ознакомиться с вопросами и вариантами ответов. После этого нужно прочитать текст внимательно.
• Вопросы в задании идут в том порядке, в котором информация предъявляется в тексте. Текст можно условно разделить на смысловые части в соответствии с вопросами. Часто в самой формулировке вопроса содержится указание, в какой части текста следует искать ответ. Части текста не всегда являются равными по объёму: это может быть целый абзац или всего одно предложение.
• Следует обращать внимание на формулировку вопроса. Иногда вопрос предполагает поиск ответа методом исключения (например, «Какое блюдо из моркови не упоминается в тексте?»). Также можно искать ответ методом исключения, если затруднительно сразу выбрать правильный ответ.
• Не следует искать прямое повторение фразы или словосочетания текста в предложенных вариантах ответа. Нужно помнить, что в тексте есть отвлекающие фразы и слова — дистракторы.

Sea Serpents

The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the Earth's surface. The deepest oceanic trench is the Mariana Trench which measures about 11 kilometres in depth. Naturally, people have always considered the ocean both mysterious and terrifying. Ancient mapmakers used to portray mythical beasts inhabiting the ocean on their maps. Indeed, the underwater world has not been studied enough yet, so it might be inhabited by creepy monsters.

Since the 17th century, numerous sightings of horrible sea monsters have been reported and some detailed descriptions of these creatures have been given.

Sea monsters can often be described as giant octopuses or squids that use their tentacles to grasp vessels and pull people off them. The Kraken is the name people use for such creatures. The Kraken is the most common image of a sea monster. However, there are also descriptions of creatures of a different kind, that is, sea serpents. Sea serpents look like snakes, but they are much larger than ordinary snakes. The largest sea serpent is said to have a length of about 200 metres. Sea serpents are said to be yellow or brown, often with manes that look like seawee. A sea serpent usually has sharp crooked teeth which make its image all the more horrible. They have no fins or legs, and they use the same type of movements as real snakes do to crawl.

Marines know that an encounter with a sea serpent is dangerous and can turn out deadly.

In 1852, two whaling ships experienced such an encounter. They were sailing in the Pacific Ocean between North America and South America when suddenly a sailor noticed a creature that looked like a whale. Three boats were launched and ordered to pursue this animal. When the sailors approached the creature, they realised that it was not a whale but a sea monster. The captain decided to fight and managed to kill the monster, but before that, it had managed to sink two of the three boats. The body of the dead monster was brought to the ship. It was a huge reptile. The sailors realised that the monster was too large to carry it aboard the ship. So, it was decided to leave the monster's head on the ship as proof of the existence of the sea serpent. After the shocking encounter, the ships went back to the port, but only one of them managed to reach the port safely. The ship that was carrying the monster's head and the crew were missing. Some time later, part of the wreckage was washed up onto the coast of Alaska.

In 1861, a fishing vessel had an encounter with a sea serpent in the North Sea. At first, the crew noticed three humps protruding above the surface of the water. Then they saw the head of a sea serpent, covered with seawee. The monster stared at the sailors fiercely and then headed straight for the vessel. The crew started shooting, but that didn't stop the sea serpent. It continued to pursue the vessel and stopped its chase only when the night fell.

In 1962, a raft with five scuba divers on it was carried into the sea by a storm off the coast of Florida. Then, a thick fog descended. Suddenly, the divers heard the water splash and then a hissing sound. A long brown neck rose above the waves. The neck was about four metres long. It was a sea serpent. In a panic, the divers jumped from the raft into the water. Only one of them survived while his mates went under the water one by one screaming desperately. Their bodies were never found.

It is highly probable that there are sea monsters in the ocean because

• the Mariana Trench is very deep
• people are scared of the ocean
• our knowledge of the ocean is rather limited
• we can see them in ancient maps

According to the text, the Kraken is thought

• to be small
• to damage ships
• to be the most well-known type of sea creature
• to be an imaginary creature

What is the main difference between a sea serpent and an ordinary snake?

• The size
• The fins
• The type of movement
• The legs

In the sentence "The captain decided to fight and managed to kill the monster, but before that, it had managed to sink two of the three boats", the author uses the word "it" to refer to

• the captain
• the whale
• the boat
• the sea serpent

After the 1852 encounter, the sailors didn't take the monster's body with them because

• it was too large
• they didn't want anyone to know about the monster
• it had disappeared
• they were shocked

What was left of the missing ship and the crew after the 1852 encounter?

• The monster's head
• Some debris
• The captain
• Nothing

During the 1861 encounter, the monster stopped pursuing the ship

• when the crew started shooting
• when it became dark
• when the ship started approaching it
• the ship sank

Which of the following does the text say about the 1962 accident?

• The monster damaged the raft.
• The monster ate the divers.
• The divers stayed calm during their encounter with a sea serpent.
• Only one of the divers was lucky to stay alive.