Levi Strauss, a young immigrant from Germany, arrived in San Francisco in 1850. California was in the middle of the Gold Rush. Thousands of men were coming to California to dig for gold. And Strauss came to sell canvas to these gold miners. Canvas is a heavy fabric. So Strauss thought the miners could use the canvas for tents.

One day Strauss heard a miner complain that he couldn’t find clothes strong enough for the work he was doing. Strauss got an idea. He quickly took some of his canvas and made it into pants. These pants were what the miners needed. In one day Strauss sold all the pants he had made.

Strauss wanted to improve his pants. He wanted to make them even better. He bought a fabric that was softer than canvas but just as strong. This fabric came from Nimes, a city in France, and was called serge de Nimes. The miners like this fabric. They called it “denim” from (de Nimes) and bought even more pants from Strauss.

However, denim had no color. Because of this the denim pants did not look very interesting, and they got dirty easily. To solve these problems, Strauss dyed the denim blue.

Strauss continued to improve his jeans. Today the company he started is known around the world. And Jeans are considered not just practical but very fashionable as well.

True or False?

1. Levi Strauss was the first person to make blue jeans.  

2. Blue jeans got dirty easily.                                                                

3. Strauss made his first jeans from a fabric called serge de Nimes.        

4. Nimes is a city in France.                                                                     

      Questions

5. What could be the best title of the passage

 A. A Young Immigrant From Germany     B. The History of Blue Jean

 C. Serge de Nimes                                   D. The Gold Rush

6. Why did Levi Strauss come to California?

 A. to dig for gold      B. to sell pants      C. to buy denim       D. to sell canvas

Levi Strauss a young immigrant from Germany ,arrived in san francisco in 1850 .California was in the middle of the Gold Rush, thousands of men were coming to California to dig for gold and  Levi Strauss came to sell canvas to these gold miners . Canvas is a heavy fabric. So Levi Strauss thought the miners could use the canvas for tents.

      One day Strauss heard a miner complain that he couldn´t find clothes strong enough for the work he was doing Strauss got an idea he quickly took some of his canvas and made it into pants these pants were what the miners needed . In one day Strauss sold all the pants he had made.
Strauss wanted to improve his pants he wanted to make them even better .He bought a fabric that was softer than canvas but just as strong. This fabric came from Nimes , a city in France and was called serge de Nimes .The miners liked this fabric they called it "denim" (from de Nimes) and bought even more pants from Strauss.
      However denim had no color because of this the denim pants did not look very interesting and they got dirty easily .To solve these problems Strauss made the denim blue.
    Strauss continued to improve his jeans .Today the company he started is known around the world and jeans are considered not just practical but very fashionable as well.

      A. Choose true or false

1. Levi Strauss came to Germany in 1850.                                                                    

2. Levi Strauss came to import  canvas .                                                                      

3. Strauss got the denim from France.                                                                          

4. Strauss dyed the denim blue.                                                                                     

      B. Choose the most suitable item.

5. What does the word” to improve” in line 8 mean?

      A. to make better        B. to take care                    C. to find more                  D. to look after

6. People like jeans because they are__________ .

      A. practical                  B. fashionable                    C. colorful                          D. A and B

In 1853, the California gold rush was in full swing and everyday items were in short supply. Levi Strauss, a 24-year-old German immigrant, left New York for San Francisco with a small supply of dry goods with the intention of opening a branch of his brother's New York dry goods business. Shortly after his arrival, a prospector wanted to know what Mr. Strauss was selling. When Strauss told him he had rough canvas cloth to use for tents and wagon covers, the prospector said, “You should have brought trousers!”, because he couldn't find a pair of trousers strong enough to last. Levi Strauss had the canvas made into work trousers. Miners liked the trousers, but complained that the fabric was not very comfortable and tended to wear out. Levi Strauss substituted the canvas with a twilled cotton cloth from France called “serge de Nimes.” The fabric later became known as denim and the trousers were nicknamed blue jeans. Then Levi Strauss and Nevada tailor David Jacobs co-patented the process of putting small metal rivets in places such as the sides of the pockets that needed extra strength. On May 20, 1873, they received U.S. Patent No. 139,121. This date is now considered the official birthday of “blue jeans.” But why were they called blue jeans? Denim is unique in its singular connection with one colour. It is made from thread that is traditionally dyed with the blue pigment obtained from indigo dye. Indigo was linked with practical fabrics and work clothing. The durability of indigo as a colour and its darkness of tone made it a good choice when frequent washing was not possible.

1. What is the purpose of this text? A. to sell a product B. to solve a problem C. to argue a point D. to inform

2. What was Levi Strauss' job?

A. He was a clothes designer.

B. He was a prospector

C. He was selling textiles and clothing.

D. He was selling tools for gold mining.

3. What problem did the prospectors have?

A. There were no trousers in California.

B. They did not like Levi's product.

C. Their clothes were not stylish.

D. Their clothes wore out quickly.

4. Where did the word ‘denim’ come from?

A. the name of a French fabric

B. the indigo colour

C. David Jacobs, the tailor, thought of it

D. Levi Strauss invented it

5. Which best describes indigo dye?

A. A long lasting, practical colour that did not show dirt.

B. A colour used on all kinds of fabric to make the fabric stronger.

C. A very rare and desirable colour that was difficult to create.

D. An affordable dark colour that was only used by poor people

Jack London was (1)                     in San Francisco, California, in 1876. He (2)                       a high place in American literature at the beginning of the twentieth (3)                                   At that time, the library shelves and bookshops of America were already (4)          of books by (5)                     writers. But Jack London's stories were new, his characters were not (6)                                             the ones in the books of those writers, and the pictures he (7)                                                         were not the same (8)                      their             pictures.

The characters in Jack London's books live a different life, a life of danger. In his stories, the heroes are afraid (9)                           nothing and nothing can (10)                      them. People in his books never give up (11)                                  , they never stop (12)         For life even when the end of life (13)                      very near. That is the (14)            for US to apply in everything we want and everything we do. If we do not (15)                                             hope, we must and will win.

I.       Read the following passage and choose the item (a, b, c, or d) that best answers each of the questions about it.

Levi Strauss, a young immigrant from Germany, arrived in San Francisco in 1850. California was in the middle of the Gold Rush. Thousands of men were coming to California to dig for gold. And Strauss came to sell canvas to these gold miners. Canvas is a heavy fabric. So Strauss thought the miners could use the canvas for tents.

One day Strauss heard a miner complain that he couldn't find clothes strong enough for the work he was doing. Strauss got an idea. He quickly took some of his canvas and made it into pants. These pants were what the miners needed. In one day Strauss sold all the pants he had made.

Strauss wanted to improve his pants. He wanted to make them even better. He bought a fabric that was softer than canvas but just as strong. This fabric came from Nimes, a city in France, and was called serge de Nimes. The miners liked this fabric. They called it "denim" (from de Nimes) and bought even more pants from Strauss.

However, denim had no color. Because of this the denim pants did not look very interesting, and they got dirty easily. To solve these problems, Strauss dyed the denim blue.

Strauss continued to improve his jeans. Today, the company he started is known around the world. And jeans are considered not just practical but very fashionable as well.

26. What could be the best title of the passage?  

      a. A Young Immigrant From Germany                  b. The History of Blue Jeans

      c. Serge de Nimes                                                   d. The Gold Rush

27. According to the writer, why did Levi Strauss come to California?

      a. He came to California to dig for gold.               b. He came to California to sell pants.

      c. He came to California to buy denim.                 d. He came to California to sell canvas.

28. Blue jeans _____.

      a. did not look very interesting                               b. are considered not practical

      c. got dirty easily                                                    d. are considered good for many uses

29. What is the meaning of the word “immigrant” in the first paragraph?

      a. person who is good in business                          b. person who buys and sells things

      c. person who moves to another country               d. person who works in a mine

30. Which of the following is not true?

      a. Levi Strauss was the first person to make blue jeans.

      b. Strauss made his first jeans from a fabric called serge de Nimes.

      c. The first jeans were very strong.

      d. Nimes is a city in France.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

ENGLISH SEVENTH MEETING “SAN ANDREAS FAULT”

The San Andreas Fault line is a fracture at the congruence of two major plates of the Earth’s crust, one of which support most of the North American continent, and the other of which underlies the coast of California and part of the ocean floor of the Pacific Ocean. The fault originates about six hundred miles south of the Gulf of California, runs north in an irregular line along the western coast to San Francisco, and continues north for about two hundred more miles before angling off into the ocean. In places, the trace of the fault is marked by a trench, or, in geological terms, a rift, and a small ponds dot the landscape. Its western side always move north in relation to its eastern side. The total net slip along the San Andreas Fault and the length of time it has been active are matters of conjecture, but it has been estimated that, during the past fifteen million years, coastal California along the San Andreas Fault has moved about 190 miles in a northwesterly direction with respect to the North American plate. Although the movement along the fault averages only a few inches a year, it is intermittent and variable. Some segments of the fault do not have move at all for long periods of time, building up tremendous pressure that must be released. For this reason, tremors are not unusual along the San Andreas Fault, some of which are classified as major earthquakes. Also for this reason, small tremors are interpreted as safe, since they are understood to be pressure that releases without causing much damage.

It is worth noting that the San Andreas Fault passes uncomfortably close to several major metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles and San Francisco. In addition, the San Andreas Fault has created smaller fault systems, many of which underlie the smaller towns and cities along the California coast. For this reason, Californians have long anticipated the recurrence of what they refer to as “the Big One”, a chain reaction of destructive earthquakes that would measure near 8 on the Richter scale, similar in intensity to those that occurred in 1857 and 1906. Such a quake would wreak devastating effects on the life and property in the region. Unfortunately, as pressure continues to build along the fault, the likelihood of such an earthquake increases substantially.

How does the author define the San Andreas Fault?

A. A plate that underlies the North American continent

B. A crack in the Earth’s crust between two plates

C. Occasional tremors and earthquakes

D. Intense pressure that builds up

 Read the following passage and mark the letter A,B,C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

ENGLISH SEVENTH MEETING “SAN ANDREAS FAULT”

The San Andreas Fault line is a fracture at the congruence of two major plates of the Earth’s crust, one of which support most of the North American continent, and the other of which underlies the coast of California and part of the ocean floor or the Pacific Ocean. The fault originates about six hundred miles south of the Gulf of California, runs north in an irregular line along the western coast to San Francisco, and continues north for about two hundred more miles before angling off into the ocean. In places, the trace of the fault is marked by a trench, or, in geological terms, a rift, and a small ponds dot the landscape. Its western side always move north in relation to its eastern side. The total net slip along the San Andreas Fault and the length of time it has active are matters of conjecture, but it has been estimated that, during the past fifteen million years, coastal California along the San Andreas Fault has moved about 190 miles in a northwesterly direction with respect to the North American plate. Although the movement along the fault averages only a few inches a year, it is intermittent and variable. Some segments of the fault do not have move at all for long periods of time, building up tremendous pressure that must be released. For this reason, tremors are not unusual along the San Andreas Fault, some of which are classified as major earthquakes. Also for this reason, small tremors are interpreted as safe, since they are understood to be pressure that releases without causing much damage.

          It is worth nothing that the San Andreas Fault passes uncomfortable close to several major metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, in addition, the San Andreas Fault has created smaller fault systems, many of which underlie the smaller towns and cities along the California coast. For this reason, Californians have long anticipated the recurrence of what they refer to as “the Big One”, a chain reaction of destructive earthquakes that would measure near 8 on the Richter scale, similar in intensity to those that occurred in 1857 and 1906. Such a quake world wreak devastating effects on the life and property in the region. Unfortunately, as pressure continues to build along the fault, the likelihood of such an earthquake increases substantially.

How does the author define the San Andreas Fault?

A. A plate that underlies the North American continent

B. A crack in the Earth’s crust between two plates

C. Occasional tremors and earthquakes

D. Intense pressure that builds up