Тест 72. Чтение. ЕГЭ по английскому языку

1) Установите соответствие между заголовками 1 — 8 и текстами A — G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Dangerous amount of drink
2. Fast growth of popularity
3. The same effect
4. Pictures in the cups
5. To stop stealing
6. Recycling the leftovers
7. The tradition of hospitality
8. Unclear motivation

A. Coffee is not just a drink. The coffee industry employs millions of people around the world through its growing, processing and trading. Five million people in Kenya are dependent on coffee industry to make a living. That is why it’s vital for the country to overcome an epidemic of theft, which is sweeping the production of coffee. A special police force has been set up to deal with the problem and coffee growers even have to sleep in their fields to stand up to possible thieves.

B. Scientists have found that some plants, like the coffee plant, use caffeine to manipulate the memory of bees. Caffeine which improves the long-term memory of bees making them return to the plants. Caffeine impacts human neurological activity in a similar way, but on a very fundamental level. Although bees and humans are very different, some experts suggest it to be as old as the common ancestors we might have.

C. A coffee ceremony is a ritualised form of making and drinking coffee. Coffee is offered when visiting friends, during festivities, and in a daily life. The coffee ceremony, bunna, is a key part of any Ethiopian social life. It is a standard way to welcome visitors at home. In Ethiopian culture the coffee ritual is practiced only by women and from a young age the girls are taught how to perform it. Recently the ceremony has been offered in Ethiopian restaurants in the USA and the UK.

D. You may need a cup of coffee to kick-start the day and honeybees also get their buzz from drinking flower nectar containing caffeine. The excessive use of coffee can lead to an addiction. It happens when people have six or more cups of coffee per day. Caffeine, like any drug, is toxic in large doses. But the lethal dose of caffeine would require about 100 cups of coffee, but even the water from drinking that much coffee in one go would kill you before the caffeine did.

E. England first became acquainted with coffee in 1637 when a Turk introduced the drink to Oxford. It quickly became popular among students and teachers. Coffee was served in coffee houses around the country and already by the mid-1660s only in London alone there were 82 of them! Coffee houses were also the meeting places of the scientific and literary worlds, frequented by people like Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke, Samuel Johnson, and Alexander Pope.

F. Coffees of the world have many distinct taste characteristics. The annual World Coffee Cup Championship takes place in France and latte art is among the most impressive contests. Using nothing, but hot milk and espresso, latte artists work to create complicated designs on the surface of the drink. Swirls and leaves are popular, but some artists produce pictures of dragons, cartoon characters, and even adorable teddy bears!

G. We drink more than 600 billion cups of coffee every year. But only about 20 % of the coffee contributes to the drink. The rest is tasteless plant fiber which makes thousands tons every day. Scientists are working hard to find a useful way for this waste and one of the options is to turn spent coffee grounds into fuel. Some coffee production companies already send their waste to biomass plants to be burned along with wood.

A	B	C	D	E	F	G

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2) Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A — F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1 — 7. Одна из частей в списке 1—7 лишняя.

Wild animals in cities Have you ever seen bears in Vancouver parks, leopards on the streets of Mumbai or wild pigs in gardens in Berlin? Recently, there ___ (A) on TV about big animals coming into towns and cities. What happens when wild animals come into our cities? Is it dangerous for us and the animals?

Wild animals usually come into cities to look for food. In Cape Town, South Africa, baboons sometimes come into the suburbs. They eat fruit from gardens and go into people’s kitchens and take food from cupboards and fridges! Baboons are ___ (B) children and fight with pet dogs. Many people do not like them, but the city can be dangerous for baboons too. Sometimes, baboons are ___ (C) human food can be very bad for their teeth. The city council in Cape Town has a team of Baboon Monitors whose job is to find baboons ___ (D) to the countryside. This makes the city safer for people and is healthier for the baboons. However, the main problem is that a lot of baboons will come back to the city to find food again.

In Berlin, Germany, groups of wild pigs have come into the city for hundreds of years, but now the winters are warmer, there are even more pigs than in the past. Pigs eat flowers and plants and dig in gardens and parks in the city. They also ___ (E) accidents. Some city residents like the pigs and give them food. But the city council is worried about the traffic accidents, so they ___ (F) have put up fences to stop the pigs coming into the city.

1. cause lots of problems
2. in the city and take them back
3. walk in the street and cause traffic
4. hurt in car accidents and the sugar in
5. strong animals and sometimes they scare
6. have been many reports in newspapers and
7. have told people to stop giving the pigs food and

A	B	C	D	E	F

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3) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

What I learned about Russians People’s first question when they hear that I’ve just returned from a winter in Moscow is usually: “What on earth drove you to go there?” The answer is not an easy one. I landed at Sheremetyevo Airport in January with dreams of balalaikas, samovars and golden domed churches. It did not take me long to realize that living in Moscow was less about folklore and literary romanticisms and more about surviving a harsh climate and an arduous routine.

When I, looking for work, contacted Dasha, our family friend, she instantly wrote back saying that her family would love to take me on as an au pair. An au pair is someone, usually a young woman, who lives with a family in a foreign country and helps with the children and housework in exchange for the opportunity to learn the language. So for 3,000 rubles a week, I was to care for Dasha’s children, Sonya, 3, and Lyova, 2, and teach her husband Valera English.

The family lived in a small apartment in Zheleznodorozhny, an industrial town 21 kilometers east of Moscow. The apartment was also home to Dasha’s elder brother and a dog and a rabbit. The place was never quiet, and there’s certainly no room for secrets.

With so many families wanting their children to learn English, native English teachers are very much in demand and are paid handsomely. Subsequently, I soon found myself braving the commuter trains into the Moscow outskirts to teach a group of Dasha’s colleagues. But for a young family living off a modest salary in Zheleznodorozhny, employing an English girl was a real innovation.

Au pairing was a novelty for me, too. My attitude toward children has never been particularly positive, but Sonya and Lyova were adorable. I instantly fell for their miniature hands, infectious laughter and funny little walks.

The arrival of an English nanny in the area did not go unnoticed. People’s reactions at my lack of comprehension were mixed. Some were impatient, others were kind and helpful. Indeed, the language barrier was an obstacle for some time.

This irritation, however, did not exist with the children. They accepted me, with my funny accent and tea-and-milk quirks, for what I was: their nanny. They didn’t care if it took me 10 minutes to read them a sentence from their favorite storybook. Nor did they particularly mind if I gave them sausages when they’d asked for ice cream.

On the surface, living with a Russian family was quite different from living with an English one. Together, we celebrated the spring festival of Maslenitsa and other national holidays such as Women’s Day. I ate copious amounts of pelmeni, caviar and blini. My Russian family interacted like any other family. They had their arguments and conflicts and squabbles. But they also loved each other unconditionally and worked tirelessly to provide and protect. It was such a privilege to be welcomed into such a lovely and generous family.

I left them in April in heavy tears and with promises to join them next summer. Through them, I was able to experience the real Moscow region, not the shiny version of Moscow that most people see within the limits of the Garden Ring. I witnessed the daily hardships that normal people endure with indifference.

Most important, I had the chance to separate stereotype from reality. I concluded that Russia has its share of absurdities but that the typical Russian is not that different. He’s just a little stronger.

When the author told people about her Russian experience, they
1) got interested in the Russian culture.
2) asked about the transport she used.
3) were rather indifferent.
4) expressed great surprise.

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4) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

What I learned about Russians People’s first question when they hear that I’ve just returned from a winter in Moscow is usually: “What on earth drove you to go there?” The answer is not an easy one. I landed at Sheremetyevo Airport in January with dreams of balalaikas, samovars and golden domed churches. It did not take me long to realize that living in Moscow was less about folklore and literary romanticisms and more about surviving a harsh climate and an arduous routine.

When I, looking for work, contacted Dasha, our family friend, she instantly wrote back saying that her family would love to take me on as an au pair. An au pair is someone, usually a young woman, who lives with a family in a foreign country and helps with the children and housework in exchange for the opportunity to learn the language. So for 3,000 rubles a week, I was to care for Dasha’s children, Sonya, 3, and Lyova, 2, and teach her husband Valera English.

The family lived in a small apartment in Zheleznodorozhny, an industrial town 21 kilometers east of Moscow. The apartment was also home to Dasha’s elder brother and a dog and a rabbit. The place was never quiet, and there’s certainly no room for secrets.

With so many families wanting their children to learn English, native English teachers are very much in demand and are paid handsomely. Subsequently, I soon found myself braving the commuter trains into the Moscow outskirts to teach a group of Dasha’s colleagues. But for a young family living off a modest salary in Zheleznodorozhny, employing an English girl was a real innovation.

Au pairing was a novelty for me, too. My attitude toward children has never been particularly positive, but Sonya and Lyova were adorable. I instantly fell for their miniature hands, infectious laughter and funny little walks.

The arrival of an English nanny in the area did not go unnoticed. People’s reactions at my lack of comprehension were mixed. Some were impatient, others were kind and helpful. Indeed, the language barrier was an obstacle for some time.

This irritation, however, did not exist with the children. They accepted me, with my funny accent and tea-and-milk quirks, for what I was: their nanny. They didn’t care if it took me 10 minutes to read them a sentence from their favorite storybook. Nor did they particularly mind if I gave them sausages when they’d asked for ice cream.

On the surface, living with a Russian family was quite different from living with an English one. Together, we celebrated the spring festival of Maslenitsa and other national holidays such as Women’s Day. I ate copious amounts of pelmeni, caviar and blini. My Russian family interacted like any other family. They had their arguments and conflicts and squabbles. But they also loved each other unconditionally and worked tirelessly to provide and protect. It was such a privilege to be welcomed into such a lovely and generous family.

I left them in April in heavy tears and with promises to join them next summer. Through them, I was able to experience the real Moscow region, not the shiny version of Moscow that most people see within the limits of the Garden Ring. I witnessed the daily hardships that normal people endure with indifference.

Most important, I had the chance to separate stereotype from reality. I concluded that Russia has its share of absurdities but that the typical Russian is not that different. He’s just a little stronger.

The town where the author stayed in Russia is described as
1) comfortable.
2) manufacturing.
3) exciting.
4) peaceful.

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5) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

What I learned about Russians People’s first question when they hear that I’ve just returned from a winter in Moscow is usually: “What on earth drove you to go there?” The answer is not an easy one. I landed at Sheremetyevo Airport in January with dreams of balalaikas, samovars and golden domed churches. It did not take me long to realize that living in Moscow was less about folklore and literary romanticisms and more about surviving a harsh climate and an arduous routine.

When I, looking for work, contacted Dasha, our family friend, she instantly wrote back saying that her family would love to take me on as an au pair. An au pair is someone, usually a young woman, who lives with a family in a foreign country and helps with the children and housework in exchange for the opportunity to learn the language. So for 3,000 rubles a week, I was to care for Dasha’s children, Sonya, 3, and Lyova, 2, and teach her husband Valera English.

The family lived in a small apartment in Zheleznodorozhny, an industrial town 21 kilometers east of Moscow. The apartment was also home to Dasha’s elder brother and a dog and a rabbit. The place was never quiet, and there’s certainly no room for secrets.

With so many families wanting their children to learn English, native English teachers are very much in demand and are paid handsomely. Subsequently, I soon found myself braving the commuter trains into the Moscow outskirts to teach a group of Dasha’s colleagues. But for a young family living off a modest salary in Zheleznodorozhny, employing an English girl was a real innovation.

Au pairing was a novelty for me, too. My attitude toward children has never been particularly positive, but Sonya and Lyova were adorable. I instantly fell for their miniature hands, infectious laughter and funny little walks.

The arrival of an English nanny in the area did not go unnoticed. People’s reactions at my lack of comprehension were mixed. Some were impatient, others were kind and helpful. Indeed, the language barrier was an obstacle for some time.

This irritation, however, did not exist with the children. They accepted me, with my funny accent and tea-and-milk quirks, for what I was: their nanny. They didn’t care if it took me 10 minutes to read them a sentence from their favorite storybook. Nor did they particularly mind if I gave them sausages when they’d asked for ice cream.

On the surface, living with a Russian family was quite different from living with an English one. Together, we celebrated the spring festival of Maslenitsa and other national holidays such as Women’s Day. I ate copious amounts of pelmeni, caviar and blini. My Russian family interacted like any other family. They had their arguments and conflicts and squabbles. But they also loved each other unconditionally and worked tirelessly to provide and protect. It was such a privilege to be welcomed into such a lovely and generous family.

I left them in April in heavy tears and with promises to join them next summer. Through them, I was able to experience the real Moscow region, not the shiny version of Moscow that most people see within the limits of the Garden Ring. I witnessed the daily hardships that normal people endure with indifference.

Most important, I had the chance to separate stereotype from reality. I concluded that Russia has its share of absurdities but that the typical Russian is not that different. He’s just a little stronger.

The apartment where the author stayed is described as
1) overpopulated.
2) comfortable.
3) peaceful.
4) spacious.

🔗

6) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

What I learned about Russians People’s first question when they hear that I’ve just returned from a winter in Moscow is usually: “What on earth drove you to go there?” The answer is not an easy one. I landed at Sheremetyevo Airport in January with dreams of balalaikas, samovars and golden domed churches. It did not take me long to realize that living in Moscow was less about folklore and literary romanticisms and more about surviving a harsh climate and an arduous routine.

When I, looking for work, contacted Dasha, our family friend, she instantly wrote back saying that her family would love to take me on as an au pair. An au pair is someone, usually a young woman, who lives with a family in a foreign country and helps with the children and housework in exchange for the opportunity to learn the language. So for 3,000 rubles a week, I was to care for Dasha’s children, Sonya, 3, and Lyova, 2, and teach her husband Valera English.

The family lived in a small apartment in Zheleznodorozhny, an industrial town 21 kilometers east of Moscow. The apartment was also home to Dasha’s elder brother and a dog and a rabbit. The place was never quiet, and there’s certainly no room for secrets.

With so many families wanting their children to learn English, native English teachers are very much in demand and are paid handsomely. Subsequently, I soon found myself braving the commuter trains into the Moscow outskirts to teach a group of Dasha’s colleagues. But for a young family living off a modest salary in Zheleznodorozhny, employing an English girl was a real innovation.

Au pairing was a novelty for me, too. My attitude toward children has never been particularly positive, but Sonya and Lyova were adorable. I instantly fell for their miniature hands, infectious laughter and funny little walks.

The arrival of an English nanny in the area did not go unnoticed. People’s reactions at my lack of comprehension were mixed. Some were impatient, others were kind and helpful. Indeed, the language barrier was an obstacle for some time.

This irritation, however, did not exist with the children. They accepted me, with my funny accent and tea-and-milk quirks, for what I was: their nanny. They didn’t care if it took me 10 minutes to read them a sentence from their favorite storybook. Nor did they particularly mind if I gave them sausages when they’d asked for ice cream.

On the surface, living with a Russian family was quite different from living with an English one. Together, we celebrated the spring festival of Maslenitsa and other national holidays such as Women’s Day. I ate copious amounts of pelmeni, caviar and blini. My Russian family interacted like any other family. They had their arguments and conflicts and squabbles. But they also loved each other unconditionally and worked tirelessly to provide and protect. It was such a privilege to be welcomed into such a lovely and generous family.

I left them in April in heavy tears and with promises to join them next summer. Through them, I was able to experience the real Moscow region, not the shiny version of Moscow that most people see within the limits of the Garden Ring. I witnessed the daily hardships that normal people endure with indifference.

Most important, I had the chance to separate stereotype from reality. I concluded that Russia has its share of absurdities but that the typical Russian is not that different. He’s just a little stronger.

The author considered the language barrier to be
1) impossible to overcome.
2) irrelevant when dealing with the children.
3) irritating during her whole stay.
4) completely unnoticed.

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7) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

What I learned about Russians People’s first question when they hear that I’ve just returned from a winter in Moscow is usually: “What on earth drove you to go there?” The answer is not an easy one. I landed at Sheremetyevo Airport in January with dreams of balalaikas, samovars and golden domed churches. It did not take me long to realize that living in Moscow was less about folklore and literary romanticisms and more about surviving a harsh climate and an arduous routine.

When I, looking for work, contacted Dasha, our family friend, she instantly wrote back saying that her family would love to take me on as an au pair. An au pair is someone, usually a young woman, who lives with a family in a foreign country and helps with the children and housework in exchange for the opportunity to learn the language. So for 3,000 rubles a week, I was to care for Dasha’s children, Sonya, 3, and Lyova, 2, and teach her husband Valera English.

The family lived in a small apartment in Zheleznodorozhny, an industrial town 21 kilometers east of Moscow. The apartment was also home to Dasha’s elder brother and a dog and a rabbit. The place was never quiet, and there’s certainly no room for secrets.

With so many families wanting their children to learn English, native English teachers are very much in demand and are paid handsomely. Subsequently, I soon found myself braving the commuter trains into the Moscow outskirts to teach a group of Dasha’s colleagues. But for a young family living off a modest salary in Zheleznodorozhny, employing an English girl was a real innovation.

Au pairing was a novelty for me, too. My attitude toward children has never been particularly positive, but Sonya and Lyova were adorable. I instantly fell for their miniature hands, infectious laughter and funny little walks.

The arrival of an English nanny in the area did not go unnoticed. People’s reactions at my lack of comprehension were mixed. Some were impatient, others were kind and helpful. Indeed, the language barrier was an obstacle for some time.

This irritation, however, did not exist with the children. They accepted me, with my funny accent and tea-and-milk quirks, for what I was: their nanny. They didn’t care if it took me 10 minutes to read them a sentence from their favorite storybook. Nor did they particularly mind if I gave them sausages when they’d asked for ice cream.

On the surface, living with a Russian family was quite different from living with an English one. Together, we celebrated the spring festival of Maslenitsa and other national holidays such as Women’s Day. I ate copious amounts of pelmeni, caviar and blini. My Russian family interacted like any other family. They had their arguments and conflicts and squabbles. But they also loved each other unconditionally and worked tirelessly to provide and protect. It was such a privilege to be welcomed into such a lovely and generous family.

I left them in April in heavy tears and with promises to join them next summer. Through them, I was able to experience the real Moscow region, not the shiny version of Moscow that most people see within the limits of the Garden Ring. I witnessed the daily hardships that normal people endure with indifference.

Most important, I had the chance to separate stereotype from reality. I concluded that Russia has its share of absurdities but that the typical Russian is not that different. He’s just a little stronger.

The word “braving” in paragraph 4 (“ I soon found myself braving the commuter trains ”) is closest in meaning to
1) trying.
2) missing.
3) having to deal with.
4) avoiding.

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8) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

What I learned about Russians People’s first question when they hear that I’ve just returned from a winter in Moscow is usually: “What on earth drove you to go there?” The answer is not an easy one. I landed at Sheremetyevo Airport in January with dreams of balalaikas, samovars and golden domed churches. It did not take me long to realize that living in Moscow was less about folklore and literary romanticisms and more about surviving a harsh climate and an arduous routine.

When I, looking for work, contacted Dasha, our family friend, she instantly wrote back saying that her family would love to take me on as an au pair. An au pair is someone, usually a young woman, who lives with a family in a foreign country and helps with the children and housework in exchange for the opportunity to learn the language. So for 3,000 rubles a week, I was to care for Dasha’s children, Sonya, 3, and Lyova, 2, and teach her husband Valera English.

The family lived in a small apartment in Zheleznodorozhny, an industrial town 21 kilometers east of Moscow. The apartment was also home to Dasha’s elder brother and a dog and a rabbit. The place was never quiet, and there’s certainly no room for secrets.

With so many families wanting their children to learn English, native English teachers are very much in demand and are paid handsomely. Subsequently, I soon found myself braving the commuter trains into the Moscow outskirts to teach a group of Dasha’s colleagues. But for a young family living off a modest salary in Zheleznodorozhny, employing an English girl was a real innovation.

Au pairing was a novelty for me, too. My attitude toward children has never been particularly positive, but Sonya and Lyova were adorable. I instantly fell for their miniature hands, infectious laughter and funny little walks.

The arrival of an English nanny in the area did not go unnoticed. People’s reactions at my lack of comprehension were mixed. Some were impatient, others were kind and helpful. Indeed, the language barrier was an obstacle for some time.

This irritation, however, did not exist with the children. They accepted me, with my funny accent and tea-and-milk quirks, for what I was: their nanny. They didn’t care if it took me 10 minutes to read them a sentence from their favorite storybook. Nor did they particularly mind if I gave them sausages when they’d asked for ice cream.

On the surface, living with a Russian family was quite different from living with an English one. Together, we celebrated the spring festival of Maslenitsa and other national holidays such as Women’s Day. I ate copious amounts of pelmeni, caviar and blini. My Russian family interacted like any other family. They had their arguments and conflicts and squabbles. But they also loved each other unconditionally and worked tirelessly to provide and protect. It was such a privilege to be welcomed into such a lovely and generous family.

I left them in April in heavy tears and with promises to join them next summer. Through them, I was able to experience the real Moscow region, not the shiny version of Moscow that most people see within the limits of the Garden Ring. I witnessed the daily hardships that normal people endure with indifference.

Most important, I had the chance to separate stereotype from reality. I concluded that Russia has its share of absurdities but that the typical Russian is not that different. He’s just a little stronger.

Which of the following is NOT true about the author’s host family?
1) They were overprotective of the author.
2) They introduced the author to the local culture.
3) They quarreled from time to time.
4) They did their best to earn a living.

🔗

9) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

What I learned about Russians People’s first question when they hear that I’ve just returned from a winter in Moscow is usually: “What on earth drove you to go there?” The answer is not an easy one. I landed at Sheremetyevo Airport in January with dreams of balalaikas, samovars and golden domed churches. It did not take me long to realize that living in Moscow was less about folklore and literary romanticisms and more about surviving a harsh climate and an arduous routine.

When I, looking for work, contacted Dasha, our family friend, she instantly wrote back saying that her family would love to take me on as an au pair. An au pair is someone, usually a young woman, who lives with a family in a foreign country and helps with the children and housework in exchange for the opportunity to learn the language. So for 3,000 rubles a week, I was to care for Dasha’s children, Sonya, 3, and Lyova, 2, and teach her husband Valera English.

The family lived in a small apartment in Zheleznodorozhny, an industrial town 21 kilometers east of Moscow. The apartment was also home to Dasha’s elder brother and a dog and a rabbit. The place was never quiet, and there’s certainly no room for secrets.

With so many families wanting their children to learn English, native English teachers are very much in demand and are paid handsomely. Subsequently, I soon found myself braving the commuter trains into the Moscow outskirts to teach a group of Dasha’s colleagues. But for a young family living off a modest salary in Zheleznodorozhny, employing an English girl was a real innovation.

Au pairing was a novelty for me, too. My attitude toward children has never been particularly positive, but Sonya and Lyova were adorable. I instantly fell for their miniature hands, infectious laughter and funny little walks.

The arrival of an English nanny in the area did not go unnoticed. People’s reactions at my lack of comprehension were mixed. Some were impatient, others were kind and helpful. Indeed, the language barrier was an obstacle for some time.

This irritation, however, did not exist with the children. They accepted me, with my funny accent and tea-and-milk quirks, for what I was: their nanny. They didn’t care if it took me 10 minutes to read them a sentence from their favorite storybook. Nor did they particularly mind if I gave them sausages when they’d asked for ice cream.

On the surface, living with a Russian family was quite different from living with an English one. Together, we celebrated the spring festival of Maslenitsa and other national holidays such as Women’s Day. I ate copious amounts of pelmeni, caviar and blini. My Russian family interacted like any other family. They had their arguments and conflicts and squabbles. But they also loved each other unconditionally and worked tirelessly to provide and protect. It was such a privilege to be welcomed into such a lovely and generous family.

I left them in April in heavy tears and with promises to join them next summer. Through them, I was able to experience the real Moscow region, not the shiny version of Moscow that most people see within the limits of the Garden Ring. I witnessed the daily hardships that normal people endure with indifference.

Most important, I had the chance to separate stereotype from reality. I concluded that Russia has its share of absurdities but that the typical Russian is not that different. He’s just a little stronger.

What conclusion does the author come to?
1) Russians are mostly indifferent.
2) She had a lot of stereotypes about Russia.
3) Moscow region is very beautiful.
4) She had a glimpse of the true Russia.

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