CZYTANIE 2 EN [#43]

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TASK 1
Read the text and circle T for True or F for False
The Real Heroes: Mushers and their Dogs
Mushing is a traditional method of training teams of dogs for transportation and sport. The training is long and difficult, and takes place in winter weather. Dogs have to pull heavy sleds in snowy and icy terrains for many kilometres. Mushers need to carefully select their animals because there are very few types of dogs which are able to complete such training.

This art of guiding a team of dogs through the snowy wilderness has long been a part of cultures in cold, northern regions of our planet. According to archeologists, mushing was started by the native people in the regions of present-day Canada in North America around 6000 BC. With time, this practice became popular on the whole continent, and then all over the world.

Mushers play a key role in keeping the tradition alive. They are also the example of mental and physical strength. Their unique mix of skills, determination, and love for their dogs is the symbol of the North. Mushers often choose to live with their dogs close to the nature, and there is a reason for this decision. Staying away from towns and villages is simply better for their animals and the training process.

One of the most important events in mushing history happened in January 1925. In a city of Nome, in Alaska, many people were sick with a dangerous illness called diphtheria. The doctors in Nome did not have enough medicine for all the patients and the situation was getting worse. Additionally, the medicine was not available in cities connected to Nome via roads. That is why a decision was made to ask mushers to transport the life-saving medicine with the use of their dogs and sleds. And, although it was a challenging journey of 700 miles in cold and snowy weather, all of them agreed to do it.

After the events in Nome, mushing teams became national heroes. One of the dogs especially caught the attention of the public. Its name was Balto and it was the leader of the dog team which delivered the medicine to the city. People were so fascinated with Balto’s achievements that New York authorities decided to install the dog’s statue in Central Park later in 1925.

Since 1973, the events in Nome and the tradition of mushing in general have been celebrated every year with the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. In the early years of the race, only one route was used. This was difficult for the smaller villages because every year they had to deal with large numbers of people, dogs, fans and tourists. In 1977, the event organisers made the decision to divide the route into a Northern and Southern route. Today, the race is over 1,000 miles long and the routes change each year to reduce its negative impact on the local population.

The race has often been criticised by animal lovers because of injuries to the dogs. The fact is that at least 114 dogs died during the first three decades of the event when no veterinary care was given. Nowadays, the Iditarod has three obligatory rest stops, where veterinarians check the dogs’ general condition and decide if they can continue the race.
1. Most types of dogs can finish the mushing training.
2. The practice of mushing began in the area of the present-day Canada.
3. Mushers and their dogs often live close to towns and villages.
4. In January 1925, mushers were asked to transport patients.
5. The statue in Central Park honoured Balto’s achievements.
6. The Iditarod Race has been using one route since 1977.
7. The health of the dogs is checked more than once during the race.
TASK 2
Read the texts and choose the best answer A, B or C
The Golden Secret
Did you know that most of America’s gold is stored in a vault* at Fort Knox? This bunker in the heart of Kentucky is one of the most secure and secret places in the United States. However, the main reason why the gold storage is a subject of fascination and speculation is the fact that very few people have ever got inside.

Its history begins in 1935. The world had only just recovered from the Great Depression, and there were already fears connected with the situation in Europe and the rise of Adolf Hitler. Many wealthy Europeans were transferring their fortunes to the United States. Additionally, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6102. According to this order, the Americans had to sell their own gold to the government. As a result, large quantities of gold accumulated in the reserve vaults. By 1939 the amount of this precious metal had risen to over 15,641 tons.

At that time the gold was stored in various locations, including New York and Philadelphia, which were cities located by the coast. And that is why they were an easy target of potential external attacks. Consequently, the Treasury Department decided to build a new storage and move the reserves away from the coast for security reasons. Among several proposed locations, Fort Knox in Kentucky was chosen. It was the site of a US Army base organised around fortifications built in 1861 during the Civil War. The continuous military presence was the most important reason for this choice.

Fort Knox was constructed in 1937, which means it is more than 80 years old now. Despite its age, the structure is solid and impossible to break into. The roof is so strongly built that it is bomb-proof. The main vault door cannot be opened with explosives or drills – it is 21 inches thick and weighs more than 20 tons. The facility is surrounded by a steel barbed-wire fence. It is also guarded by high-resolution thermal cameras, microphones and other equipment which detects the slightest sounds. In addition, Fort Knox has its own police force – the Mint Police, who are not part of the state police. The Mint Police officers are carefully selected by the US Mint Headquarters in Washington, D.C. They must complete a rigorous training programme and pass a detailed background check. Other security measures are in place, too. That means no one knows the complete entry code to access the gold vault. Instead, this password is divided up among several people. Even information about who knows a piece of the combination is classified.

The Fort Knox Gold Reserve is not open to the public. For security reasons, no outsiders are allowed inside to see the gold. Even the President of the United States does not have access to Fort Knox. Only one president has ever entered the vault – Franklin Roosevelt. In 1943, Roosevelt was worried that it was not secure enough to protect the gold reserves from an enemy invasion. As a result, he travelled to Kentucky to inspect the place himself and reportedly was very satisfied with the security measures which he was shown.

Apart from the American President’s visit to the vault, the rule of not letting anybody inside has only been broken two more times so far. In 1974, members of Congress visited it with journalists to prove that the gold was really in the vault and show that a popular conspiracy theory claiming it wasn't there was false. The third and most recent visit took place in 2017 when Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin inspected the Fort Knox Gold Reserve.

This facility is so secure that it has been used for special deposits from time to time. During World War II, the original Constitution and Declaration of Independence were secretly moved to Fort Knox for safekeeping. They returned to Washington in 1944. Two other historically important items have also been kept there. The original Magna Carta, one of the most important English historical documents, was taken to Fort Knox to protect it from the Nazis. It was returned to England in 1947. Moreover, during World War II, the Holy Crown of Hungary was secretly hidden at Fort Knox because the leaders of Hungary were also afraid it would fall into Nazi hands. The crown remained in Kentucky long after the war ended. It was given back to a Hungarian delegation in 1978 and it makes it the longest kept special deposit in the vault.



*vault – a special place where money, jewellery and other valuable objects are kept
8. The Fort Knox vault fascinates people mainly because...
9. The Americans sold their gold to the government because of...
10. The biggest advantage of Fort Knox was…
11. The Fort Knox vault is …
12. President Roosevelt went to Fort Knox vault to…
13. The last visit to Fort Knox vault was made by…
14. The item which was kept at the vault the longest was…
TASK 3
In this task six phrases have been removed from the text and placed at the bottom. An extra phrase has been included. You must decide which phrase goes into which gap and write the letter in the box below the sentences.
Jordan against terrorism
In early 2023, NATO played an important role in helping Jordan's continuous battle against 21st century terrorism. It organised specialised training for its partner’s Armed Forces. The aim of this initiative was … (1) …, which includes cooperation between both civilian and military sectors.

A big step in this effort took place when about 30 people from the Jordan Armed Forces and the Military Centre for Counter Terrorism and Extremism (MCCTE) joined the first NATO Counter-Terrorism programme. This training was organised at the MCCTE, … (2) … planning and coordinating Jordan’s national strategy against terrorism.

The training programme was based on the NATO Counter-Terrorism Reference Curriculum (CTRC), … (3) … from around the world. It offers valuable knowledge and useful tools for making plans to combat terrorism, not only in NATO partner countries but also in other places.

The training at the MCCTE focused on different aspects of counter-terrorism efforts. These topics included current terrorist challenges, the role of technology in terrorist activities, the various tactics and strategies used by terrorists, especially their methods in cyberspace. The participants also discussed the role of women in promoting peace and security in connection with counter-terrorism. Colonel Amjad Al-Hrout, in his inaugural speech, stressed the importance of the military and civilians working together to fight terrorism. He said that just the military isn't enough, and programmes which integrate the military and civilians are key for… (4) ….

Furthermore, another aim of the programme was to make Jordan better at training its own people and to start working together with NATO to train other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. This partnership allowed for… (5) … and experiences, making the fight against terrorism safer and stronger.

At the end of the training, Gabriele Cascone, the leader of the Counter-Terrorism Section at NATO Headquarters, thanked Jordan for … (6) … bringing the world together to fight terrorism. He especially appreciated Jordan's active partnership with NATO in counter-terrorism.

It's important to mention that this programme matched with what Jordan had planned under the NATO Defense and Related Security Capacity Building (DCB) Initiative, which they've been part of since 2014. This initiative still helps partner countries to make their defence and security stronger. It also teaches them how to become more resilient, which is a big step in making the Alliance as a whole more secure.
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