Listening Comprehension Test
for 9th Form Students
We Have Simple Lives
Most Americans would die without a
car (or at least they think they would). The Amish don’t have cars, they use
horses. They don’t have television either. In fact, they don’t have electricity.
They don’t need it because they don’t have radios, computers or anything
electrical at all. Some people might feel sorry for them or think they are mad
but this is the way that the Amish have chosen to live. They think we are the
weird ones. Amish people try to be as simple as possible. Modesty, family and
community are the most important things to them. They don’t want to be a part
of the modern world because it is too complicated and corrupt. They live
independently in their own community.
They even have
their own schools which only have one or two classrooms. They learn reading,
writing, math and morals. The big difference from regular American schools is
that they learn nothing about the world outside their community and they do not
continue their education beyond the eighth grade. The Amish do not think their
children need more school education after age of 13 because they will either do
farm work, carpentry or help with the family business. In 1972, the US Supreme
Court allowed them to stop school at 13.
Amish people are
not easy to interview. They are very private people and they don’t like people taking
their photograph. They say photographs steal their souls and are a sign of
vanity.
The biggest Amish community in the USA is in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania where there are 18,000 Amish people. In the summer it is visited
by millions of people. One Amish teenager said he felt like an animal in a zoo.
Some visitors shout things such as “Why are you so backward?”, laugh at their
clothes or knock their hats off as a joke. They must feel angry when they are
teased but demonstrating anger and violence are against Amish beliefs.
The Amish are a religious group that
was started in the 1720s. They are united by their beliefs. Many people can respect
that but can’t understand how the Amish can live the way that they do. They are
frequently asked why they make life harder for themselves and when they will
modernize themselves. In truth, most Amish communities do now have one
telephone box for emergencies and perhaps one tractor for very heavy work.
Communities often have meetings to discuss whether to accept a particular
aspect of the modern world and what effect it will have on them. The young
Amish are inevitably curious about things outside the community. Some
occasionally listen to the music or even try in-skating (using a bicycle is
forbidden because they travel too fast), but when they confirm their beliefs at
age 13, they promise to accept Amish rules and reject such things. Only one in
five people leaves the Amish community. The Amish say this shows that people
enjoy living the way that they do.
Listening Comprehension Test
for 9th Form Students
Assignments
Task 1. Put
“+” if the statement is true, put “–“ if
it is false.
1. The Amish
cannot live without electricity.
2. The Amish chose
the way they lived because they were mad.
3. The motto of
Amish people is simplicity in everything.
4. It is only the
family that is important for them.
5. The Amish
schools have many classrooms.
6. The Amish
children do not need higher education to do farm work.
7. They to be
photographed because they are ambitious.
8. Even children
understand that the Amish are of particular interest to tourists.
9. The Amish
religious group was started in the 18th century.
10. They quite
consciously reject the good things of life.
Task 2. Circle the correct letter A, B, C or D
11.
The Amish…
A. respect modern
culture. B. try to
follow the customs of modern world.
C. have much in
common with modern people. D. are the complete opposite of modern people.
12.
Amish people…
A. live in modest circumstances. B. boast about their
possessions.
C. own all the
latest technology. D. suffer the period of stagnation.
13.
The Amish…
A. envy the people
in the modern world. B. live
their own lives.
C. try to
complicate their lives.
D. do their best to improve their living conditions.
14.
They…
A. get higher
education. B. are trained to
modern specialties.
C. suffer from
ignorance. D. master the basis of
a few subjects.
15.
The life of Amish people is…
A. hardly accessible to curious ones. B. as open to the others as that of
civilized people.
C. dull and boring D. full of
excitement.
16.
The visitors to Amish communities…
A. treat them with
respect. B. study their way
of life.
C. may tease and offence
them D. believe in their better
life.
17.
The Amish culture is based on…
A. religion. B. the
American traditions.
C. the European
life style. D. the culture of Indians.
18.
The signs of modernization are…
A. rarely seen in
the community. B. usually seen in the
community.
C. forbidden to
demonstrate. D. believed to be
harmful.
19.
The aspects of modern world are discussed by the Amish…
A. in the presence
of visitors. B. with their
children.
C. at the
meetings. D.
outside the community.
20.
The Amish children are…
A. interested in
the things of the modern world.
B. indifferent to
the things they have never seen before.
C. very talkative
with people visiting their communities.
D. curious about
the photograph taking.
