Longman | lew ‘ppEeen to sumMary-writing roverseass Sixty Steps | toPrecisLONGMAN GROUP UK LIMITED Longman House, Burnt Mill, Harlow, Essex CM20 2JE, England and Associated Companies throughout the world. © LG. Alexander 1962 Second edition © Longman Group Ltd 1970 All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publishers. First published 1962 Thirteenth impression 1969 New edition 1970 Twenty-seventh impression 1994 Produced through Longman Malaysia, GPS ISBN 0 — 582 —52309-5Contents Preface to the First Edition Preface to the Second Edition Part I To the Student Passages 1-30 Part IL To the Student Passages 31-60 page iv 1 7 69 15Preface to the First Edition Sixty Steps To Precis has been designed to meet the needs of over- seas students preparing for the Cambridge First Certificate in English and Certificate of Proficiency in English examinations. It may, however, be found useful in secondary schools with pupils who have not got an intuitive grasp of précis-writing and need to be taught it systematically. The book should be used over a three-year period (spending one year on Part I and two years on Part II) with adult students in their third or fourth year of study and school- children about fifteen years old who have completed an elementary English language course with parallel reading material over a period of four or five years. The passages in the book have been arranged in the order of increasing difficulty. This arrangement is fairly obvious in Part I, where the vocabulary, précis work, language exercises, and subject- matter become progressively harder. In Part II, however, there can be no real yardstick to assess difficulty, and while the comprehension work becomes more difficult, some of the précis exercises may be found to vary in level. Part I consists entirely of narrative pieces which have all been specially written for précis and comprehension work. It should be remembered that students whose mother-tongue is not English very often have no exercise equivalent to précis-writing in their own language. For this reason the vague instruction ‘Write a précis of the above piece in so many words’ is meaningless and students fre- quently do little more than string together unconnected sentences taken from the passages. Many fail to learn to write good précis simply because they are taught to summarize whole passages from the very beginning without having any clear idea of what they are doing and why they are doing it. In Part I, the student is nor required to write a ‘précis’ in the true sense of the word. Rather, he is given exact instructions what to do and is told beforehand what material to include in his précis and what to omit. The student is thus given a valuable introduction to précis-writing and the experience he gains after a year’s work at Part I should stand him in good stead when he comes on to Part II. ivIn Part II, a number of extracts from various modern authors have been interspersed among the pieces specially written for précis work. At this stage the student is required to write formal précis and to cope with passages which differ greatly in style and cover a wide range of subject-matter. In the notes headed ‘To the Student’ which precede each part of the book, I have indicated how a précis might be written and have added model answers to actual passages. Students and even per- haps teachers might find it helpful to refer to them. It is a good idea to follow up précis and comprehension work with essay-writing. For this purpose, two essay topics have been added at the end of each passage. Since the topics are related to the pieces they follow, the passages may serve as models when teaching essay-writing and (this applies especially to Part Il) should provide plenty of material for discussions and debates. Furthermore, I would suggest that students be frequently given paragraphs for dictation taken from pieces they have already summarized. The exercises in this book should do more than just provide practice in answering examination questions. They should help students to understand what they read, and it is hoped that the passages will prove sufficiently stimulating to encourage them to think for themselves and express their own ideas both orally and in writing. I would like to express my thanks to my colleague, Mr. H. Hogg, B.A., for testing a great number of pieces on school-children and adult learners of English and for making many valuable suggestions. L.G.A.Preface to the Second Edition A second edition of Sixty Steps to Précis has been prepared so that the exercises will be in line with current thinking about language- teaching. However, the basic aims outlined in the original preface remain unchanged. The book sets out to teach students summary- writing by training them to answer a specific question on a text. The principle behind this type of exercise is as valid today as it was when Sixty Steps was first written. The texts, therefore, have not been altered and the questions on summary-writing have been only slightly modified in places. The new features introduced in this edition mainly affect the comprehension and language exercises and may be summarised as follows: Part I 1. Six multiple choice: questions have been devised to accompany each of the thirty texts. Questions | and 2 test the student’s under- standing of the main points in the texts; questions 3 and 4 deal with structural words and usage; questions 5 and 6 deal with lexical items. 2. Exercises on sentence structure have been added: the student is required to rewrite or join sentences and then to check his answers against the text. 3. There is greater variety in the composition exercises. The student is required to write dialogue, letters, etc., as well as narrative and description. Difficult topics have been wholly excluded. Part IT 1. Questions dealing mainly with sentence structure have been added to accompany each of the thirty texts. The student is required to rewrite or join sentences, etc., and to check his answers against the text. 2. Some of the original exercises on summary-writing have been modified slightly. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the large number of teachers who have written to me about this book since it was first published. Many useful suggestions have been incorporated in this edition. L.G.A. viPARTI To the Student As a general rule, you should write your précis after you have answered the questions on the passage, as you will then be better acquainted with the passage itself. You will find six questions beside each text. Questions | and 2 test your understanding of the piece; questions 3 and 4 deal with grammatical problems; questions 5 and 6 deal with vocabulary. You have a choice of four answers to each question and are asked to choose the best one. An exercise on sentence structure follows these questions. In this you will be asked to rewrite or join sentences and you can check your answer im- mediately by referring to the text. How to write a précis 1. Read the passage carefully twice. 2. Read the instructions carefully to find out precisely what you are required to do, marking in on the original passage the point at which you should begin to write your précis and where you should end it. 3. Read the passage a third time, making a list of all the points you will have to use. These notes should be very brief. 4. Using this list of points, write a rough draft of the precis, referring inal passage only when you want to make sure of some point. This will help you greatly to reproduce the substance of the passage in your own words. The number of words should be counted when you have finished the rough draft, not after each sen- tence. 5. After having counted the number of words in the draft and made any alterations you think necessary, write out a fair copy of your précis in a single paragraph, stating the exact number of words you have used at the end.When you re-read your fair copy, there are two more points you should bear in mind. First, your precis must be accurate. You must learn to derive all your information from the passage and never distort the meaning of the original or add to it. Secondly, your précis should be written in such a way that it reads as @ continuous paragraph. To achieve this, you should use link-words like ‘but’, ‘and’, ‘however’, ‘also’, etc., to connect your points. When you have become proficient at this, you should try connecting your points by writing complex sentences, (i.e. beginning a sentence with words like ‘since’, ‘though’, ‘even if’, ‘when’, ‘after’, ‘before’, etc.). Study the model answers to the passages that follow, noting care- fully how the précis has been written in each case. The sentry watched a hawk that hovered overhead, looking for some unsuspecting prey to pounce upon. Then he heard the distant, muffled roar of planes, then silence. For the past week he had been told to take note of everything that happened on the 5 hill within his range of vision, and to report anything suspicious. The hill led to an experimental factory, where new and secret weapons were tested. There was a threat of war and the factory would be invaluable to the enemy. So the approaches to it were watched day in, day out. 10 He shifted his position; he felt that he had been crouching in the heather since the beginning of time, but only a couple of hours of this day’s duty had passed. Suddenly he saw something falling from the sky like snow, only it was not snow. [He put out his hand and caught bits that were drifting near him. They were thin 15 strips of metal to confuse delicate instruments, so that it would not be possible to detect the landing of enemy craft. Next he heard a long, low, continuous roar from the east and saw bundles descending from the sky which looked like umbrellas opening, but which he knew to be parachutes with men hanging from them. 20 He wanted to go at once to give the alarm, but he had to be sure that the parachutists were not his own men out on an exercise. The men were on the ground now. One of them pointed in the direction of the secret factory and they all began marching to- wards it. He had no more doubts and set off at once down the25 hill. He crawled slowly, sometimes on his stomach, sometimes on his side, weaving himself a path through the heather down to the stream. Once there, he decided that he had ample cover and started to run. But he had erred, for bullets were soon whistling past him. He dropped flat on the ground. Nobody came to search 30 for him, so he counted up to a hundred and then began crawling again. He moved tortuously and as silently as he could to his camp at the foot of the hill.] Describe in not more than 80 words what the sentry saw and did from the moment when the strips of metal fell from the sky until he got back to his camp. Use your own words as far as possible. Do not include anything that is not in the passage. (Cambridge Lower Certificate in English Examination.) MODEL 1 Points (Saw and Did) . Put out hand; caught strip metal. Saw bundles. Waited. Saw men on ground. One pointed; all marched. Went downhill. Crawled—stomach, side—to stream. Started running. . Dropped flat (why ?—bullets). 10. Counted 100; crawled. 11. Silently to camp. PEI AwAYNS 2. Rough Draft (Linking of Points) When the sentry held out his hand to catch what was falling out of the sky, he found that it was strips of metal. Then bundles began coming down. The sentry waited until men appeared on the ground. One of them pointed and the sentry saw them march towards the factory. Crawling on his stomach and on his side, the sentry moved downhill. He began running when he came to a stream, but droppeddown when he was shot at. After counting up to a hundred to him- self, he began crawling silently again downhill. (95 words) 3. Fair Copy (Corrected Draft) After catching hold of metal strips falling out of the sky, the sentry saw bundles descending and, after a time, some men appeared on the ground. One of them pointed, and they all began marching towards the factory. The sentry crawled downhill on his stomach and his side. When he came to a stream, he began running but dropped down when the men shot at him. He counted up to a hundred, then silently started crawling again towards his camp. (80 words) We reached a point where the path crossed a motor road under construction, and we could see that it ran through a cutting made in the side of a steep hill. Men were working in the cutting, and there were more men far up the hillside above it. The bed of the 5 cutting was full of huge boulders which were to form the founda- tion of the road. Over these boulders we picked our way with difficulty, jumping from one to the other like so many goats. In the middle of them I stopped to take a photograph, while the others went on ahead. 10 [Suddenly I heard shouts, followed by a dull sound of an explo- sion from the hillside above me. Looking up, I found I was now alone in the cutting. The smoke of a blasting charge floated out against the blue sky, and an enormous rock was bounding savagely down the hill. 15 I had no doubt where it was going to land. It was going to land on me. This opinion was clearly shared by the men who had released the boulder, as they were gesticulating wildly two hun- dred yards above me. I made a prodigious leap from my rock to the next. The galloping boulder bumped against the hillside, 20 kicked up a cloud of dust, and slightly changed direction. It was still coming straight for me. There was nothing to be done but to take cover if I could find any; otherwise the prospect before me was one of almost certain death. I glanced hastily around. Just as I was resigning myself to inevitable disaster, I noticed a narrow25 opening between two rocks quite near me. I reached this in time, wedged myself in and shut my eyes. With a tremendous thud the mass of rock struck the ground and came to rest a few feet away from me.] It hardly splintered at all, and none of the splinters came my way. It was indeed a miraculous escape. Describe in not more than 80 words what happened from the moment the writer heard the sound of the explosion until the mass of rock came to rest. Use your own words as far as possible. Do not include anything that is not in the passage. (Cambridge Lower Certificate in English Examination.) MODEL 1. Points (What happened) 1. Explosion—smoke—sky. 2. Rock bounded savagely. 3. Men above gesticulated. 4. Writer jumped—next rock. 5. Boulder hit hillside—dust. 6. Came towards him. 7, Glanced round. 8. Noticed opening—2 rocks. 9. Wedged himself in. 10. Rock struck ground, thud. 11. Stopped near him. 2. Rough Draft (Linking of Points) After the explosion, the writer saw smoke drifting across the sky and a big rock rolling wildly down the hill. The men above waved to him to warn him of the danger and the writer jumped on to the next rock. Then the boulder struck the side of the hill and raised a cloud of dust. It then came towards the writer, who quickly looked around for cover. He noticed a gap between two rocks and wedged himself between them. The boulder struck the ground with a thud and stopped quite near him. (92 words)3. Fair Copy (Corrected Draft) After the explosion, smoke appeared in the sky and a great boulder came rolling wildly downhill. Above, the workmen waved to the writer warning him of the danger and he jumped on to a nearby rock. After striking the hillside and raising a cloud of dust, the boulder moved towards the man. Quickly glancing round for shelter, he noticed a gap between two rocks and wedged himself in it as the boulder thudded against the ground and then stopped still. (80 words)PASSAGES 1 TO 30Early next morning the man left the little village where he had spent the night. He took the narrow, winding, country road which he knew led to a small town some twelve miles away. After walking for two hours, he came to a path which cut across coun- Stry and led directly to the town. Leaving the road, the man passed through a gate and was soon walking along the path. The fields were deserted. To the left and right of the path, corn sheaves were arranged in neat rows. The only sign of human habitation was a small farmhouse across the fields where the brilliant morn- 10 ing sun was reflected in the windows. Suddenly the man heard the low hum of an engine. At first he thought that it must be a car travelling along the road he had recently left. He expected the noise to fade away in the distance. Instead, it grew louder and louder and seemed to be coming from 15 above. He looked up quickly and saw an aeroplane cutting a crazy, zig-zag path across the sky. It disappeared for an instant behind some clouds, then emerged and plunged towards the field. The aeroplane was coming towards him. He gazed at it terrified and immediately took cover in a small hollow in the field, his eyes 20 following the course of the aeroplane the whole time. As he watched it, he felt sure it would crash and burst into flames before his eyes. Then, as if by a miracle, it pulled out of the dive and touched down on the field. The aeroplane bounced wildly across the uneven ground carrying away anything that lay in its path. 25 In a matter of seconds, it crashed through a hedge only a few yards away from where the man was crouching. After that, all was still. The man stood up dazed. For a moment he thought of running to the farmhouse and asking for help; but he changed his mind and rushed towards the gap in the hedge.Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. 1. While he was walking towards the town, the man . didn’t meet anybody. . saw someone near a small farmhouse. . kept to the road. . noticed that the sun was rising. Roos N . When he first heard the noise, he . realized that it was a car. . didn’t realize that it was an aeroplane. . realized that it was an aeroplane, . didn’t realize that it was a car. . He knew it led to a small town . . . twelve miles away. (1.3) . near; b. for; c. about; d. already Sw ROSS = He expected . . . away in the distance. (1.13) . to fade the noise; b. the noise would fade; c. for the noise to fade; |. that the noise fade. AB 5. neat (line 8) means: a. tidy; 6. clean; c. long; d. short 6. cutting a crazy zig-zag path (\l.15S—16) means: a. moving in a straight line; b. moving wildly from left to right; c. going mad; d. tearing up a path Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: He walked for two hours before he came to a path. After .... (II.3-4) Summary and Composition 1. In not more than 80 words describe what the man saw and did from the time he heard the engine to the moment he ran towards the hedge. 2. A foreign visitor telephoned from his hotel to say he would like to see you. Write him a short letter of about 100 words explaining to him how he can best get to your home. 92 The motor-race was not due to begin until 2.30 and the large crowd cheered loudly when at 2.15 the first cars were wheeled out to take up their positions. So many racing-cars gathered together were a rare and splendid sight. Shining red, blue, and silver in the 5 bright sunshine, they looked rather like jet-aeroplanes without wings. On the course, drivers dressed in helmets were talking to each other or standing by their cars, while engineers checked the engines for the last time. Soon a great many‘people began arriv- ing at the starting-point and the crowd broke into clapping when 10 the two champions, Mercer and Torres, arrived on the scene. At 2.30 sharp there was a pistol-shot followed by a roar of engines. The race had begun and in a few seconds the cars were fighting for first place. All the cars got off well except No. 5, which refused to start and was hurriedly wheeled off the track. 15 Erom the very beginning it seemed as if the race would be entirely between Torres and Mercer, for they were soon in front of the others. A small blue car with an unknown driver at the wheel was following close behind, but was not near enough to offer the champions any serious challenge. The cars flashed by 20 like bullets and there were cheers when Mercer’s car took the Jead. But this did not last long, for after a while he seemed to be having trouble and he stopped his big silver car to have a wheel changed. Though this was done at great speed, it gave Torres time enough to get well in front. There seemed little chance for 25 Mercer to catch up now. The only car anywhere near Torres was the blue one—until something went wrong with it. On a danger- ous bend it got out of control, spun round several times, and shot up the side of the bank. Its driver steered it skilfully back on to the course and went on as if nothing had happened. Torres was 30 now over half a lap in front and the race was nearing its end. Mercer was just coming into third place when the blue car moved away at tremendous speed. There were gasps of surprise from the crowd as the unknown driver drew closer and closer to Torres and finally sped past him in the last lap to win the race. 10Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, 6, c or d. 1, Car No. 5 . broke down after it had gone a few yards. . refused to start and remained on the track. . didn’t take part in the race at all. . was the only car that got off well. . When the race was nearing its end it looked as if . Mercer would win. . Torres would win. . the blue car would win. / Torres and Mercer would tie for first place. . The motor-race was due to begin . . . 2.30. (1.1) . until; b. on; c. at; d. towards RW AOSFAN ADSSH 4. It... the race would be entirely between Torres and Mercer. (1115-16) a. seemed if; b. appeared as; c. showed that; d. looked as though 5. checked (1.7) means: a. controlled; b. counted; c. examined; d. overlooked 6. fighting for first place (1.13) means: a. coming first; b. getting ahead; c. trying hard to get in the lead; d. remaining in front Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: It was too far away to offer the champions any serious challenge. It was not near .... (Il.18-19) Summary and Composition 1, Suppose you had been watching the race. Jn not more than 80 words describe what you saw after Car No. 5 was wheeled off the track up to the end of the race. 2. Write a composition of about 200 words describing the fastest (or slowest) journey you-have ever made in your life. Il3 I was shown into the waiting-room which, as I had expected, was full. Any waiting-room—especially a dentist’s, as this was—is not the best place in the world to spend an afternoon. No matter how hard a dentist tries to make his waiting-room look pleasant, 5 it always has an atmosphere of its own. There is that odd smell that reminds you of a hospital. A smal] table in the centre is covered with very old and torn magazines; the curtains are faded; and the armchairs have a hollow, sunken look about them. This waiting-room was no exception. There were dusty pic- 10 tures on the wall and the tattered magazines on the table looked like a great pile of waste paper. I took my seat and decided to pass the time watching the people around me. A little man beside me was turning over the pages of a magazine quickly and nervously. It was hard to understand what he was 15 looking at, for every three minutes or so he would throw the magazine on to the table, seize another, and sink back into his chair. Opposite me there was a young mother who was trying to restrain her son from making a noise. The boy had obviously grown weary of waiting. He had placed an ash-tray on the floor 20 and was making aeroplane-noises as he waved a pencil in his hands. Near him, an old man was fast asleep, snoring quietly to himself, and the boy’s mother was afraid that sooner or later her son would wake the gentleman up. Meanwhile, the little man next to me kept sighing loudly. At last, he got up, walked to- 25 wards the door and impatiently began examining the pictures on the wall. Soon growing bored, he snatched yet another magazine from the bottom of the pile and dropped wearily into a chair. Even the boy had become quiet and was sleeping in his mother’s arms. There was a deathly silence in the room as the door opened 30 and a nurse entered. The people looked up expectantly with a ray of hope in their eyes, then settled down again as the next lucky patient was led out of the room. 12Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. . While he was in the waiting-room, the writer passed the time . by reading magazines. . by looking at the pictures on the wall. . by looking at everyone in the room. . by having a nap. Rag oA Se The young mother was afraid her little boy . might hurt himself with the pencil. . would fall asleep. . would tear the magazines. . would disturb the old gentleman. wade . a dentist tries to make his waiting-room look pleasant, it always has an atmosphere of its own. (II.3—5) a. Even though; 5. Unless; c. It doesn’t matter; d. As much 4. He could . . . understand what the little man was looking at. (1. 14-15) a. hard; b. hardily; c. hardly; d. hardy 5. reminds you (1.6) means: a. remembers you; b. memorises you; c. makes you remember; d. recalls you 6. snatched (1.26) means: a. looked at; b. found; c. took; d. seized Sentence Structure Join these sentences, then check your answer against the text: There was a deathly silence in the room. The door opened. A nurse entered. (II.29-30) Summary and Composition 1. In not more than 80 words describe what the writer saw from the time he sat down in the waiting-room to the moment the nurse came in. 2. Supposing you had to look after a young boy or girl. Write a list of about ten suggestions saying what you would do to keep the child occupied. Each suggestion must be a complete sentence. 134 For months the old tanker, African Queen, lay turned over on her side, stuck fast in the sands off the coast of Maryland. She had run aground so badly that her owners had decided to leave her to her fate. It was considered impossible to refloat her and the ship 5 began to rust and sink deeper and deeper into the sands. Men frequently came out in small boats and removed any parts that could be sold—until two men decided to attempt the impossible: to float the African Queen once more. Both men were engineers and had no experience of ships so that few people thought they 10 could succeed. The men began by studying the exact state of the African Queen and came to the conclusion that she would float again if air were pumped into the tanks which were now full of sea-water. A diver was sent down to examine the underside of the ship. In the 15 cold, dark water he found an enormous hole in her side which had been torn when the ship ran aground. It was plain that nothing could be done until the hole was repaired. As no single sheet of steel would cover it, the men were obliged to order a great number of sheets which had to be joined together. For several weeks 20 divers worked continually to close up the hole. At times, the sea was so rough that it was difficult to go down; and on more than one occasion, they had to contend with sharks. At last the hole was covered and the men began to pump the sea-water out of the ship’s tanks. It seemed as if they were bound 25 to succeed, for when the tanks were full of air, the African Queen began to stirin the water. The men could not understand why she still would not float until they discovered that her rudder was embedded in mud. Huge cranes were brought to haul the sunken rudder out and the ship was again afloat. By this time, the men 30 were almost exhausted. They had worked ceaselessly for three months to save the African Queen and had succeeded when every- one thought they would fail. Now they stood on the bridge of the ship, tired but proud, as tugs brought the African Queen into the harbour. 14Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. 1. The owners of the African Queen . didn’t think it was worth trying to refloat her. . removed any parts that could be sold. . had no experience of ships. . had air pumped into the tanks. . the sea-water was pumped out of the tanks. . the tanks were filled with air. . the rudder was removed from the sea-bed. a b ¢. d. 2. The African Queen floated again after a. b ¢. d. the hole was covered with sheets of steel. 3... .. impossible to refloat her. (1.4) a. They thought; 5. They considered; c. It considered; d. It was thought to be 4. Divers worked continually ... up the hole. (1.20) a. in order to close; 6, in order that they closed; c. for closing; d. in closing 5. had to contend (1.22) means: a. had fought; b. must have fought; c. were obliged to fight; d. must fight 6. stir (1.26) means: a. turn; b. move; c. sink; d. float Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: At times, the sea was very rough and it was difficult to go down. At times, the seas was so .... (II.20-21) Summary and Composition 1. Describe in not more than 80 words the sequence of events which led to the floating of the African Queen after the men came to the conclusion that it could be done if air were pumped into the tanks. 2. ‘On more than one occasion, they had to contend with sharks.” In about 250 words, write an imaginary account of the divers efforts to close up the hole in the African Queen. 155 The market-place was crowded. Everywhere people were buying, selling, arguing about prices, or looking very pleased with them- selves at having discovered a bargain. The owners of stalls were advertising their wares as the best in the world and shouting at 5 the tops of their voices to prove it. There was so much movement that no one noticed a small boy pushing his way through the crowd, Even the fat man examining a pair of silver candlesticks barely looked down as the boy brushed past him. Judging from the condition of his patched but scrupulously clean clothes, the 10 boy was obviously very poor. In his right hand he clutched a penny and walked with such a sense of purpose that it was clear he knew his way well. Eventually the child arrived at a clearing behind a bombed site and went towards an old man who was playing a violin. Beside 15 the man was a little monkey dressed in a red cap and performing various antics on a stand. The monkey held the old man’s hat and offered it to passers-by. As the boy gazed fascinated at the animal, the old man looked down at him and smiled kindly. Several minutes passed and the boy tried to put his penny into 20 the hat. The monkey, however, gave the hat a playful pull and the boy could not reach it. He stood on tip-toe and tried again. In his effort to reach, he knocked the stand over accidentally. The monkey chattered wildly and pennies went flying everywhere. The old man’s smile turned to a look of anger and he struck at the 25 boy with the bow of his violin. Dodging the blow, the child dashed into the crowd. The man began shouting ‘Stop thief! Stop thief!’ and soon a small crowd was in pursuit of the boy. In his terror, the child fell headlong into an apple-cart and turned it over. This at once brought a furious stall-keeper into the chase, 30 and the whole market-place was in an uproar: people began to run without knowing why. But there was no one who knew his way about as well as the boy who, by now, had slipped down a side-street and crouched in a doorway. Huddled in fear, he watched the angry crowd rush past. 16Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. 1. One of these statements is true. Which one? Only the fat man spoke to the boy in the market-place. The boy was wearing old clothes. The boy wanted to buy something at the market. The boy had never been to the market before. he had knocked the stand over. he was a thief. they thought he was a thief. a. b. ©. d. 2. A small crowd chased the boy because a. b c. d. he had tried to steal some pennies out of the old man’s hat. 3. The small boy wasn’t noticed by .. . (1.6) a. no one; 5. someone; c. anyone; d. nobody 4, The monkey gave the hat a playful pull and the boy. . . to reach it. (I1.20-21) a. didn’t; 6. couldn’t; c. wasn’t able; d. mightn’t 5. dodging (1.25) means: a. avoiding; b. preventing; c. stopping; d. refusing 6. in pursuit (1.27) means: a. behind; b. persuading; c. watching; d. trying to catch Sentence Structure Join these sentences, then check your answer against the text: In his right hand he clutched a penny. He walked with a sense of purpose. It was clear he knew his way well. (Il.10-12) Summary and Composition 1. Imagine that you were in the boy’s position. Jn not more than 80 words describe what you did after you reached the clearing to when you hid in the doorway. 2. Write a short dialogue of about 250 words between a stall-owner at a flea-market and a buyer. Both people are bargaining hard. Begin: ‘How much did you say it was?” 176 As my train was not due to leave for another hour, I had plenty of time to spare. After buying some magazines to read on the journey, I made my way to the luggage office to collect the heavy suit-case I had left there three days before. There were only a few 5 people waiting, and I took out my wallet to find the receipt for my case. The receipt did not seem to be where I had left it. I emptied the contents of the wallet, and railway-tickets, money, scraps of paper, and photographs tumbled out of it; but no matter how hard I searched, the receipt was nowhere to be found. 10 When my turn came, I explained the situation sorrowfully to the assistant. The man looked at me suspiciously as if to say that he had heard this type of story many times and asked me to describe the case. I told him that it was an old, brown-looking object no different from the many cases I could see on the shelves. 15 The assistant then gave me a form and told me to make a list of the chief contents of the case. If they were correct, he said, I could take the case away. I tried to remember all the articles I had hurriedly packed and wrote them down as they came to me. After I had done this, I went to look among the shelves, There 20 were hundreds of cases there and for one dreadful moment, it occurred to me that if someone had picked the receipt up, he could have easily claimed the case already. This had not happened fortunately, for after a time, 1 found the case lying on its side high up in acorner. After examining the articles inside, the assistant 25 was soon satisfied that it was mine and told me I could take the case away. Again 1 took out my wallet: this time to pay. I pulled out a ten-shilling note and the ‘lost’ receipt slipped out with it. Icould not help blushing and glanced up at the assistant. He was nodding his head knowingly, as if to say that he had often seen 30 this happen before too! 18Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. 1. The writer needed the receipt . to claim his suit-case. . to pay at the luggage office. . to prove that he had paid at the luggage office. . to prove that he had bought the suit-case. NADA The writer felt foolish because . he couldn’t find his receipt. he hadn’t really lost his receipt at all. he had to fill in a form. . the assistant was laughing at him. There weren’t . . . people waiting at the luggage office. (II.4—5) very much; b. a lot; c. lots; d. very many Bw ROSH If they were correct, he said, 1... to take the case away. (Il. 16-17) . was able; b. could; c. would be allowed; d. would be possible ae 5. situation (1.10) means: a. condition; b. event; c. place; d. position 6. wrote them down (1.18) means: a. copied them; b. made a note of them; c. signed them; d. pointed at them Sentence Structure Rewrite in indirect speech, then check your answer against the text: “Make a list of the chief contents of the case,’ he said to me. He .... (11.15-16) Summary and Composition 1. Describe in not more than 80 words the writer's experiences after he found that his receipt was ‘lost’ to the end of the passage. 2. Supposing you had left a suit-case on a train. Write a letter to a lost property office describing the case and its contents and asking if it has been found. Use about 100 words. 197 The journey two naval officers made some time ago to the very deepest point on the earth makes us realize how much of the world still remains to be explored. The two men went down seven miles to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean inside a small steel 5 ball called a ‘bathyscaphe’ to find out if there are any ocean currents or signs of life. Above the ball there was a special tank full of petrol which was slowly emptied into the water to make the bathyscaphe heavy enough to complete its journey. It was necessary to set out early, so that the bathyscaphe would 10 come to the surface in daylight, and so be easily found by the mother ship which would be waiting for it. The divers began preparations at dawn and soon afterwards, when all was ready, the steel ball disappeared under the surface of the water. The divers felt as if they were going down steps as they passed 15 through warm and cold layers of water. In time, the temperature dropped to freezing-point and the men shivered inside the ball. They kept in touch with the mother ship by telephone describing how they felt. Then, at a depth of 3000 feet, the telephone stopped working and they were quite cut off from the outside world. All 20 went well until some four hours later at 30,000 feet, the men were startled by a loud, cracking noise: even the smallest hole in the ball would have meant instant death. Luckily, though, it was only one of the outer windows that had broken. Soon afterwards, the bathyscaphe touched the soft ocean floor raising a big cloud 25 of ‘dust’ made up of small, dead sea-creatures. Here, powerful lights lit up the dark water and the men were surprised to see fish swimming just above them quite untroubled by the enormous water-pressure. But they did not dare leave the lights on for long, as the heat from them made the water boil. Quite unex- 30 pectedly, the telephone began working again and the faint but clear voices of the officers were heard on the mother ship seven miles away. After a stay of thirty minutes the men began their journey up, arriving three hours later, cold and wet through, but none the worse for their experience. 20Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. . The officers left at dawn . in order to return before dark, . with the intention of returning in twenty-four hours. . to avoid strong sunlight. |. because the sea was calm. MoRO oA . The officers wanted to find out if there was any life at the bottom of the sea. a, They only found dead sea-creatures. b. They did find signs of life. c. There was no evidence of any life. d. There was only dust. 3. Much of the world hasn’t been explored . . . (1I.2-3) a. even; b. yet; c. until; @. as far 4. If there . . . the smallest hole in the ball, it would have meant instant death. (11.21-22) a. will be; b. was; c. had been; d. would be 5. kept in touch (1.17) means: a. touched; 6. maintained contact; c. stayed with; d. were connected to 6. instant (1.22) means: a. moment; 5. second; c. immediate; d. certain Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: A loud cracking noise startled the men. The men .... (II.20-21) Summary and Composition 1. Describe in not more than 80 words what happened to the divers from the time they began their journey down to when they returned to the surface. 2. In about 250 words, write an imaginary transcription of the telephone conversation that took place between the officers and the mother ship after the bathyscaphe had reached the sea-bed. 21The town of Deadwood in South Dakota became famous in the nineteenth century when gold was discovered there. Gold at- tracted many fortune-hunters good and bad. Heroes like ‘Dead- wood Dick’ the stage-coach driver have since become as familiar 5 as Robinson Crusoe. The town itself acquired an extraordinary reputation and came to be known as the place where ‘the coward never started and the weak died on the way’. Bad men come and go, but the biggest villain in Deadwood has always been one thing: fire. The little town is built on the steep 10 sides of a deep valley. If a fire breaks out, this valley acts like a chimney and sucks the flames up to the houses. In 1879 fire destroyed the town completely. When it was re-built, special water-barrels were fitted into every roof. In our own times, a great fire threatened the town yet again. 15 It all began when some waste-paper caught alight at the foot of the valley. In less than an hour the flames were leaping through the tree-tops. The wind roared through the forest carrying the flames almost to the edge of the town. Fire-brigades arrived from all parts of the country to save Deadwood. 20 Meanwhile, women and children prepared to leave the town. They seized as many of their belongings as they could, and cars piled high with clothing packed the streets. The wind changed direction and it seemed as though no car would be able to leave; then it changed again and a long line of cars moved quickly out 25 of the town. As if this fire was not enough, the panic-stricken inhabitants heard that another fire had broken out twenty miles away near a town called Nemo. If these two fires joined, they would get quite out of control. Firemen desperately fought the flames for twenty- 30 four hours and in the end aeroplanes were used as well. The ’planes began ‘bombing’ the fire with water and so prevented the two fires from joining forces. The big fire began to lose the battle and people who had left came home. They found a blackened valley, but their houses were still standing. Deadwood had been 35 saved from its worst enemy just in time. 22Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. Many people have heard of Deadwood because . it became famous when gold was discovered there. . of the big fires. . Robinson Crusoe lived there. /. it is built on the steep sides of a deep valley. Roca The big fire recently was particularly dangerous because . of the wind. . the people didn’t manage to get out of the town. . there was danger it would join up with another big fire. |. firemen couldn’t put it out. ROTA N 3. ‘Deadwood Dick’, who lived many years . . ., is very famous. (4-5) a. ago; b. since; c. before; d. away 4. As far as Deadwood is concerned, there is no enemy . . . fire. (1134-35) a. worst than; b bad as; c. worse than; d. worse as 5. familiar (1.4) means: a. of the family; b. famous; c. well-known; d. interesting 6. panic-stricken inhabitants (1.26) means: a. terrible places; b ter- rified residents; c. frightened neighbours; d. dying villagers Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: By ‘bombing’ the fire with water the planes prevented the two fires from joining forces. The planes began .. . . (Il.30-32) Summary and Composition 1, Suppose you had been present when the fire broke out in Dead- wood. Jn not more than 80 words describe what you saw up to the time the people began to return. 2. Write a composition of about 250 words on the following: ‘Fire: man’s best friend and worst enemy.” 239 Ever since a prisoner had escaped because a sentry had fallen asleep while on duty, special instructions had been issued by the prison-camp authorities. The sentry in the watch-tower had been ordered to give the alarm the moment anything even slightly sus- 5 picious occurred. On the night following this escape, the sentry guided the power- ful searchlight across the grounds of the prison-camp. He was quite sure that no second attempt would be made. He looked down from the watch-tower wearily as the light lit up huge patches 10 of deserted ground. The prisoners were all asleep and the windows of their sleeping quarters often reflected light as the lamp shone on the grey, gloomy walls. Suddenly, the sentry jerked the lamp round and directed it on a small clump of bushes. He was sure he had heard leaves rustling and there was no wind at all that night. 15 The bushes were quite still and after a time the light of the lamp drifted across to the buildings. The lamp continued its monotonous path up and down the camp. But when the sentry tried to focus the light on the bushes again, he found that they were no longer there! All he could see 20 was dry, bare ground. He swung the lamp violently from side to side and then held it still as soon as he saw more bushes. For fifteen minutes nothing happened; the sentry kept watch the whole time. Then a small tree seemed to fall sideways and he heard twigs snapping in the darkness. He immediately raised the 25 alarm and saw four figures dart into the shadows. Lights went on all along the enclosure. The sentry just caught a glimpse of two figures crouched against the wire fence and two others running in opposite directions. He then saw five guards rushing towards the prisoners. They were shouting loudly and from where he was, 30 he heard the crack of a pistol shot. 24Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. 1. The sentry in the watch-tower a. had fallen asleep. b. had fallen asleep the night before. c. was particularly careful because he wanted to prevent another escape. d. had been punished for falling asleep. 2. What first made the sentry suspicious was a. the clump of bushes. b. the disappearance of the clump of bushes. c. the sound of leaves rustling. d. the sight of a small tree falling sideways. 3. They had ordered . . . (Il.3—4) a. the alarm the sentry to give; b. the sentry to give the alarm; c. to give the alarm the sentry; d. the sentry the alarm to give 4, The sentry noticed five guards. , . towards the prisoners. (11.28-29) a. rush; 6. to rush; c. to rushing; d. in rushing 5. huge patches of deserted ground (\l.9—10) means: a. large deserts; 5. pieces of farm land; c. places where nothing grew; d. large areas of empty land 6. jerked (1.12) means: a. lifted; b. carried; c. moved suddenly; d. moved gently Sentence Structure Join these sentences, then check your answer against the text: A prisoner had escaped. A sentry had fallen asleep while on duty. Special instructions had been issued to the prison camp authorities. (IL.1-3) Summary and Composition 1. In not more than 80 words describe the entry’s experiences from the moment he heard leaves rustling to when he heard the pistol shot. 2. In about 250 words write a short account of any ‘escape’ story you are familiar with. B. 2510 The ship first appeared as a small speck on the horizon. We had grown impatient at the delay and cheered when we caught sight of it. For most of us this was an important event, because the small object that had come into view was a troopship. Husbands, 5 fathers, brothers and friends were coming home after an absence of four years. We were informed over the microphone that the ship would be in the harbour in about three-quarters of an hour’s time. We did not need telling and cheered more loudly than ever. The harbour had rarely witnessed such a colourful spectacle. 10 It was decked out with flags and because the day was warm, we were all wearing gay summer frocks and looking our best for the occasion. The time we waited seemed endless; but little by little the speck took the form of a ship and, in a short time, it came so near that we could make out its name: Candia, printed in large 15 letters on the prow. Now the crowd of about five hundred could hardly be held back. People were jumping up and down, waving; and little boys climbed on to stationary vehicles to get a better view. As the tugs piloted the great ship into the harbour, everybody peered eagerly 20 at the troops lined along the railings. Soldiers on board waved to us wildly, shouting out the names of people they recognized or wanted to see, The two young men in the crowd who were hold- ing a big banner with ‘Welcome Home!’ painted on it almost fell over in their excitement to lift it higher. An old man put his hat 25 on the end of his walking-stick and twirled it round and round until it slipped off and fell into the sea. Women were crying; others laughing; and some did not quite know whether to laugh or cry. Someone called out ‘There’s your daddy!’ and a small boy of four was held high in the air to see his father whom he had 30 never seen before. Now the troops were directly above us. Our excitement had mounted to a peak, for soon they would dis- embark! 26Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. 1. One of these statements is true. Which one? a. The ship arrived at the time it was expected. b. The ship was late in arriving. c. The ship was three-quarters of an hour late. d. They had been waiting for a long time, but the ship hadn’t appeared. . From the description, it is clear that the crowd consisted . mainly of women. mainly of men. . mainly of children. . mainly of elderly people. . We didn’t need . . . and cheered more loudly than ever. (1.8) . to tell; b. to be told; c. to be telling; d. for telling RW ARDSAN . Itcame .. . for us to make out its name. (I].13—14) . So near; b. enough near; c. near enough; d. too near se 5. had come into view (1.4) means: a. was a wonderful sight; b. was a spectacle; c. could be seen; d. was a scene 6. piloted (1.19) means: a. drove; b. steered; c. pulled; d. guided Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: The harbour had rarely witnessed a spectacle so colourful. The harbour had rarely witnessed such .... (1.9) Summary and Composition 1. Imagine that you were on board the ship. In not more than 80 words describe what you saw as the ship entered the harbour up to the time you prepared to disembark. 2. Suppose you have been living abroad for four years. In about 250 words write a letter to a friend saying what you miss most in your country. 27il It must have been about two o’clock in the morning when I was woken abruptly by a loud banging noise. It was such a bitterly cold night that I did not fancy the idea of getting up, so I sat in bed and listened. Since I heard nothing more, I concluded that 5 the sound must have come from the street. I was just pulling the bed-clothes over my head to go back to sleep, when there was another loud bang. The sound was so extraordinary that this time I jumped out of bed at once. I put on my dressing-gown and tip-toed downstairs, feeling my 10 way carefully. I found the drawing-room door open and could not remember if I had left it like that. The room was lit up by a pale red glow from the fire which was slowly dying out. I quickly turned on the lights but could see nothing unusual. I felt rather ashamed of my foolish behaviour and began climbing the stairs 15 when I heard the same noise again. It came distinctly from above. I dashed upstairs and went into all the bedrooms one after the other, but there was nothing that could possibly have made such a sound. I went across to one of the windows. It was so cold outside that ice had formed on the window-panes. I scraped it 20 away and looked down on the garden below. Lamps from the street in the distance provided sufficient light to see by. It was snowing heavily and a thick white blanket covered everything. The branches of the bare trees looked like white arms against the night sky. There was certainly no sign that anyone had been 25 walking in the garden, for it would have been easy to make out footprints. As I was beginning to feel cold, I went to my room, sat on my bed and waited to see if the noise would come again. It did—from directly above me. Only then did I understand: the water in the pipes leading to the tank in the attic was beginning 30 to freeze and the pipes were protesting loudly! 28Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. 1, At first the writer thought the noise had been caused . by someone or something in the street. . by a thief. . by the pipes in the attic. by someone in the drawing-room. . The writer scraped the windows . to look at the street lamps. . to look at the bare trees. . to see if there was anyone in the garden. . to see if the noise would come again. Re SRN AOSTA 3. It was . . . bitterly cold, he didn’t fancy the idea of getting up. (IL.2-3) a. such; b. such a; c. so; d. so much 4. He got his dressing-gown and . . . (1.9) a. put on it; b. it put on; c. it on put; d. put it on 5. tip-toed (1.9) means: a. walked very quickly; b. ran; c. walked very quietly; d. jumped 6. sufficient (1.21) means: a. plenty; b. enough; ¢. a little; d. a lot of Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: I understood only then. Only then .... (1.28) Summary and Composition 1. Describe in not more than 80 words what the writer saw and did after he went downstairs to the end of the paragraph. 2. In about 250 words describe any familiar garden scene as it would appear in any one of the four seasons. 2912 The hidden face of the moon has so long been a mystery that the first successful attempt to reveal it will probably go down in history as one of the most important steps man has made to in- crease his knowledge of outer space. What the voyage of Colum- 5 bus was to the world in the fifteenth century, the journey of the rocket, Lunik III, might well be to the twentieth. Lunik IIT was shaped like a top and weighed about 614 pounds. It travelled from the earth to the south side of the moon and con- tinued its journey for some 4000 miles beyond the other side 10 before the moon’s attraction caused it to alter its path, making it turn round. When this occurred, the rocket was in a direct line between the sun and the moon and a great number of things happened, At a signal from the earth, the rocket stopped spin- ning and a cover opened at its nose. Two cameras appeared, one 15 of which magnified the moon two and a half times more than the other. The film that was used to take the pictures had special markings on it so that the photographing of the moon’s far side could be controlled from the earth. When the pictures had been taken, they were developed automatically by a special device 20 designed to work under conditions of weightlessness. Now it was time for the rocket to move again, and another signal from the earth caused it to spin once more, for there was danger that if it remained still, its underside would freeze and its topside become too hot and so damage the delicate instruments within. The 25 rocket then continued its journey round the moon, swung back to the earth and began to send the photographs that had been taken, by means of a special television-camera which translated the lines on the pictures into radio signals. In this way, the hidden face of the moon became familiar to everybody. Those few who 30 had expected to hear of strange beasts or lost civilizations may have been disappointed. But for most people, the photographs solved an age-old mystery and provided the first really exciting glimpse of outer space. 30Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. 1, When Lunik III travelled to the other side of the moon, it turned round a. after receiving a signal from the earth. b. because it was in direct line between the sun and moon. c. in order to stop spinning. d. because of the moon’s gravity. 2. The journey of Lunik III was important because a. it was the first flight into space. b. it provided the first pictures of the far side of the moon. c. astronauts first saw the other side of the moon. d. it proved that the other side of the moon was uninhabited. 3. a . The moon’s attraction . . . alter its path. (1.10) . made; b. made it to; c. made to; d. made it 4. After... the pictures were developed automatically. (I.18—19) a, had been taking; b had been taken; ¢ having been taking; d. having been taken 5. increase (ll.3—4) means: a. grow; b. inflate; c. add to; d. fill 6. alter its path (1.10) means: a. change its direction; 5. turn round; c. spin; d. stop Sentence Structure Join these sentences with which, then check your answer against the text: Two cameras appeared. One of them magnified the moon two and a half times more than the other. (Il.14—-15) Summary and Composition 1. Describe in not more than 80 words everything that happened to the rocket from the moment it left the earth to when it sent back photographs. 2. Suppose you were writing a report for a newspaper. In about 250 words write an account of any recent flight into space. 3113 Four hours earlier the man had anchored his small rowing-boat off the rocky coast of the island and had climbed the steep slope. This coast was rarely frequented by visitors for it was difficult of access and the landscape was bleak and unfriendly. Simple 5 curiosity and the love of adventure had impelled the man to go there. When he had set out in the morning, the sea had been very calm and clear, the sky cloudless. But now a strong wind had risen; the coast for miles around was gloomy and desolate. Dark waves sent up a huge spray each time they broke on the black, 10 uneven rocks which plunged deep down into the water. Looking down at the choppy sea below, the man realized he would have to move quickly if he was to save his boat. The rocks, which had previously been fairly easy to climb, were now treacherous and slippery. The man clung to the rock-face to 15 prevent himself from slipping. At one point, the slope was so sheer, that he was obliged to climb up again and come down by another route. He stopped to regain his breath by a withered, overhanging tree. The man was now so close to the sea that he could taste salt on his lips as the fine sea-spray rose up and fell 20 like heavy rain around him. Soon his clothes became drenched and his teeth were chattering with cold, But the plight of his boat was uppermost in his mind. Below, it was bobbing on the waves like a cork and at any moment the rope which held it fast might break; the boat would either be carried out to sea or dashed 25 to pieces against the rocks. The man began to climb down again, but stopped abruptly when he heard the sound of splintering wood. His worst fears had been realized! He saw his boat lifted high by the waves and beaten against the rocks again and again. The man looked down helplessly as a tangled mass of drift-wood 30 and gear floated away over the water. 32Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. The man had gone to the island for a holiday. because the sea was calm. to see what it was like. because no one had ever been there before. It was smashed to pieces. It was carried out to sea. Nothing. 1 a. 6. ‘ d. 2. What happened to the man’s boat? a. b. c. d. It sank. 3. The man had anchored his small rowing-boat off the rocky coast four hours . . . (Il.1—2) a. ago; b. before; c. since; d. in front 4. The rocks had previously been . . . to climb. (II.12-13) a. enough easy; b. rather easy; c. too easy; d. extremely easy 5. difficult of access (\I.3-4) means: a. hard to reach; b. hard to climb; ¢. rocky; d. a long way off 6. drenched (1.20) means: a. damp; b. heavy; c. soaked; d torn Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: He stopped abruptly on hearing the sound of splintering wood. He stopped abruptly when .... (II.26-27) Summary and Composition 1. Describe in not more than 80 words what the man saw and did from the moment he looked down at the sea to the end of the passage. 2. In about 250 words continue the story begun in the passage. 3314 The next day, Bob insisted that he should do the cooking for a change. He had always fancied himself as a cook and never failed to remind his wife, Susan, of the grand parties he had had before they married. How was it, Bob would ask, that in those 5 days he had managed to feed as many as twenty people. Susan, however, had other ideas. She remembered Bob’s parties well— especially the kitchen which, when the party was over, looked as though it had been hit by a hurricane. But Bob was so insistent, that in the end Susan reluctantly agreed to let him have a free 10 hand. Susan determined to make the most of the situation and went into the parlour to read. She had no sooner settled down, than Bob began calling to her from the kitchen. She had half expected this would happen, smiled to herself, and continued to read. Bob 15 shouted louder than ever and seeing that there was no response, finally came into the parlour himself, obviously in an agitated state. How could he possibly work with no equipment, he de- manded. He could not find bowls, cups, dishes, or even a single spoon. What he had thought was flour turned out to be icing- 20 sugar and there was not a pinch of salt in the whole house. Susan calmly told him where everything was and Bob rushed back only to find that the milk had boiled over. He mopped the mess up hastily and set to work. In no time, nearly everything that had been in the side-board and in the pantry was splendidly arrayed 25 before him on the kitchen table. Now he could really commence, he thought. About two hours passed and Susan could not understand why things were so quiet. Bob must be managing after all! The smell of something burning quickly proved her wrong and caused her 30 to drop her book and dash to the kitchen. Thick smoke greeted her when she opened the door. She could dimly make out the figure of Bob trying to extract something from the oven and burn- ing himself in the process. Bob produced a blackened object, quickly dropped it into the sink and turned on the tap. His cake 35 wasa little over-done, he explained, but otherwise all right. Apart 34from this, he had put sugar into the stew instead of salt, but he did not think it would do the stew any harm. When the smoke cleared, Susan saw to her horror, that her once spotless kitchen now resembled a battlefield! Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. . Susan . was glad Bob would do the cooking. . didn’t trust Bob to do the cooking. . had a high opinion of Bob's cooking. suggested Bob should do the cooking. 1 a b ¢. d. 2. Susan realized Bob had been unsuccessful when a. the milk boiled over. b. Bob couldn’t find utensils and ingredients. c. she smelt something burning. d. she saw the smoke-filled kitchen. 3. a . Bob insisted . . . the cooking. (1.1) to do; b. to doing; c. on doing; d. in doing 4. ... she had settled down, he began calling to her. (Il.12-13) a. No sooner; b. Hardly; c. As soon as; d. At once . reluctantly (1.9) means: a. at last; b. unwillingly; c. willingly; . at once 5. d. 6. determined (\.11) means: a. agreed; b. decided; c. insisted; d. tried Sentence Structure Join these sentences, then check your answer against the text: Thick smoke greeted her. She opened the door. (11.30-31) Summary and Composition 1. In not more than 80 words describe Bob’s experiences when he was trying to cook. 2. Write the recipe of your favourite dish or cake. Arrange your material under two headings: Ingredients and Method. 3515 I was somewhat surprised when the man opposite me in the train said he did not smoke and that he could not give me a light. I had been admiring the fine lighter which he had on the folding table by the window and the least I expected of it was that it 5 would work. But I did not give the matter a second thought, for we were now rapidly approaching the frontier and conversation on the customs’ examination we were soon to undergo was becoming quite heated. We had been given forms to fill in, and the lady beside me was arguing that a fur coat which had been 10 worn three times was a used article. Everybody joined in the argument—except the man opposite who kept gazing intently out of the window. I finally grew bored with the discussion and was just trying to get some sleep when an official came into our compartment and 15 asked for passports. He collected them wearily, stamped them mechanically, and handed them back to us. He had no sooner left than the customs officers entered. They were extremely polite and much to our surprise (especially the lady’s in the fur coat), did not seem too concerned about the goods we had with us. They 20 opened one or two cases, which they did not examine very thoroughly, and then asked each of us how much money we had with us and requested to see it. (I learned afterwards that large sums of money were being smuggled out of the country.) The officers remained quite satisfied that all was in order and 25 were preparing to leave when one of them casually picked up the cigarette-lighter to light his pipe. The man opposite me made an involuntary movement and checked himself, saying that the lighter was broken. The officer replied jokingly that that was why the man had probably had no cigarettes to declare. The man 30 stammered an embarrassed reply and it was clear he was trying to hide something. The customs officer noticed this too, and offered to repair the man’s lighter. He unscrewed the bottom of it and, to our amazement, began to draw out a thick roll of dollar bills of high value. A lighter like this was too valuable to be left 35 lying around the officer said, and he asked the man to follow him out of the compartment. 36Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. . The lady in the fur coat . wasn’t worried about the customs examination. . had good reason to worry about the customs examination. . needn’t have worried about the customs examination. was sorry she worried about the customs examination. 1 a b. c. d. 2. What made the customs officer suspicious of the smuggler? a. He had a lighter that didn’t work. b. He had a lighter but no cigarettes. c. He showed he was embarrassed. d. He kept gazing out of the window 3. a . ... the man opposite, everybody joined in the argument. (II. 10-11) . Unless; 5. Without; c. Apart from; d. Except = . I learned that money . . . being smuggled out of the country. (11.22—23) a. are; b. were; c. have; d. was 5. frontier (1.6) means: a. foreign country; 6. boundary; c. barrier; d. border 6. in order (1. 24) means: a. well-arranged; b. all right; c. in line; d. in its place Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: Forms had been given to us to fill in. We .... (1.8) Summary and Composition 1. Describe in not more than 80 words what the writer saw from the time he grew bored with the discussion to the end of the passage. 2. Supposing you visited an English speaking country. In about 250 words write the conversation that took place between the customs officer and yourself soon after your arrival. Begin: ‘Have you anything to declare?’ asked the customs officer. 3716 From a distance the funfair looked like a fairy-tale city. Huge wheels revolved slowly; a giant screen covered with coloured lamps flashed on and off; and the brilliantly-lit fountains glistened like rainbows against the night sky. It seemed a world which 5 contained only the pleasant things in life and it invited us to step out of the dark and enter. When we did so, we were greeted with laughter and music. Everywhere people were travelling at high speeds; being lifted up into the sky and dropped; driving small cars and bumping into 10 each other; shooting at targets; throwing balls at bottles, or simply standing and staring. We were not quite sure where to begin, but on seeing a stand marked ‘The Ghost Train’, we went towards it eagerly. When we had bought our tickets and taken our seats we were immediately carried towards a closed door. 15 For a dreadful moment we thought we would crash into it but it slid open and we were completely in the dark. We could not understand why so many people were screaming. In a moment we realized why. A light went on in front of us and a big gorilla grinned hideously at us. The train went straight towards it and 20 at the very last moment turned away: only just in time! We barely had the chance to recover, when a skeleton appeared. It screamed, extended a bony arm and made us scream as well. A little ahead a cackling witch was lying in wait for us. The train went towards every monstrous creature that lurked in the dark, 25 always turning away just before it was too late. We were relieved when a door opened and we found ourselves in the open air again. But to our amazement the train did not stop. It re-entered the haunted house! This time we heard strange noises and louder screams than before. Invisible hands 30 came out of the dark and brushed through our hair or across our faces. Doors opened and closed before our eyes and monsters reached out for us. We held on tightly and shut our eyes when we saw yet another closed door ahead. This time we were sure we would hit into it. All of a sudden it opened and brought us back 35 to a happier world of people, lights and laughter. 38Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. 1. They went to the funfair because a. they wanted to travel on the Ghost Train. it had looked so attractive. they were quite near it. someone invited them to go in. they expected it to open. they expected a monster to appear. they expected to crash into it. b. c. d. 2. Each time they approached a closed door a. b. c. d. they expected to come into the open air. 3. Where did the witch . . . in wait for them? (1.23) a. lie; b. lay; c. laid; d. lain 4. They thought they would hit into a door. They were sure... it. (11.33-34) a. for; b. to; c. of; d. in 5. grinned (1.19) means: a. screamed; 6. laughed; c. smiled; d. cackled 6. barely (1.21) means: a. almost; 6. hardly; c. only; d. justly Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the teat: After having bought our tickets and taken our seats we were immediately carried towards a closed door. When .... (Il.13-14) Summary and Composition 1. In not more than 80 words give an account of what happened to the people in the Ghost Train from the moment they were carried into the haunted house to the end of their ride. 2. In about 250 words describe a funfair or carnival in your country. 3917 Signs made up mainly of circles, crosses, or arrows, can occasion- ally be seen at the entrance of a house, indicating that a tramp has passed. This special sign-language is frequently employed by tramps to inform their fellows whether the inhabitants of a certain 5 house are generous, mean, unfriendly, or hospitable, and to save them the trouble of making unnecessary calls. Quite by chance one day, I came across a real tramp. He is such a rare sight these days, that I stood some distance away and watched him. He was dressed just as a tramp should be in 10 patched trousers much the worse for wear, and a jacket many sizes too big for him. On his head there was a battered old hat that had seen better days and his boots were so old and worn, they were almost coming to pieces. But the man himself looked cheerful and happy as if he had not a care in the world. He 15 rubbed his nose with his forefinger, made a funny little turn, deposited a small bundle by the front gate, and began studying a sign made by a previous caller. Although the sign was meaning- less to me it must have been favourable, for the tramp’s face glowed with satisfaction. He entered the front gate confidently 20 and rang the bell. When the door opened, I saw him raise his hat but could not hear what he said. The conversation which took place was very brief indeed, for no sooner had he uttered a few words, than the door slammed violently in his face. I felt sorry for him as he walked sadly out of the house. But just as 25 quickly, his face lit up again and he moved briskly towards the gate. There he stopped, looked at the sign, and shook his head gravely as if he had made a bad mistake. Digging deeply into his pockets, he produced a piece of chalk, rubbed out the existing sign and scrawled a new one in its place. He gazed at it for a 30 moment smiling to himself, then gathered his belongings, pushed back his hat and began walking towards the next house at a leisurely pace, whistling as he went along. 40Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. 1. Tramps use a special sign-language a. to talk to each other. b. to leave messages for each other. c. so that no one will understand them when they’re talking to each other. d. so that everybody will know where they have been. 2. The tramp in the story rubbed out the sign outside the house a. and replaced it by a favourable one. b. and didn’t replace it at all. c. and replaced it by an unfavourable one. d. and scrawled on the wall. 3. a . He was dressed just as a tramp . . . in patched trousers. (II.9-10) . must have been; b. ought to be; c. could be; d. had been > Although the sign was meaningless to me it . . . favourable. (I1.17-18) a. had to be; b. must be; c. was probably; d. should have been 5. much the worse for wear (1.10) means: a. nearly worn out; b. badly fitting; c. old; d. too big 6. uttered (1.22) means: a. said; b. told; c. shouted; d. whispered Sentence Structure Join these sentences, then check your answer against the text: He dug deeply into his pockets. He produced a piece of chalk. He rubbed out the existing sign. He scrawled a new one in its place. (1127-29) Summary and Composition 1. Describe in not more than 80 words all that the tramp did from the time he began studying the sign to the end of the passage. 2. Write a short dialogue of about 250 words between a tramp and an unfriendly housewife who has just opened the door to him. Begin: ‘Good morning, madam. I...” 4118 I did not know the city at all and what is more, I could not speak a word of the language. After having spent my first day sight- seeing in the town-centre, I decided to lose my way deliberately on my second day, since I believed that this was the surest way of 5 getting to know my way around. J got on the first bus that passed and descended some thirty minutes later in what must have been a suburb. The first two hours passed pleasantly enough. I discovered mysterious little book-shops in back streets and eventually 10 arrived at a market-place where I stopped and had a coffee in an open-air café. Then I decided to get back to my hotel for lunch. After walking about aimlessly for some time, I determined to ask the way. The trouble was, that the only word I knew of the language was the name of the street in which I lived—and even 15 that I pronounced badly. I stopped to ask a friendly-looking newspaper-seller. He smiled and handed mea paper. I shook my head and repeated the name of the street and he thrust the paper into my hands. Perceiving that it would be impossible to argue about the matter, I gave him 20 some money and went on my way. The next person I asked was an old lady who was buying vegetables. She was very hard of hearing and I repeated the word several times. When she finally heard me, she seemed to take offence and began shouting and shaking her walking-stick at me. I hurried away quickly and was 25 relieved to see a policeman on a corner. He certainly would be able to help me. The policeman listened attentively to my question, smiled, and gently took me by the arm. There was a distant look in his eyes as he pointed left and right and left again. He glanced at me for approval, and repeated the performance. 30 I nodded politely and began walking in the direction he pointed. About an hour passed and J noticed that the houses were getting fewer and fewer and green fields were appearing on either side of me. I had come all the way into the country. The only thing left for me to do was to find the nearest railway-station! 42Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. 1. The writer believes that if you want to get to know a strange city you should go everywhere on foot. you should have a map. you should ask people the way. you should get lost on purpose. What was the main cause of all the writer's troubles? He followed the policeman’s directions. He couldn’t speak the language. He got lost. He left the city centre. ARS SRR AOS 3. The only word he knew was the name of the street he lived . . . (11.1314) a. —; b. at; c. in; d. on 4. He stopped . . . a friendly-looking newspaper-seller. (1.16) a. asking; b. for asking; c. in order to ask; d. in order that he asked 5. take offence (1.23) means: a. feel hurt; 5. feel frightened; c. feel tired; d. feel worried 6. nodded (1.30) means: a. shook hands; b. waved; c. shook the head from side to side; d. shook the head up and down Sentence Structure Arrange these groups in their correct order, then check your answer: by the arm/the policeman/gently took me/listened attentively/and/ to my question/ smiled (11.26-27) Summary and Composition 1. In not more than 80 words describe the writer's experiences after he decided to ask the way back to his hotel to the end of the passage 2. Suppose you visited an English speaking country and wanted to find the way to your hotel. In about 250 words describe your efforts. 4319 Having heard so much about the life-guards on my trip to Australia, I could hardly wait for the time when I should see them inaction. I had been told that they were a specially selected body of men all of whom were strong swimmers. Australian beaches 5 sometimes provide quite unexpected dangers and as they are crowded in summer, the life-guards’ duties are to save people from drowning, bring in those who have been carried too far out by swift currents, and above all, to keep a sharp look-out for unwelcome visitors like sharks. 10 I first visited a beach called Scarborough, near Perth, in Western Australia. It was early morning when IJ arrived and I found about half-a-dozen children who had gathered round several tall, sun-tanned men. From the special swim-suits the men were wearing, I understood that they were guards and went 15 and joined the children. I was puzzled by the sight of strange objects along the beach which resembled big cotton-reels. I was soon to learn what they were for. One of the guards had swum far out into the sea, and another on the shore was putting on a life-jacket which was attached to the end of a cord, wound round 20 one of the reels. Two others swiftly unwound the reel as the life-guard plunged into the tremendous waves to ‘save’ the man out at sea. In an incredibly short space of time, he had reached the ‘drowning’ man, and the guards on the shore wound up the reel. They all worked together as a team so that the men were 25 speedily brought to safety. About midday I left the crowded beach and walked up to a watch-tower set some way back from the shore. To my amaze- ment, I was greeted by the guards I had seen in the morning and was asked in to see the tower. I was shown a big siren used to 30 warn people against sharks and there were guards everywhere looking out at sea through telescopes to ensure that no swimmer got into difficulties. As I gazed down at the hundreds of people enjoying themselves, I understood for the first time why the Australians were so proud of this band of highly trained men who 35 kept constant watch over them and enabled themtoswimin safety. 44Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. . The objects that resemble cotton-reels are used . for fishing. to teach life-guards to swim. . for rescue operations. for entertaining the children. Reoe One of these statements is true. Which one? . There is no way of warning swimmers of the presence of sharks. . Because of the presence of life-guards there is no danger at all. . The presence of life-guards reduces the danger on Australian beaches. The life-guards teach people to swim in safety. a ScaN n 3. The writer had heard a great deal . . . the life-guards. (1.1) a. for; b. concerning; c. according to; d. due to * 4, He could hardly wait . . . see them in action. (1I.2-3) a. the moment he should; b. when he should; c. to; d. so as to 5. keep a sharp look-out (1.8) means: a find out; b. watch carefully; c. follow closely; d. observe suspiciously 6. ensure (1.31) means: a. make certain; b. certify; c. verify; d. assure Sentence Structure Join these sentences, then check your answer against the text: It was early morning. I arrived. I found about half-a-dozen children. They had gathered round several tall, sun-tanned men. (Il.11—13) Summary and Composition 1. Describe in not more than 80 words what the writer saw and did after he went and stood with the children on the beach to the end of the passage. 2. Imagine you are giving advice to someone trying to learn any one of the following: swimming, driving, cycling or typing. In about 250 words describe some of the things he should learn to do and should avoid doing. 4520 About twenty of us had been fortunate enough to receive invita- tions to a film-studio to take part in a crowd-scene. Although our ‘act’ would only last for three minutes in all, we were given the opportunity to see quite a number of interesting things. We 5 all stood at the far end of the studio as workmen prepared the scene which was to be filmed. Several bare trees had been set up at the edge of a winding path, and the Art Director was giving some last-minute instructions to his assistants. Very soon, bright lights were turned on and the path was 10 covered with what looked like salt. The big movie-camera was wheeled into position. The producer of the film shouted some- thing to the camera-operator who waved his hand in reply, and then went to speak to the two famous actors who were standing nearby. Since it was very hot in the studio, it came as a surprise 15 to us to see one of the actors put on a heavy overcoat. He pulled a hat down over his eyes, put his hands in his pockets, and started walking along the path. A big fan began blowing tiny white feathers down on him, and soon the bare trees were covered in ‘snow’. Two more fans were turned on, and a ‘strong wind’ 20 whistled through the trees. The first actor was plodding through the snow when the second, now dressed as a beggar, began walking towards him trembling with cold. The picture looked so real and wintry that it made us shiver. The next scene was a complete contrast. The way it was filmed 25 was quite extraordinary. Pictures taken on an island in the Pacific were shown on a glass screen. An actor and an actress stood in front of the image so that they looked as if they were at the water’s edge on an island. By a simple trick like this, palm trees, sandy beaches, and blue, clear skies had been brought into 30 the studio! Since it was our turn next, we.were left wondering what scene would be prepared for us. For a full three minutes in our lives we would be experiencing the thrill of being film ‘stars’! 46Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. 1 Why had twenty people been invited to a film studio? . So they could see how a film was made. b. They were to be given important parts in a film. c. They were to take part in a film. d. They were to be interviewed. S 2. One of the actors put on a heavy overcoat because a. he felt cold. 6. it was cold in the studio. c. it was snowing. d. he had to wear it to act in a scene. 3... . would it last? Three minutes. (1.3) a. How; 6. How much; c. How long; d. How far 4, Pictures... taken on an island were shown on a screen. (1I.25—26) a. who had been; 6. which had been; c. whom had been; d. what had been §. fortunate (1.1) means: a. chancy; b. fated; c. lucky; d. happy 6. last minute (1.8) means: a. final; b. latest; c. complete; d. end Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: The picture looked real and wintry and it made us shiver. The picture looked so .... (II.22—23) Summary and Composition 1. Suppose you had been present when the film was being made. Jn not more than 80 words describe what you saw after the camera was brought into position. 2, Suppose you were writing an article for a newspaper. In about 250 words give an account of a film or play you have seen and enjoyed. 4721 The house next door had been empty for so long that we had quite forgotten what it was like to have neighbours. One day, however, a great furniture-van drew up near our front gate, and in a short time, tables, chairs, beds, pictures, and countless other 5 things were heaped up on the pavement. A small car arrived out of which emerged seven people: a man, a woman, and five chil- dren of various ages. The children hurried out and began laugh- ing delightedly as the whole family trooped into the house. Windows were flung open; furniture was put into place; and little 10 faces peered inquisitively at us over the fence and disappeared. It was our first introduction to the Robinsons. Though we became firm friends with our new neighbours, we often had cause to be irritated by them. We lent them so many things, that we never quite knew whether something had been 15 lost or borrowed. Our garden became an unsafe place: little boys dressed as cowboys or Indians would leap up from behind bushes, point wooden pistols at us and order us to put our hands up. Sometimes our lives were spared; at others, we were mown down Ppitilessly, in cold blood, at point-blank range, with a sharp 20 ‘Bang! Bang!’ Even more dangerous were the arrows that occasionally came sailing over the garden fence. They had no sooner fallen, than Robin Hood would appear to retrieve them, dragging his unwilling sister, Maid Marian, behind him. But we did not always go in fear of our lives. The Robinsons 25 were friendly and helpful and when we left our house for the holidays, we knew we had nothing to fear so long as our neigh- bours were around. We understood what it was to have com- pany in the long, friendless, winter evenings when Mrs. Robin- son would drop in for a cup of tea and a chat; or when Mr. 30 Robinson would lean over the fence and talk endlessly with father about gardening problems. The plot next door which had been so unsightly, so overgrown with weeds, blossomed in time into a delightful garden; and the empty house, so long deserted, was flooded with life and laughter. 48Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. 1. The house next door . had been occupied for a long time. . had been vacant for a long time. . had just been sold. |. had just been let. The new neighbours’ children . were badly behaved. . were really dangerous. . loved playing games. were very unpleasant. . Our garden. . . an unsafe place. (1.15) . got; b. fell; c. turned into; d. grew Bw AS STAN ADGA 4. We had nothing to fear .. . our neighbours were around. (II.26—27) a. so; b. while; c. that; d. why 5. our lives were spared (1.18) means: a. we were killed; b. we weren't killed; c. we were freed; d. we weren’t punished 6. chat (1.29) means: a. cake; b. argument; c. meal; d. tatk Sentence Structure Join these sentences, then check your answer against the text: What was it like to have neighbours? We had quite forgotten. We had .... (ll.1-2) Summary and Composition 1. Deriving your information from the passage, in not more than 80 words give an account of the advantages and disadvantages of having neighbours. 2. You have just moved into a new house. Write a letter of about 250 words to a friend describing the house and mentioning some of the things you have to do to get it in order. 4922 Electricity is such a part of our everyday lives and so much taken for granted nowadays that we rarely think twice when we switch on the light or turn on the radio. At night, roads are brightly lit, enabling people and traffic to move freely. Neon lighting used in 5 advertising has become part of the character of every modern city. In the home, many labour-saving devices are powered by electricity. Even when we turn off the bedside lamp and are fast asleep, electricity is working for us, driving our refrigerators, heating our water, or keeping our rooms air-conditioned. Every 10 day, trains, trolley-buses, and trams take us to and from work. We rarely bother to consider why or how they run—until some- thing goes wrong. In the summer of 1959, something did go wrong with the power- plant that provides New York with electricity. For a great many 15 hours, life came almost to a standstill. Trains refused to move and the people in them sat in the dark, powerless to do anything; lifts stopped working, so that even if you were lucky enough not to be trapped between two floors, you had the unpleasant task of finding your way down hundreds of flights of stairs. Famous 20 streets like Broadway and Fifth Avenue in an instant became as gloomy and uninviting as the most remote back streets. People were afraid to leave their houses, for although the police had been ordered to stand by in case of emergency, they were just as con- fused and helpless as anybody else. 25 Meanwhile, similar disorder prevailed in the home. New York can be stifling in the summer and this year was no exception. Cool, air-conditioned apartments became furnaces. Food went bad in refrigerators. Cakes and joints of meat remained uncooked in cooling ovens, and people sat impatient and frightened in the 30 dark as if an unseen enemy had landed from Mars. The only people who were not troubled by the darkness were the blind. One of the strangest things that occurred during the power-cut was that some fifty blind people led many sighted workers home. When the lights came on again, hardly a person in the city can 35 have turned on a switch without reflecting how great a servant he had at his finger-tips. 50Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. . According to what is said in the first paragraph, electricity . is something we have come to accept without question. . is still something of a miracle. . is something we think about all the time. . has not made life easier. AeA nN The passage suggests that most large modern cities . would be better off without electricity. b. are completely dependent on electricity. c. need air-conditioned buildings. d. are terrible places to live in. 5 3. People were afraid . . . leaving their houses. (1I.21-22) a. for; b. to; c. of; d. in 4. The police had been ordered to stand by . . . an emergency. (1122-23) a. providing that there was; b. should there be; c. if there would be; d. though there might be 5. labour-saving devices (1.6) means: a. refrigerators; b. machines that save time; c. inventions that make work easier; d. electrical appliances 6. reflecting (1.35) means: a. noticing; b. observing; c. watching; d. thinking Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: There can hardly have been a person in the city who turned on a switch without reflecting how great a servant he had at his finger- tips. Hardly .... (1134-36) Summary and Composition 1. Describe in not more than 80 words how the power-cut affected New York. 2. ‘The Kitchen of the Future’. Write a composition of about 250 words describing how you imagine it will be. SL23 After eight hours at the wheel of the huge army lorry, the soldier was beginning to feel the strain. He knew how easy it was for menwho drive long distances to fall asleep while driving and he was anxious to reach his destination, a small town called Bridgewater, 5 which was still some forty miles distant. The country road stretched away endlessly before him and time seemed to pass so slowly that the soldier could hardly believe his eyes when, towards the end of the afternoon, he approached the outskirts of the town. The lorry laboured up a very steep hill and the soldier felt 10 relieved and happy to see Bridgewater itself spreading out in front of him. He settled back comfortably in his seat as the lorry moved down the hill at a leisurely speed. Then, for some un- accountable reason, the lorry began to move very quickly. The soldier depressed the brake gently but this had no effect. He 15 pressed it harder than ever, only to realize, to his horror, that the brakes were out of order! In a second, his sleepiness left him. The soldier gripped the wheel tightly as the lorry headed wildly towards the town. He knew that if he tried to crash into the trees at the roadside, he would be running the risk of being killed in- 20 stantly, and he held on. Almost out of control now, the lorry swerved from side to side, narrowly missing telegraph-poles and trees. Houses appeared on either side of the road, and in an unbelievably short time, the lorry was hurtling through the centre of the town itself. People scattered to left and right as the lorry 25 plunged through the High Street, its horn blaring loudly. The soldier steered the vehicle with such skill, that he just managed to pass cars that were coming in the opposite direction. A grocer’s boy ona bicycle appeared from a side-street and the soldier nearly hit a bus in his effort to avoid him. A few terrifying minutes 30 passed before the man observed a hill just ahead. As the lorry went towards it, it began to slow down and the soldier brought it to a standstill at the side of the road. He got out badly shaken, but safe at last. 52Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. Before he arrived at Bridgewater, the soldier was afraid he might . be very late. . have an accident. . fall asleep during the journey. . lose the way. The soldier managed to avoid an accident because . he drove the vehicle off the road. . he was such a good driver. . he stopped the vehicle just in time. . he jumped out of the lorry. AS STSN AD TA Se 3, Then, for some unaccountable reason, the lorry began . . . quickly. (II.12-13) a. to moving; b. in moving; c. moving; d. move 4. He depressed the brake gently but this didn’t have . . . effect (1.14) a. no; b. any; ¢. some; d. one 5. out of order (1.16) means: a. out of control ; b. lost; c. not working; d. uncontrolled 6. swerved (1.21) means: a. steered wildly; 6. drove madly; ¢ ran quickly; d. moved abruptly Sentence Structure Join these sentences, then check your answer against the text: People scattered to left and right. The lorry plunged through the High Street. Its horn blared loudly. (1I.24—25) Summary and Composition 1. In not more than 80 words describe what happened to the soldier in the lorry from the time he realized that the brakes were out of order to the end of the passage. 2. Supposing you witnessed an accident. Write an account of it in about 250 words. 5324 Both parachutists had been flown behind enemy lines in the early hours of the morning, with instructions to gain as much informa- tion as possible on a new experimental factory. The building itself was believed to be ina sheltered valley in the neighbourhood, 5 and so skilfully camouflaged as to be invisible from the air. Both men knew that their chances of being caught were slight, for though the approaches to the factory were well-guarded, there were comparatively few troops stationed in the area. The men had destroyed their parachutes and had dressed as 10 labourers to avoid being spotted easily. A path across some fields led them to a road beyond which they believed the factory was located. At the roadside, they noticed some tools, a broken-down lorry, and a deep pit in which rainwater had collected. The men were cautiously making their way towards the lorry when the 15 sound of a truck in the distance made them dash for cover. The countryside was so bare that they had no alternative other than to jump into the pit. There was a great splash, and then all was still, The water was quite shallow, and the men pressed them- selves against the sides of the pit wondering if they had attracted 20 the attention of the driver of the lorry. They listened anxiously as the truck came nearer, hoping it would pass. Instead, it seemed to stop almost directly above them. The parachutists heard voices and the door of the truck slammed loudly overhead. From the discussion that followed, they understood that some men in the 25 truck had come to collect the tools near the broken-down vehicle. Suddenly, the men were startled by a piece of wood which was thrown into the pit and which struck the water just behind them; this was followed by an empty cigarette-packet. They held their breath and wondered what would happen next. Then the sound 30 of the engine starting up again set them at ease, for they knew they had narrowly escaped being captured. But their joy quickly turned to sorrow, for on looking up, they found the pit much deeper than they had thought. Its sides were wet and slippery and there was no sign of a single, secure foothold. 54Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. 1. The parachutists weren't sure of the exact position of the factory because a. it was well-hidden. b. it was well-guarded. c. it was invisible. d, it was in a valley. 2. The men were obliged to jump into the pit because a. they were dressed as labourers. b. there were few places where they could hide. c. they were dressed as parachutists. d. enemy soldiers were looking for them. 3. a . It was so skilfully camouflaged . . . invisible from the air. (1.5) . as it was; b. so to be; c. that to be; d. that it was They found the pit . . . deeper than they had thought. (II.32-33) . 100; b. far; c. very; d. many ae w . slight (1.6) means: a. few; b. great; c. even; d. little a . secure foothold (1.34) means: a. ladder; b. safe position; c. safe place to climb on; d. good foundation Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: They believed the building itself was in a sheltered valley. The building itself .. . . (II.3-4) Summary and Composition 1. In not more than 80 words describe the parachutists’ experiences for the whole of the time they were in the pit. 2. Continue the story begun in the passage in any way you like. Use about 250 words. 5525 I was not more than thirteen years old at the time, certainly, but I remember the moment as if it were yesterday. I had just taken my place in class, when I noticed a small shining coin a few feet away from my desk. I am sure it was not the desire for gain 5 which prompted me to stoop and pick it up, for the coin was a farthing and almost completely worthless. But its newness attracted me, and the fact that I could not spend a coin of such small value, made me want to keep it forever. As the teacher was talking to us, I pretended to drop a pencil and bent over. From 10 that moment, the coin was mine. The farthing and I remained firm friends for years. Trousers wore out, but the coin survived. It lived to see short trousers become long ones; it accompanied me in my youth and early manhood. It joined the army with me during the war, and later 15 came to the office every day when I became a civilian again. Every night when I emptied my pockets and placed their contents on my bedside table, the coin made its appearance. Sometimes, it would play hide and seek with me and make me dig deeply into my pockets. But sure enough, it was always there, 20 trapped inside larger items, like a pen-knife, or sleeping in the folds of my handkerchief. It certainly kept strange company. When I was a boy, it would attach itself to sticky sweets, or get caught in pieces of wire. When I grew up, it took its place proudly beside the silver coins that jingled in my pocket. It had reason to 25 be proud, for I am sure it knew that I would rather have lost every single silver coin I had than part with the precious little farthing. It did not shine any more, but at night-time it would unfailingly arrive, last but smiling, and look up at me from my bedside table. One night, however, the coin was missing. I searched every- 30 where, but weeks passed and I did not find it. This time, I realized sadly that it had gone for good and could only hope that it had found some nicer pocket to live in. 56Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. 1. The writer picked up the coin because a. it was worthless. it was valuable. . it was new. d. it was near him. > 5 2. The writer a. was sentimentally attached to the coin for many years. b. lost the coin before he grew up. c, still has the coin. d. never carried the coin round with him. 3. Sometimes it . . . play hide and seek with me. (1.18) a. was used to; b. used to; c. used; d. was accustomed to 421... every single coin I had than part with the precious little farthing. (1I.25—26) a. would have lost; b. would lose; c. would have preferred to lose; d. preferred 5. trapped (1.20) means: a. arrested; b. captured; c. closed; d. caught 6. items (1.20) means: a. lists; b. objects; c. pen-knives; d. places Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: Though trousers wore out, the coin survived. Trousers .... (I.11-12) Summary and Composition 1. Supposing the coin could tell its own story, how would it describe its life with the writer from the moment he picked it up to the moment he lost it? Do not use more than 80 words. 2. Explain why some small object you own (a present, a photo- graph, a watch, etc.) is of particular value to you—even though it may not be worth a lot of money. Use about 250 words. c 5726 People lined the streets expectantly awaiting the arrival of the last tram. The town council had decided that we must keep up with the times, and had announced that trams were to be replaced by trolley-buses. “All tram-lines were to be taken up, to allow 5 more room for the ever-increasing volume of traffic. The an- nouncement was met with mixed feelings, for trams had been in use for over fifty years. True, it would mean better transport facilities; but there were many who lamented the passing of an era. 10 The crowd lining the streets was in a gay mood. Old men were recalling the horse-drawn trams of the past and declaring that the town would be unrecognizable now. And though the young did not share these sentiments, they were determined to give the tram what they called ‘a terrific send-off’ on its last journey. Every- 15 body broke into cheers and clapping as a distant bell was heard. The crowd leaned over to catch the first glimpse of ‘Tram No. 9” as it swung round the corner. Soon it appeared, but it was quite unlike its usual dusty self. It had been painted bright green for the occasion. The driver was smiling broadly, the passengers 20 leaning out of the windows and waving to the crowd, and the conductor was standing on the rear bumper shouting, ‘Fares, please!’ The crowd roared with delight, when the arm which supplied the tram with electric current, slipped off the wires. The conductor descended and with great ceremony replaced the arm 25 by means of guide-ropes. A bell rang again; there was a loud hissing noise and the tram jerked forward, much to everybody’s amusement, All traffic stopped as the tram rumbled up the High Street, and little boys chased after it, realizing that this was their last chance 30 to get a free ride on the bumper. The conductor looked at them sternly, then broke into a smile as they jumped on, and actually helped them up! At length, it reached its terminus and stopped. The crowd sadly dispersed in the knowledge that it hadstopped for good, and that the long-familiar clanking and puffing of the old 35 tram would be heard no more. 58Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. . The town council decided to replace trams because . they were old. . nobody wanted them any more. they were taking up too much room on the roads. they weren't as nice as trolley-buses. . As described in the passage, the journey of Tram No. 9 . was a special event. was nothing out of the ordinary. was of no interest to anyone. . took much longer than usual. . They had announced that trams . . . be replaced. (1.3) . should; b. could; c. were going to; d. will Re ASSAN AD SA = 4. The long-familiar clanking and puffing of the old tram would . . be heard again. (1134-35) a, ever; b, never; c. always; d. sometimes 5. sentiments (1.13) means: a. love; b. senses; c. sympathies; d. feelings 6. free (1.30) means: a. without payment; 5. liberal; c. open; d. long Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: The crowd leaned over so that they might catch the first glimpse of ‘Tram No. 9”. The crowd leaned over to . .. (1.16) Summary and Composition 1. Imagine you were among the crowd. Jn not more than 80 words describe what you saw and did from the time you caught sight of the tram to the end of the passage. 2. Write a composition of about 250 words on the following: ‘The means of transport I prefer most.’ 5927 Loud shouting in the distance made us look up. This was nothing unusual for Hyde Park, for many people come here on a Sunday to air their views, and shouting is the only means by which they can make themselves heard. We had become part of a large 5 crowd which moved from speaker to speaker to hear what each one had to say. So far, we had listened to political speeches, serious debates, and lonely singers wailing dolefully to themselves. Now the newcomer attracted our attention, mainly because of the extreme loudness of his voice. 10 We soon discovered that the cause of all this commotion was certainly the ugliest fellow we had ever seen. He was completely bald and his face was painted red and blue so that he looked rather like a Red Indian chieftain. When a reasonable crowd had gathered, the man quietened down, surveyed everybody with 15 some contempt, and proceeded to undo his shirt. Soon he was displaying a huge, coloured tattoo which covered the whole of his back and chest. When the man was satisfied that he had pro- duced the desired effect on the crowd, he explained quite plainly that he was a burglar and wanted to say a few words about his 20 trade. He commenced by criticizing the police severely for im- peding him in his work. Policemen, he explained, were ungrate- ful to him, because it was people like himself who kept them busy. These remarks so astonished the crowd, that it drew round him closer, anxious to hear more. The man began describing the art 25 of getting through a closed window at night, when a formidable old lady shook her umbrella at him and said that if he did not go away, she would call a policeman. The burglar calmly pointed out that the police were his friends, and only took an interest in him when he was about his ‘lawful’ work. Glaring at the crowd, 30 he said that if anyone else had any further comments to make, he would be glad to meet him in the dark. The crowd laughed uneasily, but the old lady stalked off angrily to fetch a policeman. We waited expectantly to see what would happen as the burglar continued to explain how easy it was to pick a lock with a 35 hairpin. 60Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. 1. When he arrived on the scene, the burglar shouted loudly in order to . frighten everybody. . drown the other speakers. . get an audience. . send the crowd away. . The burglar . failed to frighten the crowd. . failed to frighten the old lady. . was worried that he would be arrested. . praised the police for their work. . We had never seen. . . person. (1.11) . the ugliest; b. an ugliest; c. an uglier; d. the uglier RW ASGSAN AROSE > . She said that . . . he went away, she would call a policeman. (1126-27) a. if; b. unless; c. in case; d. provided that 5. commotion (1.10) means: a. movement; 6. fighting; c. interest; d. uproar 6. formidable (1.25) means: a. big; b. wonderful; c. frightening; d. dreadful Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: The newcomer attracted our attention mainly because his voice was extremely loud. The newcomer attracted our attention mainly because of . . . (II.8-9) Summary and Composition 1. Describe in not more than 80 words what the people in the crowd heard after they had gathered round the burglar to the end of the passage. 2. In about 250 words continue the story begun in the passage, describing what happened when the old lady returned with a policeman. 6128 I soon realized that I had entered an unusual kind of shop. There were no goods on display; there was no shop-window: nothing but a number of empty shelves at one end of the room in front of which a man was standing on a raised platform, and 5 shouting loudly that the greatest sale of the year was about to begin. I decided to stay and see what would happen. A harassed assistant began to pile all sorts of odds and ends on the shelves: table-lamps, cutlery-sets, clocks, electric razors, crockery, vases, and a large quantity of small packets all similarly 10 wrapped in bright red paper. When the man at the table was satisfied that a sufficiently large crowd of people had collected, he began distributing the packets, asking for the small sum of three- pence in return, and declaring that the value of the contents was fifty times as much. ‘ 15 1 paid three pence for my packet and was immediately in- formed that I should not open it until after the sale. The money Thad given, I found, entitled me to bid for anything on the shelves. All these beautiful and extremely valuable objects, the man announced, would be given away, simply given away. He was as 20 good as his word, for he held up an electric razor and asked a young man (who from the look of his face needed it) whether it was worth six pence. The man had no doubt about the matter and was promptly handed the razor for the sum asked. The same occurred with a number of other articles. 25 Then, instead of asking for small sums like sixpence, the man began to demand larger amounts for ‘very rare, high-quality antiques’. The people present, thinking that these too were being “given away’, soon found themselves paying a great deal of money for useless, yacht-like lamps and ugly clocks in carved, heavy 30 frames. I decided I had better go quickly before being tempted into buying something I did not want. I went into the street and opened my prize-packet, only to find that [ had been rewarded with a cheap bottle of scent! 62Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. One of these statements is true. Which one? The prices of the objects were clearly marked. Anyone could walk into the shop and buy what he wanted. Everything in the shop was auctioned. Nobody bought any of the small packets. RAD Sar The writer didn’t bid for anything. only bid for one of the small red packets. . bought an electric razor for sixpence. . paid a lot of money for an antique. ROSA The greatest sale of the year . . . begin. (Il.5—6) would just; 6. was due to; c, would be going to; d. should Rw I decided . . . to go quickly. (1.30) in order; b. it would be best; c. I must; d. for a 5. entitled me (1.17) means: a. rewarded me; b. prevented me; c. gave me the right to; d. gave me the honour to 6. he was as good as his word (11.19-20) means: a. he wasn’t to be trusted; b, he kept his promise; c. he talked a lot; d. he was a very good person Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: I was told not to open it until after the sale. I was told I... (11.15-16) Summary and Composition 1. Describe in not more than 80 words all the writer saw and heard after the shelves were made ready for the sale to commence. 2. Supposing you bought some things in a department store. In about 250 words write the dialogue between the shop-assistant and yourself. Begin: ‘Can I help you madam/sir?’ 6329 We had been warned in the village that the road over the moun- tains was under construction and that it would be impossible to cross the frontier by car. We were inclined to disbelieve these warnings, since we had covered thirty miles of road effortlessly 5 and come to within sight of the mountain pass. It was then that our confidence was shattered: the road began to deteriorate rapidly and for no apparent reason disappeared altogether, giving way to a narrow, muddy track. Henry stopped the car and we decided to climb as far as the 10 pass on foot to see exactly how bad things were, We found that the track extended for a couple of miles only, and then the road continued again. We did not regard a little mud as a serious obstacle and considered that the crossing would be quite easy if we proceeded cautiously. The first five hundred yards or so were 15 sheltered by jagged pieces of rock which jutted out from the sides of the mountain and loomed overhead. We jogged along slowly but surely, pleased with ourselves at having proved the villagers wrong. Just as we turned a corner, Henry caught sight of a size- able boulder in his path and swerved to avoid it. The car slid to 20 one side and the rear wheels became stuck fast in mud. I got out to lighten the load, but the more Henry accelerated, the deeper the wheels sank into the soil. There was no alternative but to dig down to the level of the wheels with our bare hands. We did so and were soon covered in slimy mud from head to foot. When 25 the level was reached, we filled the hole with loose stones and 1 watched anxiously as Henry started up the engine. Stones went flying everywhere, but the wheels remained firm in place. We were on the point of giving up in despair, when I noticed some discarded planks a little way off. I fetched two of them and we 30 wedged them between the wheels and the track. The wheels revolved wildly before they gripped the dry planks. After an agonizing moment, the car pulled itself out of the rut like a tired caterpillar, and came to a stop. 64Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, ¢ or d. After they left the village they didn’t expect the road to deteriorate. . they knew they would have to cross the mountain pass on foot. . they knew they would come to a muddy track. . they found it easy to cross the mountain pass by car. . As soon as the writer got out of the car . Henry was able to drive out of the rut. . Henry swerved to avoid a boulder. . it became lighter. | it crashed. Ww AR STAN ANSA . The first five hundred yards or so were sheltered by jagged pieces rock . . . out of the sides of the mountain. (II.14-16) a. who jutted; b. jutting; c. which jutting; d. were jutting g 4, There was no alternative . . . to dig down to the level of the wheels. (1I.22—23) a. except for; b. only; c. unless; d. other than 5, under construction (1.2) means: a. being built; b. spoilt; c. newly built; d. just completed 6. regard (\.12) means: a. look at; b. observe; c. notice; d. consider Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: Henry accelerated, but the wheels sank deeper into the soil. The more Henry .... (Il.21-22) Summary and Composition 1. In not more than 80 words describe the experiences of Henry and the writer from the time they decided to drive along the mud- track to the end of the passage. 2. In about 250 words describe any experience where you have been held up because there was trouble with a car, a train, an aeroplane. or any other form of transport. 6530 After an absence of thirty years, I decided to visit my old school again. I had expected to find changes, but not a completely different building. As I walked up the school drive, I wondered for a moment if I had come to the right address. The grimy, red- 5 brick fortress with its tall windows that had looked down grimly on the playground and playing fields had been swept away. In its place stood a bright, modern block raised from the ground on great concrete stilts. A huge expanse of glass extended across the face of the building; and in front, there was a well-kept lawn where 10 previously there had been an untidy gravel yard. I was pleased to find that it was break-time and that the chil- dren were all in the playground. This would enable me to meet some members of staff. On entering the building, I was surprised to hear loud laughter coming from what appeared to be the 15 masters’ common room. I could not help remembering the teachers in my time, all dressed in black gowns and high collars. And above all, I recalled Mr. Garston (whom we had nicknamed ‘Mr. Ghastly’), the headmaster, who had imposed iron discipline on staff and pupils alike. I knocked at the common room door 20 and was welcomed by a smiling young man who introduced him- self to me as the headmaster. He was dressed casually in a sports jacket, and his cheerful manner quickly dispelled the image of ‘Mr. Ghastly’. After I had explained who I was, the headmaster pre- sented me to the teachers (all of whom were only a little younger 25 than himself), and said he would take me round the school. Here the biggest surprise of all was in store for me. Gone were the heavy desks of old with their deeply-carved initials; gone, too, were the gloomy classrooms with their ink-stained, dark-brown walls, and their raised platforms for the teachers. 30 The rooms now were gaily painted in contrasting colours, and the children, far from sitting rigidly in their places, seemed almost free to do as they liked. 1 looked at them with envy as I remem- bered how, asa child, I had gazed at the blackboard, barely daring to whisper to my neighbour. 66Exercises Multiple Choice Questions Choose the best answer in each exercise: a, b, c or d. . The writer . had no difficulty in recognizing his old school, . found it difficult to recognize his old school. . noticed that the building was still unfinished. . was surprised to see an untidy gravel yard. . From what is said in the passage it seems clear the writer . disapproved of all the changes that had taken place. . felt sorry for the children in the school. . felt that conditions at the school had improved a lot. was glad that the school was still the same. Ww AS SAN ASA S . . up the school drive, I wondered if I had come to the right address (Il. 3-4) a. On walking; 6. Walked; c. While walking; d. Just walking 4. This would . . . to meet some members of staff. (Il.12-13) a. make it possible for me; 6. make me possible; c. make me capable; d. make it able 5. I could not help (1.15) means: a. I wasn’t able to assist; 6. I wasn’t able to prevent myself from; c. It was no use; d. I wasn’t able to stop 6. rigidly (1.31) means: a. quietly; b. stiffly; c. lazily; d. unhappily Sentence Structure Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: When I entered the building I was surprised to hear loud laughter. On .... (II.13-14) Summary and Composition 1. In not more than 80 words write a comparison between the school as it was now and as it had been in the writer’s time, be- ginning at line 11 (‘I was pleased . . .’) to the end of the passage. Derive all your information from the passage. 2. In about 250 words write a letter to a friend overseas describing what your school is like. 67PARTII To the Student You will have noticed that each of the passages contained in Part I dealt with a story and in the précis-questions you were mainly required to describe what happened or what a person saw and did. The passages that follow cover a wide variety of subject-matter, and in the précis-question you will simply be asked to write a summary in a given number of words without being told what information you should include in your summary and what you should leave out. Again, you should write your précis after you have answered the questions on the passage. Beside each text you will find questions which test your understanding of the piece and which sometimes ask you ta comment on the way it has been constructed. You will also be asked to explain words and phrases and to rewrite or join sentences, etc. You can check your answers to the exercises on sentence structure by referring to the text. The way you should write your précis differs in one important respect from the method you learned in Part I. Here you have to find all the points in each piece for yourself. This is not so difficult if you remember what you have to do when writing an essay, for, in a sense, précis-writing is the exact opposite of essay-writing. When you write an essay, you first have to make out a plan. Although each para- graph is built round a single topic, it contains a number of subsidiary ideas and is marked by changes of thought. What you have to do, in effect, before you can write a précis is to find all the ideas which went into the making of the finished essay you have before you, and then to re-assemble them to make your summary. You can only find your points after you have noted the changes of thought that occur in each paragraph. The markings in the passages that follow will help you understand clearly how each paragraph has been built and how the writer moves from one idea to another. In the first three passages in Part II, the divisions have also been marked in for you to help you in the writing of your précis. 69How to write a précis 1, Read the passage carefully twice. 2. Read the instructions carefully to find out exactly where you are required to begin your précis of the passage and where you should end it. 3. Read the passage a third time, marking in the changes of thought which occur within each paragraph. 4. Make a list of all the main ideas which are contained within each of the divisions you have marked. These are your points. 5. Using this list of points, write your rough draft, referring to the original only when you want to make sure of some point. Count the number of words when you have finished the draft. 6. After correcting your draft, write a fair copy of your précis in a single paragraph, stating the exact number of words used at the end. Make sure you do not exceed the word limit. You must take every care to make your précis accurate, and on no account should you add ideas of your own. Your sentences should be well connected to each other so that your précis reads as a con- tinuous paragraph. If the writer uses an example to illustrate an idea, you may refer to it briefly in your précis. Very often you may omit it altogether. Never attempt to give the substance of an example in your précis. Pay special attention to the example that occurs in the second of the two passages that follow and notice how it has been dealt with in the model précis. Islands have always fascinated the human mind. Perhaps it is the instinctive response of man, the land animal, welcoming a brief intrusion of earth in the vast, overwhelming expanse of sea. When sailing in a great ocean basin, a thousand miles from the 5 nearest continent, with miles of water beneath the ship, one may come upon an island which has been formed by a volcanic erup- tion under the sea. One’s imagination can follow its slopes down through darkening waters to its base on the sea floor. One wonders why and how it arose there in the midst of the ocean. 7010 [The birth of a volcanic island is an event marked by prolonged and violent travail: the forces of the earth striving to create, and all the forces of the sea opposing./ At the place where the forma- tion of such an island begins, the sea floor is probably nowhere more than about fifty miles thick. In it are deep cracks and 15 fissures, the results of unequal cooling and shrinkage in past ages. Along such lines of weakness the molten lava from the earth’s interior presses up and finally bursts forth into the sea./ But a submarine volcano is different from a terrestrial eruption, where the lava, molten rocks, and gases are hurled into the air 20 from an open crater./ Here on the bottom of the ocean the volcano has resisting it all the weight of the ocean water above it. Despite the immense pressure of, it may be, two or three miles of sea water, the new volcanic cone builds upwards towards the surface, in flow after flow of lava./ Once within reach of the 25 waves, its soft ash is violently attacked by the motion of the water which continually washes away its upper surface, so that for a long period the potential island may remain submerged. But eventually, in new eruptions, the cone is pushed up into the air, where the lava hardens and forms a rampart against the attacks 30 of the waves.] Make a summary in not more than 90 words of lines 10-30 (‘The birth of a volcanic island . . . attacks of the waves.’). Be careful to give the main ideas in a properly connected sequence and to use your own words as far as possible. (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English Examination.) MODEL 1 Points 1. Island: earth versus sea./ 2. (a) Why? sea bed, not more 50 miles thick. (b) cracked and uneven. (c) weaknesses lava bursts through./ 3. (a) (Cp. land volcano: no pressure) (6) How? lava cone pushes upwards./ 4. (a) Surface; waves; submerged. (6) Lava hardens; island./ 712. Rough Draft (Linking of Points) A volcanic island comes into being after a long and violent struggle has taken place between the forces of the earth and the sea. The island begins to form when hot lava breaks through weak points on the sea-bed where the earth’s crust is not more than fifty miles thick and is marked by deep cracks. The volcanic island, unlike a land volcano, has to push up through the immense pressure of the sea. The cone made up of lava finally reaches the surface, but it does not appear because waves wash away its upper surface. When the lava hardens it stands up to the waves and the island is formed. (109 words) 3. Fair Copy (Corrected Draft) A volcanic island is born only after a long and violent struggle be- tween the forces of the earth and the sea. It begins to form when hot lava breaks through a cracked and uneven part of the sea-bed where the earth’s crust is weak. Unlike the land volcano, it has to build upwards despite the immense water-pressure until it finally reaches the surface. Even then it is too soft to withstand the waves and remains underwater until the cone is pushed into the air from below and the lava hardens. (90 words) [Unmarked and trackless though the ocean may seem to us, its surface is divided into definite zones, and the pattern of the surface water controls the distribution of its life. Fishes and plankton, whales and squids, birds and sea-turtles, are all linked 5 by unbreakable ties to certain kinds of water—to warm water or cold water, to water rich in certain properties./ For the animals higher in the food chains the ties are less direct; they are bound to water where their food is plentiful, and the creatures they eat are there because the water conditions are right./ 10 The change from zone to zone may be abrupt./ It may come upon us unseen, as our ship at night crosses an invisible boundary line. So Charles Darwin on H.M.S. Beagle one dark night off the coast of South America crossed from tropical water into that of the cool south. Instantly the vessel was surrounded by numerous 15 seals and penguins, which made such a babel of strange noises 72that the officer on watch was deceived into thinking the ship had, by some miscalculation, run close inshore, and that the sounds he heard were the bellowing of cattle./ To the human senses, the most obvious patterning of the surface 20 waters is indicated by colour./ The deep blue water of the open sea far from land is the colour of emptiness and barrenness; the green water of the coastal areas, with all its varying hues, is the colour of life./ The sea is blue because the sunlight is reflected back to our eyes from the water molecules or from very minute 25 particles suspended in the sea. In the journey of the light rays down into the water and back to our eyes, all the red rays of the spectrum and most of the yellow rays have been absorbed, so it is chiefly the cool, blue light that we see.] Where the water is rich in plankton, it loses the glassy transparency that permits this 30 deep penetration of the light rays. The yellow and brown and green hues of the coastal waters are derived from the minute organisms so abundant there. Seasonal abundance of certain forms containing reddish or brown pigments may cause the ‘red water’ known from ancient time in many parts of the world, and 35 so common is this condition in some enclosed seas that they owe their names to it—the Red Sea is an example. The colours of the sea are only the indirect signs of the pre- sence or absence of conditions needed to support life on the sur- face; other zones, invisible to the eye, are the ones that largely 40 determine where marine creatures may live. For the sea is by no means a uniform solution of water; parts of it are more salty than others, and parts are warmer or colder. Make a summary in not more than 110 words of lines 1 to 28 (‘Un- marked and trackless . . . light that we see’). Be careful to give the main ideas in a properly connected sequence and to use your own words as far as possible. (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English Examination.) MODEL lL Points 1. (a) Sea, not unmarked; divided. (b) Patterns; distribution life./ 732. Some sea creatures linked to certain kinds of water./ 3. Others where food is plentiful./ 4. Division abrupt./ 5. (Example: Darwin: S. America)./ 6. Senses: pattern: colour./ 7. Blue: emptiness; green: life./ 8. (a) Sea blue because: sunlight reflected from molecules, matter, (b) Sea blue because: red, yellow rays absorbed. 2. Rough Draft (Linking of Points) The sea is not as unified as it seems, but is divided into patterns which govern the distribution of life. While some sea-creatures like fish and plankton are linked to certain types of water, animals in the higher food chains are free to move from place to place and are to be found where food is plentiful. The crossing from one of these zones to another may be very sudden, as Darwin discovered off the coast of South America when his ship travelled from tropical water into that of the south. Some patterns, however, because of their varying colours are obvious to us. Deep blue water indicates empti- ness; green water, life. Sunlight reflected from molecules and sus- pended matter makes the sea appear blue. The red and yellow rays of the spectrum are absorbed. What is left is the blue light that we see. (141 words) 3. Fair Copy (Corrected Draft) The sea is not a unified whole, but is divided into definite zones which govern the distribution of life. Some sea creatures are linked to certain types of water; others to areas where food is abundant. It is possible to move from one of these zones to another very abruptly, as Darwin once found off the coast of South America. Although divisions in the sea are invisible, varying colours do enable us to observe different patterns. Blue indicates emptiness; green means there is life. The sea appears“blue because water molecules and suspended particles reflect light and because red and yellow rays are absorbed as the sunlight penetrates the water. (110 words) 74PASSAGES 31 TO 6031 For some people, atlases are nothing more than useful books of reference; they consult them only when they are obliged to do so. For others, they are a source of infinite delight. The real map- lover is transported beyond his own room into countryside he 5 knows well, cities he has visited, or distant places he has read about but never seen. He holds the world in his hands, and his imagination leads him everywhere. Large-scale maps of your own neighbourhood are fascinating, precisely because you know the district well. In no time, you are 10 following a familiar path, turning the dots on the map into houses and shops, and the crosses into churches. You climb a hill, and as the contours of the map fall away before you, you trace the shapes of grassy slopes and valleys as far as the horizon. When you return home, you feel as if you have been wandering about 15 for hours, even though you have not stirred from your armchair. {Maps of unfamiliar territory provide a different sort of pleasure. Here you are lured into the unknown; you imagine strange people and magnificent scenery ; you traverse seas few ships have crossed./ If, for instance, you follow the course of the Kon Tiki raft, the 20 immense Pacific opens up before you. You are borne northwards by its currents, and rocked by its storms. You experience mo- ments of intense calm when the wind drops and the raft barely moves./ With an atlas in your hands, distance is no object. You have only to turn over a few pages and you can be travelling 25 along great rivers./ That intriguing mystery, the source of the Nile, is solved before your eyes and you can stop to marvel at the Victoria Falls before beginning your voyage across Africa. The numerous tributaries of the Amazon fan out across South America like huge blue veins. The river slowly gathers force on its journey 30 through jungle and mountain, until it finally spills into the Atlantic Ocean./ Changes of climate can be rapid. From the burning sands of the desert, you can be swept to the broken coast-line and floating ice-packs of the Antarctic./ Old maps can be just as exciting./ Outside the small area of 35 what was then the known world, the great continents we know 76so well are given fantastic shapes. Rivers of incredible size cut across them; mysterious creatures glide through the oceans; and then, suddenly, the world ends. Beyond the flat edge of the map, there is nothing but angels blowing their trumpets at the corners./ 40 We can only marvel at the intrepid explorers who had the courage to travel over the extreme edge of this odd world to turn it into the one we know.]} Exercises 1. a. Show what connection the first paragraph has with the rest of the passage in not more than 40 words. b, Explain in a sentence why maps of your own neighbourhood can be fascinating. 2. Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage: a source of infinite delight (1.3); trans- ported (1.4); contours (1.12); stirred (1.15); traverse (1.18); intense calm (1.22); intriguing (1.25); solved (1.26); glide (1.37); intrepid explorers (1.40). 3. Join these sentences, then check your answers against the text: a. You return home. You feel as if you have been wandering about for hours. You have not stirred from your armchair. (II.13—15) 6, We can only marvel at the intrepid explorers. They had the courage to travel over the extreme edge of this odd world. They turned it into the one we know. (1I.40-42) 4, Write a précis of the last two paragraphs (lines 16-42) in not more than 100 words, 5. Write a composition on one of the following: a. Imaginary journeys. b. Reference books. 732 Although Louis Braille died when he was only forty-three years old, he succeeded in devising a system of reading and writing for the blind which is now taught all over the world. Braille lost his sight accidentally as a child. Nevertheless, he 5 was able to complete his education at a school for the blind in Paris and become a teacher. In his day, the few books that were available for blind people were printed in big, raised type; the letters used were those of the ordinary alphabet. The reading of such books required immense effort. Not only that, writing was 10 almost impossible, for a blind person was still restricted to an alphabet which was extraordinarily difficult to reproduce on paper. Braille’s idea was to use raised dots instead of raised letters. He evolved a system which made use of only six dots in all. By various combinations of these dots, it not only 15 proved possible to represent each letter in the alphabet, but punctuation marks, numbers, and musical notation as well. Reading and writing have thus been enormously simplified. The sensitive fingers of a blind person can travel rapidly over the dots; and there is a small machine, something like 20a typewriter, which enables the blind to write quickly and clearly. [Improvements are continually being made on the system, though basically it is the same as that contrived by Braille./ Large raised dots, printed on one side of a page only, make 25 many books for the blind cumbersome. A single book in ordinary print often runs into several volumes when it is transcribed into the dot-system. Furthermore, the books that are used in lending- libraries for the blind eventually become unreadable. The dots are subjected to a great deal of wear and tear, and finally dis- 30 appear, so that a book becomes useless./ A machine has now been invented which fires plastic dots on to paper, instead of just making depressions in the pages./ These dots do not wear out at all, and there is no danger of their coming unstuck. Since it is possible, by this means, to make use of both sides of a page, books 35 for the blind are now less ’bulky./ This new way of ‘dotting’ pages 78can also be used for such things as the production of atlases with the outlines of countries clearly imprinted./ Though many modern inventions like the radio have brought great benefits to the blind, Braille’s system remains the greatest 40 landmark of all. It has provided a simple means for producing books, magazines, and even newspapers, and ensured that no blind person need spend his life in ignorance as well as darkness.] Exercises 1. Answer the following questions in your own words as far as possible. a. Why were reading and writing difficult for the blind before Braille’s invention? 6. How was it possible to represent all the letters of the alphabet by using dots? c. Name two disadvantages of the dot system. d. How have these disadvantages been overcome? 2. Explain the meanings of the following words as they are used in the passage: devising a system (1.2); restricted (1.10); to reproduce (1.11); cumbersome (1.25); wear and tear (1.29); depressions (1.32); outlines (1.37); landmark (1.40). 3. Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: As the dots are subjected to a great deal of wear and tear, they finally disappear and a book becomes useless. The dots... and...so that... (I.28-30) 4, Make a summary of the last two paragraphs (lines 22-42) in not more than 90 words. 5. Write a composition on one of the following: a, Describe the achievement of any famous handicapped person or persons you know of. b. Care of the handicapped in modern society. 7933 One of the best times to see a great city is early in the morning before the sun has risen. With its shops shut, its normally crowded streets quiet and deseried, it looks as if everyone had left in a hurry leaving all their possessions behind them. A 5 bicycle is propped up against the wall; cars stand idle by the roadside; a page of yesterday’s evening paper flutters noisily down the street, carried here and there by the wind, until it wraps itself round a lamp-post. The streets are marked by an absence of colour. Only in spring and summer do window-boxes stand 10 out gaily from the ledges overhead. In autumn, brown leaves, still untorn by trampling feet, cling to the wet pavements as the trees are slowly stripped of their leaves. [Everything is strangely silent, but it is never completely quiet. The clanking of milk-cans in the distance tells you that the milk- 15 man has begun his rounds. A lone dog pads softly past. Foot- steps ring down the street. You turn and find that it is a police- man, a roadsweeper, or just like yourself, a passer-by./ Whoever it is, he will greet you with a friendly ‘Good morning’. At this hour, everyone is friendly. It is still too early for people to rush 20 past in a hurry with strained faces and somewhere to get to./ Sometimes you come across a man in evening-dress, singing to himself, and swaying unsteadily by the roadside. As you pass, he bids you a cheery ‘Good night’, unaware that tomorrow is already here./ 25 When the sun begins to rise, the best vantage point is a bridge./ The river has been left to itself; it looks clean and fresh. At this time of the day, it really is a river, not just an obstacle to get across. It flows quietly past the boats and barges still tied to their moorings./ In the distance, the first rays of sunlight strike against 30 the tallest spires, domes, and monuments. Buildings begin to look less sombre, as if they were stirring out of sleep./ By the time you have crossed to the other side of the bridge, the city has already changed./ The first buses rumble down the street; lorries laden with fruit and vegetables clatter past, on their 35 way to market. A few people emerge from railway-stations; there 80is a clink of plates and cups from a nearby café and one or two people stop to drink tea or coffee. You may still pass a policeman or a roadsweeper, but he probably will not greet you now./ The city is coming to life, its streets filling slowly with people and 40 traffic, all preparing for yet another day.] Exercises 1, Answer the following questions in your own words as far as possible. a. Why does the writer say that ‘it looks as if everyone had left ina hurry’? (11.3-4). 6. Why are the autumn leaves ‘still untorn by trampling feet’? (1.11). c. What is meant by the phrase ‘it really is a river’? (1.27). d, Why is it unlikely that a policeman or roadsweeper will greet you when you reach the other side of the bridge? 2. Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage; propped up (1.5); stand idle (1.5); flutters (1.6); marked by an absence of colour (1I.8-9); cling (1.11); has begun his rounds (1.15); pads (1.15); strained (1.20); domes (1.30); sombre (1.31). 3. Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: Window-boxes stand out gaily from the ledges overhead only in spring and summer. Only in spring and summer ... . (I1.9-10) 4, Make a summary of lines 13-40 in not more than 120 words. 5. Write a composition on one of the following: a. Describe any big city or town you know well. 6. ‘Living in the country is preferable to living in a town or city.’ Discuss this statement. 8134 Father got holes in his socks even oftener than we boys did in our stockings. Hehad longathletic toes, and wien he lay stretched out on his sofa reading and smoking, or absorbed in talking to anyone, these toes would begin stretching and wiggling in a S curious way by themselves, as though they were seizing on this chance to live a life of their own. I often stared in fascination at their leisurely twistings and turnings, when I should have been listening to Father’s instructions about far different matters. Soon one and then the other slipper would fall off, always to 10 Father’s surprise, but without interrupting his talk, and a little Jater his busy great toe would peer out at me through a new hole in his sock. Mother felt that it was a woman’s duty to mend things and sew, but she hated it. She rather liked to embroider lambreqtins,' as 15 a feat of womanly prowess, but her darning of Father’s socks was an impatient and not-too-skilled performance. She said there were so many of them that they made the back of her neck ache. Father’s heavily starched shirts, too, were a problem. When he put one on, he pulled it down over his head, and thrust his 20 arms blindly out right and left in a hunt for the sleeves. A new shirt was strong enough to survive these strains without splitting, but lifewith Father rapidly weakened it, and the first thing he knew he would hear it beginning to tear. That disgusted him. He hated any evidence of weakness, either in people or things. In his wrath 25 he would strike out harder than ever as he felt around for the sleeve. Then would come a sharp crackling noise as the shirt ripped open, and a loud wail from Mother. Buttons were Father’s worst trial, however, from his point of view. Ripped shirts and socks with holes in them could still be 30 worn, but drawers with their buttons off couldn’t. The speed with which he dressed seemed to discourage his buttons and make them desert Father’s service. Furthermore, they always gave out suddenly and at the wrong moment. 1 Pieces of cloth, 82He wanted help and he wanted it promptly at such times, of 35 course. He would appear at Mother’s door with a waist-coat in one hand and a disloyal button in the other, demanding that it be sewn on at once. If she said she couldn’t just then, Father would get as indignant as though he had been drowning and a life- guard had informed him he would save him tomorrow. CLARENCE DAY Exercises 1. What instances of Father’s hatred for ‘weakness either in people or things’ (1.24) does the writer give? Confine your answer to about 50 words. 2. Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage: wiggling (1.4); a feat of womanly prowess (1.15); thrust his arms blindly (11.19-20); survive these strains (1.21); wrath (1.24); ripped (1.27); a loud wail (1.27); gave out (1.32); a dis- loyal button (1.36). 3. Join these sentences using the conjunctions given in brackets, “then check your answers against the text: a. She said there were many of them. They made the back of her neck ache. (so. . . that) (1116-17) b. He hated any evidence of weakness in people. He hated any evidence of weakness in things. (either . . . or) (1l.23-24) 4. In not more than 110 words write an account of life with father as described in the last four paragraphs. (II.13-39) 5, Write a composition on one of the following: a. Parents. b. Suffering fools gladly. 8335 My father lived in a small wooden house in western Canada, where he carved himself out a fruit orchard from the hillside and the forest. He had chosen it with one of the most beautiful views in the world, an open valley and a river winding, with 5 mountains beyond, and the Kootenay lake just visible in the north; and built himself a wide window, to look out on three sides. This window, and six Chippendale chairs which he had rescued in a farmer’s sale, and a few of his sketches on the walls, were all the luxury of the place. I spent two winters with him, 10 and once brought him a pot of primulas while the snow still lay heavy all around; but he soon took occasion to say casually that he was not fond of forced plants: they took away something for him of the first rapture of the spring. His loves were very deep and gentle; they seemed not to be centred in islands of possession, 15 like most human loves, but to be diffused among people and animals and plants, and even the shapes of things he saw; for he was a most sensitive artist. He lived among flowers and was first in his valley to send for bulbs from Holland and to fill his orchard with daffodils under the flowering trees. He was a good rider 20 and a great walker and fond of the woodsmen and the hunters, and those who spend half the year away from their fellow men visiting traps in the mountain forests. Four years before his death, when he was seventy-two, a stroke took away from him the open-air life he loved; and though by 25 the strength of his will he managed, step by step with the passing months, to walk a mile or so with a stick to lean on, most of his time came to be spent in the window that looked out on his view. Here, he told me, the changing clouds and the light of the river would fill his mind with pleasantness for hours at a time and lead 30 his thoughts into endless variation: and I believe this to be true, and that he was happy, for not only did he never complain, but his whole atmosphere was one of serenity and peaceful interest in all things as they came. And later, when I have thought of happiness and what it may be, I have always seen his gentle old 35 head in the window, with the hillside full of tame pheasants and 84pigeons, and the valley and the mountains beyond, and have felt that the secret must have something in it of those older worlds which were as real to him as ours. FREYA STARK Exercises 1. Briefly compare this passage with the previous one. Do not use more than 80 words, 2. Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage: carved (1.2); casually (1.11); forced plants (1.12); rapture (1.13); centred (1.14); islands of possession (1.14); lead his thoughts into endless variation (11.2930); serenity (1.32).° 3. Supply semi-colons and commas where necessary in these sentences, then check your answers against the text: a. His loves were very deep and gentle they seemed not to be centred in islands of possession like most human loves but to be diffused among people and animals and plants and even the shapes of things he saw for he was a most sensitive artist. (11.13-17). 6. Four years before his death when he was seventy-two a stroke took away from him the open-air life he loved and though by the strength of his will he managed step by step with the passing months to walk a mile or so with a stick to lean on most of his time came to be spent in the window that looked out on his view. (1123-27). 4. In not more than 120 words write a summary of the author's description of her father as given in lines 1-27 (‘My father . . . on his view’). 5. Write a composition on one of the following: a. Old age. b. The pursuit of happiness. 8536 William Caxton introduced the art of printing into England in a remarkably short span of time. His considerable success as a merchant enabled him to retire early and devote himself to the literary pursuits he loved so well. After a period of study abroad 5 he returned to England in 1477 and set up his printing press at Westminster, where he published nearly a hundred books in the remaining fourteen years of his life. Caxton was a man of prodigious industry who did not confine himself to printing. Besides his almost incessant labours at the 10 press, he translated as many as twenty books himself. What is even more important, is that he published books in English at a time when most authors’ works appeared in French or Latin. Caxton deliberately made it his aim to hasten the spread of knowledge by making books available to the public in—as he put 15 it—‘our English language’. At first sight, Caxton’s desire to print books in English seems reasonable enough. But this was by no means easy, for at that time the English language was little more than a collection of dialects so different-sounding from each other as to seem like 20 numerous foreign languages. Caxton himself, in a prologue to one of his translations, relates an amusing story which well illustrates this difficulty. A merchant from the north of England interrupted his journey on the coast of Kent, and went to a farm- house to buy eggs. The good wife could not understand what the 25 merchant wanted, and explained that she could not speak French. Then, writes Caxton, the merchant became angry, because he could not speak French either! It was only when the merchant asked for ‘eyren’, a dialect-word for eggs, that the housewife understood him. Caxton was not only extremely aware of the 30 language problem, but discerning enough to write in the dialect which most of his countrymen could understand, and which would one day develop into modern English as we know it. Later writers found the language already formed ; Caxton had to choose his. By choosing right, he helped stabilize English and paved the 35 way for the great literary achievements-of the following century. 86When Caxton died, the consequences of the invention of print- ing had barely been realized, Book production then was no more than a practical way of disseminating knowledge. It had yet to turn into the weapon for all types of controversy and propaganda, 40 the means for the rapid communication of information, the accepted part of daily life it was destined to become. Exercises 1. Answer the following questions as far as possible in your own words: a, Why is Caxton’s industry described as ‘prodigious’? (1.8). b. Why was it remarkable that Caxton printed books in English? ¢. Why is book-production in Caxton’s time described as ‘a practical way of disseminating knowledge’? (1.39). 2. Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage: literary pursuits (1.4); incessant (1.9); to hasten the spread of knowledge (1.13-14); available (1.14); illustrates (1.22); discerning (1.30); stabilize (1.34); paved the way (34-35); con- sequences (1.36); controversy (1.39). 3. Rewrite this sentence, then check your answer against the text: Even more important, he published books in English. What .... (II10-11) 4. In not more than 100 words write a summary of Caxton’s work as described in lines 8 to 35 (‘Caxton was a man. . . of the following century’). 5, Write a composition on one of the following: a. The pleasures of reading. 6. The invention of printing. 8&737 In my thoughts of the shore, one place stands apart for its revelation of exquisite beauty. It is a pool hidden within a cave that one can visit only rarely and briefly when the lowest of the year’s low tides fall below it, and perhaps from that very fact it 5 acquires some of its special beauty. Choosing such a tide, I hoped for a glimpse of the pool. The ebb was to fall early in the morn- ing. 1 knew that if the wind held from the north-west and no interfering swell ran in from a distant storm the level of the sea should drop below the entrance to the pool. There had been 10 sudden ominous showers in the night, with rain like handfuls of gravel flung on the roof. When I looked out into the early morning the sky was full of grey dawn light but the sun had not yet risen. Water and air were pallid. Across the bay the moon was a luminous disc in the western sky, suspended above the dim 15 line of distant shore—the full August moon, drawing the tide to the low, low levels of the threshold of the alien sea world. As I watched, a gull flew by, above the spruces. Its breast was rosy with the light of the unrisen sun. The day was, after all, to be fair. 20 Later, as I stood above the tide near the entrance to the pool, the promise of that rosy light was sustained. From the base of the steep wall of rock on which I stood, a moss-covered ledge jutted seaward into deep water. In the surge at the rim of the ledge the dark fronds of oarweeds swayed, smooth and gleaming 25 as leather. The projecting ledge was the path to the small hidden cave and its pool. Occasionally a swell, stronger that the rest, rolled smoothly over the rim and broke in foam against the cliff. But the intervals between such swells were long enough to admit me to the ledge and long enough for a glimpse of that fairy pool, 30 so seldom and so briefly exposed. And so I knelt on the wet carpet of the sea moss and looked back into the dark cavern that held the pool in a shallow basin. The floor of the cave was only a few inches below the roof, and a 1 Fir-trees. 88mirror had been created in which all that grew on the ceiling was 35 reflected in the still water below. RACHEL CARSON Exercises 1, Answer the following questions in your own words as far as possible. a. Why could the hidden pool be visited ‘only rarely’? (1.3). 6. What made the writer think that this day would be a good one to visit the pool? c. Why did the swells not prevent the writer from looking into the cavern? 2. Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage: exquisite (1.2); ominous showers (1.10); pallid (1.13); luminous (1.14); suspended (1.14); threshold of the alien sea world (1.16); sustained (1.21); surge (1.23); rim (1.23); projecting (1.25); exposed (1.30). 3. Join these sentences, then check your answers against the text: a. 1 looked out into the early morning. The sky was full of grey dawn light. The sun had not yet risen. (Il.11—13) b. And so I knelt on the wet carpet of the sea moss. I looked back into the dark cavern. It held the pool in a shallow basin. (11.31-32) 4. Make a summary of the first two paragraphs (lines 1-30) in not more than 130 words. 5. Write a composition on one of the following: a. A detailed description of any island you have visited. b. The sea.38 In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming noted that some common green mould had grown among bacteria which had previously been planted in a culture plate. As the mould grew, it formed a liquid which destroyed the nearby microbe-colonies. Fleming tried this 5 liquid out on other types of bacteria and found that some were dissolved while others were left unharmed. He named the fluid ‘penicillin’, unaware that his chance discovery was to have tremendous consequences. Fleming realized that penicillin had great antiseptic qualities, 10 but the active principle in the mould was too unstable and difficult to extract. Fora time, the only practical purpose of penicillin was to separate different types of bacteria from each other. Ten years passed before any serious attempt was made to produce penicillin from liquid cultures of mould. Two scientists, 15 Florey and Chain, carried out a great number of experiments and eventually succeeded in deriving a yellow powder from the liquid. The powder was crude and full of impurities; but it was a hundred times more active than the original discovery. It was found to possess two very important properties: it annihilated bacteria and 20 did not harm body-tissues when applied locally to cuts and wounds. The next step was to find out whether penicillin could be introduced into the bloodstream and so be carried to every part of the body. When experiments were made with mice, penicillin acted in the same way in blood as it had done in water: 25 the bacteria were killed and the blood-cells remained unaffected. The time had now arrived to see whether this powerful antiseptic could be used to combat human disease. Even though tests proved extremely difficult because only small amounts of the substance could be produced under laboratory conditions, results 30 were miraculous. The remaining problem was to produce penicil- lin in large quantities. Because of the war, it was impossible for Britain to embark on large-scale production, and Florey was obliged to go to America. Soon, sufficient quantities were avail- able to effect a low mortality-rate among battle casualties. After 35 the war, penicillin came into general use.Fleming has taken his place among the great benefactors of mankind. That the mould had grown by chance is of no con- sequence, What matters is that he was there to observe it. With- out his presence, this ‘chance’ would have gone undetected, and 40 might never have occurred again. Exercises 1. Answer the following questions in your own words as far as possible. a. For what purpose was penicillin used before Florey and Chain began their experiments? b, What are the properties of penicillin? c. Why did Florey go to America? 2. Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage: tried this liquid out (1l.4-5); tremendous con- sequences (1.8); antiseptic (1.9); unstable (1.10); crude (1.17); annihi- lated (1.19); locally (1.20); to combat human disease (1.27); to embark on large-scale production (1.32); mortality-rate (1.34), 3. Join these sentences, then check your answers against the text: a. The mould grew. It formed a liquid. This destroyed the nearby microbe-colonies. (1I.3—4) b. Tests proved extremely difficult. Only small amounts of the substance could be produced under laboratory conditions. Results were miraculous. (11.27—30) 4, Deriving your information from the third paragraph (lines 13-35) write an account of how penicillin was developed in not more than 80 words. 5. Write a composition on one of the following: a. Hospitals. b. Man versus disease. 9139 A telephone is a comforting thing to have around the house. As soon as it is installed, you rise from insignificant obscurity to instant fame. You now possess a number as well as a name; you are listed in a fat Directory; the world is literally at your finger- 5 tips. Although most telephones are efficient and well-behaved servants, some acquire infuriating little habits of their own; or worse still, they encourage their owners to acquire them. The first hint of rebellion is when your telephone starts making funny little ringing noises to itself. You pick up the receiver, and 10 there is no answer. It is only when you have done this several times, especially in the middle of the night, that you begin to realize that your telephone is not only beginning to ignore you, but is in open revolt. A telephone having this symptom is liable to do anything and needs careful handling. Its next move is to 15 try to force you to listen to other people’s conversations. Every time you try to ring up a friend, somebody else is talking and if you so much as dare to say, ‘Excuse me, I. . .’ a shrill voice will snap, ‘How dare you interrupt! Who are you? Will you please get off this line!’ Now your telephone has not only gained its 20 independence, it has you in its power. It treats you mercilessly by attracting all the practical jokers and diallers-of-wrong-numbers in town. Every time someone shuts his eyes and dials a number, it is your telephone that will ring. The situation gets out of control: you begin to lose both your 25 sleep and your manners. You startle your friends by asking nervously, ‘Who is it? What do you want?’ and hanging up before they have time to reply. Later, you try to make up for your rudeness by saying, ‘How nice of you to call,’ when you have hastily emerged from the bath to answer the ’phone and you stand 30 about dripping wet for half an hour, talking about nothing in particular. The time comes when you lose all your friends while your tele- phone is making more tinkling noises than ever. But your biggest shock is still in store for you. When the bill comes, you find that 35 your ’phone has not only been talking to itself, but charging you 92for it. Now is the time to have it taken away and to retire once more into magnificent obscurity. Have your name erased from the big book; be a man without a number; but live in peace! Exercises 1. The sentence ‘As soon as it is installed, you rise from insignificant obscurity to instant fame’ is an exaggeration (111-3). Quote three more sentences in the passage which you consider to be exaggera- tions. Give reasons for your choice. 2. Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage: the world is literally at your finger-tips (11.4-5); is in open revolt (1.13); liable (1.13) ; handling (1.14); nervously (1.26); make up for (1.27); tinkling noises (1.33); in store for you (1.34); charging (1.35); erased (1.37). 3. Rewrite and join these sentences, then check your answers against the text. Each answer you write must consist of one sentence only. a. Your telephone starts making funny little ringing noises to itself. This is the first hint of rebellion. The first hint of rebellion .... (II.8-9) b. It will try to force you to listen to other people’s conversations. This is its next move. Its next move .... (II.14-15) c. It treats you mercilessly, It attracts all the practical jokers. It treats you mercilessly by .... (11-20-21) 4. In not more than 100 words write an account of the ‘rebellion’ of the telephone as described in lines 8 to 31 (‘The first hint. . . nothing in particular’). 5. Write a composition on one of the following: a. Inventions that go wrong. b, Gadgets. 9340 That night we lay on the floor in the room and I listened to the silk-worms eating. The silk-worms fed in racks of mulberry leaves and all night you could hear them eating and a dropping sound in the leaves. I myself did not want to sleep because I had 5 been living for a long time with the knowledge that if I ever shut my eyes in the dark and let myself go, my soul would go out of my body. I had been that way for a long time, ever since I had been blown up at night and felt it go out of me and go off and then come back. I tried never to think about it, but it had started 10 to go since, in the nights, just at the moment of going off to sleep, and I could only stop it by a very great effort. So while now I am fairly sure that it would not really have gone out, yet then, that summer, I was unwilling to make the experiment. J had different ways of occupying myself while I lay awake. I 15 would think of a trout stream I had fished along when I was a boy; and fish its whole length very carefully in my mind; fishing very carefully under all the logs, all the turns of the bank, the deep holes and the clear shallow stretches, sometimes catching trout and sometimes losing them. I would stop fishing at noon to eat 20 my lunch; sometimes on a log over the stream; sometimes on a high bank under a tree, and I always ate my lunch very slowly and watched the stream below me while I ate. Often I ran out of bait because I would take only ten worms with me in a tobacco tin when I started. When I had used them all I had to find more 25 worms and sometimes it was very difficult digging in the bank of the stream where the cedar trees kept out the sun and there was no grass but only the bare moist earth and often I could find no worms. Always though I found some kind of bait, but one time in the swamp I could find no bait at all and had to cut up one of 30 the trout I had caught and use him for bait. ERNEST HEMINGWAY 94Exercises 1, What connection has the first paragraph with the second? Con- fine your answer to about 60 words. 2. Answer the following questions in your own words as far as possible. a. Why was the writer afraid of going to sleep? b, What experiment was he unwilling to make? c. Choose two details in the second paragraph which seem to you to be especially vivid. Justify your answer. 3. Read the first paragraph again. (Il.1-13) Then, using the notes given below, reconstruct it. Compare your answer with the text: That night we lay—fioor—room—I listened—silkworms eating.— silkworms fed—racks—mulberry leaves—all night—you could hear them eating—dropping sound—leaves. I myself—not want— sleep—been living—long time—knowledge—ever shut my eyes— dark—let myself go, my soul—go out of my body.—been that way —long time—ever since—been blown up—night—felt it go out of me—go off—come back.—tried never—think about it—had started to go since—nights—moment—going off to sleep—could only stop it—very great effort.—fairly sure—not really have gone out—that summer—unwilling —make—experiment. 4. In not more than 130 words describe the author’s fears and what he did to occupy his mind while he lay awake. Base your answer on the whole passage. 5. Write a composition on one of the following: a, Getting off to sleep. b. Memory. 9541 Since the extinction of the great auk? there are no longer any non- flying birds in the North, but in the South some eight or ten varieties of penguins still represent that curious type of life which possesses the form of a bird without powers of flight, and their 5 characteristics are so unusual that they deserve some mention. Only two of these varieties are truly polar in that they spend the whole of their lives either on the pack ice or on the shores of the continent. Before an exploring ship has got far into the pack ice the ship’s company will be vastly amused by seeing a flurry in the 10 water close to a floe and one or more desperately fussy little old gentlemen leaping out of the water on to the ice, falling flat on their stomachs, but immediately picking themselves up and hurrying towards the ship. Dressed immaculately in evening dress, with white waistcoat and black coat, somewhat unsteady 15 on their short legs, and therefore balancing themselves with their stiff arms, they strike one at once as having far more human characteristics than any other bird, and one unconsciously gives them mental attributes to suit. These are the little Adelie penguins, about two feet in height and about fifteen to twenty 20 pounds in weight, and they swarm literally in millions round the whole Antarctic continent, spending the winter on the open pack ice and the summer at their breeding haunts, or ‘rookeries’, on some flat point free from snow, and living almost entirely upon the little red crustaceans? known as euphausia. Possibly because 25 there are few bare patches of gravel on that continent, but more probably because of an innately gregarious habit of mind, their rookeries number almost millions of individuals. Whole books have been written about their habits, and we must be content here with but a few instances. 30 Their sole enemy is the sea-leopard, which attacks them only in the water, and even then it is not certain that he can always catch them; the consequence is that they are quite fearless on land or ice and will march up to a man with an air of curiosity and an expression of ‘You're a mighty big penguin, but I am not in the 1 Northern sea bird. * Shell fish.