READING CHALLENGE QUESTIONS:
1. FILL THE GAP WITH THE CORRECT SENTENCE:
Mr. Pontellier had been a rather courteous husband so long as he met a certain (...) submissiveness in his wife. _______
a) But her new and unexpected line of conduct completely bewildered him.
b) In addition, her absolute disregard for her duties as a wife angered him.
c) So he loved when she misbehaved.
2. FILL THE GAP WITH THE CORRECT SENTENCE:
This beautiful island, although a lovely and sequestered spot, has been for various general reasons, but rarely visited by the hardy mariners of the deep, and never permanently settled or inhabited by man. _____________
a) The boat in question, was occupied by six persons, who immediately disembarked and dispersed themselves.
b) Its surface is agreeably diversified with high hills and low beautiful valleys.
c) Which wished to be its first inhabitants.
3. FILL THE GAP WITH THE CORRECT SENTENCE:
All this while the storm increased, _________ though nothing like what I have seen many times since; no, nor what I saw a few days after; but it was enough to affect me then, who was but a young sailor, and had never known anything of the matter.
a) leaving the sea very calm
b) and the sea went very high
c) the perfect atmospheric conditions
4. FILL THE GAP WITH THE CORRECT SENTENCE:
The way seemed endless. Once they __________ and went nearly half a mile out of their direction.
a) chose the right road
b) followed the correct instructions
c) took the wrong turning
5. FILL THE GAP WITH THE CORRECT SENTENCE:
After all, tea is the drink! Domestically and socially it is the beverage of the world. There may be those who will come forward with their figures to prove that other fruits of the soil--agriculturally and commercially--are more important. Perhaps they are right when quoting statistics. ___________ compare with tea in the high regard in which it has always been held (…).
a) But what other product can
b) But plenty other products can
c) But coffee can
6. "No sooner had the artistic eye of the true collector begun to search for seventeenth century furniture than the commercial eye of the modern manufacturer began to make hideous variations on its (…) features."
This fragment means that:
a) the modern manufacturers were buying the seventeenth century furniture
b) the collectors were buying modern furniture
c) the modern manufacturers were making the imitations of the seventeenth century furniture
7. "Behind a big rock which looked down over the wide, straggling road that ran upward through the mountains crouched a long, lean figure."
What does “crouched” mean?
a) stayed close to the ground
b) jumped
c) lied down
8. "The preservation of animal and plant life, and of the general beauty of Nature, is one of the foremost duties of the men and women of today. It is an imperative duty, because it must be performed at once, for otherwise it will be too late. (...) The present warning issues with no uncertain sound, because this great battle for preservation and conservation cannot be won by gentle tones, nor by appeals to the aesthetic instincts of those who have no sense of beauty, or enjoyment of Nature. It is necessary to sound a loud alarm, to present the facts in very strong language, backed up by irrefutable statistics and by photographs which tell no lies, to establish the law and enforce it."
We are warned the tone of the text that follows this introduction is:
a) delicate and subtle
b) supported by the facts and statistics
c) alarmist
9. "The most successful, and therefore perhaps the greatest, criminal in Shakespeare is King Claudius of Denmark. His murder of his brother by pouring a deadly poison into his ear while sleeping, is so skilfully perpetrated as to leave no suspicion of foul play."
According to this fragment, King Claudius was:
a) accused of a murder
b) not a suspect
c) not guilty
10. "As far back as my memory runs I loved tales, especially those of a romantic and idealistic character. "Pilgrim's Progress" was an early favourite (…). At nine I discovered the “Odyssey” and very soon after that another classic which has remained all my life a source of inspiration. This was Carlyle's "French Revolution," and I received it with much the same emotion that Keats experienced when he read Chapman's translation of Homer."
The most important book in the narrator's life was:
a) “Pilgrim's Progress”
b) “Oddyssey”
c) “French Revolution”
11. Which of these sentences means Silvia likes her clothes to go well together:
a) Silvia likes compliments.
b) Silvia likes her clothes to complement.
c) Silvia likes her clothes to be complimented.
12. Which of these sentences says that the scientific method consists both of formulating a hypothesis and carrying out an experiment:
a) A scientific method, as an empirical method of acquiring knowledge, cannot lack neither the hypothesis nor the experiment.
b) A scientific method, as an empirical method of acquiring knowledge, lacks both the hypothesis and the experiment.
c) A scientific method, as an empirical method of acquiring knowledge, endures both the hypothesis and the experiment.
13. Which of these sentences confirms that the teacher said that no one would cheat:
a) The teacher assured us that no one would cheat and he took all the right measures.
b) The teacher ensured no one would cheat by taking all the right measures.
c) The teacher said the school was insured against the cheating.
14. Which of these fragments says the Christmas tree was impressive:
a) Never did the Christmas pine look so horrendous as that year. We managed to enjoy it as little kids do.
b) Never did the Christmas pine look so majestic as that year. We managed to enjoy it as little kids do.
c) Never did the Christmas tree look so unsightly as that year. We managed to enjoy it as little kids do.
15. Which of the following fragments is NOT talking about CUTTING WOOD?
a) Chopping wood is considered by some a process similar to meditation: a perfect way to reach calmness.
b) Splitting logs is considered by some a process similar to meditation: a perfect way to reach calmness.
c) Bonding wood is considered by some a process similar to meditation: a perfect way to reach calmness.
