Text 1. Love a Dog
I did not rush into getting a dog of my own. Despite the happy dogs of my youth, I wasn't sure about the commitment. What about those spontaneous trips out of town? What about vet bills and sleeping late and going for walks in the pounding, freezing rain? It seemed like a level of adulthood I wasn't ready for yet.
Oh, nobody's ready. It's just that one day you're walking through the park not even thinking about a dog, but there she is, the giant ears, the bright eyes, the tail that wags a full 75 per cent of her body. In an instant, all those solid reasons become nothing more than a collection of flimsy excuses. The girl who is trying to give her away (she found the puppy by the side of the road in a snowstorm) gives her to you because she is Your Dog.
Or that's how it was for me and Rosie
Like any love, it was exciting at first. I couldn't get my work done. I kept having to stop and roll around on the floor with her. She followed me around from room to room, licking my ankles. She was small and white, maybe a cross between a Jack Russell and a Chihuahua, without the deep neurosis of either breed. If shedding were an Olympic sport, she would have brought home the gold.
Task 1: Questions 1 through 5 (on your Answer Sheet circle the correct letter A, B, C, or D):
1. The author was hesitant to get a dog because...
A. she is an early riser.
B. she loves long walks.
C. she was worried about commitment.
D. she already has a dog.
2. The dog in the story can be described as...
A. small and white with giant ears.
B. big and white with bright eyes.
C. small and black with small ears.
D. small and white with giant eyes.
3. The word "exciting" can be replaced with:
A. difficult;
B. crazy;
C. thrilling;
D. loud.
4. Which statement is FALSE?
A. The author's work was often interrupted by the dog.
B. The dog does not shed very much.
C. The dog came from a girl who found it in a snowstorm.
D. The dog was possibly a mix of two different types of dogs.
5. The author decided to get a dog because...
A. she could afford the vet bills.
B. she loved having a dog when she was younger.
C. she was lonely.
D. this particular dog was meant for her.
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Reading Comprehension Test.
Questions 6 through 10 refer to Text 2.
Text 2 A true story
King Louis the Eleventh was the King of France about 500 years ago. One day a young man said to the king, I can see the future. This was not true, but the king believed him. The young man was pleased and he hoped to get an important job. But King Louis thought, This man knows the future, so he knows more than I know. He is dangerous and I must kill him.
The king said to his servants, Im going to invite that man to have dinner with me. When he comes, watch my hand. When I lift up my hand, throw him out of the window.
That evening the young man came to the kings private room. The king had a smile on his face, but it was not a friendly smile. He said to the man, You know the future, so tell me your future. When are you going to die?
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Then the young man understood his mistake. He thought quickly before he answered the kings question. I am going to die three days before you, he said.
The king stopped smiling. The servants watched the kings hand, but it did not move. The young man was safe; but he never told another lie after that.
Task 2: Decide if the statements are true (+) or false(-).
6. King Louis the Eleventh was the King of France about five centuries ago.
7. One day a young man said that he could predict the future.
8. The king was happy to have a servant who knew more than the king.
9. The king invited the young man to have breakfast with him.
10. During their meeting the king changed his mind.
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Reading Comprehension Test.
Statements 11 through 15 refer to Text 3
Text 3
Tornadoes occur throughout the world, but for reasons that scientists are not fully able to discern, the great majority occur in the United States. Approximately 700 tornadoes a year occur within the United States, and this comprises three-quarters of the worldwide total. Most of the US tornadoes take place in the Midwest and in the southern states that border on the Gulf of Mexico. In general, a tornado cuts a path of a few hundred yards and lasts less than an hour; an average tornado might propel itself at a speed of 15 or 20 miles per hour and therefore cover a distance of 20 or so miles. Tornadoes, however, can be much worse than average. The most devastating tornado on record occurred on March 18, 1925, in the states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The path of this tornado was more than 200 miles long and a mile wide. Travelling at an average speed of 60 miles per hour, the winds at the center of the storm swirled around at considerably more than 200 miles per hour. A total of 689 people died, and countless more were injured, at the hands of this killer storm.
Task 3: Questions (choose the correct letter a, b, c or d):
11. The word "discern" in line 2 is closest in meaning to...
a) discuss; b) understand;
c) describe; d) dedicate.
12. The annual number of tornadoes in the USA is about...
a) 700; b) 734;
c) 930; d) 1,400.
13. In the US, tornadoes are least probable to occur...
a) anywhere around the territory; b) in the Midwest;
c) in the southern states; d) in the eastern states.
14. The word "propel" in line 6 may be best replaced with...
a) cut; b) circle;
c) move; d) start.
15. An average tornado covers about...
a) 5 km; b) 10 km;
c) 20 km; d) 50 km.
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