Copy of Week 4 Scholarship Zoom English Homework (Group 1)

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Bremen Town Musicians by The Grimm Brothers

A guy owned a donkey that had tirelessly hauled corn sacks to the mill for many years, but his strength was waning and he was becoming increasingly unfit for work. Then, his owner began to think how he could best rescue his keep, but the donkey, observing that no favourable breeze was blowing, fled and set out for Bremen. “Therefore,” he concluded, “I can certainly become a town musician.” 

After a distance of walking, he discovered a dog resting on the road, panting as though exhausted from running. “Why are you gasping for air, you big guy?” questioned the donkey. “Ah,” responded the dog, “since I am old, weakening every day, and no longer able to hunt, my master wanted to slay me, so I escaped, but now I have no way to earn a living.” “Tell you what,” the donkey said, “I’m going to Bremen and will be the town musician there; come with me and become a musician as well.” You will play the kettledrum while I play the lute.” The dog agreed, and they proceeded.

They soon came upon a cat lounging on the path with a face like three days of rain! The donkey inquired, “Old shaver, what has gone awry with you?” The cat responded, “Who can be cheerful while his neck is in danger?” “My mistress wanted to drown me since I am ageing, my teeth are worn down to stumps, and I like to sit by the fire and spin rather than hunt mice, so I escaped. However, good guidance is now scarce. Where should I go?” “Join us in Bremen. You comprehend nighttime music; you may be a city musician.” The cat approved of their decision and accompanied them. 

After this, the three outcasts arrived at a farmyard where a rooster was sitting on the gate and crowing loudly. The donkey stated, “Your crow goes through and through one.” What is the problem? “I have been predicting fine weather because it is the day Our Lady washes the Christ-little child’s shirts and wants to dry them,” said the rooster. “However, guests are coming for Sunday, so the housewife has no pity and has told the cook that she intends to eat me in the soup tomorrow. Currently, I am crowing as loudly as I can.” “Oh, but red-comb,” the donkey exclaimed, “you’d better leave with us.” You may find something better than death anywhere: you have a fantastic voice, and if we compose music together, it must be of high calibre!”

This proposal was accepted by the rooster, and the four of them set out together. They were unable to reach the city of Bremen in one day, and they arrived in a forest to spend the night in the evening. The donkey and the dog bedded down beneath a large tree, while the cat and the rooster settled into the branches; however, the rooster flew directly to the top, where he was safest. Before falling asleep, he scanned the area on all sides and thought he spotted a faint light in the distance; he then informed his colleagues that a house must be nearby because he saw a light. The donkey replied, “In that case, we should get up and go on, as the shelter here is poor.” 

So they made their way to the location of the light, where they observed it grow brighter and larger until they reached a well-lit robber’s home. As the largest animal, the donkey approached the window and peered inside. “What do you observe, my grey horse?” questioned the rooster. “What do I see?” asked the donkey. “I see a table laden with food and drink, surrounded by thieves who are enjoying themselves.” “That would be just up our alley,” remarked the rooster. The donkey exclaimed, “Yes, yes; oh, how I wish we were there!”

Finally, the animals devised a strategy to repel the robbers after consulting with one another. The donkey was to set his forefeet on the window ledge, the hound was to hop onto the donkey’s back, the cat was to climb onto the dog, and the rooster was to fly up and land on the cat’s head. Suddenly, at a set signal, they began to perform their music in unison: the donkey brayed, the hound barked, the cat meowed, and the rooster crooned; they then broke through the window into the room, shattering the glass! The criminals jumped to their feet upon hearing this dreadful noise, convinced that a ghost had entered, and fled in terror into the forest. The four companions sat down at the table, satisfied with what remained, and ate as though they were about to fast for a month. As soon as the four minstrels had finished performing, they extinguished the lamp and each sought out a sleeping spot according to his nature and preferences. The donkey bedded down on some straw in the yard, the hound hid behind the door, the cat sat on the hearth near the warm ashes, and the rooster perched himself on a roof beam. Exhausted from their long journey, they soon fell asleep.

When it was beyond midnight and the thieves noticed from a distance that the light in their house had been extinguished and everything was silent, the captain stated, “We should not have been so terrified,” and ordered one of them to investigate the house. The messenger proceeded into the kitchen to light a candle and, mistaking the cat’s blazing eyes for live coals, held a lucifer match to them to ignite the candle. The cat, however, did not get the humour and flew at him, spitting and scratching. He was terrified and hurried to the back door, but the dog that was lying there jumped up and bit him on the thigh, and as he raced across the yard by the straw pile, the donkey kicked him with its rear foot. The rooster, who had also been roused by the uproar and got animated, shouted out from the beam, “rooster-a-doodle-doo!” Then, the thief ran back to his captain as quickly as he could and reported, “Ah, there is a horrible witch sitting in the house, who spat on me and scratched my face with her long claws; and by the door stands a man with a knife, who stabbed me in the leg; and in the yard lies a black monster, who beat me with a wooden club; and above, on the roof, sits the judge, who yelled.

After this, the robbers no longer felt comfortable in the house, although the four Bremen musicians had no desire to leave. The mouth of the last person to tell this story is still warm.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

1.  For how long did the donkey, dog, cat and rooster reach Bremen and become musicians?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Bremen Town Musicians by The Grimm Brothers

A guy owned a donkey that had tirelessly hauled corn sacks to the mill for many years, but his strength was waning and he was becoming increasingly unfit for work. Then, his owner began to think how he could best rescue his keep, but the donkey, observing that no favourable breeze was blowing, fled and set out for Bremen. “Therefore,” he concluded, “I can certainly become a town musician.” 

After a distance of walking, he discovered a dog resting on the road, panting as though exhausted from running. “Why are you gasping for air, you big guy?” questioned the donkey. “Ah,” responded the dog, “since I am old, weakening every day, and no longer able to hunt, my master wanted to slay me, so I escaped, but now I have no way to earn a living.” “Tell you what,” the donkey said, “I’m going to Bremen and will be the town musician there; come with me and become a musician as well.” You will play the kettledrum while I play the lute.” The dog agreed, and they proceeded.

They soon came upon a cat lounging on the path with a face like three days of rain! The donkey inquired, “Old shaver, what has gone awry with you?” The cat responded, “Who can be cheerful while his neck is in danger?” “My mistress wanted to drown me since I am ageing, my teeth are worn down to stumps, and I like to sit by the fire and spin rather than hunt mice, so I escaped. However, good guidance is now scarce. Where should I go?” “Join us in Bremen. You comprehend nighttime music; you may be a city musician.” The cat approved of their decision and accompanied them. 

After this, the three outcasts arrived at a farmyard where a rooster was sitting on the gate and crowing loudly. The donkey stated, “Your crow goes through and through one.” What is the problem? “I have been predicting fine weather because it is the day Our Lady washes the Christ-little child’s shirts and wants to dry them,” said the rooster. “However, guests are coming for Sunday, so the housewife has no pity and has told the cook that she intends to eat me in the soup tomorrow. Currently, I am crowing as loudly as I can.” “Oh, but red-comb,” the donkey exclaimed, “you’d better leave with us.” You may find something better than death anywhere: you have a fantastic voice, and if we compose music together, it must be of high calibre!”

This proposal was accepted by the rooster, and the four of them set out together. They were unable to reach the city of Bremen in one day, and they arrived in a forest to spend the night in the evening. The donkey and the dog bedded down beneath a large tree, while the cat and the rooster settled into the branches; however, the rooster flew directly to the top, where he was safest. Before falling asleep, he scanned the area on all sides and thought he spotted a faint light in the distance; he then informed his colleagues that a house must be nearby because he saw a light. The donkey replied, “In that case, we should get up and go on, as the shelter here is poor.” 

So they made their way to the location of the light, where they observed it grow brighter and larger until they reached a well-lit robber’s home. As the largest animal, the donkey approached the window and peered inside. “What do you observe, my grey horse?” questioned the rooster. “What do I see?” asked the donkey. “I see a table laden with food and drink, surrounded by thieves who are enjoying themselves.” “That would be just up our alley,” remarked the rooster. The donkey exclaimed, “Yes, yes; oh, how I wish we were there!”

Finally, the animals devised a strategy to repel the robbers after consulting with one another. The donkey was to set his forefeet on the window ledge, the hound was to hop onto the donkey’s back, the cat was to climb onto the dog, and the rooster was to fly up and land on the cat’s head. Suddenly, at a set signal, they began to perform their music in unison: the donkey brayed, the hound barked, the cat meowed, and the rooster crooned; they then broke through the window into the room, shattering the glass! The criminals jumped to their feet upon hearing this dreadful noise, convinced that a ghost had entered, and fled in terror into the forest. The four companions sat down at the table, satisfied with what remained, and ate as though they were about to fast for a month. As soon as the four minstrels had finished performing, they extinguished the lamp and each sought out a sleeping spot according to his nature and preferences. The donkey bedded down on some straw in the yard, the hound hid behind the door, the cat sat on the hearth near the warm ashes, and the rooster perched himself on a roof beam. Exhausted from their long journey, they soon fell asleep.

When it was beyond midnight and the thieves noticed from a distance that the light in their house had been extinguished and everything was silent, the captain stated, “We should not have been so terrified,” and ordered one of them to investigate the house. The messenger proceeded into the kitchen to light a candle and, mistaking the cat’s blazing eyes for live coals, held a lucifer match to them to ignite the candle. The cat, however, did not get the humour and flew at him, spitting and scratching. He was terrified and hurried to the back door, but the dog that was lying there jumped up and bit him on the thigh, and as he raced across the yard by the straw pile, the donkey kicked him with its rear foot. The rooster, who had also been roused by the uproar and got animated, shouted out from the beam, “rooster-a-doodle-doo!” Then, the thief ran back to his captain as quickly as he could and reported, “Ah, there is a horrible witch sitting in the house, who spat on me and scratched my face with her long claws; and by the door stands a man with a knife, who stabbed me in the leg; and in the yard lies a black monster, who beat me with a wooden club; and above, on the roof, sits the judge, who yelled.

After this, the robbers no longer felt comfortable in the house, although the four Bremen musicians had no desire to leave. The mouth of the last person to tell this story is still warm.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

2.  What common ground did the donkey, dog, and cat share that motivated them to journey to Bremen together?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Bremen Town Musicians by The Grimm Brothers

A guy owned a donkey that had tirelessly hauled corn sacks to the mill for many years, but his strength was waning and he was becoming increasingly unfit for work. Then, his owner began to think how he could best rescue his keep, but the donkey, observing that no favourable breeze was blowing, fled and set out for Bremen. “Therefore,” he concluded, “I can certainly become a town musician.” 

After a distance of walking, he discovered a dog resting on the road, panting as though exhausted from running. “Why are you gasping for air, you big guy?” questioned the donkey. “Ah,” responded the dog, “since I am old, weakening every day, and no longer able to hunt, my master wanted to slay me, so I escaped, but now I have no way to earn a living.” “Tell you what,” the donkey said, “I’m going to Bremen and will be the town musician there; come with me and become a musician as well.” You will play the kettledrum while I play the lute.” The dog agreed, and they proceeded.

They soon came upon a cat lounging on the path with a face like three days of rain! The donkey inquired, “Old shaver, what has gone awry with you?” The cat responded, “Who can be cheerful while his neck is in danger?” “My mistress wanted to drown me since I am ageing, my teeth are worn down to stumps, and I like to sit by the fire and spin rather than hunt mice, so I escaped. However, good guidance is now scarce. Where should I go?” “Join us in Bremen. You comprehend nighttime music; you may be a city musician.” The cat approved of their decision and accompanied them. 

After this, the three outcasts arrived at a farmyard where a rooster was sitting on the gate and crowing loudly. The donkey stated, “Your crow goes through and through one.” What is the problem? “I have been predicting fine weather because it is the day Our Lady washes the Christ-little child’s shirts and wants to dry them,” said the rooster. “However, guests are coming for Sunday, so the housewife has no pity and has told the cook that she intends to eat me in the soup tomorrow. Currently, I am crowing as loudly as I can.” “Oh, but red-comb,” the donkey exclaimed, “you’d better leave with us.” You may find something better than death anywhere: you have a fantastic voice, and if we compose music together, it must be of high calibre!”

This proposal was accepted by the rooster, and the four of them set out together. They were unable to reach the city of Bremen in one day, and they arrived in a forest to spend the night in the evening. The donkey and the dog bedded down beneath a large tree, while the cat and the rooster settled into the branches; however, the rooster flew directly to the top, where he was safest. Before falling asleep, he scanned the area on all sides and thought he spotted a faint light in the distance; he then informed his colleagues that a house must be nearby because he saw a light. The donkey replied, “In that case, we should get up and go on, as the shelter here is poor.” 

So they made their way to the location of the light, where they observed it grow brighter and larger until they reached a well-lit robber’s home. As the largest animal, the donkey approached the window and peered inside. “What do you observe, my grey horse?” questioned the rooster. “What do I see?” asked the donkey. “I see a table laden with food and drink, surrounded by thieves who are enjoying themselves.” “That would be just up our alley,” remarked the rooster. The donkey exclaimed, “Yes, yes; oh, how I wish we were there!”

Finally, the animals devised a strategy to repel the robbers after consulting with one another. The donkey was to set his forefeet on the window ledge, the hound was to hop onto the donkey’s back, the cat was to climb onto the dog, and the rooster was to fly up and land on the cat’s head. Suddenly, at a set signal, they began to perform their music in unison: the donkey brayed, the hound barked, the cat meowed, and the rooster crooned; they then broke through the window into the room, shattering the glass! The criminals jumped to their feet upon hearing this dreadful noise, convinced that a ghost had entered, and fled in terror into the forest. The four companions sat down at the table, satisfied with what remained, and ate as though they were about to fast for a month. As soon as the four minstrels had finished performing, they extinguished the lamp and each sought out a sleeping spot according to his nature and preferences. The donkey bedded down on some straw in the yard, the hound hid behind the door, the cat sat on the hearth near the warm ashes, and the rooster perched himself on a roof beam. Exhausted from their long journey, they soon fell asleep.

When it was beyond midnight and the thieves noticed from a distance that the light in their house had been extinguished and everything was silent, the captain stated, “We should not have been so terrified,” and ordered one of them to investigate the house. The messenger proceeded into the kitchen to light a candle and, mistaking the cat’s blazing eyes for live coals, held a lucifer match to them to ignite the candle. The cat, however, did not get the humour and flew at him, spitting and scratching. He was terrified and hurried to the back door, but the dog that was lying there jumped up and bit him on the thigh, and as he raced across the yard by the straw pile, the donkey kicked him with its rear foot. The rooster, who had also been roused by the uproar and got animated, shouted out from the beam, “rooster-a-doodle-doo!” Then, the thief ran back to his captain as quickly as he could and reported, “Ah, there is a horrible witch sitting in the house, who spat on me and scratched my face with her long claws; and by the door stands a man with a knife, who stabbed me in the leg; and in the yard lies a black monster, who beat me with a wooden club; and above, on the roof, sits the judge, who yelled.

After this, the robbers no longer felt comfortable in the house, although the four Bremen musicians had no desire to leave. The mouth of the last person to tell this story is still warm.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

3.  Which best summarises the fourth paragraph?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Bremen Town Musicians by The Grimm Brothers

A guy owned a donkey that had tirelessly hauled corn sacks to the mill for many years, but his strength was waning and he was becoming increasingly unfit for work. Then, his owner began to think how he could best rescue his keep, but the donkey, observing that no favourable breeze was blowing, fled and set out for Bremen. “Therefore,” he concluded, “I can certainly become a town musician.” 

After a distance of walking, he discovered a dog resting on the road, panting as though exhausted from running. “Why are you gasping for air, you big guy?” questioned the donkey. “Ah,” responded the dog, “since I am old, weakening every day, and no longer able to hunt, my master wanted to slay me, so I escaped, but now I have no way to earn a living.” “Tell you what,” the donkey said, “I’m going to Bremen and will be the town musician there; come with me and become a musician as well.” You will play the kettledrum while I play the lute.” The dog agreed, and they proceeded.

They soon came upon a cat lounging on the path with a face like three days of rain! The donkey inquired, “Old shaver, what has gone awry with you?” The cat responded, “Who can be cheerful while his neck is in danger?” “My mistress wanted to drown me since I am ageing, my teeth are worn down to stumps, and I like to sit by the fire and spin rather than hunt mice, so I escaped. However, good guidance is now scarce. Where should I go?” “Join us in Bremen. You comprehend nighttime music; you may be a city musician.” The cat approved of their decision and accompanied them. 

After this, the three outcasts arrived at a farmyard where a rooster was sitting on the gate and crowing loudly. The donkey stated, “Your crow goes through and through one.” What is the problem? “I have been predicting fine weather because it is the day Our Lady washes the Christ-little child’s shirts and wants to dry them,” said the rooster. “However, guests are coming for Sunday, so the housewife has no pity and has told the cook that she intends to eat me in the soup tomorrow. Currently, I am crowing as loudly as I can.” “Oh, but red-comb,” the donkey exclaimed, “you’d better leave with us.” You may find something better than death anywhere: you have a fantastic voice, and if we compose music together, it must be of high calibre!”

This proposal was accepted by the rooster, and the four of them set out together. They were unable to reach the city of Bremen in one day, and they arrived in a forest to spend the night in the evening. The donkey and the dog bedded down beneath a large tree, while the cat and the rooster settled into the branches; however, the rooster flew directly to the top, where he was safest. Before falling asleep, he scanned the area on all sides and thought he spotted a faint light in the distance; he then informed his colleagues that a house must be nearby because he saw a light. The donkey replied, “In that case, we should get up and go on, as the shelter here is poor.” 

So they made their way to the location of the light, where they observed it grow brighter and larger until they reached a well-lit robber’s home. As the largest animal, the donkey approached the window and peered inside. “What do you observe, my grey horse?” questioned the rooster. “What do I see?” asked the donkey. “I see a table laden with food and drink, surrounded by thieves who are enjoying themselves.” “That would be just up our alley,” remarked the rooster. The donkey exclaimed, “Yes, yes; oh, how I wish we were there!”

Finally, the animals devised a strategy to repel the robbers after consulting with one another. The donkey was to set his forefeet on the window ledge, the hound was to hop onto the donkey’s back, the cat was to climb onto the dog, and the rooster was to fly up and land on the cat’s head. Suddenly, at a set signal, they began to perform their music in unison: the donkey brayed, the hound barked, the cat meowed, and the rooster crooned; they then broke through the window into the room, shattering the glass! The criminals jumped to their feet upon hearing this dreadful noise, convinced that a ghost had entered, and fled in terror into the forest. The four companions sat down at the table, satisfied with what remained, and ate as though they were about to fast for a month. As soon as the four minstrels had finished performing, they extinguished the lamp and each sought out a sleeping spot according to his nature and preferences. The donkey bedded down on some straw in the yard, the hound hid behind the door, the cat sat on the hearth near the warm ashes, and the rooster perched himself on a roof beam. Exhausted from their long journey, they soon fell asleep.

When it was beyond midnight and the thieves noticed from a distance that the light in their house had been extinguished and everything was silent, the captain stated, “We should not have been so terrified,” and ordered one of them to investigate the house. The messenger proceeded into the kitchen to light a candle and, mistaking the cat’s blazing eyes for live coals, held a lucifer match to them to ignite the candle. The cat, however, did not get the humour and flew at him, spitting and scratching. He was terrified and hurried to the back door, but the dog that was lying there jumped up and bit him on the thigh, and as he raced across the yard by the straw pile, the donkey kicked him with its rear foot. The rooster, who had also been roused by the uproar and got animated, shouted out from the beam, “rooster-a-doodle-doo!” Then, the thief ran back to his captain as quickly as he could and reported, “Ah, there is a horrible witch sitting in the house, who spat on me and scratched my face with her long claws; and by the door stands a man with a knife, who stabbed me in the leg; and in the yard lies a black monster, who beat me with a wooden club; and above, on the roof, sits the judge, who yelled.

After this, the robbers no longer felt comfortable in the house, although the four Bremen musicians had no desire to leave. The mouth of the last person to tell this story is still warm.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

4. As the animals spent the night in the forest, the rooster saw a faint light in the distance. The donkey told them that they should check it. What does this say about the donkey’s personality?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Bremen Town Musicians by The Grimm Brothers

A guy owned a donkey that had tirelessly hauled corn sacks to the mill for many years, but his strength was waning and he was becoming increasingly unfit for work. Then, his owner began to think how he could best rescue his keep, but the donkey, observing that no favourable breeze was blowing, fled and set out for Bremen. “Therefore,” he concluded, “I can certainly become a town musician.” 

After a distance of walking, he discovered a dog resting on the road, panting as though exhausted from running. “Why are you gasping for air, you big guy?” questioned the donkey. “Ah,” responded the dog, “since I am old, weakening every day, and no longer able to hunt, my master wanted to slay me, so I escaped, but now I have no way to earn a living.” “Tell you what,” the donkey said, “I’m going to Bremen and will be the town musician there; come with me and become a musician as well.” You will play the kettledrum while I play the lute.” The dog agreed, and they proceeded.

They soon came upon a cat lounging on the path with a face like three days of rain! The donkey inquired, “Old shaver, what has gone awry with you?” The cat responded, “Who can be cheerful while his neck is in danger?” “My mistress wanted to drown me since I am ageing, my teeth are worn down to stumps, and I like to sit by the fire and spin rather than hunt mice, so I escaped. However, good guidance is now scarce. Where should I go?” “Join us in Bremen. You comprehend nighttime music; you may be a city musician.” The cat approved of their decision and accompanied them. 

After this, the three outcasts arrived at a farmyard where a rooster was sitting on the gate and crowing loudly. The donkey stated, “Your crow goes through and through one.” What is the problem? “I have been predicting fine weather because it is the day Our Lady washes the Christ-little child’s shirts and wants to dry them,” said the rooster. “However, guests are coming for Sunday, so the housewife has no pity and has told the cook that she intends to eat me in the soup tomorrow. Currently, I am crowing as loudly as I can.” “Oh, but red-comb,” the donkey exclaimed, “you’d better leave with us.” You may find something better than death anywhere: you have a fantastic voice, and if we compose music together, it must be of high calibre!”

This proposal was accepted by the rooster, and the four of them set out together. They were unable to reach the city of Bremen in one day, and they arrived in a forest to spend the night in the evening. The donkey and the dog bedded down beneath a large tree, while the cat and the rooster settled into the branches; however, the rooster flew directly to the top, where he was safest. Before falling asleep, he scanned the area on all sides and thought he spotted a faint light in the distance; he then informed his colleagues that a house must be nearby because he saw a light. The donkey replied, “In that case, we should get up and go on, as the shelter here is poor.” 

So they made their way to the location of the light, where they observed it grow brighter and larger until they reached a well-lit robber’s home. As the largest animal, the donkey approached the window and peered inside. “What do you observe, my grey horse?” questioned the rooster. “What do I see?” asked the donkey. “I see a table laden with food and drink, surrounded by thieves who are enjoying themselves.” “That would be just up our alley,” remarked the rooster. The donkey exclaimed, “Yes, yes; oh, how I wish we were there!”

Finally, the animals devised a strategy to repel the robbers after consulting with one another. The donkey was to set his forefeet on the window ledge, the hound was to hop onto the donkey’s back, the cat was to climb onto the dog, and the rooster was to fly up and land on the cat’s head. Suddenly, at a set signal, they began to perform their music in unison: the donkey brayed, the hound barked, the cat meowed, and the rooster crooned; they then broke through the window into the room, shattering the glass! The criminals jumped to their feet upon hearing this dreadful noise, convinced that a ghost had entered, and fled in terror into the forest. The four companions sat down at the table, satisfied with what remained, and ate as though they were about to fast for a month. As soon as the four minstrels had finished performing, they extinguished the lamp and each sought out a sleeping spot according to his nature and preferences. The donkey bedded down on some straw in the yard, the hound hid behind the door, the cat sat on the hearth near the warm ashes, and the rooster perched himself on a roof beam. Exhausted from their long journey, they soon fell asleep.

When it was beyond midnight and the thieves noticed from a distance that the light in their house had been extinguished and everything was silent, the captain stated, “We should not have been so terrified,” and ordered one of them to investigate the house. The messenger proceeded into the kitchen to light a candle and, mistaking the cat’s blazing eyes for live coals, held a lucifer match to them to ignite the candle. The cat, however, did not get the humour and flew at him, spitting and scratching. He was terrified and hurried to the back door, but the dog that was lying there jumped up and bit him on the thigh, and as he raced across the yard by the straw pile, the donkey kicked him with its rear foot. The rooster, who had also been roused by the uproar and got animated, shouted out from the beam, “rooster-a-doodle-doo!” Then, the thief ran back to his captain as quickly as he could and reported, “Ah, there is a horrible witch sitting in the house, who spat on me and scratched my face with her long claws; and by the door stands a man with a knife, who stabbed me in the leg; and in the yard lies a black monster, who beat me with a wooden club; and above, on the roof, sits the judge, who yelled.

After this, the robbers no longer felt comfortable in the house, although the four Bremen musicians had no desire to leave. The mouth of the last person to tell this story is still warm.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

5.  How did the thieves react to the noise the animals created in unison?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Bremen Town Musicians by The Grimm Brothers

A guy owned a donkey that had tirelessly hauled corn sacks to the mill for many years, but his strength was waning and he was becoming increasingly unfit for work. Then, his owner began to think how he could best rescue his keep, but the donkey, observing that no favourable breeze was blowing, fled and set out for Bremen. “Therefore,” he concluded, “I can certainly become a town musician.” 

After a distance of walking, he discovered a dog resting on the road, panting as though exhausted from running. “Why are you gasping for air, you big guy?” questioned the donkey. “Ah,” responded the dog, “since I am old, weakening every day, and no longer able to hunt, my master wanted to slay me, so I escaped, but now I have no way to earn a living.” “Tell you what,” the donkey said, “I’m going to Bremen and will be the town musician there; come with me and become a musician as well.” You will play the kettledrum while I play the lute.” The dog agreed, and they proceeded.

They soon came upon a cat lounging on the path with a face like three days of rain! The donkey inquired, “Old shaver, what has gone awry with you?” The cat responded, “Who can be cheerful while his neck is in danger?” “My mistress wanted to drown me since I am ageing, my teeth are worn down to stumps, and I like to sit by the fire and spin rather than hunt mice, so I escaped. However, good guidance is now scarce. Where should I go?” “Join us in Bremen. You comprehend nighttime music; you may be a city musician.” The cat approved of their decision and accompanied them. 

After this, the three outcasts arrived at a farmyard where a rooster was sitting on the gate and crowing loudly. The donkey stated, “Your crow goes through and through one.” What is the problem? “I have been predicting fine weather because it is the day Our Lady washes the Christ-little child’s shirts and wants to dry them,” said the rooster. “However, guests are coming for Sunday, so the housewife has no pity and has told the cook that she intends to eat me in the soup tomorrow. Currently, I am crowing as loudly as I can.” “Oh, but red-comb,” the donkey exclaimed, “you’d better leave with us.” You may find something better than death anywhere: you have a fantastic voice, and if we compose music together, it must be of high calibre!”

This proposal was accepted by the rooster, and the four of them set out together. They were unable to reach the city of Bremen in one day, and they arrived in a forest to spend the night in the evening. The donkey and the dog bedded down beneath a large tree, while the cat and the rooster settled into the branches; however, the rooster flew directly to the top, where he was safest. Before falling asleep, he scanned the area on all sides and thought he spotted a faint light in the distance; he then informed his colleagues that a house must be nearby because he saw a light. The donkey replied, “In that case, we should get up and go on, as the shelter here is poor.” 

So they made their way to the location of the light, where they observed it grow brighter and larger until they reached a well-lit robber’s home. As the largest animal, the donkey approached the window and peered inside. “What do you observe, my grey horse?” questioned the rooster. “What do I see?” asked the donkey. “I see a table laden with food and drink, surrounded by thieves who are enjoying themselves.” “That would be just up our alley,” remarked the rooster. The donkey exclaimed, “Yes, yes; oh, how I wish we were there!”

Finally, the animals devised a strategy to repel the robbers after consulting with one another. The donkey was to set his forefeet on the window ledge, the hound was to hop onto the donkey’s back, the cat was to climb onto the dog, and the rooster was to fly up and land on the cat’s head. Suddenly, at a set signal, they began to perform their music in unison: the donkey brayed, the hound barked, the cat meowed, and the rooster crooned; they then broke through the window into the room, shattering the glass! The criminals jumped to their feet upon hearing this dreadful noise, convinced that a ghost had entered, and fled in terror into the forest. The four companions sat down at the table, satisfied with what remained, and ate as though they were about to fast for a month. As soon as the four minstrels had finished performing, they extinguished the lamp and each sought out a sleeping spot according to his nature and preferences. The donkey bedded down on some straw in the yard, the hound hid behind the door, the cat sat on the hearth near the warm ashes, and the rooster perched himself on a roof beam. Exhausted from their long journey, they soon fell asleep.

When it was beyond midnight and the thieves noticed from a distance that the light in their house had been extinguished and everything was silent, the captain stated, “We should not have been so terrified,” and ordered one of them to investigate the house. The messenger proceeded into the kitchen to light a candle and, mistaking the cat’s blazing eyes for live coals, held a lucifer match to them to ignite the candle. The cat, however, did not get the humour and flew at him, spitting and scratching. He was terrified and hurried to the back door, but the dog that was lying there jumped up and bit him on the thigh, and as he raced across the yard by the straw pile, the donkey kicked him with its rear foot. The rooster, who had also been roused by the uproar and got animated, shouted out from the beam, “rooster-a-doodle-doo!” Then, the thief ran back to his captain as quickly as he could and reported, “Ah, there is a horrible witch sitting in the house, who spat on me and scratched my face with her long claws; and by the door stands a man with a knife, who stabbed me in the leg; and in the yard lies a black monster, who beat me with a wooden club; and above, on the roof, sits the judge, who yelled.

After this, the robbers no longer felt comfortable in the house, although the four Bremen musicians had no desire to leave. The mouth of the last person to tell this story is still warm.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

6.  The donkey and the dog slept beneath a huge tree, the cat settled into the branches and the rooster flew directly to the top branches. What does this imply about the animals?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Bremen Town Musicians by The Grimm Brothers

A guy owned a donkey that had tirelessly hauled corn sacks to the mill for many years, but his strength was waning and he was becoming increasingly unfit for work. Then, his owner began to think how he could best rescue his keep, but the donkey, observing that no favourable breeze was blowing, fled and set out for Bremen. “Therefore,” he concluded, “I can certainly become a town musician.” 

After a distance of walking, he discovered a dog resting on the road, panting as though exhausted from running. “Why are you gasping for air, you big guy?” questioned the donkey. “Ah,” responded the dog, “since I am old, weakening every day, and no longer able to hunt, my master wanted to slay me, so I escaped, but now I have no way to earn a living.” “Tell you what,” the donkey said, “I’m going to Bremen and will be the town musician there; come with me and become a musician as well.” You will play the kettledrum while I play the lute.” The dog agreed, and they proceeded.

They soon came upon a cat lounging on the path with a face like three days of rain! The donkey inquired, “Old shaver, what has gone awry with you?” The cat responded, “Who can be cheerful while his neck is in danger?” “My mistress wanted to drown me since I am ageing, my teeth are worn down to stumps, and I like to sit by the fire and spin rather than hunt mice, so I escaped. However, good guidance is now scarce. Where should I go?” “Join us in Bremen. You comprehend nighttime music; you may be a city musician.” The cat approved of their decision and accompanied them. 

After this, the three outcasts arrived at a farmyard where a rooster was sitting on the gate and crowing loudly. The donkey stated, “Your crow goes through and through one.” What is the problem? “I have been predicting fine weather because it is the day Our Lady washes the Christ-little child’s shirts and wants to dry them,” said the rooster. “However, guests are coming for Sunday, so the housewife has no pity and has told the cook that she intends to eat me in the soup tomorrow. Currently, I am crowing as loudly as I can.” “Oh, but red-comb,” the donkey exclaimed, “you’d better leave with us.” You may find something better than death anywhere: you have a fantastic voice, and if we compose music together, it must be of high calibre!”

This proposal was accepted by the rooster, and the four of them set out together. They were unable to reach the city of Bremen in one day, and they arrived in a forest to spend the night in the evening. The donkey and the dog bedded down beneath a large tree, while the cat and the rooster settled into the branches; however, the rooster flew directly to the top, where he was safest. Before falling asleep, he scanned the area on all sides and thought he spotted a faint light in the distance; he then informed his colleagues that a house must be nearby because he saw a light. The donkey replied, “In that case, we should get up and go on, as the shelter here is poor.” 

So they made their way to the location of the light, where they observed it grow brighter and larger until they reached a well-lit robber’s home. As the largest animal, the donkey approached the window and peered inside. “What do you observe, my grey horse?” questioned the rooster. “What do I see?” asked the donkey. “I see a table laden with food and drink, surrounded by thieves who are enjoying themselves.” “That would be just up our alley,” remarked the rooster. The donkey exclaimed, “Yes, yes; oh, how I wish we were there!”

Finally, the animals devised a strategy to repel the robbers after consulting with one another. The donkey was to set his forefeet on the window ledge, the hound was to hop onto the donkey’s back, the cat was to climb onto the dog, and the rooster was to fly up and land on the cat’s head. Suddenly, at a set signal, they began to perform their music in unison: the donkey brayed, the hound barked, the cat meowed, and the rooster crooned; they then broke through the window into the room, shattering the glass! The criminals jumped to their feet upon hearing this dreadful noise, convinced that a ghost had entered, and fled in terror into the forest. The four companions sat down at the table, satisfied with what remained, and ate as though they were about to fast for a month. As soon as the four minstrels had finished performing, they extinguished the lamp and each sought out a sleeping spot according to his nature and preferences. The donkey bedded down on some straw in the yard, the hound hid behind the door, the cat sat on the hearth near the warm ashes, and the rooster perched himself on a roof beam. Exhausted from their long journey, they soon fell asleep.

When it was beyond midnight and the thieves noticed from a distance that the light in their house had been extinguished and everything was silent, the captain stated, “We should not have been so terrified,” and ordered one of them to investigate the house. The messenger proceeded into the kitchen to light a candle and, mistaking the cat’s blazing eyes for live coals, held a lucifer match to them to ignite the candle. The cat, however, did not get the humour and flew at him, spitting and scratching. He was terrified and hurried to the back door, but the dog that was lying there jumped up and bit him on the thigh, and as he raced across the yard by the straw pile, the donkey kicked him with its rear foot. The rooster, who had also been roused by the uproar and got animated, shouted out from the beam, “rooster-a-doodle-doo!” Then, the thief ran back to his captain as quickly as he could and reported, “Ah, there is a horrible witch sitting in the house, who spat on me and scratched my face with her long claws; and by the door stands a man with a knife, who stabbed me in the leg; and in the yard lies a black monster, who beat me with a wooden club; and above, on the roof, sits the judge, who yelled.

After this, the robbers no longer felt comfortable in the house, although the four Bremen musicians had no desire to leave. The mouth of the last person to tell this story is still warm.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

7.  In the end, what happened to the donkey, dog, cat and rooster?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Bremen Town Musicians by The Grimm Brothers

A guy owned a donkey that had tirelessly hauled corn sacks to the mill for many years, but his strength was waning and he was becoming increasingly unfit for work. Then, his owner began to think how he could best rescue his keep, but the donkey, observing that no favourable breeze was blowing, fled and set out for Bremen. “Therefore,” he concluded, “I can certainly become a town musician.” 

After a distance of walking, he discovered a dog resting on the road, panting as though exhausted from running. “Why are you gasping for air, you big guy?” questioned the donkey. “Ah,” responded the dog, “since I am old, weakening every day, and no longer able to hunt, my master wanted to slay me, so I escaped, but now I have no way to earn a living.” “Tell you what,” the donkey said, “I’m going to Bremen and will be the town musician there; come with me and become a musician as well.” You will play the kettledrum while I play the lute.” The dog agreed, and they proceeded.

They soon came upon a cat lounging on the path with a face like three days of rain! The donkey inquired, “Old shaver, what has gone awry with you?” The cat responded, “Who can be cheerful while his neck is in danger?” “My mistress wanted to drown me since I am ageing, my teeth are worn down to stumps, and I like to sit by the fire and spin rather than hunt mice, so I escaped. However, good guidance is now scarce. Where should I go?” “Join us in Bremen. You comprehend nighttime music; you may be a city musician.” The cat approved of their decision and accompanied them. 

After this, the three outcasts arrived at a farmyard where a rooster was sitting on the gate and crowing loudly. The donkey stated, “Your crow goes through and through one.” What is the problem? “I have been predicting fine weather because it is the day Our Lady washes the Christ-little child’s shirts and wants to dry them,” said the rooster. “However, guests are coming for Sunday, so the housewife has no pity and has told the cook that she intends to eat me in the soup tomorrow. Currently, I am crowing as loudly as I can.” “Oh, but red-comb,” the donkey exclaimed, “you’d better leave with us.” You may find something better than death anywhere: you have a fantastic voice, and if we compose music together, it must be of high calibre!”

This proposal was accepted by the rooster, and the four of them set out together. They were unable to reach the city of Bremen in one day, and they arrived in a forest to spend the night in the evening. The donkey and the dog bedded down beneath a large tree, while the cat and the rooster settled into the branches; however, the rooster flew directly to the top, where he was safest. Before falling asleep, he scanned the area on all sides and thought he spotted a faint light in the distance; he then informed his colleagues that a house must be nearby because he saw a light. The donkey replied, “In that case, we should get up and go on, as the shelter here is poor.” 

So they made their way to the location of the light, where they observed it grow brighter and larger until they reached a well-lit robber’s home. As the largest animal, the donkey approached the window and peered inside. “What do you observe, my grey horse?” questioned the rooster. “What do I see?” asked the donkey. “I see a table laden with food and drink, surrounded by thieves who are enjoying themselves.” “That would be just up our alley,” remarked the rooster. The donkey exclaimed, “Yes, yes; oh, how I wish we were there!”

Finally, the animals devised a strategy to repel the robbers after consulting with one another. The donkey was to set his forefeet on the window ledge, the hound was to hop onto the donkey’s back, the cat was to climb onto the dog, and the rooster was to fly up and land on the cat’s head. Suddenly, at a set signal, they began to perform their music in unison: the donkey brayed, the hound barked, the cat meowed, and the rooster crooned; they then broke through the window into the room, shattering the glass! The criminals jumped to their feet upon hearing this dreadful noise, convinced that a ghost had entered, and fled in terror into the forest. The four companions sat down at the table, satisfied with what remained, and ate as though they were about to fast for a month. As soon as the four minstrels had finished performing, they extinguished the lamp and each sought out a sleeping spot according to his nature and preferences. The donkey bedded down on some straw in the yard, the hound hid behind the door, the cat sat on the hearth near the warm ashes, and the rooster perched himself on a roof beam. Exhausted from their long journey, they soon fell asleep.

When it was beyond midnight and the thieves noticed from a distance that the light in their house had been extinguished and everything was silent, the captain stated, “We should not have been so terrified,” and ordered one of them to investigate the house. The messenger proceeded into the kitchen to light a candle and, mistaking the cat’s blazing eyes for live coals, held a lucifer match to them to ignite the candle. The cat, however, did not get the humour and flew at him, spitting and scratching. He was terrified and hurried to the back door, but the dog that was lying there jumped up and bit him on the thigh, and as he raced across the yard by the straw pile, the donkey kicked him with its rear foot. The rooster, who had also been roused by the uproar and got animated, shouted out from the beam, “rooster-a-doodle-doo!” Then, the thief ran back to his captain as quickly as he could and reported, “Ah, there is a horrible witch sitting in the house, who spat on me and scratched my face with her long claws; and by the door stands a man with a knife, who stabbed me in the leg; and in the yard lies a black monster, who beat me with a wooden club; and above, on the roof, sits the judge, who yelled.

After this, the robbers no longer felt comfortable in the house, although the four Bremen musicians had no desire to leave. The mouth of the last person to tell this story is still warm.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

8.  Which type of imagery is used in the line, “The rooster, who had also been roused by the uproar and got animated, shouted out from the beam, rooster-a-doodle-doo!”?

After Twenty Years by O. Henry

The officer moved along the street with surprising speed. The impressiveness was normal and not for show, as there were few onlookers. Even though it was just ten o’clock at night, cool gusts of wind with a hint of rain had nearly emptied the streets of people. The officer, with his strong build and subtle arrogance, presented a magnificent image of a peacekeeper. The neighbourhood was one that maintained early hours. Occasionally, you could glimpse the lights of a cigar shop or a 24-hour lunch restaurant, but the majority of the doors belonged to long-since-closed businesses.

In the middle of a given block, the police officer abruptly slowed his pace. A man leaned with an unlit cigar on his lips in the entranceway of a dimly lit hardware store. As the officer approached him, the man talked hurriedly. “Don’t worry, officer,” he stated reassuringly. “I’m simply awaiting a pal. It is a meeting made twenty years ago. You may find this quite humorous. If you want to ensure that you have a complete understanding, I’ll explain. Approximately that long ago, ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant was where this business now stands. “Until five years ago,” the officer stated. It was then demolished. The man at the doorway ignited his cigar with a match. The light revealed a pale face with sharp eyes and a small white scar just over his right eyebrow. His scarfpin was a big, oddly-set diamond.

“Twenty years ago tonight,” the man said, “I dined at ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s with Jimmy Wells, my dearest friend and the finest gentleman. Together, he and I were raised in New York as if we were brothers. I was 18 years old and Jimmy was 20. The following morning, I would depart for the West to seek my fortune. Jimmy believed that New York was the only place on earth; you could not have dragged him away. We agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, regardless of our conditions or the distance we had to go. We believed that in twenty years, every one of us would have sorted out our destinies and made our riches, whatever they would be.” The officer remarked, “It sounds quite intriguing. However, I find the gap between meetings to be rather lengthy. Has your friend not contacted you since you left?” he asked. “Well, we did correspond for a time,” remarked Bob. “However, after two years we lost sight of one other. Clearly, the West represents a substantial opportunity, and I pursued it with considerable vigour. Jimmy, if he is still alive, will greet me here, for he has always been the most honourable and stalwart gentleman in the world. He’ll never forget. “I travelled a thousand miles tonight to stand at this door, and it would have been worth it if my old partner showed up.” The gentleman in attendance drew out a beautiful timepiece with diamond-encrusted covers.

“Three minutes until ten,” he declared. It was precisely 10 o’clock when we parted at the restaurant’s entrance. “Did quite well in the Wild West, huh?” questioned the police officer. “You bet! I hope Jimmy has performed similarly. Good guy that he was, he was nonetheless a bit of a plodder. I’ve had to compete with some of the most intelligent individuals in the area for my pile. A man gets in a groove in New York. It requires the West to give him a razor’s edge.” The officer spun his club and took a few steps while doing so. “I’ll be leaving now. I hope your friend will arrive safely. Going to leave him immediately?” Not at all, replied the other. “I’ll give him at least a half-hour. If Jimmy is still alive, he will be present at that time. Farewell, officer.” “Good night, sir,” the officer remarked as he continued down his beat, knocking on doors as he went.

There was now a cold mist falling, and the wind had steadied from its earlier erratic gusts. With their coat collars turned up and their hands in their pockets, the few-foot passengers in that area moved hurriedly. And in the entrance of the hardware store, the man who had travelled a thousand kilometres to fulfil a meeting with a friend from his boyhood, smoked a cigar and waited. About twenty minutes later, a tall man in a heavy overcoat with a collar pushed up to his ears dashed across the street from the opposite side. He went right to the man who was waiting. “Is that you, Bob?” he questioned with scepticism. “Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” the man at the door exclaimed. The newcomer shouted, “Bless my heart!” as he grasped both of the others’ hands on his own. “Bob, I was confident I would find you here if you still existed. Well! Twenty years is a considerable amount of time. How have you been handled by the West?” said Jimmy. “It has provided me with everything I requested. You have changed significantly, Jimmy. I never imagined you to be two or three inches taller.” remarked Bob. “Oh, I grew a bit after turning 20.” answered Jimmy. “How are you doing in New York, Jimmy?” “Okay. I am employed by one of the city’s departments. Come on, Bob; let’s go to a place I know and have a lengthy conversation about the past.”

The two men walked up the street. Bob, whose ego is inflated by success, began to describe his professional past. The other, wrapped in his coat, listened attentively. At the intersection stood a pharmacy illuminated by electric lights. When they entered this glare, they simultaneously turned to look at one another’s faces. Bob stopped abruptly and freed his arm. “You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he exclaimed. Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to transform a Roman nose into a pug nose. “It can transform a decent man into a bad one,” the tall man added. “You’ve been under arrest for ten minutes, ‘Silky’ Bob. Chicago believes that you may have travelled to our area and has instructed us to contact you. You’re proceeding quietly, correct? Now, before we proceed to the station, I was ordered to pass you this note. You are permitted to read it here at the window. It was sent by Officer Wells.” Bob unfolded the small piece of paper handed to him. His hand was solid when he began reading, but it began to shake as he neared the end. The note was rather brief.

“Bob, I was at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. Somehow I couldn’t do it myself, so I went around and got another policeman to do the job.

JIMMY.”

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

9.  Officer Wells met Bob in the entranceway of a dimly lit hardware store. What was his reaction when Bob introduced himself?

After Twenty Years by O. Henry

The officer moved along the street with surprising speed. The impressiveness was normal and not for show, as there were few onlookers. Even though it was just ten o’clock at night, cool gusts of wind with a hint of rain had nearly emptied the streets of people. The officer, with his strong build and subtle arrogance, presented a magnificent image of a peacekeeper. The neighbourhood was one that maintained early hours. Occasionally, you could glimpse the lights of a cigar shop or a 24-hour lunch restaurant, but the majority of the doors belonged to long-since-closed businesses.

In the middle of a given block, the police officer abruptly slowed his pace. A man leaned with an unlit cigar on his lips in the entranceway of a dimly lit hardware store. As the officer approached him, the man talked hurriedly. “Don’t worry, officer,” he stated reassuringly. “I’m simply awaiting a pal. It is a meeting made twenty years ago. You may find this quite humorous. If you want to ensure that you have a complete understanding, I’ll explain. Approximately that long ago, ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant was where this business now stands. “Until five years ago,” the officer stated. It was then demolished. The man at the doorway ignited his cigar with a match. The light revealed a pale face with sharp eyes and a small white scar just over his right eyebrow. His scarfpin was a big, oddly-set diamond.

“Twenty years ago tonight,” the man said, “I dined at ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s with Jimmy Wells, my dearest friend and the finest gentleman. Together, he and I were raised in New York as if we were brothers. I was 18 years old and Jimmy was 20. The following morning, I would depart for the West to seek my fortune. Jimmy believed that New York was the only place on earth; you could not have dragged him away. We agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, regardless of our conditions or the distance we had to go. We believed that in twenty years, every one of us would have sorted out our destinies and made our riches, whatever they would be.” The officer remarked, “It sounds quite intriguing. However, I find the gap between meetings to be rather lengthy. Has your friend not contacted you since you left?” he asked. “Well, we did correspond for a time,” remarked Bob. “However, after two years we lost sight of one other. Clearly, the West represents a substantial opportunity, and I pursued it with considerable vigour. Jimmy, if he is still alive, will greet me here, for he has always been the most honourable and stalwart gentleman in the world. He’ll never forget. “I travelled a thousand miles tonight to stand at this door, and it would have been worth it if my old partner showed up.” The gentleman in attendance drew out a beautiful timepiece with diamond-encrusted covers.

“Three minutes until ten,” he declared. It was precisely 10 o’clock when we parted at the restaurant’s entrance. “Did quite well in the Wild West, huh?” questioned the police officer. “You bet! I hope Jimmy has performed similarly. Good guy that he was, he was nonetheless a bit of a plodder. I’ve had to compete with some of the most intelligent individuals in the area for my pile. A man gets in a groove in New York. It requires the West to give him a razor’s edge.” The officer spun his club and took a few steps while doing so. “I’ll be leaving now. I hope your friend will arrive safely. Going to leave him immediately?” Not at all, replied the other. “I’ll give him at least a half-hour. If Jimmy is still alive, he will be present at that time. Farewell, officer.” “Good night, sir,” the officer remarked as he continued down his beat, knocking on doors as he went.

There was now a cold mist falling, and the wind had steadied from its earlier erratic gusts. With their coat collars turned up and their hands in their pockets, the few-foot passengers in that area moved hurriedly. And in the entrance of the hardware store, the man who had travelled a thousand kilometres to fulfil a meeting with a friend from his boyhood, smoked a cigar and waited. About twenty minutes later, a tall man in a heavy overcoat with a collar pushed up to his ears dashed across the street from the opposite side. He went right to the man who was waiting. “Is that you, Bob?” he questioned with scepticism. “Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” the man at the door exclaimed. The newcomer shouted, “Bless my heart!” as he grasped both of the others’ hands on his own. “Bob, I was confident I would find you here if you still existed. Well! Twenty years is a considerable amount of time. How have you been handled by the West?” said Jimmy. “It has provided me with everything I requested. You have changed significantly, Jimmy. I never imagined you to be two or three inches taller.” remarked Bob. “Oh, I grew a bit after turning 20.” answered Jimmy. “How are you doing in New York, Jimmy?” “Okay. I am employed by one of the city’s departments. Come on, Bob; let’s go to a place I know and have a lengthy conversation about the past.”

The two men walked up the street. Bob, whose ego is inflated by success, began to describe his professional past. The other, wrapped in his coat, listened attentively. At the intersection stood a pharmacy illuminated by electric lights. When they entered this glare, they simultaneously turned to look at one another’s faces. Bob stopped abruptly and freed his arm. “You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he exclaimed. Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to transform a Roman nose into a pug nose. “It can transform a decent man into a bad one,” the tall man added. “You’ve been under arrest for ten minutes, ‘Silky’ Bob. Chicago believes that you may have travelled to our area and has instructed us to contact you. You’re proceeding quietly, correct? Now, before we proceed to the station, I was ordered to pass you this note. You are permitted to read it here at the window. It was sent by Officer Wells.” Bob unfolded the small piece of paper handed to him. His hand was solid when he began reading, but it began to shake as he neared the end. The note was rather brief.

“Bob, I was at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. Somehow I couldn’t do it myself, so I went around and got another policeman to do the job.

JIMMY.”

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

10.  For the past 20 years, Bob has been involved in unlawful activities yet he returns to the agreed-upon location and time to meet his friend. What does this say about Bob?

After Twenty Years by O. Henry

The officer moved along the street with surprising speed. The impressiveness was normal and not for show, as there were few onlookers. Even though it was just ten o’clock at night, cool gusts of wind with a hint of rain had nearly emptied the streets of people. The officer, with his strong build and subtle arrogance, presented a magnificent image of a peacekeeper. The neighbourhood was one that maintained early hours. Occasionally, you could glimpse the lights of a cigar shop or a 24-hour lunch restaurant, but the majority of the doors belonged to long-since-closed businesses.

In the middle of a given block, the police officer abruptly slowed his pace. A man leaned with an unlit cigar on his lips in the entranceway of a dimly lit hardware store. As the officer approached him, the man talked hurriedly. “Don’t worry, officer,” he stated reassuringly. “I’m simply awaiting a pal. It is a meeting made twenty years ago. You may find this quite humorous. If you want to ensure that you have a complete understanding, I’ll explain. Approximately that long ago, ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant was where this business now stands. “Until five years ago,” the officer stated. It was then demolished. The man at the doorway ignited his cigar with a match. The light revealed a pale face with sharp eyes and a small white scar just over his right eyebrow. His scarfpin was a big, oddly-set diamond.

“Twenty years ago tonight,” the man said, “I dined at ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s with Jimmy Wells, my dearest friend and the finest gentleman. Together, he and I were raised in New York as if we were brothers. I was 18 years old and Jimmy was 20. The following morning, I would depart for the West to seek my fortune. Jimmy believed that New York was the only place on earth; you could not have dragged him away. We agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, regardless of our conditions or the distance we had to go. We believed that in twenty years, every one of us would have sorted out our destinies and made our riches, whatever they would be.” The officer remarked, “It sounds quite intriguing. However, I find the gap between meetings to be rather lengthy. Has your friend not contacted you since you left?” he asked. “Well, we did correspond for a time,” remarked Bob. “However, after two years we lost sight of one other. Clearly, the West represents a substantial opportunity, and I pursued it with considerable vigour. Jimmy, if he is still alive, will greet me here, for he has always been the most honourable and stalwart gentleman in the world. He’ll never forget. “I travelled a thousand miles tonight to stand at this door, and it would have been worth it if my old partner showed up.” The gentleman in attendance drew out a beautiful timepiece with diamond-encrusted covers.

“Three minutes until ten,” he declared. It was precisely 10 o’clock when we parted at the restaurant’s entrance. “Did quite well in the Wild West, huh?” questioned the police officer. “You bet! I hope Jimmy has performed similarly. Good guy that he was, he was nonetheless a bit of a plodder. I’ve had to compete with some of the most intelligent individuals in the area for my pile. A man gets in a groove in New York. It requires the West to give him a razor’s edge.” The officer spun his club and took a few steps while doing so. “I’ll be leaving now. I hope your friend will arrive safely. Going to leave him immediately?” Not at all, replied the other. “I’ll give him at least a half-hour. If Jimmy is still alive, he will be present at that time. Farewell, officer.” “Good night, sir,” the officer remarked as he continued down his beat, knocking on doors as he went.

There was now a cold mist falling, and the wind had steadied from its earlier erratic gusts. With their coat collars turned up and their hands in their pockets, the few-foot passengers in that area moved hurriedly. And in the entrance of the hardware store, the man who had travelled a thousand kilometres to fulfil a meeting with a friend from his boyhood, smoked a cigar and waited. About twenty minutes later, a tall man in a heavy overcoat with a collar pushed up to his ears dashed across the street from the opposite side. He went right to the man who was waiting. “Is that you, Bob?” he questioned with scepticism. “Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” the man at the door exclaimed. The newcomer shouted, “Bless my heart!” as he grasped both of the others’ hands on his own. “Bob, I was confident I would find you here if you still existed. Well! Twenty years is a considerable amount of time. How have you been handled by the West?” said Jimmy. “It has provided me with everything I requested. You have changed significantly, Jimmy. I never imagined you to be two or three inches taller.” remarked Bob. “Oh, I grew a bit after turning 20.” answered Jimmy. “How are you doing in New York, Jimmy?” “Okay. I am employed by one of the city’s departments. Come on, Bob; let’s go to a place I know and have a lengthy conversation about the past.”

The two men walked up the street. Bob, whose ego is inflated by success, began to describe his professional past. The other, wrapped in his coat, listened attentively. At the intersection stood a pharmacy illuminated by electric lights. When they entered this glare, they simultaneously turned to look at one another’s faces. Bob stopped abruptly and freed his arm. “You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he exclaimed. Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to transform a Roman nose into a pug nose. “It can transform a decent man into a bad one,” the tall man added. “You’ve been under arrest for ten minutes, ‘Silky’ Bob. Chicago believes that you may have travelled to our area and has instructed us to contact you. You’re proceeding quietly, correct? Now, before we proceed to the station, I was ordered to pass you this note. You are permitted to read it here at the window. It was sent by Officer Wells.” Bob unfolded the small piece of paper handed to him. His hand was solid when he began reading, but it began to shake as he neared the end. The note was rather brief.

“Bob, I was at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. Somehow I couldn’t do it myself, so I went around and got another policeman to do the job.

JIMMY.”

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

11.  Wells had the chance to arrest Bob the moment he recognized him. How come Bob ended up being arrested by a different officer?

After Twenty Years by O. Henry

The officer moved along the street with surprising speed. The impressiveness was normal and not for show, as there were few onlookers. Even though it was just ten o’clock at night, cool gusts of wind with a hint of rain had nearly emptied the streets of people. The officer, with his strong build and subtle arrogance, presented a magnificent image of a peacekeeper. The neighbourhood was one that maintained early hours. Occasionally, you could glimpse the lights of a cigar shop or a 24-hour lunch restaurant, but the majority of the doors belonged to long-since-closed businesses.

In the middle of a given block, the police officer abruptly slowed his pace. A man leaned with an unlit cigar on his lips in the entranceway of a dimly lit hardware store. As the officer approached him, the man talked hurriedly. “Don’t worry, officer,” he stated reassuringly. “I’m simply awaiting a pal. It is a meeting made twenty years ago. You may find this quite humorous. If you want to ensure that you have a complete understanding, I’ll explain. Approximately that long ago, ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant was where this business now stands. “Until five years ago,” the officer stated. It was then demolished. The man at the doorway ignited his cigar with a match. The light revealed a pale face with sharp eyes and a small white scar just over his right eyebrow. His scarfpin was a big, oddly-set diamond.

“Twenty years ago tonight,” the man said, “I dined at ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s with Jimmy Wells, my dearest friend and the finest gentleman. Together, he and I were raised in New York as if we were brothers. I was 18 years old and Jimmy was 20. The following morning, I would depart for the West to seek my fortune. Jimmy believed that New York was the only place on earth; you could not have dragged him away. We agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, regardless of our conditions or the distance we had to go. We believed that in twenty years, every one of us would have sorted out our destinies and made our riches, whatever they would be.” The officer remarked, “It sounds quite intriguing. However, I find the gap between meetings to be rather lengthy. Has your friend not contacted you since you left?” he asked. “Well, we did correspond for a time,” remarked Bob. “However, after two years we lost sight of one other. Clearly, the West represents a substantial opportunity, and I pursued it with considerable vigour. Jimmy, if he is still alive, will greet me here, for he has always been the most honourable and stalwart gentleman in the world. He’ll never forget. “I travelled a thousand miles tonight to stand at this door, and it would have been worth it if my old partner showed up.” The gentleman in attendance drew out a beautiful timepiece with diamond-encrusted covers.

“Three minutes until ten,” he declared. It was precisely 10 o’clock when we parted at the restaurant’s entrance. “Did quite well in the Wild West, huh?” questioned the police officer. “You bet! I hope Jimmy has performed similarly. Good guy that he was, he was nonetheless a bit of a plodder. I’ve had to compete with some of the most intelligent individuals in the area for my pile. A man gets in a groove in New York. It requires the West to give him a razor’s edge.” The officer spun his club and took a few steps while doing so. “I’ll be leaving now. I hope your friend will arrive safely. Going to leave him immediately?” Not at all, replied the other. “I’ll give him at least a half-hour. If Jimmy is still alive, he will be present at that time. Farewell, officer.” “Good night, sir,” the officer remarked as he continued down his beat, knocking on doors as he went.

There was now a cold mist falling, and the wind had steadied from its earlier erratic gusts. With their coat collars turned up and their hands in their pockets, the few-foot passengers in that area moved hurriedly. And in the entrance of the hardware store, the man who had travelled a thousand kilometres to fulfil a meeting with a friend from his boyhood, smoked a cigar and waited. About twenty minutes later, a tall man in a heavy overcoat with a collar pushed up to his ears dashed across the street from the opposite side. He went right to the man who was waiting. “Is that you, Bob?” he questioned with scepticism. “Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” the man at the door exclaimed. The newcomer shouted, “Bless my heart!” as he grasped both of the others’ hands on his own. “Bob, I was confident I would find you here if you still existed. Well! Twenty years is a considerable amount of time. How have you been handled by the West?” said Jimmy. “It has provided me with everything I requested. You have changed significantly, Jimmy. I never imagined you to be two or three inches taller.” remarked Bob. “Oh, I grew a bit after turning 20.” answered Jimmy. “How are you doing in New York, Jimmy?” “Okay. I am employed by one of the city’s departments. Come on, Bob; let’s go to a place I know and have a lengthy conversation about the past.”

The two men walked up the street. Bob, whose ego is inflated by success, began to describe his professional past. The other, wrapped in his coat, listened attentively. At the intersection stood a pharmacy illuminated by electric lights. When they entered this glare, they simultaneously turned to look at one another’s faces. Bob stopped abruptly and freed his arm. “You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he exclaimed. Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to transform a Roman nose into a pug nose. “It can transform a decent man into a bad one,” the tall man added. “You’ve been under arrest for ten minutes, ‘Silky’ Bob. Chicago believes that you may have travelled to our area and has instructed us to contact you. You’re proceeding quietly, correct? Now, before we proceed to the station, I was ordered to pass you this note. You are permitted to read it here at the window. It was sent by Officer Wells.” Bob unfolded the small piece of paper handed to him. His hand was solid when he began reading, but it began to shake as he neared the end. The note was rather brief.

“Bob, I was at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. Somehow I couldn’t do it myself, so I went around and got another policeman to do the job.

JIMMY.”

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

12.  How will readers feel about how the ending was written?

After Twenty Years by O. Henry

The officer moved along the street with surprising speed. The impressiveness was normal and not for show, as there were few onlookers. Even though it was just ten o’clock at night, cool gusts of wind with a hint of rain had nearly emptied the streets of people. The officer, with his strong build and subtle arrogance, presented a magnificent image of a peacekeeper. The neighbourhood was one that maintained early hours. Occasionally, you could glimpse the lights of a cigar shop or a 24-hour lunch restaurant, but the majority of the doors belonged to long-since-closed businesses.

In the middle of a given block, the police officer abruptly slowed his pace. A man leaned with an unlit cigar on his lips in the entranceway of a dimly lit hardware store. As the officer approached him, the man talked hurriedly. “Don’t worry, officer,” he stated reassuringly. “I’m simply awaiting a pal. It is a meeting made twenty years ago. You may find this quite humorous. If you want to ensure that you have a complete understanding, I’ll explain. Approximately that long ago, ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant was where this business now stands. “Until five years ago,” the officer stated. It was then demolished. The man at the doorway ignited his cigar with a match. The light revealed a pale face with sharp eyes and a small white scar just over his right eyebrow. His scarfpin was a big, oddly-set diamond.

“Twenty years ago tonight,” the man said, “I dined at ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s with Jimmy Wells, my dearest friend and the finest gentleman. Together, he and I were raised in New York as if we were brothers. I was 18 years old and Jimmy was 20. The following morning, I would depart for the West to seek my fortune. Jimmy believed that New York was the only place on earth; you could not have dragged him away. We agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, regardless of our conditions or the distance we had to go. We believed that in twenty years, every one of us would have sorted out our destinies and made our riches, whatever they would be.” The officer remarked, “It sounds quite intriguing. However, I find the gap between meetings to be rather lengthy. Has your friend not contacted you since you left?” he asked. “Well, we did correspond for a time,” remarked Bob. “However, after two years we lost sight of one other. Clearly, the West represents a substantial opportunity, and I pursued it with considerable vigour. Jimmy, if he is still alive, will greet me here, for he has always been the most honourable and stalwart gentleman in the world. He’ll never forget. “I travelled a thousand miles tonight to stand at this door, and it would have been worth it if my old partner showed up.” The gentleman in attendance drew out a beautiful timepiece with diamond-encrusted covers.

“Three minutes until ten,” he declared. It was precisely 10 o’clock when we parted at the restaurant’s entrance. “Did quite well in the Wild West, huh?” questioned the police officer. “You bet! I hope Jimmy has performed similarly. Good guy that he was, he was nonetheless a bit of a plodder. I’ve had to compete with some of the most intelligent individuals in the area for my pile. A man gets in a groove in New York. It requires the West to give him a razor’s edge.” The officer spun his club and took a few steps while doing so. “I’ll be leaving now. I hope your friend will arrive safely. Going to leave him immediately?” Not at all, replied the other. “I’ll give him at least a half-hour. If Jimmy is still alive, he will be present at that time. Farewell, officer.” “Good night, sir,” the officer remarked as he continued down his beat, knocking on doors as he went.

There was now a cold mist falling, and the wind had steadied from its earlier erratic gusts. With their coat collars turned up and their hands in their pockets, the few-foot passengers in that area moved hurriedly. And in the entrance of the hardware store, the man who had travelled a thousand kilometres to fulfil a meeting with a friend from his boyhood, smoked a cigar and waited. About twenty minutes later, a tall man in a heavy overcoat with a collar pushed up to his ears dashed across the street from the opposite side. He went right to the man who was waiting. “Is that you, Bob?” he questioned with scepticism. “Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” the man at the door exclaimed. The newcomer shouted, “Bless my heart!” as he grasped both of the others’ hands on his own. “Bob, I was confident I would find you here if you still existed. Well! Twenty years is a considerable amount of time. How have you been handled by the West?” said Jimmy. “It has provided me with everything I requested. You have changed significantly, Jimmy. I never imagined you to be two or three inches taller.” remarked Bob. “Oh, I grew a bit after turning 20.” answered Jimmy. “How are you doing in New York, Jimmy?” “Okay. I am employed by one of the city’s departments. Come on, Bob; let’s go to a place I know and have a lengthy conversation about the past.”

The two men walked up the street. Bob, whose ego is inflated by success, began to describe his professional past. The other, wrapped in his coat, listened attentively. At the intersection stood a pharmacy illuminated by electric lights. When they entered this glare, they simultaneously turned to look at one another’s faces. Bob stopped abruptly and freed his arm. “You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he exclaimed. Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to transform a Roman nose into a pug nose. “It can transform a decent man into a bad one,” the tall man added. “You’ve been under arrest for ten minutes, ‘Silky’ Bob. Chicago believes that you may have travelled to our area and has instructed us to contact you. You’re proceeding quietly, correct? Now, before we proceed to the station, I was ordered to pass you this note. You are permitted to read it here at the window. It was sent by Officer Wells.” Bob unfolded the small piece of paper handed to him. His hand was solid when he began reading, but it began to shake as he neared the end. The note was rather brief.

“Bob, I was at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. Somehow I couldn’t do it myself, so I went around and got another policeman to do the job.

JIMMY.”

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

13.  What point of view did the author employ in the story?

After Twenty Years by O. Henry

The officer moved along the street with surprising speed. The impressiveness was normal and not for show, as there were few onlookers. Even though it was just ten o’clock at night, cool gusts of wind with a hint of rain had nearly emptied the streets of people. The officer, with his strong build and subtle arrogance, presented a magnificent image of a peacekeeper. The neighbourhood was one that maintained early hours. Occasionally, you could glimpse the lights of a cigar shop or a 24-hour lunch restaurant, but the majority of the doors belonged to long-since-closed businesses.

In the middle of a given block, the police officer abruptly slowed his pace. A man leaned with an unlit cigar on his lips in the entranceway of a dimly lit hardware store. As the officer approached him, the man talked hurriedly. “Don’t worry, officer,” he stated reassuringly. “I’m simply awaiting a pal. It is a meeting made twenty years ago. You may find this quite humorous. If you want to ensure that you have a complete understanding, I’ll explain. Approximately that long ago, ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant was where this business now stands. “Until five years ago,” the officer stated. It was then demolished. The man at the doorway ignited his cigar with a match. The light revealed a pale face with sharp eyes and a small white scar just over his right eyebrow. His scarfpin was a big, oddly-set diamond.

“Twenty years ago tonight,” the man said, “I dined at ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s with Jimmy Wells, my dearest friend and the finest gentleman. Together, he and I were raised in New York as if we were brothers. I was 18 years old and Jimmy was 20. The following morning, I would depart for the West to seek my fortune. Jimmy believed that New York was the only place on earth; you could not have dragged him away. We agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, regardless of our conditions or the distance we had to go. We believed that in twenty years, every one of us would have sorted out our destinies and made our riches, whatever they would be.” The officer remarked, “It sounds quite intriguing. However, I find the gap between meetings to be rather lengthy. Has your friend not contacted you since you left?” he asked. “Well, we did correspond for a time,” remarked Bob. “However, after two years we lost sight of one other. Clearly, the West represents a substantial opportunity, and I pursued it with considerable vigour. Jimmy, if he is still alive, will greet me here, for he has always been the most honourable and stalwart gentleman in the world. He’ll never forget. “I travelled a thousand miles tonight to stand at this door, and it would have been worth it if my old partner showed up.” The gentleman in attendance drew out a beautiful timepiece with diamond-encrusted covers.

“Three minutes until ten,” he declared. It was precisely 10 o’clock when we parted at the restaurant’s entrance. “Did quite well in the Wild West, huh?” questioned the police officer. “You bet! I hope Jimmy has performed similarly. Good guy that he was, he was nonetheless a bit of a plodder. I’ve had to compete with some of the most intelligent individuals in the area for my pile. A man gets in a groove in New York. It requires the West to give him a razor’s edge.” The officer spun his club and took a few steps while doing so. “I’ll be leaving now. I hope your friend will arrive safely. Going to leave him immediately?” Not at all, replied the other. “I’ll give him at least a half-hour. If Jimmy is still alive, he will be present at that time. Farewell, officer.” “Good night, sir,” the officer remarked as he continued down his beat, knocking on doors as he went.

There was now a cold mist falling, and the wind had steadied from its earlier erratic gusts. With their coat collars turned up and their hands in their pockets, the few-foot passengers in that area moved hurriedly. And in the entrance of the hardware store, the man who had travelled a thousand kilometres to fulfil a meeting with a friend from his boyhood, smoked a cigar and waited. About twenty minutes later, a tall man in a heavy overcoat with a collar pushed up to his ears dashed across the street from the opposite side. He went right to the man who was waiting. “Is that you, Bob?” he questioned with scepticism. “Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” the man at the door exclaimed. The newcomer shouted, “Bless my heart!” as he grasped both of the others’ hands on his own. “Bob, I was confident I would find you here if you still existed. Well! Twenty years is a considerable amount of time. How have you been handled by the West?” said Jimmy. “It has provided me with everything I requested. You have changed significantly, Jimmy. I never imagined you to be two or three inches taller.” remarked Bob. “Oh, I grew a bit after turning 20.” answered Jimmy. “How are you doing in New York, Jimmy?” “Okay. I am employed by one of the city’s departments. Come on, Bob; let’s go to a place I know and have a lengthy conversation about the past.”

The two men walked up the street. Bob, whose ego is inflated by success, began to describe his professional past. The other, wrapped in his coat, listened attentively. At the intersection stood a pharmacy illuminated by electric lights. When they entered this glare, they simultaneously turned to look at one another’s faces. Bob stopped abruptly and freed his arm. “You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he exclaimed. Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to transform a Roman nose into a pug nose. “It can transform a decent man into a bad one,” the tall man added. “You’ve been under arrest for ten minutes, ‘Silky’ Bob. Chicago believes that you may have travelled to our area and has instructed us to contact you. You’re proceeding quietly, correct? Now, before we proceed to the station, I was ordered to pass you this note. You are permitted to read it here at the window. It was sent by Officer Wells.” Bob unfolded the small piece of paper handed to him. His hand was solid when he began reading, but it began to shake as he neared the end. The note was rather brief.

“Bob, I was at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. Somehow I couldn’t do it myself, so I went around and got another policeman to do the job.

JIMMY.”

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

14.  What is the story all about?

Colonel Mustard in the Kitchen Without a Hearing Aid

Rachel stood at the kitchen sink watching the snowfall softly over the backyard. In the living room, her husband was watching some show where commentators loudly traded barbs and lobbed insults at each other. The noise was incessant. She decided to turn off her hearing aids. The soft silence outside the window was suddenly complemented by a similar hush within her own head. Ah, much better. “Did you hear that?” As if on cue, her husband was bellowing for her attention. Rachel sighed. “Hear what?” “That guy running for office. He’s a complete idiot,” said Frank.

Without her hearing aids, Rachel could just hear the skeleton of sentences, mostly vowel sounds with mushy consonants failing to knit them together into meaning, requiring a bit of guesswork to decode. It was like wearing a sweater in her ears which is why she had broken down finally and invested in the hearing aids. There were times, though, when she wasn’t all that sure she wanted to hear so much of what was going on in the world. Still, she felt compelled to answer, raising her voice to be heard over his show. “Who?” “That yahoo running for office with the weird tan. They should call him Colonel Mustard.” Rachel sucked in her breath upon hearing her husband call somebody, anybody, a “retard.” She didn’t even like to think the word, let alone hear her husband howling it from the other room for all the neighbours to hear. “Don’t call people that word,” she remarked. “What word?” asked her husband. “You know, that word. It is totally inappropriate.” Frank was used to his wife’s often creative interpretations of the world around her and was inclined to take liberties in translation. “I’ll say he’s inappropriate,” he agreed heartily, delighted she was taking a position. “Then why did you say it?” she called out. “Say what?” “That word.” “What word?” “Well, I can’t say it,” Rachel shouted over the noise. “We don’t talk like that about people with…you know…mental disabilities.” “Mental disabilities?” Frank was surprised. For her to call the candidate mentally disabled was pretty strong. She was usually so polite, so politically neutral. “About time she saw things my way,” he thought approvingly. “Ha! He has no ability, that’s the problem,” he chuckled. Rachel drew in her breath. What was wrong with the man? First using the “R” word to describe someone, then being so cruel as to suggest that people who are differently abled have no abilities at all! “Frank! That is terrible! We all have something to contribute.”

“I will never allow that to happen!” Was his wife insane? First, calling the man mentally disabled, then wanting to contribute to his candidacy? It was that kind of lunatic inconsistency that got the country where it was in the first place! He turned up the volume on the TV to make his feelings clear, shouting a final, “We are not contributing a penny to his campaign.” Unbelievably, Rachel did not take the hint, calling out, “No I don’t think we have any. What do you want champagne for anyway?” she asked. “What on earth makes you think I’d support his campaign?” answered her husband. “Frank, it’s really just for special occasions,” she answered. “Right. He was charged with tax evasion. And cooking the books.” Frank replied. “I don’t know. I was thinking of fish. You could have some white wine with that.” Frank paused. White wine? Why would she be offering him wine in the afternoon? He gave it a thought. She must have said she was sick of hearing the right whine. “I totally agree. Though the left could do with a little less complaining too,” he said. “I’m not complaining!” exclaimed Rachel. “I didn’t say you were! I said the left was,” said Frank. “No, it isn’t leftovers. I just got the cod last night.” Frank took a long moment to process this. She just talked to God last night? He decided he needed clarity. “You talked to who?” “I ought to do what?” Rachel was beginning to sound testy. Frank drew a deep breath, “I said I was wondering who you talked to.” “I saw Bette Jean, of course, and that nice lady who works the cash register. Why?” Frank tried to work these names into a tapestry of sense in his mind and came up empty. He decided to let it go. You live with someone long enough, and really, you couldn’t sweat the details. He returned his full attention to the commentators on the tv who were having a field day raking the candidate over the coals about something he had done 30 years earlier. With well over thirty years to his own name, he felt his sympathies fall to the candidate on this one. “Really, people ought to just let the past lie.” He didn’t realise he had spoken aloud into a momentary lull in the volume of the show. He definitely realised he had spoken aloud as soon as Rachel’s retort shot out of the kitchen in a dangerous sniper attack. “Frank! Why on earth would you accuse me of lying about talking to Bette Jean and the cashier?”

“I wasn’t, honey! I was talking about how people ought to just let the past lie. Not you.” He pitched his praise to a hearty bellow to ensure she heard him. “Oh, my heavens!” Rachel threw her hands in the air as if to protect herself from the grenade her husband had just lobbed into the living room. “If you say the “R” word one more time in this house and…well, I just don’t know. I had no idea you were such a bigot.” Frank turned all the way around in the chair to better assess what bug his wife had in her ear. She was holding mustard in her hands. The air in the living room had become decidedly frosty, with plumes of righteous indignation radiating from her sturdy frame. Still, a man has to defend himself. “Bigot? What, against mustard? It’s ketchup I don’t like.”

“I thought you liked ketchup.” Frank had the distinct impression the conversation had leapt the tracks, but with the commentators’ laughter rising and swelling in an auditory tide of noise in the background, he wasn’t sure where the derailment had occurred. He should probably turn down the volume. What the heck had he done with the remote?

“Why are we talking about ketchup?” Really, not only cranky, but Frank might just be getting a little senile, Rachel thought. It was worrying. “Don’t tell me to catch up.” Frank’s voice took on an edge, slicing up from behind the recliner where he was pawing about between the cushions like a dog burying a bone. He’d about had it with her correcting tone. Was it him, or was the air in the room becoming warmer? He cautiously probed the emotional temperature for any jagged edges of lingering outrage. Finding none, he added, “I just don’t have a clue how we got here.”

“Hear what?”

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

15.  Based on your reading of the narrative, which of the following best describes Rachel?

Colonel Mustard in the Kitchen Without a Hearing Aid

Rachel stood at the kitchen sink watching the snowfall softly over the backyard. In the living room, her husband was watching some show where commentators loudly traded barbs and lobbed insults at each other. The noise was incessant. She decided to turn off her hearing aids. The soft silence outside the window was suddenly complemented by a similar hush within her own head. Ah, much better. “Did you hear that?” As if on cue, her husband was bellowing for her attention. Rachel sighed. “Hear what?” “That guy running for office. He’s a complete idiot,” said Frank.

Without her hearing aids, Rachel could just hear the skeleton of sentences, mostly vowel sounds with mushy consonants failing to knit them together into meaning, requiring a bit of guesswork to decode. It was like wearing a sweater in her ears which is why she had broken down finally and invested in the hearing aids. There were times, though, when she wasn’t all that sure she wanted to hear so much of what was going on in the world. Still, she felt compelled to answer, raising her voice to be heard over his show. “Who?” “That yahoo running for office with the weird tan. They should call him Colonel Mustard.” Rachel sucked in her breath upon hearing her husband call somebody, anybody, a “retard.” She didn’t even like to think the word, let alone hear her husband howling it from the other room for all the neighbours to hear. “Don’t call people that word,” she remarked. “What word?” asked her husband. “You know, that word. It is totally inappropriate.” Frank was used to his wife’s often creative interpretations of the world around her and was inclined to take liberties in translation. “I’ll say he’s inappropriate,” he agreed heartily, delighted she was taking a position. “Then why did you say it?” she called out. “Say what?” “That word.” “What word?” “Well, I can’t say it,” Rachel shouted over the noise. “We don’t talk like that about people with…you know…mental disabilities.” “Mental disabilities?” Frank was surprised. For her to call the candidate mentally disabled was pretty strong. She was usually so polite, so politically neutral. “About time she saw things my way,” he thought approvingly. “Ha! He has no ability, that’s the problem,” he chuckled. Rachel drew in her breath. What was wrong with the man? First using the “R” word to describe someone, then being so cruel as to suggest that people who are differently abled have no abilities at all! “Frank! That is terrible! We all have something to contribute.”

“I will never allow that to happen!” Was his wife insane? First, calling the man mentally disabled, then wanting to contribute to his candidacy? It was that kind of lunatic inconsistency that got the country where it was in the first place! He turned up the volume on the TV to make his feelings clear, shouting a final, “We are not contributing a penny to his campaign.” Unbelievably, Rachel did not take the hint, calling out, “No I don’t think we have any. What do you want champagne for anyway?” she asked. “What on earth makes you think I’d support his campaign?” answered her husband. “Frank, it’s really just for special occasions,” she answered. “Right. He was charged with tax evasion. And cooking the books.” Frank replied. “I don’t know. I was thinking of fish. You could have some white wine with that.” Frank paused. White wine? Why would she be offering him wine in the afternoon? He gave it a thought. She must have said she was sick of hearing the right whine. “I totally agree. Though the left could do with a little less complaining too,” he said. “I’m not complaining!” exclaimed Rachel. “I didn’t say you were! I said the left was,” said Frank. “No, it isn’t leftovers. I just got the cod last night.” Frank took a long moment to process this. She just talked to God last night? He decided he needed clarity. “You talked to who?” “I ought to do what?” Rachel was beginning to sound testy. Frank drew a deep breath, “I said I was wondering who you talked to.” “I saw Bette Jean, of course, and that nice lady who works the cash register. Why?” Frank tried to work these names into a tapestry of sense in his mind and came up empty. He decided to let it go. You live with someone long enough, and really, you couldn’t sweat the details. He returned his full attention to the commentators on the tv who were having a field day raking the candidate over the coals about something he had done 30 years earlier. With well over thirty years to his own name, he felt his sympathies fall to the candidate on this one. “Really, people ought to just let the past lie.” He didn’t realise he had spoken aloud into a momentary lull in the volume of the show. He definitely realised he had spoken aloud as soon as Rachel’s retort shot out of the kitchen in a dangerous sniper attack. “Frank! Why on earth would you accuse me of lying about talking to Bette Jean and the cashier?”

“I wasn’t, honey! I was talking about how people ought to just let the past lie. Not you.” He pitched his praise to a hearty bellow to ensure she heard him. “Oh, my heavens!” Rachel threw her hands in the air as if to protect herself from the grenade her husband had just lobbed into the living room. “If you say the “R” word one more time in this house and…well, I just don’t know. I had no idea you were such a bigot.” Frank turned all the way around in the chair to better assess what bug his wife had in her ear. She was holding mustard in her hands. The air in the living room had become decidedly frosty, with plumes of righteous indignation radiating from her sturdy frame. Still, a man has to defend himself. “Bigot? What, against mustard? It’s ketchup I don’t like.”

“I thought you liked ketchup.” Frank had the distinct impression the conversation had leapt the tracks, but with the commentators’ laughter rising and swelling in an auditory tide of noise in the background, he wasn’t sure where the derailment had occurred. He should probably turn down the volume. What the heck had he done with the remote?

“Why are we talking about ketchup?” Really, not only cranky, but Frank might just be getting a little senile, Rachel thought. It was worrying. “Don’t tell me to catch up.” Frank’s voice took on an edge, slicing up from behind the recliner where he was pawing about between the cushions like a dog burying a bone. He’d about had it with her correcting tone. Was it him, or was the air in the room becoming warmer? He cautiously probed the emotional temperature for any jagged edges of lingering outrage. Finding none, he added, “I just don’t have a clue how we got here.”

“Hear what?”

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

16.  Which best summarises the conflict of the story?

Colonel Mustard in the Kitchen Without a Hearing Aid

Rachel stood at the kitchen sink watching the snowfall softly over the backyard. In the living room, her husband was watching some show where commentators loudly traded barbs and lobbed insults at each other. The noise was incessant. She decided to turn off her hearing aids. The soft silence outside the window was suddenly complemented by a similar hush within her own head. Ah, much better. “Did you hear that?” As if on cue, her husband was bellowing for her attention. Rachel sighed. “Hear what?” “That guy running for office. He’s a complete idiot,” said Frank.

Without her hearing aids, Rachel could just hear the skeleton of sentences, mostly vowel sounds with mushy consonants failing to knit them together into meaning, requiring a bit of guesswork to decode. It was like wearing a sweater in her ears which is why she had broken down finally and invested in the hearing aids. There were times, though, when she wasn’t all that sure she wanted to hear so much of what was going on in the world. Still, she felt compelled to answer, raising her voice to be heard over his show. “Who?” “That yahoo running for office with the weird tan. They should call him Colonel Mustard.” Rachel sucked in her breath upon hearing her husband call somebody, anybody, a “retard.” She didn’t even like to think the word, let alone hear her husband howling it from the other room for all the neighbours to hear. “Don’t call people that word,” she remarked. “What word?” asked her husband. “You know, that word. It is totally inappropriate.” Frank was used to his wife’s often creative interpretations of the world around her and was inclined to take liberties in translation. “I’ll say he’s inappropriate,” he agreed heartily, delighted she was taking a position. “Then why did you say it?” she called out. “Say what?” “That word.” “What word?” “Well, I can’t say it,” Rachel shouted over the noise. “We don’t talk like that about people with…you know…mental disabilities.” “Mental disabilities?” Frank was surprised. For her to call the candidate mentally disabled was pretty strong. She was usually so polite, so politically neutral. “About time she saw things my way,” he thought approvingly. “Ha! He has no ability, that’s the problem,” he chuckled. Rachel drew in her breath. What was wrong with the man? First using the “R” word to describe someone, then being so cruel as to suggest that people who are differently abled have no abilities at all! “Frank! That is terrible! We all have something to contribute.”

“I will never allow that to happen!” Was his wife insane? First, calling the man mentally disabled, then wanting to contribute to his candidacy? It was that kind of lunatic inconsistency that got the country where it was in the first place! He turned up the volume on the TV to make his feelings clear, shouting a final, “We are not contributing a penny to his campaign.” Unbelievably, Rachel did not take the hint, calling out, “No I don’t think we have any. What do you want champagne for anyway?” she asked. “What on earth makes you think I’d support his campaign?” answered her husband. “Frank, it’s really just for special occasions,” she answered. “Right. He was charged with tax evasion. And cooking the books.” Frank replied. “I don’t know. I was thinking of fish. You could have some white wine with that.” Frank paused. White wine? Why would she be offering him wine in the afternoon? He gave it a thought. She must have said she was sick of hearing the right whine. “I totally agree. Though the left could do with a little less complaining too,” he said. “I’m not complaining!” exclaimed Rachel. “I didn’t say you were! I said the left was,” said Frank. “No, it isn’t leftovers. I just got the cod last night.” Frank took a long moment to process this. She just talked to God last night? He decided he needed clarity. “You talked to who?” “I ought to do what?” Rachel was beginning to sound testy. Frank drew a deep breath, “I said I was wondering who you talked to.” “I saw Bette Jean, of course, and that nice lady who works the cash register. Why?” Frank tried to work these names into a tapestry of sense in his mind and came up empty. He decided to let it go. You live with someone long enough, and really, you couldn’t sweat the details. He returned his full attention to the commentators on the tv who were having a field day raking the candidate over the coals about something he had done 30 years earlier. With well over thirty years to his own name, he felt his sympathies fall to the candidate on this one. “Really, people ought to just let the past lie.” He didn’t realise he had spoken aloud into a momentary lull in the volume of the show. He definitely realised he had spoken aloud as soon as Rachel’s retort shot out of the kitchen in a dangerous sniper attack. “Frank! Why on earth would you accuse me of lying about talking to Bette Jean and the cashier?”

“I wasn’t, honey! I was talking about how people ought to just let the past lie. Not you.” He pitched his praise to a hearty bellow to ensure she heard him. “Oh, my heavens!” Rachel threw her hands in the air as if to protect herself from the grenade her husband had just lobbed into the living room. “If you say the “R” word one more time in this house and…well, I just don’t know. I had no idea you were such a bigot.” Frank turned all the way around in the chair to better assess what bug his wife had in her ear. She was holding mustard in her hands. The air in the living room had become decidedly frosty, with plumes of righteous indignation radiating from her sturdy frame. Still, a man has to defend himself. “Bigot? What, against mustard? It’s ketchup I don’t like.”

“I thought you liked ketchup.” Frank had the distinct impression the conversation had leapt the tracks, but with the commentators’ laughter rising and swelling in an auditory tide of noise in the background, he wasn’t sure where the derailment had occurred. He should probably turn down the volume. What the heck had he done with the remote?

“Why are we talking about ketchup?” Really, not only cranky, but Frank might just be getting a little senile, Rachel thought. It was worrying. “Don’t tell me to catch up.” Frank’s voice took on an edge, slicing up from behind the recliner where he was pawing about between the cushions like a dog burying a bone. He’d about had it with her correcting tone. Was it him, or was the air in the room becoming warmer? He cautiously probed the emotional temperature for any jagged edges of lingering outrage. Finding none, he added, “I just don’t have a clue how we got here.”

“Hear what?”

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

17.  How did Rachel and Frank’s argument start?

Colonel Mustard in the Kitchen Without a Hearing Aid

Rachel stood at the kitchen sink watching the snowfall softly over the backyard. In the living room, her husband was watching some show where commentators loudly traded barbs and lobbed insults at each other. The noise was incessant. She decided to turn off her hearing aids. The soft silence outside the window was suddenly complemented by a similar hush within her own head. Ah, much better. “Did you hear that?” As if on cue, her husband was bellowing for her attention. Rachel sighed. “Hear what?” “That guy running for office. He’s a complete idiot,” said Frank.

Without her hearing aids, Rachel could just hear the skeleton of sentences, mostly vowel sounds with mushy consonants failing to knit them together into meaning, requiring a bit of guesswork to decode. It was like wearing a sweater in her ears which is why she had broken down finally and invested in the hearing aids. There were times, though, when she wasn’t all that sure she wanted to hear so much of what was going on in the world. Still, she felt compelled to answer, raising her voice to be heard over his show. “Who?” “That yahoo running for office with the weird tan. They should call him Colonel Mustard.” Rachel sucked in her breath upon hearing her husband call somebody, anybody, a “retard.” She didn’t even like to think the word, let alone hear her husband howling it from the other room for all the neighbours to hear. “Don’t call people that word,” she remarked. “What word?” asked her husband. “You know, that word. It is totally inappropriate.” Frank was used to his wife’s often creative interpretations of the world around her and was inclined to take liberties in translation. “I’ll say he’s inappropriate,” he agreed heartily, delighted she was taking a position. “Then why did you say it?” she called out. “Say what?” “That word.” “What word?” “Well, I can’t say it,” Rachel shouted over the noise. “We don’t talk like that about people with…you know…mental disabilities.” “Mental disabilities?” Frank was surprised. For her to call the candidate mentally disabled was pretty strong. She was usually so polite, so politically neutral. “About time she saw things my way,” he thought approvingly. “Ha! He has no ability, that’s the problem,” he chuckled. Rachel drew in her breath. What was wrong with the man? First using the “R” word to describe someone, then being so cruel as to suggest that people who are differently abled have no abilities at all! “Frank! That is terrible! We all have something to contribute.”

“I will never allow that to happen!” Was his wife insane? First, calling the man mentally disabled, then wanting to contribute to his candidacy? It was that kind of lunatic inconsistency that got the country where it was in the first place! He turned up the volume on the TV to make his feelings clear, shouting a final, “We are not contributing a penny to his campaign.” Unbelievably, Rachel did not take the hint, calling out, “No I don’t think we have any. What do you want champagne for anyway?” she asked. “What on earth makes you think I’d support his campaign?” answered her husband. “Frank, it’s really just for special occasions,” she answered. “Right. He was charged with tax evasion. And cooking the books.” Frank replied. “I don’t know. I was thinking of fish. You could have some white wine with that.” Frank paused. White wine? Why would she be offering him wine in the afternoon? He gave it a thought. She must have said she was sick of hearing the right whine. “I totally agree. Though the left could do with a little less complaining too,” he said. “I’m not complaining!” exclaimed Rachel. “I didn’t say you were! I said the left was,” said Frank. “No, it isn’t leftovers. I just got the cod last night.” Frank took a long moment to process this. She just talked to God last night? He decided he needed clarity. “You talked to who?” “I ought to do what?” Rachel was beginning to sound testy. Frank drew a deep breath, “I said I was wondering who you talked to.” “I saw Bette Jean, of course, and that nice lady who works the cash register. Why?” Frank tried to work these names into a tapestry of sense in his mind and came up empty. He decided to let it go. You live with someone long enough, and really, you couldn’t sweat the details. He returned his full attention to the commentators on the tv who were having a field day raking the candidate over the coals about something he had done 30 years earlier. With well over thirty years to his own name, he felt his sympathies fall to the candidate on this one. “Really, people ought to just let the past lie.” He didn’t realise he had spoken aloud into a momentary lull in the volume of the show. He definitely realised he had spoken aloud as soon as Rachel’s retort shot out of the kitchen in a dangerous sniper attack. “Frank! Why on earth would you accuse me of lying about talking to Bette Jean and the cashier?”

“I wasn’t, honey! I was talking about how people ought to just let the past lie. Not you.” He pitched his praise to a hearty bellow to ensure she heard him. “Oh, my heavens!” Rachel threw her hands in the air as if to protect herself from the grenade her husband had just lobbed into the living room. “If you say the “R” word one more time in this house and…well, I just don’t know. I had no idea you were such a bigot.” Frank turned all the way around in the chair to better assess what bug his wife had in her ear. She was holding mustard in her hands. The air in the living room had become decidedly frosty, with plumes of righteous indignation radiating from her sturdy frame. Still, a man has to defend himself. “Bigot? What, against mustard? It’s ketchup I don’t like.”

“I thought you liked ketchup.” Frank had the distinct impression the conversation had leapt the tracks, but with the commentators’ laughter rising and swelling in an auditory tide of noise in the background, he wasn’t sure where the derailment had occurred. He should probably turn down the volume. What the heck had he done with the remote?

“Why are we talking about ketchup?” Really, not only cranky, but Frank might just be getting a little senile, Rachel thought. It was worrying. “Don’t tell me to catch up.” Frank’s voice took on an edge, slicing up from behind the recliner where he was pawing about between the cushions like a dog burying a bone. He’d about had it with her correcting tone. Was it him, or was the air in the room becoming warmer? He cautiously probed the emotional temperature for any jagged edges of lingering outrage. Finding none, he added, “I just don’t have a clue how we got here.”

“Hear what?”

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

18.  How did the main characters resolve their argument?

Colonel Mustard in the Kitchen Without a Hearing Aid

Rachel stood at the kitchen sink watching the snowfall softly over the backyard. In the living room, her husband was watching some show where commentators loudly traded barbs and lobbed insults at each other. The noise was incessant. She decided to turn off her hearing aids. The soft silence outside the window was suddenly complemented by a similar hush within her own head. Ah, much better. “Did you hear that?” As if on cue, her husband was bellowing for her attention. Rachel sighed. “Hear what?” “That guy running for office. He’s a complete idiot,” said Frank.

Without her hearing aids, Rachel could just hear the skeleton of sentences, mostly vowel sounds with mushy consonants failing to knit them together into meaning, requiring a bit of guesswork to decode. It was like wearing a sweater in her ears which is why she had broken down finally and invested in the hearing aids. There were times, though, when she wasn’t all that sure she wanted to hear so much of what was going on in the world. Still, she felt compelled to answer, raising her voice to be heard over his show. “Who?” “That yahoo running for office with the weird tan. They should call him Colonel Mustard.” Rachel sucked in her breath upon hearing her husband call somebody, anybody, a “retard.” She didn’t even like to think the word, let alone hear her husband howling it from the other room for all the neighbours to hear. “Don’t call people that word,” she remarked. “What word?” asked her husband. “You know, that word. It is totally inappropriate.” Frank was used to his wife’s often creative interpretations of the world around her and was inclined to take liberties in translation. “I’ll say he’s inappropriate,” he agreed heartily, delighted she was taking a position. “Then why did you say it?” she called out. “Say what?” “That word.” “What word?” “Well, I can’t say it,” Rachel shouted over the noise. “We don’t talk like that about people with…you know…mental disabilities.” “Mental disabilities?” Frank was surprised. For her to call the candidate mentally disabled was pretty strong. She was usually so polite, so politically neutral. “About time she saw things my way,” he thought approvingly. “Ha! He has no ability, that’s the problem,” he chuckled. Rachel drew in her breath. What was wrong with the man? First using the “R” word to describe someone, then being so cruel as to suggest that people who are differently abled have no abilities at all! “Frank! That is terrible! We all have something to contribute.”

“I will never allow that to happen!” Was his wife insane? First, calling the man mentally disabled, then wanting to contribute to his candidacy? It was that kind of lunatic inconsistency that got the country where it was in the first place! He turned up the volume on the TV to make his feelings clear, shouting a final, “We are not contributing a penny to his campaign.” Unbelievably, Rachel did not take the hint, calling out, “No I don’t think we have any. What do you want champagne for anyway?” she asked. “What on earth makes you think I’d support his campaign?” answered her husband. “Frank, it’s really just for special occasions,” she answered. “Right. He was charged with tax evasion. And cooking the books.” Frank replied. “I don’t know. I was thinking of fish. You could have some white wine with that.” Frank paused. White wine? Why would she be offering him wine in the afternoon? He gave it a thought. She must have said she was sick of hearing the right whine. “I totally agree. Though the left could do with a little less complaining too,” he said. “I’m not complaining!” exclaimed Rachel. “I didn’t say you were! I said the left was,” said Frank. “No, it isn’t leftovers. I just got the cod last night.” Frank took a long moment to process this. She just talked to God last night? He decided he needed clarity. “You talked to who?” “I ought to do what?” Rachel was beginning to sound testy. Frank drew a deep breath, “I said I was wondering who you talked to.” “I saw Bette Jean, of course, and that nice lady who works the cash register. Why?” Frank tried to work these names into a tapestry of sense in his mind and came up empty. He decided to let it go. You live with someone long enough, and really, you couldn’t sweat the details. He returned his full attention to the commentators on the tv who were having a field day raking the candidate over the coals about something he had done 30 years earlier. With well over thirty years to his own name, he felt his sympathies fall to the candidate on this one. “Really, people ought to just let the past lie.” He didn’t realise he had spoken aloud into a momentary lull in the volume of the show. He definitely realised he had spoken aloud as soon as Rachel’s retort shot out of the kitchen in a dangerous sniper attack. “Frank! Why on earth would you accuse me of lying about talking to Bette Jean and the cashier?”

“I wasn’t, honey! I was talking about how people ought to just let the past lie. Not you.” He pitched his praise to a hearty bellow to ensure she heard him. “Oh, my heavens!” Rachel threw her hands in the air as if to protect herself from the grenade her husband had just lobbed into the living room. “If you say the “R” word one more time in this house and…well, I just don’t know. I had no idea you were such a bigot.” Frank turned all the way around in the chair to better assess what bug his wife had in her ear. She was holding mustard in her hands. The air in the living room had become decidedly frosty, with plumes of righteous indignation radiating from her sturdy frame. Still, a man has to defend himself. “Bigot? What, against mustard? It’s ketchup I don’t like.”

“I thought you liked ketchup.” Frank had the distinct impression the conversation had leapt the tracks, but with the commentators’ laughter rising and swelling in an auditory tide of noise in the background, he wasn’t sure where the derailment had occurred. He should probably turn down the volume. What the heck had he done with the remote?

“Why are we talking about ketchup?” Really, not only cranky, but Frank might just be getting a little senile, Rachel thought. It was worrying. “Don’t tell me to catch up.” Frank’s voice took on an edge, slicing up from behind the recliner where he was pawing about between the cushions like a dog burying a bone. He’d about had it with her correcting tone. Was it him, or was the air in the room becoming warmer? He cautiously probed the emotional temperature for any jagged edges of lingering outrage. Finding none, he added, “I just don’t have a clue how we got here.”

“Hear what?”

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

19.  Which of the following best sums up the idea implied in the fifth paragraph?

Colonel Mustard in the Kitchen Without a Hearing Aid

Rachel stood at the kitchen sink watching the snowfall softly over the backyard. In the living room, her husband was watching some show where commentators loudly traded barbs and lobbed insults at each other. The noise was incessant. She decided to turn off her hearing aids. The soft silence outside the window was suddenly complemented by a similar hush within her own head. Ah, much better. “Did you hear that?” As if on cue, her husband was bellowing for her attention. Rachel sighed. “Hear what?” “That guy running for office. He’s a complete idiot,” said Frank.

Without her hearing aids, Rachel could just hear the skeleton of sentences, mostly vowel sounds with mushy consonants failing to knit them together into meaning, requiring a bit of guesswork to decode. It was like wearing a sweater in her ears which is why she had broken down finally and invested in the hearing aids. There were times, though, when she wasn’t all that sure she wanted to hear so much of what was going on in the world. Still, she felt compelled to answer, raising her voice to be heard over his show. “Who?” “That yahoo running for office with the weird tan. They should call him Colonel Mustard.” Rachel sucked in her breath upon hearing her husband call somebody, anybody, a “retard.” She didn’t even like to think the word, let alone hear her husband howling it from the other room for all the neighbours to hear. “Don’t call people that word,” she remarked. “What word?” asked her husband. “You know, that word. It is totally inappropriate.” Frank was used to his wife’s often creative interpretations of the world around her and was inclined to take liberties in translation. “I’ll say he’s inappropriate,” he agreed heartily, delighted she was taking a position. “Then why did you say it?” she called out. “Say what?” “That word.” “What word?” “Well, I can’t say it,” Rachel shouted over the noise. “We don’t talk like that about people with…you know…mental disabilities.” “Mental disabilities?” Frank was surprised. For her to call the candidate mentally disabled was pretty strong. She was usually so polite, so politically neutral. “About time she saw things my way,” he thought approvingly. “Ha! He has no ability, that’s the problem,” he chuckled. Rachel drew in her breath. What was wrong with the man? First using the “R” word to describe someone, then being so cruel as to suggest that people who are differently abled have no abilities at all! “Frank! That is terrible! We all have something to contribute.”

“I will never allow that to happen!” Was his wife insane? First, calling the man mentally disabled, then wanting to contribute to his candidacy? It was that kind of lunatic inconsistency that got the country where it was in the first place! He turned up the volume on the TV to make his feelings clear, shouting a final, “We are not contributing a penny to his campaign.” Unbelievably, Rachel did not take the hint, calling out, “No I don’t think we have any. What do you want champagne for anyway?” she asked. “What on earth makes you think I’d support his campaign?” answered her husband. “Frank, it’s really just for special occasions,” she answered. “Right. He was charged with tax evasion. And cooking the books.” Frank replied. “I don’t know. I was thinking of fish. You could have some white wine with that.” Frank paused. White wine? Why would she be offering him wine in the afternoon? He gave it a thought. She must have said she was sick of hearing the right whine. “I totally agree. Though the left could do with a little less complaining too,” he said. “I’m not complaining!” exclaimed Rachel. “I didn’t say you were! I said the left was,” said Frank. “No, it isn’t leftovers. I just got the cod last night.” Frank took a long moment to process this. She just talked to God last night? He decided he needed clarity. “You talked to who?” “I ought to do what?” Rachel was beginning to sound testy. Frank drew a deep breath, “I said I was wondering who you talked to.” “I saw Bette Jean, of course, and that nice lady who works the cash register. Why?” Frank tried to work these names into a tapestry of sense in his mind and came up empty. He decided to let it go. You live with someone long enough, and really, you couldn’t sweat the details. He returned his full attention to the commentators on the tv who were having a field day raking the candidate over the coals about something he had done 30 years earlier. With well over thirty years to his own name, he felt his sympathies fall to the candidate on this one. “Really, people ought to just let the past lie.” He didn’t realise he had spoken aloud into a momentary lull in the volume of the show. He definitely realised he had spoken aloud as soon as Rachel’s retort shot out of the kitchen in a dangerous sniper attack. “Frank! Why on earth would you accuse me of lying about talking to Bette Jean and the cashier?”

“I wasn’t, honey! I was talking about how people ought to just let the past lie. Not you.” He pitched his praise to a hearty bellow to ensure she heard him. “Oh, my heavens!” Rachel threw her hands in the air as if to protect herself from the grenade her husband had just lobbed into the living room. “If you say the “R” word one more time in this house and…well, I just don’t know. I had no idea you were such a bigot.” Frank turned all the way around in the chair to better assess what bug his wife had in her ear. She was holding mustard in her hands. The air in the living room had become decidedly frosty, with plumes of righteous indignation radiating from her sturdy frame. Still, a man has to defend himself. “Bigot? What, against mustard? It’s ketchup I don’t like.”

“I thought you liked ketchup.” Frank had the distinct impression the conversation had leapt the tracks, but with the commentators’ laughter rising and swelling in an auditory tide of noise in the background, he wasn’t sure where the derailment had occurred. He should probably turn down the volume. What the heck had he done with the remote?

“Why are we talking about ketchup?” Really, not only cranky, but Frank might just be getting a little senile, Rachel thought. It was worrying. “Don’t tell me to catch up.” Frank’s voice took on an edge, slicing up from behind the recliner where he was pawing about between the cushions like a dog burying a bone. He’d about had it with her correcting tone. Was it him, or was the air in the room becoming warmer? He cautiously probed the emotional temperature for any jagged edges of lingering outrage. Finding none, he added, “I just don’t have a clue how we got here.”

“Hear what?”

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

20.  What figurative language is apparent in the line, “he was pawing about between the cushions like a dog burying a bone”?

Read the poems below then answer the questions that follow.

Please Hold by Ciaran O’Driscoll

This is the future, my wife says.

We are already there, and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone.

The robot is giving me countless options, 5

none of which answer to my needs.

Wonderful, says the robot

when I give him my telephone number.

And Great, says the robot

when I give him my account number. 10

I have a wonderful telephone number

and a great account number,

but I can find nothing to meet my needs

on the telephone, and into my account

(which is really the robot’s account) 15

goes money, my money, to pay for nothing.

I’m paying a robot for doing nothing.

This call is free of charge, says the mind-reading robot.

Yes but I’m paying for it, I shout,

out of my wonderful account 20

into my great telephone bill.

Wonderful, says the robot.

And my wife says, This is the future.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand, says the robot.

Please say Yes or No. 25

Or you can say Repeat or Menu.

You can say Yes, No, Repeat or Menu,

Or you can say Agent if you’d like to talk

to someone real, who is just as robotic.

I scream Agent! and am cut off, 30

and my wife says, This is the future.

We are already there and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone,

and he is giving me no options 35

in the guise of countless alternatives.

We appreciate your patience. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine fucking Kleine Nachtmusik. 40

And the robot transfers me to himself.

Your call is important to us, he says.

And my translator says, This means

your call is not important to them.

And my wife says, This is the future. 45

And my translator says, Please hold

means that, for all your accomplishments,

the only way you can now meet your needs

is by looting. Wonderful, says the robot

Please hold. Please grow old. Please grow cold. 50

Please do what you’re told. Grow old. Grow cold.

This is the future. Please hold.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

21.  Was the speaker and his wife able to accomplish what they needed over the phone?

Read the poems below then answer the questions that follow.

Please Hold by Ciaran O’Driscoll

This is the future, my wife says.

We are already there, and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone.

The robot is giving me countless options, 5

none of which answer to my needs.

Wonderful, says the robot

when I give him my telephone number.

And Great, says the robot

when I give him my account number. 10

I have a wonderful telephone number

and a great account number,

but I can find nothing to meet my needs

on the telephone, and into my account

(which is really the robot’s account) 15

goes money, my money, to pay for nothing.

I’m paying a robot for doing nothing.

This call is free of charge, says the mind-reading robot.

Yes but I’m paying for it, I shout,

out of my wonderful account 20

into my great telephone bill.

Wonderful, says the robot.

And my wife says, This is the future.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand, says the robot.

Please say Yes or No. 25

Or you can say Repeat or Menu.

You can say Yes, No, Repeat or Menu,

Or you can say Agent if you’d like to talk

to someone real, who is just as robotic.

I scream Agent! and am cut off, 30

and my wife says, This is the future.

We are already there and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone,

and he is giving me no options 35

in the guise of countless alternatives.

We appreciate your patience. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine fucking Kleine Nachtmusik. 40

And the robot transfers me to himself.

Your call is important to us, he says.

And my translator says, This means

your call is not important to them.

And my wife says, This is the future. 45

And my translator says, Please hold

means that, for all your accomplishments,

the only way you can now meet your needs

is by looting. Wonderful, says the robot

Please hold. Please grow old. Please grow cold. 50

Please do what you’re told. Grow old. Grow cold.

This is the future. Please hold.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

22.  While waiting for a robot to transfer their call, the speaker listens to music from an era where people conducted business by actually speaking to other people. What does this impose on today’s contemporary world?

Read the poems below then answer the questions that follow.

Please Hold by Ciaran O’Driscoll

This is the future, my wife says.

We are already there, and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone.

The robot is giving me countless options, 5

none of which answer to my needs.

Wonderful, says the robot

when I give him my telephone number.

And Great, says the robot

when I give him my account number. 10

I have a wonderful telephone number

and a great account number,

but I can find nothing to meet my needs

on the telephone, and into my account

(which is really the robot’s account) 15

goes money, my money, to pay for nothing.

I’m paying a robot for doing nothing.

This call is free of charge, says the mind-reading robot.

Yes but I’m paying for it, I shout,

out of my wonderful account 20

into my great telephone bill.

Wonderful, says the robot.

And my wife says, This is the future.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand, says the robot.

Please say Yes or No. 25

Or you can say Repeat or Menu.

You can say Yes, No, Repeat or Menu,

Or you can say Agent if you’d like to talk

to someone real, who is just as robotic.

I scream Agent! and am cut off, 30

and my wife says, This is the future.

We are already there and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone,

and he is giving me no options 35

in the guise of countless alternatives.

We appreciate your patience. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine fucking Kleine Nachtmusik. 40

And the robot transfers me to himself.

Your call is important to us, he says.

And my translator says, This means

your call is not important to them.

And my wife says, This is the future. 45

And my translator says, Please hold

means that, for all your accomplishments,

the only way you can now meet your needs

is by looting. Wonderful, says the robot

Please hold. Please grow old. Please grow cold. 50

Please do what you’re told. Grow old. Grow cold.

This is the future. Please hold.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

23.  After reading the poem, you may extrapolate that it satirises – 

Read the poems below then answer the questions that follow.

Please Hold by Ciaran O’Driscoll

This is the future, my wife says.

We are already there, and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone.

The robot is giving me countless options, 5

none of which answer to my needs.

Wonderful, says the robot

when I give him my telephone number.

And Great, says the robot

when I give him my account number. 10

I have a wonderful telephone number

and a great account number,

but I can find nothing to meet my needs

on the telephone, and into my account

(which is really the robot’s account) 15

goes money, my money, to pay for nothing.

I’m paying a robot for doing nothing.

This call is free of charge, says the mind-reading robot.

Yes but I’m paying for it, I shout,

out of my wonderful account 20

into my great telephone bill.

Wonderful, says the robot.

And my wife says, This is the future.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand, says the robot.

Please say Yes or No. 25

Or you can say Repeat or Menu.

You can say Yes, No, Repeat or Menu,

Or you can say Agent if you’d like to talk

to someone real, who is just as robotic.

I scream Agent! and am cut off, 30

and my wife says, This is the future.

We are already there and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone,

and he is giving me no options 35

in the guise of countless alternatives.

We appreciate your patience. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine fucking Kleine Nachtmusik. 40

And the robot transfers me to himself.

Your call is important to us, he says.

And my translator says, This means

your call is not important to them.

And my wife says, This is the future. 45

And my translator says, Please hold

means that, for all your accomplishments,

the only way you can now meet your needs

is by looting. Wonderful, says the robot

Please hold. Please grow old. Please grow cold. 50

Please do what you’re told. Grow old. Grow cold.

This is the future. Please hold.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

24.  The poem evokes the following EXCEPT?

Read the poems below then answer the questions that follow.

Please Hold by Ciaran O’Driscoll

This is the future, my wife says.

We are already there, and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone.

The robot is giving me countless options, 5

none of which answer to my needs.

Wonderful, says the robot

when I give him my telephone number.

And Great, says the robot

when I give him my account number. 10

I have a wonderful telephone number

and a great account number,

but I can find nothing to meet my needs

on the telephone, and into my account

(which is really the robot’s account) 15

goes money, my money, to pay for nothing.

I’m paying a robot for doing nothing.

This call is free of charge, says the mind-reading robot.

Yes but I’m paying for it, I shout,

out of my wonderful account 20

into my great telephone bill.

Wonderful, says the robot.

And my wife says, This is the future.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand, says the robot.

Please say Yes or No. 25

Or you can say Repeat or Menu.

You can say Yes, No, Repeat or Menu,

Or you can say Agent if you’d like to talk

to someone real, who is just as robotic.

I scream Agent! and am cut off, 30

and my wife says, This is the future.

We are already there and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone,

and he is giving me no options 35

in the guise of countless alternatives.

We appreciate your patience. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine fucking Kleine Nachtmusik. 40

And the robot transfers me to himself.

Your call is important to us, he says.

And my translator says, This means

your call is not important to them.

And my wife says, This is the future. 45

And my translator says, Please hold

means that, for all your accomplishments,

the only way you can now meet your needs

is by looting. Wonderful, says the robot

Please hold. Please grow old. Please grow cold. 50

Please do what you’re told. Grow old. Grow cold.

This is the future. Please hold.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

25.  Which of the following presents the best summary for the poem?

Read the poems below then answer the questions that follow.

Please Hold by Ciaran O’Driscoll

This is the future, my wife says.

We are already there, and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone.

The robot is giving me countless options, 5

none of which answer to my needs.

Wonderful, says the robot

when I give him my telephone number.

And Great, says the robot

when I give him my account number. 10

I have a wonderful telephone number

and a great account number,

but I can find nothing to meet my needs

on the telephone, and into my account

(which is really the robot’s account) 15

goes money, my money, to pay for nothing.

I’m paying a robot for doing nothing.

This call is free of charge, says the mind-reading robot.

Yes but I’m paying for it, I shout,

out of my wonderful account 20

into my great telephone bill.

Wonderful, says the robot.

And my wife says, This is the future.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand, says the robot.

Please say Yes or No. 25

Or you can say Repeat or Menu.

You can say Yes, No, Repeat or Menu,

Or you can say Agent if you’d like to talk

to someone real, who is just as robotic.

I scream Agent! and am cut off, 30

and my wife says, This is the future.

We are already there and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone,

and he is giving me no options 35

in the guise of countless alternatives.

We appreciate your patience. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine fucking Kleine Nachtmusik. 40

And the robot transfers me to himself.

Your call is important to us, he says.

And my translator says, This means

your call is not important to them.

And my wife says, This is the future. 45

And my translator says, Please hold

means that, for all your accomplishments,

the only way you can now meet your needs

is by looting. Wonderful, says the robot

Please hold. Please grow old. Please grow cold. 50

Please do what you’re told. Grow old. Grow cold.

This is the future. Please hold.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

26.  How does the opening stanza, lines 1 to 49, make readers feel?

Read the poems below then answer the questions that follow.

Please Hold by Ciaran O’Driscoll

This is the future, my wife says.

We are already there, and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone.

The robot is giving me countless options, 5

none of which answer to my needs.

Wonderful, says the robot

when I give him my telephone number.

And Great, says the robot

when I give him my account number. 10

I have a wonderful telephone number

and a great account number,

but I can find nothing to meet my needs

on the telephone, and into my account

(which is really the robot’s account) 15

goes money, my money, to pay for nothing.

I’m paying a robot for doing nothing.

This call is free of charge, says the mind-reading robot.

Yes but I’m paying for it, I shout,

out of my wonderful account 20

into my great telephone bill.

Wonderful, says the robot.

And my wife says, This is the future.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand, says the robot.

Please say Yes or No. 25

Or you can say Repeat or Menu.

You can say Yes, No, Repeat or Menu,

Or you can say Agent if you’d like to talk

to someone real, who is just as robotic.

I scream Agent! and am cut off, 30

and my wife says, This is the future.

We are already there and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone,

and he is giving me no options 35

in the guise of countless alternatives.

We appreciate your patience. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine fucking Kleine Nachtmusik. 40

And the robot transfers me to himself.

Your call is important to us, he says.

And my translator says, This means

your call is not important to them.

And my wife says, This is the future. 45

And my translator says, Please hold

means that, for all your accomplishments,

the only way you can now meet your needs

is by looting. Wonderful, says the robot

Please hold. Please grow old. Please grow cold. 50

Please do what you’re told. Grow old. Grow cold.

This is the future. Please hold.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

27.  How do you interpret the speaker’s conduct throughout the entire poem?

Read the poems below then answer the questions that follow.

Please Hold by Ciaran O’Driscoll

This is the future, my wife says.

We are already there, and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone.

The robot is giving me countless options, 5

none of which answer to my needs.

Wonderful, says the robot

when I give him my telephone number.

And Great, says the robot

when I give him my account number. 10

I have a wonderful telephone number

and a great account number,

but I can find nothing to meet my needs

on the telephone, and into my account

(which is really the robot’s account) 15

goes money, my money, to pay for nothing.

I’m paying a robot for doing nothing.

This call is free of charge, says the mind-reading robot.

Yes but I’m paying for it, I shout,

out of my wonderful account 20

into my great telephone bill.

Wonderful, says the robot.

And my wife says, This is the future.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand, says the robot.

Please say Yes or No. 25

Or you can say Repeat or Menu.

You can say Yes, No, Repeat or Menu,

Or you can say Agent if you’d like to talk

to someone real, who is just as robotic.

I scream Agent! and am cut off, 30

and my wife says, This is the future.

We are already there and it’s the same

as the present. Your future, here, she says.

And I’m talking to a robot on the phone,

and he is giving me no options 35

in the guise of countless alternatives.

We appreciate your patience. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Please hold.

Eine fucking Kleine Nachtmusik. 40

And the robot transfers me to himself.

Your call is important to us, he says.

And my translator says, This means

your call is not important to them.

And my wife says, This is the future. 45

And my translator says, Please hold

means that, for all your accomplishments,

the only way you can now meet your needs

is by looting. Wonderful, says the robot

Please hold. Please grow old. Please grow cold. 50

Please do what you’re told. Grow old. Grow cold.

This is the future. Please hold.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

28.   What literary device is evident in lines 8 to 12?

Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker

The skin cracks like a pod.

There never is enough water.

Imagine the drip of it,

the small splash, echo

in a  tin mug, 5

the voice of a kindly god.

Sometimes, the sudden rush

of fortune. The municipal pipe bursts,

silver crashes to the ground

and the flow has found 10

a roar of tongues. From the huts,

a congregation: every man woman

child for streets around

butts in, with pots,

brass, copper, aluminium, 15

plastic buckets,

frantic hands,

and naked children

screaming in the liquid sun,

their highlights polished to perfection, 20

flashing light,

as the blessing sings

over their small bones.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

29.  The first stanza of the poem mentions that the skin cracks like a pod and there never is enough water. What does this depict about the setting of the poem?

Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker

The skin cracks like a pod.

There never is enough water.

Imagine the drip of it,

the small splash, echo

in a  tin mug, 5

the voice of a kindly god.

Sometimes, the sudden rush

of fortune. The municipal pipe bursts,

silver crashes to the ground

and the flow has found 10

a roar of tongues. From the huts,

a congregation: every man woman

child for streets around

butts in, with pots,

brass, copper, aluminium, 15

plastic buckets,

frantic hands,

and naked children

screaming in the liquid sun,

their highlights polished to perfection, 20

flashing light,

as the blessing sings

over their small bones.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

30.  How does the poet make use of “water” in portraying the underlying message of the poem?

Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker

The skin cracks like a pod.

There never is enough water.

Imagine the drip of it,

the small splash, echo

in a  tin mug, 5

the voice of a kindly god.

Sometimes, the sudden rush

of fortune. The municipal pipe bursts,

silver crashes to the ground

and the flow has found 10

a roar of tongues. From the huts,

a congregation: every man woman

child for streets around

butts in, with pots,

brass, copper, aluminium, 15

plastic buckets,

frantic hands,

and naked children

screaming in the liquid sun,

their highlights polished to perfection, 20

flashing light,

as the blessing sings

over their small bones.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

31.  Stanzas 3 and 4 depict a pleasant and social environment. However, the line, “sudden rush of fortune” can evoke an uncomfortable image. How can this be?

Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker

The skin cracks like a pod.

There never is enough water.

Imagine the drip of it,

the small splash, echo

in a  tin mug, 5

the voice of a kindly god.

Sometimes, the sudden rush

of fortune. The municipal pipe bursts,

silver crashes to the ground

and the flow has found 10

a roar of tongues. From the huts,

a congregation: every man woman

child for streets around

butts in, with pots,

brass, copper, aluminium, 15

plastic buckets,

frantic hands,

and naked children

screaming in the liquid sun,

their highlights polished to perfection, 20

flashing light,

as the blessing sings

over their small bones.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

32.  In lines 3 to 6, the speaker addresses the readers directly. How does this help in communicating the message of the poem?

Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker

The skin cracks like a pod.

There never is enough water.

Imagine the drip of it,

the small splash, echo

in a  tin mug, 5

the voice of a kindly god.

Sometimes, the sudden rush

of fortune. The municipal pipe bursts,

silver crashes to the ground

and the flow has found 10

a roar of tongues. From the huts,

a congregation: every man woman

child for streets around

butts in, with pots,

brass, copper, aluminium, 15

plastic buckets,

frantic hands,

and naked children

screaming in the liquid sun,

their highlights polished to perfection, 20

flashing light,

as the blessing sings

over their small bones.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

33.   Line 23 concludes the poem with the words, “small bones”. What could be the poet’s main purpose for doing this?

Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker

The skin cracks like a pod.

There never is enough water.

Imagine the drip of it,

the small splash, echo

in a  tin mug, 5

the voice of a kindly god.

Sometimes, the sudden rush

of fortune. The municipal pipe bursts,

silver crashes to the ground

and the flow has found 10

a roar of tongues. From the huts,

a congregation: every man woman

child for streets around

butts in, with pots,

brass, copper, aluminium, 15

plastic buckets,

frantic hands,

and naked children

screaming in the liquid sun,

their highlights polished to perfection, 20

flashing light,

as the blessing sings

over their small bones.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

34.  Which of the following is NOT a theme explored in the poem?

The Waking by Theodore Roethke

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.

I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?

I hear my being dance from ear to ear. 5

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?

God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,

And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how? 10

The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do

To you and me; so take the lively air,

And, lovely, learn by going where to go. 15

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.

What falls away is always. And is near.

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I learn by going where I have to go.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

35.  What do lines one to three suggest?

The Waking by Theodore Roethke

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.

I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?

I hear my being dance from ear to ear. 5

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?

God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,

And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how? 10

The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do

To you and me; so take the lively air,

And, lovely, learn by going where to go. 15

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.

What falls away is always. And is near.

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I learn by going where I have to go.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

36.  Line four states, “we think by feeling”. What is the speaker attempting to convey?

The Waking by Theodore Roethke

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.

I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?

I hear my being dance from ear to ear. 5

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?

God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,

And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how? 10

The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do

To you and me; so take the lively air,

And, lovely, learn by going where to go. 15

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.

What falls away is always. And is near.

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I learn by going where I have to go.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

37.  The phrase “ear to ear” in line five is used by the speaker to – 

The Waking by Theodore Roethke

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.

I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?

I hear my being dance from ear to ear. 5

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?

God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,

And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how? 10

The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do

To you and me; so take the lively air,

And, lovely, learn by going where to go. 15

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.

What falls away is always. And is near.

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I learn by going where I have to go.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

38.  How did the poet utilise the phrase, “the lowly worm” in line eleven?

The Waking by Theodore Roethke

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.

I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?

I hear my being dance from ear to ear. 5

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?

God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,

And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how? 10

The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do

To you and me; so take the lively air,

And, lovely, learn by going where to go. 15

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.

What falls away is always. And is near.

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I learn by going where I have to go.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

39.  What is the key takeaway from the poem?

The Waking by Theodore Roethke

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.

I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?

I hear my being dance from ear to ear. 5

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?

God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,

And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how? 10

The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do

To you and me; so take the lively air,

And, lovely, learn by going where to go. 15

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.

What falls away is always. And is near.

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I learn by going where I have to go.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 

40.  What figurative language is most evident in line two?

Read the articles below then answer the questions that follow.

5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations

The Babylonian Akitu. The ancient Babylonians of Mesopotamia would celebrate the rebirth of nature with a multi-day festival called Akitu after the first new moon after the spring equinox in late March. This early New Year’s celebration goes back to around 2000 B.C., and it is thought that religion and mythology were very important parts of it. During the Akitu, statues of the gods were carried through the streets of the city, and ceremonies were held to show that the gods had won against the forces of chaos. The Babylonians thought that the gods cleaned and rebuilt the world through these rituals in preparation for the new year and the return of spring.

One interesting thing about the Akitu was that the Babylonian king had to go through a kind of ritual humiliation. In this strange tradition, the king was brought before a statue of the god Marduk, stripped of his royal clothes, and made to swear that he had led the city well. The high priest would then hit the king and pull him by his ears to make him cry. If a king shed tears, it was thought that Marduk was happy and had extended the king’s rule symbolically. Some historians have since said that these political factors show that the Akitu was used by the monarchy as a way to remind the people that the king had divine power over them.

Ancient Roman Celebration of Janus. The Roman New Year originally started on the same day as the vernal equinox, but after years of changing the solar calendar, the holiday was moved to January 1. For the Romans, the month of January was very important. It got its name from Janus, the god of change and new beginnings, who has two faces. People thought that Janus, as a symbol, looked back at the old and forward to the new. This idea became linked to the idea of moving from one year to the next.

Romans would give gifts to Janus on January 1 in hopes of getting good luck for the new year. People thought that this day set the tone for the next twelve months, so it was common for friends and neighbours to start the year off well by wishing each other well and giving each other gifts of figs and honey. Ovid, a poet, said that most Romans also worked at least part of New Year’s Day because they thought that doing nothing was a bad sign for the rest of the year.

Ancient Egyptian Wepet Renpet. The Nile River was an important part of ancient Egyptian culture, and it looks like their New Year coincided with the river’s annual flood. Censorinus, a Roman writer, said that the Egyptian New Year could be predicted by when Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, was seen again after being hidden for 70 days. This event, which is also called a “heliacal rising,” usually happened in the middle of July, right before the Nile River flooded every year. This helped make sure that farmland stayed fertile for the next year. The Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival called Wepet Renpet, which means “opening of the year.” People thought of the New Year as a time of rebirth and renewal, so they celebrated it with feasts and special religious ceremonies.

Lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year, is one of the oldest traditions that is still celebrated today. It is thought to have started more than 3,000 years ago during the Shang Dynasty. The holiday started out as a way to celebrate the start of the planting season in the spring, but over time it became mixed up with myths and stories. One popular story says that every New Year, villages were attacked by a bloodthirsty creature named Nian, which is now the Chinese word for “year.” The villagers tried to scare away the hungry beast by painting their houses red, setting fire to bamboo, and making loud noises. The trick worked, and the bright colours and lights that were used to scare Nian away were eventually added to the party.

Usually, celebrations last 15 days and focus on the home and family. People clean their homes to get rid of bad luck, and some pay off old debts to close the books in the past year. In order to have a good start to the year, they also hang paper scrolls on their doors and have a feast with their families. After gunpowder was invented in China in the 10th century, the Chinese were also the first people to use fireworks to celebrate the New Year. Since Lunar New Year is still based on a lunar calendar from 2,000 BC, it usually happens on the second new moon after the winter solstice in late January or early February. Each of the 12 zodiac animals is linked to a certain year: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig.

In the past, Nowruz celebrations were all about the new life that came with spring. The holiday was a time for monarchs to throw big parties, give gifts, and meet with their subjects. There were also feasts, gift exchanges with family and neighbours, bonfires, colouring eggs, and sprinkling water to represent the creation of the world. Around the 10th century, one unique ritual was to choose a “Nowruzian Ruler.” This was a commoner who would act like a king for a few days before being “dethroned” at the end of the festival. Nowruz has changed a lot over the years, but many of its old customs, like using bonfires and dyed eggs, are still part of the modern holiday, which is celebrated by an estimated 300 million people every year.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

41.  What is one New Year tradition that has been influenced by the Chinese?

Read the articles below then answer the questions that follow.

5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations

The Babylonian Akitu. The ancient Babylonians of Mesopotamia would celebrate the rebirth of nature with a multi-day festival called Akitu after the first new moon after the spring equinox in late March. This early New Year’s celebration goes back to around 2000 B.C., and it is thought that religion and mythology were very important parts of it. During the Akitu, statues of the gods were carried through the streets of the city, and ceremonies were held to show that the gods had won against the forces of chaos. The Babylonians thought that the gods cleaned and rebuilt the world through these rituals in preparation for the new year and the return of spring.

One interesting thing about the Akitu was that the Babylonian king had to go through a kind of ritual humiliation. In this strange tradition, the king was brought before a statue of the god Marduk, stripped of his royal clothes, and made to swear that he had led the city well. The high priest would then hit the king and pull him by his ears to make him cry. If a king shed tears, it was thought that Marduk was happy and had extended the king’s rule symbolically. Some historians have since said that these political factors show that the Akitu was used by the monarchy as a way to remind the people that the king had divine power over them.

Ancient Roman Celebration of Janus. The Roman New Year originally started on the same day as the vernal equinox, but after years of changing the solar calendar, the holiday was moved to January 1. For the Romans, the month of January was very important. It got its name from Janus, the god of change and new beginnings, who has two faces. People thought that Janus, as a symbol, looked back at the old and forward to the new. This idea became linked to the idea of moving from one year to the next.

Romans would give gifts to Janus on January 1 in hopes of getting good luck for the new year. People thought that this day set the tone for the next twelve months, so it was common for friends and neighbours to start the year off well by wishing each other well and giving each other gifts of figs and honey. Ovid, a poet, said that most Romans also worked at least part of New Year’s Day because they thought that doing nothing was a bad sign for the rest of the year.

Ancient Egyptian Wepet Renpet. The Nile River was an important part of ancient Egyptian culture, and it looks like their New Year coincided with the river’s annual flood. Censorinus, a Roman writer, said that the Egyptian New Year could be predicted by when Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, was seen again after being hidden for 70 days. This event, which is also called a “heliacal rising,” usually happened in the middle of July, right before the Nile River flooded every year. This helped make sure that farmland stayed fertile for the next year. The Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival called Wepet Renpet, which means “opening of the year.” People thought of the New Year as a time of rebirth and renewal, so they celebrated it with feasts and special religious ceremonies.

Lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year, is one of the oldest traditions that is still celebrated today. It is thought to have started more than 3,000 years ago during the Shang Dynasty. The holiday started out as a way to celebrate the start of the planting season in the spring, but over time it became mixed up with myths and stories. One popular story says that every New Year, villages were attacked by a bloodthirsty creature named Nian, which is now the Chinese word for “year.” The villagers tried to scare away the hungry beast by painting their houses red, setting fire to bamboo, and making loud noises. The trick worked, and the bright colours and lights that were used to scare Nian away were eventually added to the party.

Usually, celebrations last 15 days and focus on the home and family. People clean their homes to get rid of bad luck, and some pay off old debts to close the books in the past year. In order to have a good start to the year, they also hang paper scrolls on their doors and have a feast with their families. After gunpowder was invented in China in the 10th century, the Chinese were also the first people to use fireworks to celebrate the New Year. Since Lunar New Year is still based on a lunar calendar from 2,000 BC, it usually happens on the second new moon after the winter solstice in late January or early February. Each of the 12 zodiac animals is linked to a certain year: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig.

In the past, Nowruz celebrations were all about the new life that came with spring. The holiday was a time for monarchs to throw big parties, give gifts, and meet with their subjects. There were also feasts, gift exchanges with family and neighbours, bonfires, colouring eggs, and sprinkling water to represent the creation of the world. Around the 10th century, one unique ritual was to choose a “Nowruzian Ruler.” This was a commoner who would act like a king for a few days before being “dethroned” at the end of the festival. Nowruz has changed a lot over the years, but many of its old customs, like using bonfires and dyed eggs, are still part of the modern holiday, which is celebrated by an estimated 300 million people every year.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

42.  Which festival was utilised by the monarchy to remind the people of the king’s divine authority?

Read the articles below then answer the questions that follow.

5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations

The Babylonian Akitu. The ancient Babylonians of Mesopotamia would celebrate the rebirth of nature with a multi-day festival called Akitu after the first new moon after the spring equinox in late March. This early New Year’s celebration goes back to around 2000 B.C., and it is thought that religion and mythology were very important parts of it. During the Akitu, statues of the gods were carried through the streets of the city, and ceremonies were held to show that the gods had won against the forces of chaos. The Babylonians thought that the gods cleaned and rebuilt the world through these rituals in preparation for the new year and the return of spring.

One interesting thing about the Akitu was that the Babylonian king had to go through a kind of ritual humiliation. In this strange tradition, the king was brought before a statue of the god Marduk, stripped of his royal clothes, and made to swear that he had led the city well. The high priest would then hit the king and pull him by his ears to make him cry. If a king shed tears, it was thought that Marduk was happy and had extended the king’s rule symbolically. Some historians have since said that these political factors show that the Akitu was used by the monarchy as a way to remind the people that the king had divine power over them.

Ancient Roman Celebration of Janus. The Roman New Year originally started on the same day as the vernal equinox, but after years of changing the solar calendar, the holiday was moved to January 1. For the Romans, the month of January was very important. It got its name from Janus, the god of change and new beginnings, who has two faces. People thought that Janus, as a symbol, looked back at the old and forward to the new. This idea became linked to the idea of moving from one year to the next.

Romans would give gifts to Janus on January 1 in hopes of getting good luck for the new year. People thought that this day set the tone for the next twelve months, so it was common for friends and neighbours to start the year off well by wishing each other well and giving each other gifts of figs and honey. Ovid, a poet, said that most Romans also worked at least part of New Year’s Day because they thought that doing nothing was a bad sign for the rest of the year.

Ancient Egyptian Wepet Renpet. The Nile River was an important part of ancient Egyptian culture, and it looks like their New Year coincided with the river’s annual flood. Censorinus, a Roman writer, said that the Egyptian New Year could be predicted by when Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, was seen again after being hidden for 70 days. This event, which is also called a “heliacal rising,” usually happened in the middle of July, right before the Nile River flooded every year. This helped make sure that farmland stayed fertile for the next year. The Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival called Wepet Renpet, which means “opening of the year.” People thought of the New Year as a time of rebirth and renewal, so they celebrated it with feasts and special religious ceremonies.

Lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year, is one of the oldest traditions that is still celebrated today. It is thought to have started more than 3,000 years ago during the Shang Dynasty. The holiday started out as a way to celebrate the start of the planting season in the spring, but over time it became mixed up with myths and stories. One popular story says that every New Year, villages were attacked by a bloodthirsty creature named Nian, which is now the Chinese word for “year.” The villagers tried to scare away the hungry beast by painting their houses red, setting fire to bamboo, and making loud noises. The trick worked, and the bright colours and lights that were used to scare Nian away were eventually added to the party.

Usually, celebrations last 15 days and focus on the home and family. People clean their homes to get rid of bad luck, and some pay off old debts to close the books in the past year. In order to have a good start to the year, they also hang paper scrolls on their doors and have a feast with their families. After gunpowder was invented in China in the 10th century, the Chinese were also the first people to use fireworks to celebrate the New Year. Since Lunar New Year is still based on a lunar calendar from 2,000 BC, it usually happens on the second new moon after the winter solstice in late January or early February. Each of the 12 zodiac animals is linked to a certain year: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig.

In the past, Nowruz celebrations were all about the new life that came with spring. The holiday was a time for monarchs to throw big parties, give gifts, and meet with their subjects. There were also feasts, gift exchanges with family and neighbours, bonfires, colouring eggs, and sprinkling water to represent the creation of the world. Around the 10th century, one unique ritual was to choose a “Nowruzian Ruler.” This was a commoner who would act like a king for a few days before being “dethroned” at the end of the festival. Nowruz has changed a lot over the years, but many of its old customs, like using bonfires and dyed eggs, are still part of the modern holiday, which is celebrated by an estimated 300 million people every year.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

43.  How did the Chinese drive away the voracious monster during New Year?

Read the articles below then answer the questions that follow.

5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations

The Babylonian Akitu. The ancient Babylonians of Mesopotamia would celebrate the rebirth of nature with a multi-day festival called Akitu after the first new moon after the spring equinox in late March. This early New Year’s celebration goes back to around 2000 B.C., and it is thought that religion and mythology were very important parts of it. During the Akitu, statues of the gods were carried through the streets of the city, and ceremonies were held to show that the gods had won against the forces of chaos. The Babylonians thought that the gods cleaned and rebuilt the world through these rituals in preparation for the new year and the return of spring.

One interesting thing about the Akitu was that the Babylonian king had to go through a kind of ritual humiliation. In this strange tradition, the king was brought before a statue of the god Marduk, stripped of his royal clothes, and made to swear that he had led the city well. The high priest would then hit the king and pull him by his ears to make him cry. If a king shed tears, it was thought that Marduk was happy and had extended the king’s rule symbolically. Some historians have since said that these political factors show that the Akitu was used by the monarchy as a way to remind the people that the king had divine power over them.

Ancient Roman Celebration of Janus. The Roman New Year originally started on the same day as the vernal equinox, but after years of changing the solar calendar, the holiday was moved to January 1. For the Romans, the month of January was very important. It got its name from Janus, the god of change and new beginnings, who has two faces. People thought that Janus, as a symbol, looked back at the old and forward to the new. This idea became linked to the idea of moving from one year to the next.

Romans would give gifts to Janus on January 1 in hopes of getting good luck for the new year. People thought that this day set the tone for the next twelve months, so it was common for friends and neighbours to start the year off well by wishing each other well and giving each other gifts of figs and honey. Ovid, a poet, said that most Romans also worked at least part of New Year’s Day because they thought that doing nothing was a bad sign for the rest of the year.

Ancient Egyptian Wepet Renpet. The Nile River was an important part of ancient Egyptian culture, and it looks like their New Year coincided with the river’s annual flood. Censorinus, a Roman writer, said that the Egyptian New Year could be predicted by when Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, was seen again after being hidden for 70 days. This event, which is also called a “heliacal rising,” usually happened in the middle of July, right before the Nile River flooded every year. This helped make sure that farmland stayed fertile for the next year. The Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival called Wepet Renpet, which means “opening of the year.” People thought of the New Year as a time of rebirth and renewal, so they celebrated it with feasts and special religious ceremonies.

Lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year, is one of the oldest traditions that is still celebrated today. It is thought to have started more than 3,000 years ago during the Shang Dynasty. The holiday started out as a way to celebrate the start of the planting season in the spring, but over time it became mixed up with myths and stories. One popular story says that every New Year, villages were attacked by a bloodthirsty creature named Nian, which is now the Chinese word for “year.” The villagers tried to scare away the hungry beast by painting their houses red, setting fire to bamboo, and making loud noises. The trick worked, and the bright colours and lights that were used to scare Nian away were eventually added to the party.

Usually, celebrations last 15 days and focus on the home and family. People clean their homes to get rid of bad luck, and some pay off old debts to close the books in the past year. In order to have a good start to the year, they also hang paper scrolls on their doors and have a feast with their families. After gunpowder was invented in China in the 10th century, the Chinese were also the first people to use fireworks to celebrate the New Year. Since Lunar New Year is still based on a lunar calendar from 2,000 BC, it usually happens on the second new moon after the winter solstice in late January or early February. Each of the 12 zodiac animals is linked to a certain year: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig.

In the past, Nowruz celebrations were all about the new life that came with spring. The holiday was a time for monarchs to throw big parties, give gifts, and meet with their subjects. There were also feasts, gift exchanges with family and neighbours, bonfires, colouring eggs, and sprinkling water to represent the creation of the world. Around the 10th century, one unique ritual was to choose a “Nowruzian Ruler.” This was a commoner who would act like a king for a few days before being “dethroned” at the end of the festival. Nowruz has changed a lot over the years, but many of its old customs, like using bonfires and dyed eggs, are still part of the modern holiday, which is celebrated by an estimated 300 million people every year.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

44.  What was the initial purpose of the Lunar New Year?

Read the articles below then answer the questions that follow.

5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations

The Babylonian Akitu. The ancient Babylonians of Mesopotamia would celebrate the rebirth of nature with a multi-day festival called Akitu after the first new moon after the spring equinox in late March. This early New Year’s celebration goes back to around 2000 B.C., and it is thought that religion and mythology were very important parts of it. During the Akitu, statues of the gods were carried through the streets of the city, and ceremonies were held to show that the gods had won against the forces of chaos. The Babylonians thought that the gods cleaned and rebuilt the world through these rituals in preparation for the new year and the return of spring.

One interesting thing about the Akitu was that the Babylonian king had to go through a kind of ritual humiliation. In this strange tradition, the king was brought before a statue of the god Marduk, stripped of his royal clothes, and made to swear that he had led the city well. The high priest would then hit the king and pull him by his ears to make him cry. If a king shed tears, it was thought that Marduk was happy and had extended the king’s rule symbolically. Some historians have since said that these political factors show that the Akitu was used by the monarchy as a way to remind the people that the king had divine power over them.

Ancient Roman Celebration of Janus. The Roman New Year originally started on the same day as the vernal equinox, but after years of changing the solar calendar, the holiday was moved to January 1. For the Romans, the month of January was very important. It got its name from Janus, the god of change and new beginnings, who has two faces. People thought that Janus, as a symbol, looked back at the old and forward to the new. This idea became linked to the idea of moving from one year to the next.

Romans would give gifts to Janus on January 1 in hopes of getting good luck for the new year. People thought that this day set the tone for the next twelve months, so it was common for friends and neighbours to start the year off well by wishing each other well and giving each other gifts of figs and honey. Ovid, a poet, said that most Romans also worked at least part of New Year’s Day because they thought that doing nothing was a bad sign for the rest of the year.

Ancient Egyptian Wepet Renpet. The Nile River was an important part of ancient Egyptian culture, and it looks like their New Year coincided with the river’s annual flood. Censorinus, a Roman writer, said that the Egyptian New Year could be predicted by when Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, was seen again after being hidden for 70 days. This event, which is also called a “heliacal rising,” usually happened in the middle of July, right before the Nile River flooded every year. This helped make sure that farmland stayed fertile for the next year. The Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival called Wepet Renpet, which means “opening of the year.” People thought of the New Year as a time of rebirth and renewal, so they celebrated it with feasts and special religious ceremonies.

Lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year, is one of the oldest traditions that is still celebrated today. It is thought to have started more than 3,000 years ago during the Shang Dynasty. The holiday started out as a way to celebrate the start of the planting season in the spring, but over time it became mixed up with myths and stories. One popular story says that every New Year, villages were attacked by a bloodthirsty creature named Nian, which is now the Chinese word for “year.” The villagers tried to scare away the hungry beast by painting their houses red, setting fire to bamboo, and making loud noises. The trick worked, and the bright colours and lights that were used to scare Nian away were eventually added to the party.

Usually, celebrations last 15 days and focus on the home and family. People clean their homes to get rid of bad luck, and some pay off old debts to close the books in the past year. In order to have a good start to the year, they also hang paper scrolls on their doors and have a feast with their families. After gunpowder was invented in China in the 10th century, the Chinese were also the first people to use fireworks to celebrate the New Year. Since Lunar New Year is still based on a lunar calendar from 2,000 BC, it usually happens on the second new moon after the winter solstice in late January or early February. Each of the 12 zodiac animals is linked to a certain year: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig.

In the past, Nowruz celebrations were all about the new life that came with spring. The holiday was a time for monarchs to throw big parties, give gifts, and meet with their subjects. There were also feasts, gift exchanges with family and neighbours, bonfires, colouring eggs, and sprinkling water to represent the creation of the world. Around the 10th century, one unique ritual was to choose a “Nowruzian Ruler.” This was a commoner who would act like a king for a few days before being “dethroned” at the end of the festival. Nowruz has changed a lot over the years, but many of its old customs, like using bonfires and dyed eggs, are still part of the modern holiday, which is celebrated by an estimated 300 million people every year.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

45.  What makes the Nowruz celebration unique?

Read the articles below then answer the questions that follow.

5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations

The Babylonian Akitu. The ancient Babylonians of Mesopotamia would celebrate the rebirth of nature with a multi-day festival called Akitu after the first new moon after the spring equinox in late March. This early New Year’s celebration goes back to around 2000 B.C., and it is thought that religion and mythology were very important parts of it. During the Akitu, statues of the gods were carried through the streets of the city, and ceremonies were held to show that the gods had won against the forces of chaos. The Babylonians thought that the gods cleaned and rebuilt the world through these rituals in preparation for the new year and the return of spring.

One interesting thing about the Akitu was that the Babylonian king had to go through a kind of ritual humiliation. In this strange tradition, the king was brought before a statue of the god Marduk, stripped of his royal clothes, and made to swear that he had led the city well. The high priest would then hit the king and pull him by his ears to make him cry. If a king shed tears, it was thought that Marduk was happy and had extended the king’s rule symbolically. Some historians have since said that these political factors show that the Akitu was used by the monarchy as a way to remind the people that the king had divine power over them.

Ancient Roman Celebration of Janus. The Roman New Year originally started on the same day as the vernal equinox, but after years of changing the solar calendar, the holiday was moved to January 1. For the Romans, the month of January was very important. It got its name from Janus, the god of change and new beginnings, who has two faces. People thought that Janus, as a symbol, looked back at the old and forward to the new. This idea became linked to the idea of moving from one year to the next.

Romans would give gifts to Janus on January 1 in hopes of getting good luck for the new year. People thought that this day set the tone for the next twelve months, so it was common for friends and neighbours to start the year off well by wishing each other well and giving each other gifts of figs and honey. Ovid, a poet, said that most Romans also worked at least part of New Year’s Day because they thought that doing nothing was a bad sign for the rest of the year.

Ancient Egyptian Wepet Renpet. The Nile River was an important part of ancient Egyptian culture, and it looks like their New Year coincided with the river’s annual flood. Censorinus, a Roman writer, said that the Egyptian New Year could be predicted by when Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, was seen again after being hidden for 70 days. This event, which is also called a “heliacal rising,” usually happened in the middle of July, right before the Nile River flooded every year. This helped make sure that farmland stayed fertile for the next year. The Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival called Wepet Renpet, which means “opening of the year.” People thought of the New Year as a time of rebirth and renewal, so they celebrated it with feasts and special religious ceremonies.

Lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year, is one of the oldest traditions that is still celebrated today. It is thought to have started more than 3,000 years ago during the Shang Dynasty. The holiday started out as a way to celebrate the start of the planting season in the spring, but over time it became mixed up with myths and stories. One popular story says that every New Year, villages were attacked by a bloodthirsty creature named Nian, which is now the Chinese word for “year.” The villagers tried to scare away the hungry beast by painting their houses red, setting fire to bamboo, and making loud noises. The trick worked, and the bright colours and lights that were used to scare Nian away were eventually added to the party.

Usually, celebrations last 15 days and focus on the home and family. People clean their homes to get rid of bad luck, and some pay off old debts to close the books in the past year. In order to have a good start to the year, they also hang paper scrolls on their doors and have a feast with their families. After gunpowder was invented in China in the 10th century, the Chinese were also the first people to use fireworks to celebrate the New Year. Since Lunar New Year is still based on a lunar calendar from 2,000 BC, it usually happens on the second new moon after the winter solstice in late January or early February. Each of the 12 zodiac animals is linked to a certain year: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig.

In the past, Nowruz celebrations were all about the new life that came with spring. The holiday was a time for monarchs to throw big parties, give gifts, and meet with their subjects. There were also feasts, gift exchanges with family and neighbours, bonfires, colouring eggs, and sprinkling water to represent the creation of the world. Around the 10th century, one unique ritual was to choose a “Nowruzian Ruler.” This was a commoner who would act like a king for a few days before being “dethroned” at the end of the festival. Nowruz has changed a lot over the years, but many of its old customs, like using bonfires and dyed eggs, are still part of the modern holiday, which is celebrated by an estimated 300 million people every year.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

46.  How did the Egyptians foretell the New Year?

Read the articles below then answer the questions that follow.

5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations

The Babylonian Akitu. The ancient Babylonians of Mesopotamia would celebrate the rebirth of nature with a multi-day festival called Akitu after the first new moon after the spring equinox in late March. This early New Year’s celebration goes back to around 2000 B.C., and it is thought that religion and mythology were very important parts of it. During the Akitu, statues of the gods were carried through the streets of the city, and ceremonies were held to show that the gods had won against the forces of chaos. The Babylonians thought that the gods cleaned and rebuilt the world through these rituals in preparation for the new year and the return of spring.

One interesting thing about the Akitu was that the Babylonian king had to go through a kind of ritual humiliation. In this strange tradition, the king was brought before a statue of the god Marduk, stripped of his royal clothes, and made to swear that he had led the city well. The high priest would then hit the king and pull him by his ears to make him cry. If a king shed tears, it was thought that Marduk was happy and had extended the king’s rule symbolically. Some historians have since said that these political factors show that the Akitu was used by the monarchy as a way to remind the people that the king had divine power over them.

Ancient Roman Celebration of Janus. The Roman New Year originally started on the same day as the vernal equinox, but after years of changing the solar calendar, the holiday was moved to January 1. For the Romans, the month of January was very important. It got its name from Janus, the god of change and new beginnings, who has two faces. People thought that Janus, as a symbol, looked back at the old and forward to the new. This idea became linked to the idea of moving from one year to the next.

Romans would give gifts to Janus on January 1 in hopes of getting good luck for the new year. People thought that this day set the tone for the next twelve months, so it was common for friends and neighbours to start the year off well by wishing each other well and giving each other gifts of figs and honey. Ovid, a poet, said that most Romans also worked at least part of New Year’s Day because they thought that doing nothing was a bad sign for the rest of the year.

Ancient Egyptian Wepet Renpet. The Nile River was an important part of ancient Egyptian culture, and it looks like their New Year coincided with the river’s annual flood. Censorinus, a Roman writer, said that the Egyptian New Year could be predicted by when Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, was seen again after being hidden for 70 days. This event, which is also called a “heliacal rising,” usually happened in the middle of July, right before the Nile River flooded every year. This helped make sure that farmland stayed fertile for the next year. The Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival called Wepet Renpet, which means “opening of the year.” People thought of the New Year as a time of rebirth and renewal, so they celebrated it with feasts and special religious ceremonies.

Lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year, is one of the oldest traditions that is still celebrated today. It is thought to have started more than 3,000 years ago during the Shang Dynasty. The holiday started out as a way to celebrate the start of the planting season in the spring, but over time it became mixed up with myths and stories. One popular story says that every New Year, villages were attacked by a bloodthirsty creature named Nian, which is now the Chinese word for “year.” The villagers tried to scare away the hungry beast by painting their houses red, setting fire to bamboo, and making loud noises. The trick worked, and the bright colours and lights that were used to scare Nian away were eventually added to the party.

Usually, celebrations last 15 days and focus on the home and family. People clean their homes to get rid of bad luck, and some pay off old debts to close the books in the past year. In order to have a good start to the year, they also hang paper scrolls on their doors and have a feast with their families. After gunpowder was invented in China in the 10th century, the Chinese were also the first people to use fireworks to celebrate the New Year. Since Lunar New Year is still based on a lunar calendar from 2,000 BC, it usually happens on the second new moon after the winter solstice in late January or early February. Each of the 12 zodiac animals is linked to a certain year: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig.

In the past, Nowruz celebrations were all about the new life that came with spring. The holiday was a time for monarchs to throw big parties, give gifts, and meet with their subjects. There were also feasts, gift exchanges with family and neighbours, bonfires, colouring eggs, and sprinkling water to represent the creation of the world. Around the 10th century, one unique ritual was to choose a “Nowruzian Ruler.” This was a commoner who would act like a king for a few days before being “dethroned” at the end of the festival. Nowruz has changed a lot over the years, but many of its old customs, like using bonfires and dyed eggs, are still part of the modern holiday, which is celebrated by an estimated 300 million people every year.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

47.  Which statement(s) are NOT true based on the article?

I. Significant to the Romans was the month of January. It was named after Janus, the two-faced god of transformation and fresh beginnings.

II. An intriguing aspect of the Akitu was that the Babylonian ruler was subjected to a ritual humiliation.

III. The Egyptians celebrated their new beginning with a feast known as Wepet Renpet, which literally translates to “year’s end.”

IV. People clean their homes days before the New Year to rid themselves of bad luck, and some throw out old bills to shut the books on the previous year

Read the articles below then answer the questions that follow.

5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations

The Babylonian Akitu. The ancient Babylonians of Mesopotamia would celebrate the rebirth of nature with a multi-day festival called Akitu after the first new moon after the spring equinox in late March. This early New Year’s celebration goes back to around 2000 B.C., and it is thought that religion and mythology were very important parts of it. During the Akitu, statues of the gods were carried through the streets of the city, and ceremonies were held to show that the gods had won against the forces of chaos. The Babylonians thought that the gods cleaned and rebuilt the world through these rituals in preparation for the new year and the return of spring.

One interesting thing about the Akitu was that the Babylonian king had to go through a kind of ritual humiliation. In this strange tradition, the king was brought before a statue of the god Marduk, stripped of his royal clothes, and made to swear that he had led the city well. The high priest would then hit the king and pull him by his ears to make him cry. If a king shed tears, it was thought that Marduk was happy and had extended the king’s rule symbolically. Some historians have since said that these political factors show that the Akitu was used by the monarchy as a way to remind the people that the king had divine power over them.

Ancient Roman Celebration of Janus. The Roman New Year originally started on the same day as the vernal equinox, but after years of changing the solar calendar, the holiday was moved to January 1. For the Romans, the month of January was very important. It got its name from Janus, the god of change and new beginnings, who has two faces. People thought that Janus, as a symbol, looked back at the old and forward to the new. This idea became linked to the idea of moving from one year to the next.

Romans would give gifts to Janus on January 1 in hopes of getting good luck for the new year. People thought that this day set the tone for the next twelve months, so it was common for friends and neighbours to start the year off well by wishing each other well and giving each other gifts of figs and honey. Ovid, a poet, said that most Romans also worked at least part of New Year’s Day because they thought that doing nothing was a bad sign for the rest of the year.

Ancient Egyptian Wepet Renpet. The Nile River was an important part of ancient Egyptian culture, and it looks like their New Year coincided with the river’s annual flood. Censorinus, a Roman writer, said that the Egyptian New Year could be predicted by when Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, was seen again after being hidden for 70 days. This event, which is also called a “heliacal rising,” usually happened in the middle of July, right before the Nile River flooded every year. This helped make sure that farmland stayed fertile for the next year. The Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival called Wepet Renpet, which means “opening of the year.” People thought of the New Year as a time of rebirth and renewal, so they celebrated it with feasts and special religious ceremonies.

Lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year, is one of the oldest traditions that is still celebrated today. It is thought to have started more than 3,000 years ago during the Shang Dynasty. The holiday started out as a way to celebrate the start of the planting season in the spring, but over time it became mixed up with myths and stories. One popular story says that every New Year, villages were attacked by a bloodthirsty creature named Nian, which is now the Chinese word for “year.” The villagers tried to scare away the hungry beast by painting their houses red, setting fire to bamboo, and making loud noises. The trick worked, and the bright colours and lights that were used to scare Nian away were eventually added to the party.

Usually, celebrations last 15 days and focus on the home and family. People clean their homes to get rid of bad luck, and some pay off old debts to close the books in the past year. In order to have a good start to the year, they also hang paper scrolls on their doors and have a feast with their families. After gunpowder was invented in China in the 10th century, the Chinese were also the first people to use fireworks to celebrate the New Year. Since Lunar New Year is still based on a lunar calendar from 2,000 BC, it usually happens on the second new moon after the winter solstice in late January or early February. Each of the 12 zodiac animals is linked to a certain year: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig.

In the past, Nowruz celebrations were all about the new life that came with spring. The holiday was a time for monarchs to throw big parties, give gifts, and meet with their subjects. There were also feasts, gift exchanges with family and neighbours, bonfires, colouring eggs, and sprinkling water to represent the creation of the world. Around the 10th century, one unique ritual was to choose a “Nowruzian Ruler.” This was a commoner who would act like a king for a few days before being “dethroned” at the end of the festival. Nowruz has changed a lot over the years, but many of its old customs, like using bonfires and dyed eggs, are still part of the modern holiday, which is celebrated by an estimated 300 million people every year.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

48.   Why did Romans work on New Year’s Day?

How Mesopotamia Became the Cradle of Civilization

Ancient Mesopotamia was the first place where agriculture, architecture, and a social order all came about because of the environment. Even though civilization grew in many places around the world, it began in the Middle East many thousands of years ago.

“Mesopotamia is where we see the first cities, the first writing, and the first technologies,” says Kelly-Anne Diamond, a visiting assistant history professor at Villanova University who specialises in the history and archaeology of the ancient Near East. The ancient Greek word for “the land between the rivers” is where the name Mesopotamia comes from. This is a reference to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are the main water sources for a region that is mostly in modern-day Iraq but also has parts in Syria, Turkey, and Iran.

The fact that these rivers were there was a big reason why Mesopotamia became a place with complex societies and new ideas like writing, architecture, and government bureaucracies. The land around the Tigris and Euphrates was very fertile because it was often flooded by the rivers. This made it a good place to grow crops for food. That made it a great place for the Neolithic Revolution, which started about 12,000 years ago and is also called the Agricultural Revolution. Diamond says that this revolution “changed the way people lived all over the world, but it started in Mesopotamia.”

People were able to stay in one place and build permanent villages because they could grow plants and take care of animals. Eventually, these small towns grew into the first cities. It was in these early cities that a lot of the things that make a civilization developed, like large populations, communication, the division of labour, and different social and economic classes. But other things also played a role in the rise and development of civilization in Mesopotamia. For example, changes in climate and the natural environment forced the people who lived there to become more organised in order to survive.

Hervé Reculeau, an associate professor of Assyriology at the University of Chicago and an expert on the history of ancient Mesopotamia, says that civilization didn’t grow in the same way everywhere in the area. He says that urban societies grew up separately in Lower Mesopotamia, which is now southern Iraq and where the Sumerian civilization started, and Upper Mesopotamia, which is now northern Iraq and some of western Syria. Mesopotamia’s climate, which was wetter 6,000 to 7,000 years ago than it is now, was one thing that helped civilizations grow there and in Egypt – this is hugely attributed to its geographical placement.

“The first cities in southern Mesopotamia grew up on the edges of a large marsh, which provided a lot of natural materials for building (reed) and food (wild game and fish), as well as easy access to water for small-scale irrigation that didn’t need to be supervised by large-scale state structures,” writes Reculeau. He also says that the marsh is connected to sea routes on the Persian Gulf. This made it possible for people who lived in the south to start trading with people in other parts of the world over long distances.

Reculeau says that farmers in Upper Mesopotamia didn’t have to do much irrigation because it rained there so often. They could also go to the mountains and forests to hunt animals and cut down trees for wood. Their areas also had land routes to places north of the mountains where they could get things like obsidian, a kind of rock that can be used to make jewellery or tools with sharp edges.

The British Museum says that barley and wheat were the main crops that Mesopotamian farmers grew in the past. However, they also made gardens that were shaded by date palms. In these gardens, they grew beans, peas, lentils, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce, and garlic. They also grew grapes, apples, melons, and figs. They also milked sheep, goats, and cows to make butter and hunt them to eat.

In the end, the agricultural revolution in Mesopotamia led to the next big step in progress, which Diamond calls the “Urban Revolution.” In Sumer, villages turned into cities about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. Uruk, a walled city with 40,000 to 50,000 people, was one of the first and most important. The Ancient History Encyclopedia says that Eridu, Bad-tibira, Sippar, and Shuruppak were among the others.

The Sumerians made what may have been the first system of writing. They also made sophisticated art, architecture, and government systems to keep an eye on farming, business, and religious activities. Sumer was also a place where a lot of new ideas were born. The Sumerians took ideas that other ancient people had come up with, like pottery and weaving fabrics, and figured out how to do them on a large scale.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

49.  Mesopotamia’s fast growth in civilization is greatly owed to?

How Mesopotamia Became the Cradle of Civilization

Ancient Mesopotamia was the first place where agriculture, architecture, and a social order all came about because of the environment. Even though civilization grew in many places around the world, it began in the Middle East many thousands of years ago.

“Mesopotamia is where we see the first cities, the first writing, and the first technologies,” says Kelly-Anne Diamond, a visiting assistant history professor at Villanova University who specialises in the history and archaeology of the ancient Near East. The ancient Greek word for “the land between the rivers” is where the name Mesopotamia comes from. This is a reference to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are the main water sources for a region that is mostly in modern-day Iraq but also has parts in Syria, Turkey, and Iran.

The fact that these rivers were there was a big reason why Mesopotamia became a place with complex societies and new ideas like writing, architecture, and government bureaucracies. The land around the Tigris and Euphrates was very fertile because it was often flooded by the rivers. This made it a good place to grow crops for food. That made it a great place for the Neolithic Revolution, which started about 12,000 years ago and is also called the Agricultural Revolution. Diamond says that this revolution “changed the way people lived all over the world, but it started in Mesopotamia.”

People were able to stay in one place and build permanent villages because they could grow plants and take care of animals. Eventually, these small towns grew into the first cities. It was in these early cities that a lot of the things that make a civilization developed, like large populations, communication, the division of labour, and different social and economic classes. But other things also played a role in the rise and development of civilization in Mesopotamia. For example, changes in climate and the natural environment forced the people who lived there to become more organised in order to survive.

Hervé Reculeau, an associate professor of Assyriology at the University of Chicago and an expert on the history of ancient Mesopotamia, says that civilization didn’t grow in the same way everywhere in the area. He says that urban societies grew up separately in Lower Mesopotamia, which is now southern Iraq and where the Sumerian civilization started, and Upper Mesopotamia, which is now northern Iraq and some of western Syria. Mesopotamia’s climate, which was wetter 6,000 to 7,000 years ago than it is now, was one thing that helped civilizations grow there and in Egypt – this is hugely attributed to its geographical placement.

“The first cities in southern Mesopotamia grew up on the edges of a large marsh, which provided a lot of natural materials for building (reed) and food (wild game and fish), as well as easy access to water for small-scale irrigation that didn’t need to be supervised by large-scale state structures,” writes Reculeau. He also says that the marsh is connected to sea routes on the Persian Gulf. This made it possible for people who lived in the south to start trading with people in other parts of the world over long distances.

Reculeau says that farmers in Upper Mesopotamia didn’t have to do much irrigation because it rained there so often. They could also go to the mountains and forests to hunt animals and cut down trees for wood. Their areas also had land routes to places north of the mountains where they could get things like obsidian, a kind of rock that can be used to make jewellery or tools with sharp edges.

The British Museum says that barley and wheat were the main crops that Mesopotamian farmers grew in the past. However, they also made gardens that were shaded by date palms. In these gardens, they grew beans, peas, lentils, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce, and garlic. They also grew grapes, apples, melons, and figs. They also milked sheep, goats, and cows to make butter and hunt them to eat.

In the end, the agricultural revolution in Mesopotamia led to the next big step in progress, which Diamond calls the “Urban Revolution.” In Sumer, villages turned into cities about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. Uruk, a walled city with 40,000 to 50,000 people, was one of the first and most important. The Ancient History Encyclopedia says that Eridu, Bad-tibira, Sippar, and Shuruppak were among the others.

The Sumerians made what may have been the first system of writing. They also made sophisticated art, architecture, and government systems to keep an eye on farming, business, and religious activities. Sumer was also a place where a lot of new ideas were born. The Sumerians took ideas that other ancient people had come up with, like pottery and weaving fabrics, and figured out how to do them on a large scale.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

50.  According to the article what is Mesopotamia known for?

How Mesopotamia Became the Cradle of Civilization

Ancient Mesopotamia was the first place where agriculture, architecture, and a social order all came about because of the environment. Even though civilization grew in many places around the world, it began in the Middle East many thousands of years ago.

“Mesopotamia is where we see the first cities, the first writing, and the first technologies,” says Kelly-Anne Diamond, a visiting assistant history professor at Villanova University who specialises in the history and archaeology of the ancient Near East. The ancient Greek word for “the land between the rivers” is where the name Mesopotamia comes from. This is a reference to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are the main water sources for a region that is mostly in modern-day Iraq but also has parts in Syria, Turkey, and Iran.

The fact that these rivers were there was a big reason why Mesopotamia became a place with complex societies and new ideas like writing, architecture, and government bureaucracies. The land around the Tigris and Euphrates was very fertile because it was often flooded by the rivers. This made it a good place to grow crops for food. That made it a great place for the Neolithic Revolution, which started about 12,000 years ago and is also called the Agricultural Revolution. Diamond says that this revolution “changed the way people lived all over the world, but it started in Mesopotamia.”

People were able to stay in one place and build permanent villages because they could grow plants and take care of animals. Eventually, these small towns grew into the first cities. It was in these early cities that a lot of the things that make a civilization developed, like large populations, communication, the division of labour, and different social and economic classes. But other things also played a role in the rise and development of civilization in Mesopotamia. For example, changes in climate and the natural environment forced the people who lived there to become more organised in order to survive.

Hervé Reculeau, an associate professor of Assyriology at the University of Chicago and an expert on the history of ancient Mesopotamia, says that civilization didn’t grow in the same way everywhere in the area. He says that urban societies grew up separately in Lower Mesopotamia, which is now southern Iraq and where the Sumerian civilization started, and Upper Mesopotamia, which is now northern Iraq and some of western Syria. Mesopotamia’s climate, which was wetter 6,000 to 7,000 years ago than it is now, was one thing that helped civilizations grow there and in Egypt – this is hugely attributed to its geographical placement.

“The first cities in southern Mesopotamia grew up on the edges of a large marsh, which provided a lot of natural materials for building (reed) and food (wild game and fish), as well as easy access to water for small-scale irrigation that didn’t need to be supervised by large-scale state structures,” writes Reculeau. He also says that the marsh is connected to sea routes on the Persian Gulf. This made it possible for people who lived in the south to start trading with people in other parts of the world over long distances.

Reculeau says that farmers in Upper Mesopotamia didn’t have to do much irrigation because it rained there so often. They could also go to the mountains and forests to hunt animals and cut down trees for wood. Their areas also had land routes to places north of the mountains where they could get things like obsidian, a kind of rock that can be used to make jewellery or tools with sharp edges.

The British Museum says that barley and wheat were the main crops that Mesopotamian farmers grew in the past. However, they also made gardens that were shaded by date palms. In these gardens, they grew beans, peas, lentils, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce, and garlic. They also grew grapes, apples, melons, and figs. They also milked sheep, goats, and cows to make butter and hunt them to eat.

In the end, the agricultural revolution in Mesopotamia led to the next big step in progress, which Diamond calls the “Urban Revolution.” In Sumer, villages turned into cities about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. Uruk, a walled city with 40,000 to 50,000 people, was one of the first and most important. The Ancient History Encyclopedia says that Eridu, Bad-tibira, Sippar, and Shuruppak were among the others.

The Sumerians made what may have been the first system of writing. They also made sophisticated art, architecture, and government systems to keep an eye on farming, business, and religious activities. Sumer was also a place where a lot of new ideas were born. The Sumerians took ideas that other ancient people had come up with, like pottery and weaving fabrics, and figured out how to do them on a large scale.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

51 .  Mesopotamia is regarded as the cradle of civilization, why is this so? What advantage did it have over other places in the world?

How Mesopotamia Became the Cradle of Civilization

Ancient Mesopotamia was the first place where agriculture, architecture, and a social order all came about because of the environment. Even though civilization grew in many places around the world, it began in the Middle East many thousands of years ago.

“Mesopotamia is where we see the first cities, the first writing, and the first technologies,” says Kelly-Anne Diamond, a visiting assistant history professor at Villanova University who specialises in the history and archaeology of the ancient Near East. The ancient Greek word for “the land between the rivers” is where the name Mesopotamia comes from. This is a reference to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are the main water sources for a region that is mostly in modern-day Iraq but also has parts in Syria, Turkey, and Iran.

The fact that these rivers were there was a big reason why Mesopotamia became a place with complex societies and new ideas like writing, architecture, and government bureaucracies. The land around the Tigris and Euphrates was very fertile because it was often flooded by the rivers. This made it a good place to grow crops for food. That made it a great place for the Neolithic Revolution, which started about 12,000 years ago and is also called the Agricultural Revolution. Diamond says that this revolution “changed the way people lived all over the world, but it started in Mesopotamia.”

People were able to stay in one place and build permanent villages because they could grow plants and take care of animals. Eventually, these small towns grew into the first cities. It was in these early cities that a lot of the things that make a civilization developed, like large populations, communication, the division of labour, and different social and economic classes. But other things also played a role in the rise and development of civilization in Mesopotamia. For example, changes in climate and the natural environment forced the people who lived there to become more organised in order to survive.

Hervé Reculeau, an associate professor of Assyriology at the University of Chicago and an expert on the history of ancient Mesopotamia, says that civilization didn’t grow in the same way everywhere in the area. He says that urban societies grew up separately in Lower Mesopotamia, which is now southern Iraq and where the Sumerian civilization started, and Upper Mesopotamia, which is now northern Iraq and some of western Syria. Mesopotamia’s climate, which was wetter 6,000 to 7,000 years ago than it is now, was one thing that helped civilizations grow there and in Egypt – this is hugely attributed to its geographical placement.

“The first cities in southern Mesopotamia grew up on the edges of a large marsh, which provided a lot of natural materials for building (reed) and food (wild game and fish), as well as easy access to water for small-scale irrigation that didn’t need to be supervised by large-scale state structures,” writes Reculeau. He also says that the marsh is connected to sea routes on the Persian Gulf. This made it possible for people who lived in the south to start trading with people in other parts of the world over long distances.

Reculeau says that farmers in Upper Mesopotamia didn’t have to do much irrigation because it rained there so often. They could also go to the mountains and forests to hunt animals and cut down trees for wood. Their areas also had land routes to places north of the mountains where they could get things like obsidian, a kind of rock that can be used to make jewellery or tools with sharp edges.

The British Museum says that barley and wheat were the main crops that Mesopotamian farmers grew in the past. However, they also made gardens that were shaded by date palms. In these gardens, they grew beans, peas, lentils, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce, and garlic. They also grew grapes, apples, melons, and figs. They also milked sheep, goats, and cows to make butter and hunt them to eat.

In the end, the agricultural revolution in Mesopotamia led to the next big step in progress, which Diamond calls the “Urban Revolution.” In Sumer, villages turned into cities about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. Uruk, a walled city with 40,000 to 50,000 people, was one of the first and most important. The Ancient History Encyclopedia says that Eridu, Bad-tibira, Sippar, and Shuruppak were among the others.

The Sumerians made what may have been the first system of writing. They also made sophisticated art, architecture, and government systems to keep an eye on farming, business, and religious activities. Sumer was also a place where a lot of new ideas were born. The Sumerians took ideas that other ancient people had come up with, like pottery and weaving fabrics, and figured out how to do them on a large scale.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

52.  How did the two rivers in Mesopotamia contribute to the region’s growth?

How Mesopotamia Became the Cradle of Civilization

Ancient Mesopotamia was the first place where agriculture, architecture, and a social order all came about because of the environment. Even though civilization grew in many places around the world, it began in the Middle East many thousands of years ago.

“Mesopotamia is where we see the first cities, the first writing, and the first technologies,” says Kelly-Anne Diamond, a visiting assistant history professor at Villanova University who specialises in the history and archaeology of the ancient Near East. The ancient Greek word for “the land between the rivers” is where the name Mesopotamia comes from. This is a reference to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are the main water sources for a region that is mostly in modern-day Iraq but also has parts in Syria, Turkey, and Iran.

The fact that these rivers were there was a big reason why Mesopotamia became a place with complex societies and new ideas like writing, architecture, and government bureaucracies. The land around the Tigris and Euphrates was very fertile because it was often flooded by the rivers. This made it a good place to grow crops for food. That made it a great place for the Neolithic Revolution, which started about 12,000 years ago and is also called the Agricultural Revolution. Diamond says that this revolution “changed the way people lived all over the world, but it started in Mesopotamia.”

People were able to stay in one place and build permanent villages because they could grow plants and take care of animals. Eventually, these small towns grew into the first cities. It was in these early cities that a lot of the things that make a civilization developed, like large populations, communication, the division of labour, and different social and economic classes. But other things also played a role in the rise and development of civilization in Mesopotamia. For example, changes in climate and the natural environment forced the people who lived there to become more organised in order to survive.

Hervé Reculeau, an associate professor of Assyriology at the University of Chicago and an expert on the history of ancient Mesopotamia, says that civilization didn’t grow in the same way everywhere in the area. He says that urban societies grew up separately in Lower Mesopotamia, which is now southern Iraq and where the Sumerian civilization started, and Upper Mesopotamia, which is now northern Iraq and some of western Syria. Mesopotamia’s climate, which was wetter 6,000 to 7,000 years ago than it is now, was one thing that helped civilizations grow there and in Egypt – this is hugely attributed to its geographical placement.

“The first cities in southern Mesopotamia grew up on the edges of a large marsh, which provided a lot of natural materials for building (reed) and food (wild game and fish), as well as easy access to water for small-scale irrigation that didn’t need to be supervised by large-scale state structures,” writes Reculeau. He also says that the marsh is connected to sea routes on the Persian Gulf. This made it possible for people who lived in the south to start trading with people in other parts of the world over long distances.

Reculeau says that farmers in Upper Mesopotamia didn’t have to do much irrigation because it rained there so often. They could also go to the mountains and forests to hunt animals and cut down trees for wood. Their areas also had land routes to places north of the mountains where they could get things like obsidian, a kind of rock that can be used to make jewellery or tools with sharp edges.

The British Museum says that barley and wheat were the main crops that Mesopotamian farmers grew in the past. However, they also made gardens that were shaded by date palms. In these gardens, they grew beans, peas, lentils, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce, and garlic. They also grew grapes, apples, melons, and figs. They also milked sheep, goats, and cows to make butter and hunt them to eat.

In the end, the agricultural revolution in Mesopotamia led to the next big step in progress, which Diamond calls the “Urban Revolution.” In Sumer, villages turned into cities about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. Uruk, a walled city with 40,000 to 50,000 people, was one of the first and most important. The Ancient History Encyclopedia says that Eridu, Bad-tibira, Sippar, and Shuruppak were among the others.

The Sumerians made what may have been the first system of writing. They also made sophisticated art, architecture, and government systems to keep an eye on farming, business, and religious activities. Sumer was also a place where a lot of new ideas were born. The Sumerians took ideas that other ancient people had come up with, like pottery and weaving fabrics, and figured out how to do them on a large scale.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

53.  What were the primary crops grown by ancient Mesopotamian farmers?

How Mesopotamia Became the Cradle of Civilization

Ancient Mesopotamia was the first place where agriculture, architecture, and a social order all came about because of the environment. Even though civilization grew in many places around the world, it began in the Middle East many thousands of years ago.

“Mesopotamia is where we see the first cities, the first writing, and the first technologies,” says Kelly-Anne Diamond, a visiting assistant history professor at Villanova University who specialises in the history and archaeology of the ancient Near East. The ancient Greek word for “the land between the rivers” is where the name Mesopotamia comes from. This is a reference to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are the main water sources for a region that is mostly in modern-day Iraq but also has parts in Syria, Turkey, and Iran.

The fact that these rivers were there was a big reason why Mesopotamia became a place with complex societies and new ideas like writing, architecture, and government bureaucracies. The land around the Tigris and Euphrates was very fertile because it was often flooded by the rivers. This made it a good place to grow crops for food. That made it a great place for the Neolithic Revolution, which started about 12,000 years ago and is also called the Agricultural Revolution. Diamond says that this revolution “changed the way people lived all over the world, but it started in Mesopotamia.”

People were able to stay in one place and build permanent villages because they could grow plants and take care of animals. Eventually, these small towns grew into the first cities. It was in these early cities that a lot of the things that make a civilization developed, like large populations, communication, the division of labour, and different social and economic classes. But other things also played a role in the rise and development of civilization in Mesopotamia. For example, changes in climate and the natural environment forced the people who lived there to become more organised in order to survive.

Hervé Reculeau, an associate professor of Assyriology at the University of Chicago and an expert on the history of ancient Mesopotamia, says that civilization didn’t grow in the same way everywhere in the area. He says that urban societies grew up separately in Lower Mesopotamia, which is now southern Iraq and where the Sumerian civilization started, and Upper Mesopotamia, which is now northern Iraq and some of western Syria. Mesopotamia’s climate, which was wetter 6,000 to 7,000 years ago than it is now, was one thing that helped civilizations grow there and in Egypt – this is hugely attributed to its geographical placement.

“The first cities in southern Mesopotamia grew up on the edges of a large marsh, which provided a lot of natural materials for building (reed) and food (wild game and fish), as well as easy access to water for small-scale irrigation that didn’t need to be supervised by large-scale state structures,” writes Reculeau. He also says that the marsh is connected to sea routes on the Persian Gulf. This made it possible for people who lived in the south to start trading with people in other parts of the world over long distances.

Reculeau says that farmers in Upper Mesopotamia didn’t have to do much irrigation because it rained there so often. They could also go to the mountains and forests to hunt animals and cut down trees for wood. Their areas also had land routes to places north of the mountains where they could get things like obsidian, a kind of rock that can be used to make jewellery or tools with sharp edges.

The British Museum says that barley and wheat were the main crops that Mesopotamian farmers grew in the past. However, they also made gardens that were shaded by date palms. In these gardens, they grew beans, peas, lentils, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce, and garlic. They also grew grapes, apples, melons, and figs. They also milked sheep, goats, and cows to make butter and hunt them to eat.

In the end, the agricultural revolution in Mesopotamia led to the next big step in progress, which Diamond calls the “Urban Revolution.” In Sumer, villages turned into cities about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. Uruk, a walled city with 40,000 to 50,000 people, was one of the first and most important. The Ancient History Encyclopedia says that Eridu, Bad-tibira, Sippar, and Shuruppak were among the others.

The Sumerians made what may have been the first system of writing. They also made sophisticated art, architecture, and government systems to keep an eye on farming, business, and religious activities. Sumer was also a place where a lot of new ideas were born. The Sumerians took ideas that other ancient people had come up with, like pottery and weaving fabrics, and figured out how to do them on a large scale.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

54.  Which is NOT true based on the article?

When Edison Turned Night into Day

The tiny community of Menlo Park had only a dozen scattered residences, but it promised a New Year’s Eve extravaganza unsurpassed even by 20 miles to the north in metropolitan Manhattan. As soon as the passengers disembarked the train and climbed the snow-covered stairs, they gazed upward in awe. Even though storm clouds obscured the glittering stars, the heavens still gleamed, but not due to the familiar pyrotechnics of the 19th century, but rather a series of gleaming incandescent light bulbs that flooded Christie Street in an artificial glow.

Frosty masses were led to a two-story clapboard building bathed in a warm glow by a path of tiny fireballs perched atop slender wooden lamp posts extending toward the night sky. Thomas Edison wowed the guests gathered in his “innovation factory” with the first public presentation of his latest marvel, the first functional incandescent light bulb, which took place upstairs in his laboratory.

Edison, who was already known as the “Wizard of Menlo Park” for his inventions of the phonograph, telegraph, and telephone, was now poised to revolutionise daily life for the majority of Americans who still relied on tallow candles, kerosene, and even whale oil for illumination, as well as for millions more who relied on noxious gaslights, which discoloured walls and furniture, reeked of sulphur and ammonia, and posed a

Edison was not the inventor of the incandescent light, which was first patented in England by Frederick de Moleyns in 1841. In the subsequent four decades, however, countless innovators were unable to create a safe, bright, and inexpensive light bulb that could remain illuminated for more than a few minutes. Edison pushed himself into the challenge of inventing a commercially successful incandescent light in 1878, and Edison Electric Light Company investors gave him the required starting money. The 31-year-old inventor intended to create not only a functional light bulb, but also a generator-powered lighting system.

Edison boasted that he would have a functional light bulb in a matter of months, but he soon encountered the same obstacles as other innovators. Edison committed it to the “cemetery of inventions” because platinum was too expensive. Edison experimented with raw silk, cork, and even the beard hair of two of his employees in an attempt to create cheaper carbon filaments. In October 1879, the breakthrough occurred when a high-resistance carbon filament burned continuously for more than 13 hours.

When Edison finally opened his doors to the public on December 31, a wave of people rushed into his laboratory, which was illuminated by 25 brilliant electric lights that reflected off the hundreds of glass bottles lining the shelves and the pipes on the out-of-tune organ that America’s most renowned inventor occasionally played with his soot-stained hands. Hundreds crowded around Edison as he explained in simple terms in a down-to-earth manner how a 2-inch-long, horseshoe-shaped thread of carbonised cardboard could glow for hours in a pear-shaped vacuum bulb when an electric current passed through it. He even demonstrated how a bulb that had been submerged in water continued to burn for hours. The stunned audience also observed that incandescent bulbs did not flicker like gaslights and generated a softer light than electric arc lamps.

The multitude that had invaded Edison’s inner sanctum tested the inventor’s patience, but he nevertheless shook hands and fielded questions from even his sceptics. As much time as they spent exhibiting the vacuum pump and the baking of carbon filaments, the laboratory staff spent futilely guarding their fragile equipment from visitors conducting their own spontaneous experiments. Edison’s aides repeatedly denied pleas to purchase the lights, but eight guests nevertheless managed to steal a piece of history.

When the clock struck midnight in Menlo Park, not only did a new decade begin, but also the electric age. On New Year’s Eve, the only unhappy visitors to Edison’s laboratory may have been representatives of the Brooklyn Gaslight Company who, like with everyone else, understood they had just witnessed the future. The mere whispers of Edison’s achievement caused a 15% decline in gas company equities over the past month, and that was just the beginning. According to the Boston Globe, the fortunes of the Edison Electric Light Company stockholders were reversed, as their original $100 shares now sell for $4,500.

Edison got the patent for his electric light on January 27, 1880. Three decades later, when asked to identify his best invention, he scribbled “Incandescent Electric Lighting and Power System” across the bottom of a letter.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

55.  What difficulty did Edison and the other inventors face when creating incandescent bulbs?

When Edison Turned Night into Day

The tiny community of Menlo Park had only a dozen scattered residences, but it promised a New Year’s Eve extravaganza unsurpassed even by 20 miles to the north in metropolitan Manhattan. As soon as the passengers disembarked the train and climbed the snow-covered stairs, they gazed upward in awe. Even though storm clouds obscured the glittering stars, the heavens still gleamed, but not due to the familiar pyrotechnics of the 19th century, but rather a series of gleaming incandescent light bulbs that flooded Christie Street in an artificial glow.

Frosty masses were led to a two-story clapboard building bathed in a warm glow by a path of tiny fireballs perched atop slender wooden lamp posts extending toward the night sky. Thomas Edison wowed the guests gathered in his “innovation factory” with the first public presentation of his latest marvel, the first functional incandescent light bulb, which took place upstairs in his laboratory.

Edison, who was already known as the “Wizard of Menlo Park” for his inventions of the phonograph, telegraph, and telephone, was now poised to revolutionise daily life for the majority of Americans who still relied on tallow candles, kerosene, and even whale oil for illumination, as well as for millions more who relied on noxious gaslights, which discoloured walls and furniture, reeked of sulphur and ammonia, and posed a

Edison was not the inventor of the incandescent light, which was first patented in England by Frederick de Moleyns in 1841. In the subsequent four decades, however, countless innovators were unable to create a safe, bright, and inexpensive light bulb that could remain illuminated for more than a few minutes. Edison pushed himself into the challenge of inventing a commercially successful incandescent light in 1878, and Edison Electric Light Company investors gave him the required starting money. The 31-year-old inventor intended to create not only a functional light bulb, but also a generator-powered lighting system.

Edison boasted that he would have a functional light bulb in a matter of months, but he soon encountered the same obstacles as other innovators. Edison committed it to the “cemetery of inventions” because platinum was too expensive. Edison experimented with raw silk, cork, and even the beard hair of two of his employees in an attempt to create cheaper carbon filaments. In October 1879, the breakthrough occurred when a high-resistance carbon filament burned continuously for more than 13 hours.

When Edison finally opened his doors to the public on December 31, a wave of people rushed into his laboratory, which was illuminated by 25 brilliant electric lights that reflected off the hundreds of glass bottles lining the shelves and the pipes on the out-of-tune organ that America’s most renowned inventor occasionally played with his soot-stained hands. Hundreds crowded around Edison as he explained in simple terms in a down-to-earth manner how a 2-inch-long, horseshoe-shaped thread of carbonised cardboard could glow for hours in a pear-shaped vacuum bulb when an electric current passed through it. He even demonstrated how a bulb that had been submerged in water continued to burn for hours. The stunned audience also observed that incandescent bulbs did not flicker like gaslights and generated a softer light than electric arc lamps.

The multitude that had invaded Edison’s inner sanctum tested the inventor’s patience, but he nevertheless shook hands and fielded questions from even his sceptics. As much time as they spent exhibiting the vacuum pump and the baking of carbon filaments, the laboratory staff spent futilely guarding their fragile equipment from visitors conducting their own spontaneous experiments. Edison’s aides repeatedly denied pleas to purchase the lights, but eight guests nevertheless managed to steal a piece of history.

When the clock struck midnight in Menlo Park, not only did a new decade begin, but also the electric age. On New Year’s Eve, the only unhappy visitors to Edison’s laboratory may have been representatives of the Brooklyn Gaslight Company who, like with everyone else, understood they had just witnessed the future. The mere whispers of Edison’s achievement caused a 15% decline in gas company equities over the past month, and that was just the beginning. According to the Boston Globe, the fortunes of the Edison Electric Light Company stockholders were reversed, as their original $100 shares now sell for $4,500.

Edison got the patent for his electric light on January 27, 1880. Three decades later, when asked to identify his best invention, he scribbled “Incandescent Electric Lighting and Power System” across the bottom of a letter.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

56.  What was Edison’s contribution to the development of incandescent bulbs?

When Edison Turned Night into Day

The tiny community of Menlo Park had only a dozen scattered residences, but it promised a New Year’s Eve extravaganza unsurpassed even by 20 miles to the north in metropolitan Manhattan. As soon as the passengers disembarked the train and climbed the snow-covered stairs, they gazed upward in awe. Even though storm clouds obscured the glittering stars, the heavens still gleamed, but not due to the familiar pyrotechnics of the 19th century, but rather a series of gleaming incandescent light bulbs that flooded Christie Street in an artificial glow.

Frosty masses were led to a two-story clapboard building bathed in a warm glow by a path of tiny fireballs perched atop slender wooden lamp posts extending toward the night sky. Thomas Edison wowed the guests gathered in his “innovation factory” with the first public presentation of his latest marvel, the first functional incandescent light bulb, which took place upstairs in his laboratory.

Edison, who was already known as the “Wizard of Menlo Park” for his inventions of the phonograph, telegraph, and telephone, was now poised to revolutionise daily life for the majority of Americans who still relied on tallow candles, kerosene, and even whale oil for illumination, as well as for millions more who relied on noxious gaslights, which discoloured walls and furniture, reeked of sulphur and ammonia, and posed a

Edison was not the inventor of the incandescent light, which was first patented in England by Frederick de Moleyns in 1841. In the subsequent four decades, however, countless innovators were unable to create a safe, bright, and inexpensive light bulb that could remain illuminated for more than a few minutes. Edison pushed himself into the challenge of inventing a commercially successful incandescent light in 1878, and Edison Electric Light Company investors gave him the required starting money. The 31-year-old inventor intended to create not only a functional light bulb, but also a generator-powered lighting system.

Edison boasted that he would have a functional light bulb in a matter of months, but he soon encountered the same obstacles as other innovators. Edison committed it to the “cemetery of inventions” because platinum was too expensive. Edison experimented with raw silk, cork, and even the beard hair of two of his employees in an attempt to create cheaper carbon filaments. In October 1879, the breakthrough occurred when a high-resistance carbon filament burned continuously for more than 13 hours.

When Edison finally opened his doors to the public on December 31, a wave of people rushed into his laboratory, which was illuminated by 25 brilliant electric lights that reflected off the hundreds of glass bottles lining the shelves and the pipes on the out-of-tune organ that America’s most renowned inventor occasionally played with his soot-stained hands. Hundreds crowded around Edison as he explained in simple terms in a down-to-earth manner how a 2-inch-long, horseshoe-shaped thread of carbonised cardboard could glow for hours in a pear-shaped vacuum bulb when an electric current passed through it. He even demonstrated how a bulb that had been submerged in water continued to burn for hours. The stunned audience also observed that incandescent bulbs did not flicker like gaslights and generated a softer light than electric arc lamps.

The multitude that had invaded Edison’s inner sanctum tested the inventor’s patience, but he nevertheless shook hands and fielded questions from even his sceptics. As much time as they spent exhibiting the vacuum pump and the baking of carbon filaments, the laboratory staff spent futilely guarding their fragile equipment from visitors conducting their own spontaneous experiments. Edison’s aides repeatedly denied pleas to purchase the lights, but eight guests nevertheless managed to steal a piece of history.

When the clock struck midnight in Menlo Park, not only did a new decade begin, but also the electric age. On New Year’s Eve, the only unhappy visitors to Edison’s laboratory may have been representatives of the Brooklyn Gaslight Company who, like with everyone else, understood they had just witnessed the future. The mere whispers of Edison’s achievement caused a 15% decline in gas company equities over the past month, and that was just the beginning. According to the Boston Globe, the fortunes of the Edison Electric Light Company stockholders were reversed, as their original $100 shares now sell for $4,500.

Edison got the patent for his electric light on January 27, 1880. Three decades later, when asked to identify his best invention, he scribbled “Incandescent Electric Lighting and Power System” across the bottom of a letter.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

57.  What development did Edison encounter with his initial invention?

When Edison Turned Night into Day

The tiny community of Menlo Park had only a dozen scattered residences, but it promised a New Year’s Eve extravaganza unsurpassed even by 20 miles to the north in metropolitan Manhattan. As soon as the passengers disembarked the train and climbed the snow-covered stairs, they gazed upward in awe. Even though storm clouds obscured the glittering stars, the heavens still gleamed, but not due to the familiar pyrotechnics of the 19th century, but rather a series of gleaming incandescent light bulbs that flooded Christie Street in an artificial glow.

Frosty masses were led to a two-story clapboard building bathed in a warm glow by a path of tiny fireballs perched atop slender wooden lamp posts extending toward the night sky. Thomas Edison wowed the guests gathered in his “innovation factory” with the first public presentation of his latest marvel, the first functional incandescent light bulb, which took place upstairs in his laboratory.

Edison, who was already known as the “Wizard of Menlo Park” for his inventions of the phonograph, telegraph, and telephone, was now poised to revolutionise daily life for the majority of Americans who still relied on tallow candles, kerosene, and even whale oil for illumination, as well as for millions more who relied on noxious gaslights, which discoloured walls and furniture, reeked of sulphur and ammonia, and posed a

Edison was not the inventor of the incandescent light, which was first patented in England by Frederick de Moleyns in 1841. In the subsequent four decades, however, countless innovators were unable to create a safe, bright, and inexpensive light bulb that could remain illuminated for more than a few minutes. Edison pushed himself into the challenge of inventing a commercially successful incandescent light in 1878, and Edison Electric Light Company investors gave him the required starting money. The 31-year-old inventor intended to create not only a functional light bulb, but also a generator-powered lighting system.

Edison boasted that he would have a functional light bulb in a matter of months, but he soon encountered the same obstacles as other innovators. Edison committed it to the “cemetery of inventions” because platinum was too expensive. Edison experimented with raw silk, cork, and even the beard hair of two of his employees in an attempt to create cheaper carbon filaments. In October 1879, the breakthrough occurred when a high-resistance carbon filament burned continuously for more than 13 hours.

When Edison finally opened his doors to the public on December 31, a wave of people rushed into his laboratory, which was illuminated by 25 brilliant electric lights that reflected off the hundreds of glass bottles lining the shelves and the pipes on the out-of-tune organ that America’s most renowned inventor occasionally played with his soot-stained hands. Hundreds crowded around Edison as he explained in simple terms in a down-to-earth manner how a 2-inch-long, horseshoe-shaped thread of carbonised cardboard could glow for hours in a pear-shaped vacuum bulb when an electric current passed through it. He even demonstrated how a bulb that had been submerged in water continued to burn for hours. The stunned audience also observed that incandescent bulbs did not flicker like gaslights and generated a softer light than electric arc lamps.

The multitude that had invaded Edison’s inner sanctum tested the inventor’s patience, but he nevertheless shook hands and fielded questions from even his sceptics. As much time as they spent exhibiting the vacuum pump and the baking of carbon filaments, the laboratory staff spent futilely guarding their fragile equipment from visitors conducting their own spontaneous experiments. Edison’s aides repeatedly denied pleas to purchase the lights, but eight guests nevertheless managed to steal a piece of history.

When the clock struck midnight in Menlo Park, not only did a new decade begin, but also the electric age. On New Year’s Eve, the only unhappy visitors to Edison’s laboratory may have been representatives of the Brooklyn Gaslight Company who, like with everyone else, understood they had just witnessed the future. The mere whispers of Edison’s achievement caused a 15% decline in gas company equities over the past month, and that was just the beginning. According to the Boston Globe, the fortunes of the Edison Electric Light Company stockholders were reversed, as their original $100 shares now sell for $4,500.

Edison got the patent for his electric light on January 27, 1880. Three decades later, when asked to identify his best invention, he scribbled “Incandescent Electric Lighting and Power System” across the bottom of a letter.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

58.  Why were there dissatisfied visitors to Edison’s laboratory on New Year’s Eve?

When Edison Turned Night into Day

The tiny community of Menlo Park had only a dozen scattered residences, but it promised a New Year’s Eve extravaganza unsurpassed even by 20 miles to the north in metropolitan Manhattan. As soon as the passengers disembarked the train and climbed the snow-covered stairs, they gazed upward in awe. Even though storm clouds obscured the glittering stars, the heavens still gleamed, but not due to the familiar pyrotechnics of the 19th century, but rather a series of gleaming incandescent light bulbs that flooded Christie Street in an artificial glow.

Frosty masses were led to a two-story clapboard building bathed in a warm glow by a path of tiny fireballs perched atop slender wooden lamp posts extending toward the night sky. Thomas Edison wowed the guests gathered in his “innovation factory” with the first public presentation of his latest marvel, the first functional incandescent light bulb, which took place upstairs in his laboratory.

Edison, who was already known as the “Wizard of Menlo Park” for his inventions of the phonograph, telegraph, and telephone, was now poised to revolutionise daily life for the majority of Americans who still relied on tallow candles, kerosene, and even whale oil for illumination, as well as for millions more who relied on noxious gaslights, which discoloured walls and furniture, reeked of sulphur and ammonia, and posed a

Edison was not the inventor of the incandescent light, which was first patented in England by Frederick de Moleyns in 1841. In the subsequent four decades, however, countless innovators were unable to create a safe, bright, and inexpensive light bulb that could remain illuminated for more than a few minutes. Edison pushed himself into the challenge of inventing a commercially successful incandescent light in 1878, and Edison Electric Light Company investors gave him the required starting money. The 31-year-old inventor intended to create not only a functional light bulb, but also a generator-powered lighting system.

Edison boasted that he would have a functional light bulb in a matter of months, but he soon encountered the same obstacles as other innovators. Edison committed it to the “cemetery of inventions” because platinum was too expensive. Edison experimented with raw silk, cork, and even the beard hair of two of his employees in an attempt to create cheaper carbon filaments. In October 1879, the breakthrough occurred when a high-resistance carbon filament burned continuously for more than 13 hours.

When Edison finally opened his doors to the public on December 31, a wave of people rushed into his laboratory, which was illuminated by 25 brilliant electric lights that reflected off the hundreds of glass bottles lining the shelves and the pipes on the out-of-tune organ that America’s most renowned inventor occasionally played with his soot-stained hands. Hundreds crowded around Edison as he explained in simple terms in a down-to-earth manner how a 2-inch-long, horseshoe-shaped thread of carbonised cardboard could glow for hours in a pear-shaped vacuum bulb when an electric current passed through it. He even demonstrated how a bulb that had been submerged in water continued to burn for hours. The stunned audience also observed that incandescent bulbs did not flicker like gaslights and generated a softer light than electric arc lamps.

The multitude that had invaded Edison’s inner sanctum tested the inventor’s patience, but he nevertheless shook hands and fielded questions from even his sceptics. As much time as they spent exhibiting the vacuum pump and the baking of carbon filaments, the laboratory staff spent futilely guarding their fragile equipment from visitors conducting their own spontaneous experiments. Edison’s aides repeatedly denied pleas to purchase the lights, but eight guests nevertheless managed to steal a piece of history.

When the clock struck midnight in Menlo Park, not only did a new decade begin, but also the electric age. On New Year’s Eve, the only unhappy visitors to Edison’s laboratory may have been representatives of the Brooklyn Gaslight Company who, like with everyone else, understood they had just witnessed the future. The mere whispers of Edison’s achievement caused a 15% decline in gas company equities over the past month, and that was just the beginning. According to the Boston Globe, the fortunes of the Edison Electric Light Company stockholders were reversed, as their original $100 shares now sell for $4,500.

Edison got the patent for his electric light on January 27, 1880. Three decades later, when asked to identify his best invention, he scribbled “Incandescent Electric Lighting and Power System” across the bottom of a letter.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

59.  What did Edison’s guests observe in his invention compared to other light sources which other inventors made? 

When Edison Turned Night into Day

The tiny community of Menlo Park had only a dozen scattered residences, but it promised a New Year’s Eve extravaganza unsurpassed even by 20 miles to the north in metropolitan Manhattan. As soon as the passengers disembarked the train and climbed the snow-covered stairs, they gazed upward in awe. Even though storm clouds obscured the glittering stars, the heavens still gleamed, but not due to the familiar pyrotechnics of the 19th century, but rather a series of gleaming incandescent light bulbs that flooded Christie Street in an artificial glow.

Frosty masses were led to a two-story clapboard building bathed in a warm glow by a path of tiny fireballs perched atop slender wooden lamp posts extending toward the night sky. Thomas Edison wowed the guests gathered in his “innovation factory” with the first public presentation of his latest marvel, the first functional incandescent light bulb, which took place upstairs in his laboratory.

Edison, who was already known as the “Wizard of Menlo Park” for his inventions of the phonograph, telegraph, and telephone, was now poised to revolutionise daily life for the majority of Americans who still relied on tallow candles, kerosene, and even whale oil for illumination, as well as for millions more who relied on noxious gaslights, which discoloured walls and furniture, reeked of sulphur and ammonia, and posed a

Edison was not the inventor of the incandescent light, which was first patented in England by Frederick de Moleyns in 1841. In the subsequent four decades, however, countless innovators were unable to create a safe, bright, and inexpensive light bulb that could remain illuminated for more than a few minutes. Edison pushed himself into the challenge of inventing a commercially successful incandescent light in 1878, and Edison Electric Light Company investors gave him the required starting money. The 31-year-old inventor intended to create not only a functional light bulb, but also a generator-powered lighting system.

Edison boasted that he would have a functional light bulb in a matter of months, but he soon encountered the same obstacles as other innovators. Edison committed it to the “cemetery of inventions” because platinum was too expensive. Edison experimented with raw silk, cork, and even the beard hair of two of his employees in an attempt to create cheaper carbon filaments. In October 1879, the breakthrough occurred when a high-resistance carbon filament burned continuously for more than 13 hours.

When Edison finally opened his doors to the public on December 31, a wave of people rushed into his laboratory, which was illuminated by 25 brilliant electric lights that reflected off the hundreds of glass bottles lining the shelves and the pipes on the out-of-tune organ that America’s most renowned inventor occasionally played with his soot-stained hands. Hundreds crowded around Edison as he explained in simple terms in a down-to-earth manner how a 2-inch-long, horseshoe-shaped thread of carbonised cardboard could glow for hours in a pear-shaped vacuum bulb when an electric current passed through it. He even demonstrated how a bulb that had been submerged in water continued to burn for hours. The stunned audience also observed that incandescent bulbs did not flicker like gaslights and generated a softer light than electric arc lamps.

The multitude that had invaded Edison’s inner sanctum tested the inventor’s patience, but he nevertheless shook hands and fielded questions from even his sceptics. As much time as they spent exhibiting the vacuum pump and the baking of carbon filaments, the laboratory staff spent futilely guarding their fragile equipment from visitors conducting their own spontaneous experiments. Edison’s aides repeatedly denied pleas to purchase the lights, but eight guests nevertheless managed to steal a piece of history.

When the clock struck midnight in Menlo Park, not only did a new decade begin, but also the electric age. On New Year’s Eve, the only unhappy visitors to Edison’s laboratory may have been representatives of the Brooklyn Gaslight Company who, like with everyone else, understood they had just witnessed the future. The mere whispers of Edison’s achievement caused a 15% decline in gas company equities over the past month, and that was just the beginning. According to the Boston Globe, the fortunes of the Edison Electric Light Company stockholders were reversed, as their original $100 shares now sell for $4,500.

Edison got the patent for his electric light on January 27, 1880. Three decades later, when asked to identify his best invention, he scribbled “Incandescent Electric Lighting and Power System” across the bottom of a letter.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.  

60.  What is the purpose of the article?