Passage 1
Lily is 70 years old and she takes care of her 91-year-old mother. She told us about caring for her mother.
I wake up early every day, it’s usually about 6.30 am, and wait until I hear Tilly, my mum, moving about. Then I make her a cup of tea. At about half past seven she gets up and we have breakfast together. We normally just have toast, but on Sundays we always have bacon and eggs. After breakfast she reads the newspaper, then she sits by the window and waves to the neighbours as they walk by.
She hardly ever goes out but she is very proud of her personal appearance, so she goes to the hairdresser once a month.
She doesn’t like being left on her own for very long, so I always arrange for a neighbour to come and sit with her when I go out. Now and again, my friend and neighbour, Joan, comes to spend the day with her, and I can go and have lunch with another friend, May, who lives in town.
I have a brother, Syd. He comes to stay two or three times a year. He is very good and keeps in touch, but he lives 300 miles away. Once a year, he collects mum and takes her to stay with him in London for a week. She doesn’t really like going because it’s a long journey, but I need the rest.
Sally, the nurse, comes to see mum regularly. My next-door neighbour, Jack, often calls in. In the evening we usually watch TV and we sometimes play cards. Mum is fantastic for her age. But I can never decide to go anywhere spontaneously. I always have to plan it, so I feel a bit trapped. But what is the alternative? An old people’s home? I couldn’t do that to my mother.
1. Lily wakes before her mother.
2. Joan sometimes spends the day with Lily’s mother.
3. Tilly is satisfied with her hairdresser.
4. Lily’s brother comes to visit every three weeks.
5. Lily and her mother play cards more than they watch TV.
(Key: 1. T 2. T 3. NG 4. F 5. F)
Passage 2
My grandfather was a very interesting man. He died when I was 11, but I remember he used to tell me stories about his early life. He told me one about how he used to race dogs. They raced greyhound, a very fast type of dog. My grandfather had a dog that was very fast and usually won the races. The men used to bet on the dogs and try to win money. One day before a race, a friend of my grandfather’s suggested that they bet on a different dog and make my grandfather’s dog lose the race. My grandfather had no job, so this seemed an easy way to make money. On the day of the race, my grandfather and his friend fed the dog lots of cakes so it wouldn’t want to run. Then they took it for a long walk so it was tired. They bet on another dog, but when the race was run, my grandfather’s dog won anyway, so they lost all their money and didn’t win anything!
1. The author’s grandfather doesn’t tell stories now.
2. His dog always won when it raced.
3. The author’s grandfather usually won lots of money.
4. The author’s grandfather and his friend fed the dog cakes to make it strong.
5. The author’s grandfather and his friend bet on a dog which didn’t win.
(Key: 1. T 2. F 3. NG 4. F 5. T)
Passage 3
The ancient Olympic Games were part of a religious festival in honour of the Greek god Zeus, the father of all Greek gods and goddesses. The festival and games were held in Olympia, a religious sanctuary. The athletes came to Olympia from all parts of the Greek world, from as far as Spain in the west and Turkey in the east.
The ancient Olympic Games began in the year 776 BC when Koroibos, a cook from the city of Elis, won a 200-metre-long race. They took place for a period of 617 years until the last games were held in AD 393.
In the ancient games, athletes received prizes worth large amounts of money. In fact the word “ athlete ” is an ancient Greek word, meaning “ one who competes for a prize ”. Although women did not compete in the games, there was a separate festival held at the same time in honour of Hera, wife of Zeus. At this festival unmarried girls competed in foot races.
The marathon was not an event of the ancient Olympic Games. The marathon is a modern event that was first introduced in the Olympic Games in 1896. It was named after a village called Marathon where the Persians were defeated by a small Greek army. The news of the victory was brought to Athens by soldier, who ran the 26 miles from the village of Marathon to the capital. 26 miles was therefore adopted as the distance of the modern marathon race.
The Olympic flag was introduced in 1908 and carries the symbol of five linked rings. Which represent the five continents – Africa, America, Asia, Australasia and Europe. The Olympic flame was first carried in the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. There was no torch relay in the ancient Olympic Games. The first torch relay in the modern Olympic Games was staged in Berlin in 1936.
1. The ancient Greeks held the first Olympic Games in 617 BC.
2. The ancient Greeks held the Olympic Games for 393 years.
3. They did not allow women to compete in the ancient Olympic Games.
4. They first used the Olympic flag in 1908.
5. Both the Olympic Games and the Marathon Race are very popular for old and young people in many countries of the world.
(Key: 1. F 2. F 3. T 4. T 5. NG)
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