Comprehension - Intermediate . [ 4 ]

[ 4 ] Comprehension . 

[  4  ]Intermediate 

Read the following , then answer the questions below :

                We first became aware that something unusual was happening , when one of the ship’s officers came up to the Chief Engineer , who sat at our table , and spoke to him in a low voice . The Chief  Engineer  at once stood up and with a brief excuse , which told  us nothing . left the dining-room . At first we thought there had been an accident or that a fire had broken out on board ship , but soon the word went round that a man had been floating in the sea . Then we noticed that the ship had slowed down and was beginning to turn round , with rather a violent motion . Some of the passengers did not wait to finish their meal , but at once rushed up on deck . Others crowded round the port holes , making it impossible for us to eat in comfort . There was such confusion in the  dining-room that we decided to join those who had gone up on deck .

                 There we learnt that one of the crew had seen a man in the sea some distance  from the ship . He had informed the captain , who at once ordered the ship to be turned round . We were now only two hundred yards , or so from the man , and a life boat had already been lowered into the sea . In it there were four  sailors , who were sitting ready at the oars , an officer and the ship’s doctor . The officer showed an order and the sailors began to run away from the ship . By looking in the same direction as the boat was going , we were able to make out the position of the man in the water . He was clinging to a large piece of wood .

                 At last , after what seemed to us as an age , the life boat reached the man and two of the sailors pulled him on board . This was not at all easy for the sea was rather rough . Then the sailors began to row back to the ship again . The life boat was raised out of the water and a rescued man wrapped in a blanket , was helped out on to the deck . Leaning on the arm of the ship’s doctor , but still able to walk in spite of his terrible experience , he was led off to the ship’s hospital . As he passed along the deck , everyone cheered loudly .

A-] Answer the following questions :

1-] Why did some of the passengers crowd round the portholes ?

……………………………………………………………………………………….

2-] How were the people on deck able to make out where the man in the water was ?

……………………………………………………………………………………….

3-] How did the man in the water manage to keep afloat ?

……………………………………………………………………………………….

B-] Choose the correct answer :    

 1-] The  people at the writer’s table decided to leave the dining-room because

A-] the ship was turning round rather violently . B-] the Chief Engineer had already left . C-] a man had been seen floating in the sea . D-] they couldn’t continue their meal in peace .

2-] Became aware means

A-] were frightened        B-] knew        C-] imagined       D-] decided

3-] The underlined word “ us”  refers to

A-] the sailors   B-] the passengers   C-] the ship’s doctor   D-] the ship’s officers

Comprehension - Intermediate [ 3 ]

[ 3 ] Comprehension . 

[  3  ]Intermediate 

Read the following , then answer the questions below :

                     One summer evening I was sitting by the open window , reading a good but rather frightening story . After a time it became too dark for me to read easily , so I put my book down and got up to switch on the light . I was just about to draw the curtains as well when I heard a loud cry of “ Help ! Help!” . It seemed to come from the trees at the end of the garden . I looked out but it was now too dark to see anything clearly . Almost immediately I heard the cry again .It sounded like a child , although I could not imagine how anything could need help in our garden , unless one of the boys of the neighborhood had climbed a tree and could not get down .

                  I decided , however that I ought to go out and have a look in the garden , just in case someone was in trouble . I took the torch [ which we keep for the failure of electric power supply . when there is no electric light ] and picked up a strong walking stick , thinking that this might come in useful , too . Armed with these I went out into the garden . Once again I heard the cry.

There was no doubt that  it came from the trees at the end of the garden . “ Who’s  there ?” I called out as I walked , rather nervously , down the path that led to the trees . But there was no answer . With the help of my torch I examined the whole of that part of the garden and the lower branches of the trees . There was no sign of anybody or anything . I came to the conclusion that someone was playing a rather silly joke on me .

                  Still feeling rather puzzled , I went back to the house and put away the torch and the stick . I had just sat down and began to read my book again when I was startled by the cry of “ Help ! Help !”  , this time from right behind my shoulder . I dropped my book and jumped up . There , sitting on top of the book  shelf was a large green and red bird . It was a parrot ! While I was out in the garden , the bird must have seen the light in my room and flown in through the open window .

A-] Answer the following questions :

1-] Why did the writer go out into the garden ?

………………………………………………………………………………………

2-] Why did the writer think that someone was playing a rather silly joke on him ?

………………………………………………………………………………………

3-] What did the writer am himself with before he went out ?

………………………………………………………………………………………

4-] What did the writer discover at the end ?

……………………………………………………………………………………….

B-] Choose the correct answer :

1-] Startled means ………

A-] surprised     B-] examined   C-] scared    D-] puzzled

2-] The underlined word “ it” refers to …….

A-] the bird  B-] the cry  C-] the garden  D-] the tree

3-] The writer was interested in ……

A-] keeping the night awake in summer . B-] reading mystery stories .

C-] keeping birds at home .    D-] walking in the garden .

Comprehension - Intermediate [ 2 ]

[ 2 ] Comprehension . 

[  2  ]Intermediate

Read the following , then answer the questions below :

              A small crowd had gathered round the entrance to the park . His curiosity aroused  , Hosham crossed the road to see what was happening  . He found that the center of attraction was an old man with a performing monkey. The  monkey’s tricks he soon discovered were in no way remarkable , so after throwing a few coins in the dirty hat which the man hat placed on the pavement , Hosham began to move off , along with other members of the crowd .

             At this point the man suddenly let out a loud cry . Everyone turned to see what had happened . The man was bending over his monkey which now lay quite still on the pavement . He picked up the apparently lifeless body and holding it close to him , began to weep . A young man stepped forward from the crowd and taking some money from his pocket , dropped it into the hat . Hosham and several other people did likewise , until the hat was covered with coins . Meanwhile , the man continued to hold the dead monkey in his arms and seemed to take no notice of what  was going on about him .

              A few months later , Hosham came across the old man again in another part of the city . The man had a monkey bought no doubt with the money which the crowd had given him . It did not , however seem any better at its tricks than the previous one . Hosham was pleased to see that the old man was still able to earn a living , though on this occasion , having partly paid for the monkey out of his own project , he did not feel inclined to throw any money into the hat .

             But the performance was not yet over ! Once again the old man let out a loud cry . Once again the monkey lay still on the pavement . The man picked up the dead monkey and clutching it into his arms began to weep . The same young man stepped forward and threw some money into the hat . Again the crowd followed suit – except for Hosham . Smiling to himself , he went on his way , amazed at the man’s audacity .

A-] Answer the following questions :

1-] What was the crowd round the entrance to the park doing ?

………………………………………………………………………………………

2-] Why did he crowd soon begin to move off ?

……………………………………………………………………………………….

3-] What was the old man doing while the crowd threw money into his hat ?

……………………………………………………………………………………….

4-] How many monkeys did the old man have ? How do you know ?

……………………………………………………………………………………….

B-] Choose the correct answer :

1-] Audacity means …….

A-] boldness      B-] stupidity      C-] cleverness     D-] humor

2-] When the crowd threw money into the old man’s hat , he …….

A-] thanked them        B-] bought a new monkey        C-] began to weep                           D-] continued to hold the dead  monkey in his arms

3-] In your opinion , the old man deserves ……..

A-] to help him     2-] to laugh at his tricks    3-] to deal with him carefully

4-] to inform the police about him

Comprehension ., Intermediate [ 1 ]

Comprehension . [ 1 ]

[  1  ]Intermediate

Read the following , then answer the questions below :

            As the train approached the seaside town where I was going to spend my holiday , I went into the corridor to stretch my legs . I stayed there a short while , breathing in the fresh sea air and exchanging a few words with one of the passengers whom I had met earlier on the station platform .

           When I turned to go back to my seat , I happened to glance into the compartment next to mine . Sitting there was a man who many years before had been my neighbor  . He was a great talker , I remembered : it used to take hours to get away from him once he began a conversation . I was not at all sorry when he went to live in another part of the city . We had not met since then , nor did I wish to meet him now , when my holiday was about to begin .

          Luckily at that moment he was much too busy talking to the man opposite him to catch sight of me . I slipped back into my compartment , took down my two suitcases and carried them to the far end of the corridor  so as to be ready to get off the train as soon as it stopped . The  moment the train came to a halt , I called a porter , who in no time at all had carried my luggage out of the station and found me a taxi . As I drove towards my small hotel on the outskirts of the town , I breathed a deep sigh of relief at my narrow escape. There was little chance that I should run into my boring ex-neighbor again .

          When I reached the hotel I went straight to my room and rested there until it was time for dinner . Then I went down to the lounge and ordered a drink . I had barely raised the glass to my lips when an all too familiar voice greeted me . I had not escaped from my tiresome neighbor after all ! He grasped me warmly by the hand and insisted that we share a table in the dining-room . “ This is a pleasant surprise ,” he said . “ I never expected to see you again after all these years .”

A- ] Answer the following questions :

1-] Why did the writer want to avoid his ex-neighbor ?

………………………………………………………………………………………

2-] What was the writer doing when his ex-neighbor greeted  him ?

………………………………………………………………………………………

3-] When did the writer first meet his ex-neighbour ?

………………………………………………………………………………………

4-] How did the writer feel when he drove towards the hotel ? Why ?

………………………………………………………………………………………

 

B -] Choose the correct answer :

1-] Tiresome means …………

A-] weary     B-] talkative      C-] boring      D-] sleepy

2-] If the ex-neighbor had not been talkative , the writer would have ………

A-] been pleased to see him .         B-] slipped back into his compartment .

C-] avoided seeing him .                D-] been ready to get off the train .

3-] The writer had seen his ex-neighbor ………..

A- ] once       B-] twice       C-] three times      D-] four times 

American Division Poetry . [ 10 ]

American Division Poetry . [ 10 ] 

Elegy  

A lament over the death of someone [ although elegy once referred to poems written in elegiac meter-lines that alternate hexameter and pentameter  ] .

An example of elegy is Thomas Gray’s “ Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” . Notice his use of the elegiac stanza [ four lines of iambic pentameter with an abab rhyme scheme .

Ex.   The curfew tolls the knell of parting day ,

               The lowing herd wind slowly o’er the lea ,

         The plowman homeward plods his weary way ,

                 And leaves the world to darkness and to me .

Elegies include some love poems about death .

Subtypes of elegy include :

 Dirges :  short songs expressing grief over someone .

 Pastoral elegy : Poems in which both the deceased and the mourners are presented as shepherds . These elegies often include mythology as part of the poetic structure .

American Division Literature . [ 9 ]

American Division Literature . [ 9 ] 

3-] Lyric Poetry .

Originally referring to songs sung to lyre music , now the term lyric refers to expressive , short non-narrative poems , however, lyric also includes longer works such as some elegies . Lyric poetry includes a blend of elements :

1-] Melodious tone . 2-] Spontaneously expressed emotion . 3-] Unified structure [ harmonious ] . 4-] Individualized . 5-] Subjective .

In the lyric mode , the tone is reflective , at times even introspective , with the speaker discussing an experience or expounding upon an idea . The broad range of poetic forms that fall under the label of lyric poetry is impressive ;but although not all lyric poetry is intended to be sung , the intrinsic musical elements of lyric poetry that are rooted in its musical origins should be recognized [ although not overstated ] .

Dramatic Monologues :   A person unintentionally reveals his or her character by expressing a poem at a critical moment . There may or may not be a silent auditor – the person to whom the monologue is being addressed . In Robert Browning’s “ My Last Duchess” the silent auditor is an agent for negotiating the Duke’[s next marriage arrangement .

American Division Literature . [ 8 ]

American Division Literature . [ 8 ] 

2-] Dramatic Poetry .

Some critics argue that the label “ dramatic poetry” is somewhat ambiguous . Of course , the term refers to poems that are dominated in content , style and structure by the dramatic form and / or by the many possible dramatic techniques such as dialogue and blank verse . Other critics would go so far as to include poetic drama [ plays written in verse ] under this large category that is held together by the special elements of dramatic mode .

The dramatic mode of poetry [ whether poems that are dramatic or poetic drama can include:1-]Dialogue written in verse [ usually blank verse in the poetic drama ] .

2-] Monologues – long speeches uttered by one person . Unlike poems that contain dramatic elements , poetic drama is meant to be acted out . Works such as Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound [ [ written in 1820 ] and Milton’s Samson Agonistes  [ written in 1671 ] , however , are dramas that are not meant to be acted out . This genre is called the closet drama .