معجزات القرآن والسنة -- فضل مكة ( 18 )

18 - ) معجزات القرآن والسنة 

فضل مكة

يعتبر حديث الرسول ﷺ عن مكة من الأحاديث المعجزة التى تعبر عن صدق الوحى فهو سابق لعصره بآلاف السنين ، والعلم الحديث بكل قوته وقدرته هو الذى اكتشف ذلك ، فقول الرسول ﷺ هو الحقيقة التى يجب أن نقول لها سمعنا وأطعنا اذا ثبت بالتحقيق صحة الحديث حسب علم الحديث الاسلامى ويقول نص الحديث الذى ذكره الدكتور زغلول النجار رئيس لجنة أو مؤسسة الاعجاز العلمى فى القرآن والسنة " كانت الكعبة خشعة على الماء فدحيت منها الأرض " والخشعة هى العضبة الصغيرة ، والكعبة فى قلب مكة ومكة فى قلب الأرض ، ومن الحديث يتضح أن الأرض كانت مغمورة بالماء ولم تكن هناك يابسة وقد أيد ذلك القرآن بقوله " وكان عرشه على الماء " ، فالأرض تكونت عليها القارات ةكانت كتلة واحدة بحيث لو نظرنا الى شكل القارات نجدها تلتقى قبل أن تتباعد لتشكل جسما واحدا وهناك نظرية تباعد القارات فقارة آسيا تتباعد حاليا عن أفريقيا بمقدار سنتيمتر كل عام وهذا القدر لا يمكن ملاحظته الا بعد مرور ملايين السنين فالبحر الأحمر هو الذى يفصل القارتين وهو أخدود عميق ممتد وذلك على سبيل المثال ، وكذلك لو أتينا بقارة أمريكا الجنوبية نجدها قمعية الشكل وقارة أفريقيا من ناحية الغرب تمتد بحيث يمكن لرأس القمع أن يكمل الشكل كما هوواضح

 وقد حدثت صدوع عميقة فى المحيطات تصل الى 65 كم اندفعت منها الحمم بملايين الأطنان وكونت سلاسل جبلية كونت أول قطعة من اليابسة ، واتسعت هذه القمة حتى كونت القارة الأمم ، وتعتبر صخور جبال مكة هى الأقدم على سطح الأرض .

والدحو هو المد والبسط والالقاء وليس التكوير وقد أيد القرآن ذلك فى قوله " والآرض بعد ذلك دها وأخرج منها ماءها ومرعاها " واليابسة تكونت عن طريق عملية دحو من ثورة البراكين والتى مازالت موجودة وتلقى بحممها ولكنها قلت كثيرا عما كانت عليه حيث تكونت قشرة الأرض وهى موجودة نشطة فى أماكن وتثور من حين الى آخر فى أماكن أخرى .

ويدل الحديث أيضا على مركزية مكة المكرمة بالنسبة لليابسة ، وقد أثبت الدكتور حسين كمال رحمه الله أستاذ الهندسة المساحية السابق بجامعة القاهرة عند تحقيق اتجاهات القبلة فقد حقق زوايا واتجاهات القبلة من مختلف مدن العالم وأسقطها وأثبت أن مكة وسط اليابسة اذا رسمت دائرة مركزها مكة تحيط بالقارات احاطة كاملة ، وخط مكو عكس ما يسمى بخط جرينتش الذى وضعه العنصريون لقياس الزمن على سطح الأرض وبه مقدار من الانحراف المغنطيسى بمقدار ثمان درجات يتسبب فى بعض الأخطاء التى تحتاج الى تعديل فهو الخط الوحيد الذى يتجه الى الجنوب الحقيقى والشمال الحقيقى وليس المغناطيسى الذى نحدده بالبوصلة فهو فى مركز الأرض ، وزاوية الانحراف المغنطيسى تتكون من تحول قطبى الأرض الشمالى والجنوبى ببطء مع حركة دوران الآرض حول الشمس فينعكسا وينقلبا ويأخذ كل واحد مكان الآخر فى مواجهة الشمس وتكون ظاهرة الميل القطبى وكل خط طول له ذلك تلانحراف المغناطيسى ما عدا خط طول مكة المكرمة الذى لا يوجد به أى خط لانحراف مغناطيسى حيث أنه متعادل لأنه فى مركز الأرض فيلتقى خط الطول الحقيقى مع المغناطيسى فتكون الدقة الزمنية ، سبحان الله العظيم وصدق رسوله الكريم ﷺ فيما أوحى اليه من ربه فهو لا ينطق عن الهوى ان هو الا وهى يوحى . 

Composition & Essay Writing [ 73 ] Freedom of The Press , Summer Camp

73 - ] Composition & Essay Writing 

112 - ) Freedom of the Press

                     Freedom of the press is the most important wheel of democracy. Without a free press, a democracy cannot exist. In fact, the press is a great medium that conveys the truth to people. However, it cannot function fully if the press is not free.

                       People must have heard the saying about the cost of freedom is eternal vigilance. Thus, it is the media’s responsibility to remain vigil for people’s safety. Moreover, the freedom of people is monitored by the media. The press watches those in power to ensure they do not misuse it. In order to do this, freedom of the press is required.

                    The press has been given the responsibility of checking and balancing the administration and the government. Whenever there is a social evil lurking or corruption and oppression happens, the press is the first one to raise a voice. Moreover, we trust the press to collect verify and disseminate the facts and figures which influence people’s decisions. If the press won’t have the liberty to do all this, the people will be in the dark. Therefore, we see how if even any one of these liberties is taken away from the press, the voiceless will lose their voice. Worse yet, if the press will be denied to do their job, the ones in power will run the country as per their will. This will result in uninformed citizens who will thus become powerless.

                     Moreover, we see how censorship of the press is nothing less than a dictatorship. When the government imposes censorship on the press, it obviously means they are trying to hide something. A person only hides lies and not the truth. Thus, this way the citizens will be manipulated into thinking there is nothing wrong with the government. Subsequently, when there remains no agency to report the truth, the government will gain absolute power.

                          In short, freedom of the press is important for the smooth functioning of democracy. It is important for people to be socially aware of happenings in the world. One must have the power to criticize the government; it will keep the administration on their toes to do better for the country. As we can conclude from the earlier statements, the press has a huge responsibility on their shoulders. They need to be vigilant and honest. Media has a powerful role to play in any form of government, whether democratic or totalitarian. The information they distribute helps in shaping the views of the public. When you have such a power to influence the views of a whole public, then you must be even more responsible. In fact, the media is sometimes more powerful than the government. They have people’s trust and support . However, such a power given to any individual or agency is quite dangerous. In other words, any media without restraints can be hazardous. As they have the power to showcase anything, they may report anything and twist the facts as per their agendas. They have the power to cause outrage amongst the people. A free press can easily manipulate the public’s opinion. This is why we need responsible journalism to refrain the media from reporting false facts which may harm the harmony and peace of a country. 

113- )Summer Camp

                         Summer camp is a special camp that is organized in the summer season for children and teens. Also, the students come together to have fun and learn new things. These help children to try new adventures away from home in a safe environment. Besides, during summer camp many children make new friends and develop self-confidence and social skills.

                There are many reasons for anyone to try summer camp we have gathered some important ones that are beneficial for the all-round development of kids. Summer camp helps children to socialize freely with anyone. They also get the opportunity to perform several activities like painting, dancing, drawing, singing, etc. Furthermore, they share space with each other and work in teams and thus they develop a friendship.

              At summer camp children learn to cooperate with each other. Also, they get the opportunity to interact with their peers. Living and performing several activities together creates a bond between them.

                         Summer camp is not only a place to have fun but also a great place to learn new things. Also, it affects the child in a lot of positive ways than you can imagine. Besides, it helps in developing many skills and talents in children and also they learn by practical knowledge rather than theoretical knowledge. Above all, summer camp teaches them some of the most important lessons in their life.

                       Summer camps are a way for children to stay away from technology. Also, most of the summer camp is organized in natural places like so they give children time to connect with nature. In addition, they are a great way for children to observe natural development and be aware of the natural world. Besides, the outdoor experience is very important for the growth of children. Summer camps give children time to say away from technology and get engaged in the real world. Furthermore, it encourages children to engage in real activities. This increases their ability to interact and understand the real people and real tasks of the world.

                         Summer camp enables children to be more active by participating in various activities. These adventures indulge themselves in new adventures. In addition, it enhances their capability to challenge themselves.

These camps motivate themselves to take part in diverse competitive and non-competitive activities. These help them in developing their self-esteem in the absence of their academic competition.

                      Most of the summer camp is organized in the summer period. Also, they are adventurous and exciting. Besides, it gives them a break from the boring old routine and whole new experience. At summer camps they can relax and learn at the same time.

                    In conclusion, summer camp is not the place for having fun but also a place to learn many important things about life. Also, they help in the physical, social, and mental abilities of the children. Also, they learn to be self-dependent and confident in their own selves. Besides, they learn via practical knowledge which is far greater than theoretical knowledge. Above all, the children learn some of the important lessons of life in summer camp.

Composition & Essay Writing ( 72 ) Road Rage , Bribery

72 - ] Composition & Essay Writing 

110 - ) Road Rage

                     Road rage refers to aggressive or angry behaviour which is displayed by a driver of a road vehicle. These behaviours consist of rude and offensive gestures, verbal insults, threats, and dangerous driving methods. Moreover, drivers or pedestrians become the targets of such negative behaviours. Most noteworthy, the main motive behind such behaviour is to intimidate others or release frustration and anger. The various strategies of road raging also consist of long horn honks, tailgating, swerving, and aggressive physical behaviour.

                    The behaviour of a stressful driver is dependent on the driver’s coping abilities. Drivers who display high aggression often indulge in direct confrontation strategies when they face stress during driving. It seems like drivers who experience road rage also commit more traffic violations. Driving certainly presents many stresses to a driver who is driving a vehicle. There is a direct positive correlation between driving stress and road rage. As the driving stress increases, similarly, the likelihood of a person committing road rage increases dramatically. Furthermore, younger males are more likely to indulge in road rage behaviour in comparison to other types of people. Most cases of road rage take place due to cutting in and cutting out of traffic, parking spots disputes, rude gestures, and lane changes.

                   Some experts believe that people who customize their cars with stickers and adornments are more susceptible to road rage behaviour. Psychologists probably do not consider road rage as a mental disorder.

There was an article published from the Associated Press in 2006 which said road rage behaviour can be the result of intermittent explosive disorder. Adults numbering 9200 in the United States came to this conclusion in a survey. The funding of these surveys was made by the National Institute of Mental Health.

              Most road rage incidents take place as a result of ignorance or misunderstanding of the driver. This ignorance or misunderstanding can be due to the failure of a driver to look on the road while taking a turn or forgetting to switch off the turn signal. Many people seem to take things the wrong way. Countless road accidents take place due to simple mistakes on the road. However, not every rage action leads to an accident but certainly involves aggressive acts. Furthermore, any individual may commit road rage irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religion, age, or culture.

               The most aggressive driving accidents consist of much more than just a vile word or offensive gesture. Sometimes, the use of weapons is made in road rage incidences. Most noteworthy, road rage takes place in various actions and forms from time to time.

111 - ) Bribery

                         As the world is evolving, we see how people are losing their morals too. Things like corruption and bribery have become so common that everyone turns a blind eye to it. Bribery refers to the exchanging of cash, materials or goods. This exchange is done to get some work done through illegal means or to fasten up the procedure. Although everyone opposes this concept, we all indulge in bribery of some kind.

                          Bribery is more common than you think . If you set out in the world to find someone who hasn’t ever given or accepted a bribe, you are highly unlikely to succeed. Bribery is around us and is prevalent in all the little and big things. For instance, if a person wants to admit their kid to a good school, they offer a bribe. If one doesn’t have the ticket for traveling on a train, they bribe the TT to get the ticket. Similarly, on a bigger level, people bribe the police to get rid of their crimes. The police accept the bribe out of greed and sometimes fear. If we think about it, there is no area left untouched by bribery in our lives. Even the chocolate parents offer their child to get any work done is kind of a bribe only. Its source is from the house. Kids watch their parents offer a bribe to the traffic police or TT, they learn the same thing. Moreover, the never-ending chain of giving and accepting a bribe in the system makes it more common than you think.

                         Bribery has a harmful impact on the growth of a country. It hinders the development of the economy and the country as a whole. We talk about equality amongst all and want equal opportunities for people but bribery stops this from happening. When you bribe the school or college to give the seat to your child, a much deserving candidate loses out on that seat. That candidate loses out as they cannot afford the amount for bribing the officials. Thus, we need to eradicate this problem completely to help the country and people prosper. However, it is a difficult task to complete as the government officials heavily depend on bribery for their income. The citizens are equally responsible as they are the ones offering bribes in one form or the other. When the citizens themselves stop bribing the officials, the government will have no choice but to not indulge in this crime. Furthermore, we must teach children from an early age about honesty. We must make them aware of the consequences of giving it accepting the bribe. Thus, slowly and steadily we can eliminate this practice if all of us come together.

                   All of us must collectively fight against this practice and begin practicing it from home. Next time you get caught by the traffic police, do not bribe the official, instead, pay the whole fine. Likewise, set an example for your children so they do the same.

Comprehension , Upper Intermediate , Advanced ( 6 )

Comprehension

6 - ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced 

Read the following passage , then answer the questions below :

                   On any collecting trip , obtaining the animals is , as a rule , the simplest part of the job . As soon as the local people discover that you are willing to buy live wild creatures , the stuff comes pouring in ; ninety per cent is , of course , the commoner types , but they do bring an occasional rarity . If you want the really rare stuff , you generally have to go out and find it yourself , but while you are devoting your time to this you can be sure that all the common local animals will be brought in to you . So one might also say that getting the animals is easy : the really hard part is keeping them once you have got them .

                        The chief difficulty you have when you have got a newly caught animal is not so much the shock it might be suffering , but the fact that being caught forces it to exist close to a creature it regards as an enemy of the worst possible sort : yourself . On many occasions an animal may take beautifully to being in a cage but getting used to the idea of living with people is another matter . This is the difficulty you can only deal with by patience and kindness . For month after an animal may try to bite you every time you approach its cage , until you despair of ever making a favourable impression on it . Then , one day , sometimes without any preliminary warning , it will trot forward and take food from your hand , or allow you to tickle it behind the ears . At such moments you feel that all the waiting in the world was worthwhile .

                         Feeding , of course , is one of your main problems . Not only must you have a fairly extensive knowledge of what each animal eats in the wild state , but you have to work out something else when the natural food is unavailable , and then teach your animal to eat it . You also have to provide for their individual likes and dislikes , which vary enormously . I have known a rat which , refusing all normal rat food - fruit , bread , vegetables - lived for three days on an exclusive diet of spaghetti . I have had a group of five monkeys ,of the same age and types , who displayed the oddest individual characteristics . Out of the five , two loved hard-boiled eggs , while the other three were frightened of the strange white shape and would not touch them , actually screaming in fear if you put such a terrifying object as a hard-boiled egg into their cage . These five monkeys all adored oranges but , whereas four would carefully peel their fruit and throw away the skin , the fifth would peel his orange equally carefully and then throw away the orange and eat the peel . When you have a collection of several hundred creatures all displaying such curious characteristics , you are sometimes driven mad in your efforts to satisfy their desires , and so keep them healthy and happy .

                     But of all the irritating tasks that you have to undertake during a collecting trip , bringing the baby animals up by hand is undoubtedly the worst . To begin with , they are generally stupid over taking a bottle and there is nothing quite so attractive as struggling with a baby animal in a sea of warm milk . And then they have to be kept warm , especially at night , and this means ( unless you take them to bed with you , which is often the answer ) you have to get up several times during the night to refill hot-water bottles . After a hard day’s work , to drag yourself out of bed at three in the morning to see to hot-water bottles is an occupation that soon loses its charm .

Answer the following questions

1 . What does the writer say about getting hold of animals ?

( A ) The best solution is to collect most of them yourself .

( B ) dealing with local collectors takes a lot of time .

( C ) Collecting large numbers of animals is usually no problem .

( D ) Local people may not understand how rare some animals are .

2 . What is the main problem with an animal that has just been caught ?

( A ) It is frightened to be near humans .

( B ) It has been badly shocked by its experience .

( C ) It does not like being with other animals .

( D ) It will try to break out of its cage .

3 . How does the writer treat new animals in his collection ?

( A ) He keeps away from those that bite .

( B ) He tries to build up a relationship with them .

( C ) He feeds them by hand every day .

( D ) He keeps them separate for several months .

4 . How does the writer make sure the animals have a good diet ?

( A ) He collects food for them from their natural home .

( B ) He gives them a variety of fruit , bread and vegetables .     

( C ) He mixes food they dislike in with their favourites .

( D ) He finds alternatives to their natural food if necessary .

5 . What do we learn about the five monkeys ?

( A ) Some of them did not want eggs in their cage .

(  B ) One of them did not know how to peel an orange .

( C ) Some of them were too frightened to eat anything .

( D ) One of them threw his orange at the others .

6 . The writer says that with a large collection of animals , it is

( A ) impossible to keep them all in cages .

( B ) a problem to control their natural curiosity.

( C ) crazy to expect them all to be healthy .

( D ) hard work to give each one what it wants .

7 . What problem does the writer have at night ?

( A ) He has to work with the baby animals until 3 a.m.  .

( B ) He keeps the baby animals’ cages in his bedroom .

( C ) He has to keep getting up to look after the babies .

( D ) The babies have to be given regular warm drinks .

Answer Key

 1 . C 2 . A 3 . B 4 . D 5 . A 6 . D 7 . C 

 

Comprehension , Upper Intermediate , Advanced ( 5 )

Comprehension 

5 - ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

Read the following article , then answer the questions below :   

               On Monday , 14^th November , it rained all day . ‘Is this a bad sign ?’ I wondered as I asked a local person for directions to the venue for my course . As I was late , I was glad his instructions were brief and clear , but I thought he had a strange expression on his face .

               ‘Danger of flooding . Check your brakes ,’ read the next sign . The sign after that read ‘Avon Foundation’ , where my course was . It also said ‘Drive carefully .’ I edged towards my destination . It was too late to turn back .

               When I’d mentioned that I was going on a writing course my friends’ reactions had varied from ‘Are you running it ?’ to ‘You must be mad .’ The latter was right , I thought , as I walked into a 16^th century farmhouse just before dinner . I was shown to a small room with three beds and a wash basin. The only bathroom was through another bedroom . For a journalist with wide experience of 5-star hotels , this was a shock .

                 I took my place at the dinner table and looked at my companions for the next five days , sixteen would-be fiction writers , aged 26 - 7 4 . We had two teachers : Deborah , author of ten novels , and Stephen , whose latest work I had been unable to find in one of the biggest bookshops in London . ‘Hi , I’m Stephen ,’ he said amiably , sitting down next to me . Without thinking , I confessed to my failure in the bookshop , which added to the strain of the occasion for us both .

                  After dinner , our course in fiction writing began . ‘What do you want to get out of your course here ?’ Stephen enquired , and we each explained our plans . Mine had been a novel . When I’d booked the course , I’d left lots of free time to plot it out , identify the characters and write at least one chapter . But all this was swallowed up by less demanding activities , like going to parties . ‘Er , a short story …’ I heard myself saying weakly , but at least it sounded like something I could achieve .

                     It seemed less so the next day , when I was faced with the blank screen on the word processor I had brought with me . There was nothing between me and my fiction but writer’s block . But professional journalists like me don’t get writer’s block , do they ? Wrong . Fortunately , no-one else could get started either .

                       Towards the end of the morning , I remembered that I had an ancient piece of fiction in my machine . This was a desperate idea but I had to have something to show the teachers before the afternoon’s individual tutorials  . Perhaps it could be turned into a short story . It didn’t take more than as quick glance at it to convince me that it could .

                         Then it was tutorial time . We were due for our 20-minute individual session and nerves were frayed by the threat of cruel assessment . We had heard of idle tutors who refused to read the students’ work at all and of frank ones who dared to tell the truth about it , but we were much luckier . Deborah and Stephen were thorough in their preparation . Stephen provided detailed analysis from handwritten notes ; Deborah supplied brilliant solutions to tricky problems ; both were heartwarmingly encouraging to everyone .

                         By Thursday evening , the brave were reading their own stories , which provided fascinating insights into their lives and personalities . Predictably , standards varied from the truly talented to the deeply ungifted , but all were clapped and praised , as they deserved to be . Most of the stories were autobiographical - so how come mine , which I was too cowardly to read - was about a world I know nothing about ? And how come  I got the distinct impression that Deborah and Stephen thought I’d better stick to journalism ?

Answer the following questions :

1 . How did the writer feel as she made her way to the course ?

( A ) confused

( B ) annoyed

( C ) nervous

( D ) determined

2 . When the writer arrived for the course , she

( A ) felt that some of her friends’ reactions had been right .

( B ) was disappointed that the building was such an old one .

( C ) considered complaining about the lack of facilities .

( D ) suspected that it was likely to be badly run .

3 . In paragraph three ‘my failure’ refers to the fact that the writer

( A ) didn’t remember Stephen from the bookshop .

( B ) hadn’t found Stephen’s new book .

( C ) didn’t realize Stephen worked with Deborah .

( D ) couldn’t start a conversation with Stephen .

4 . Before she went on the course , the writer had

( A ) managed to write a short story to take with her .

( B ) decided that writing a novel was going to take too long

( C ) not had As much free time as she’d expected .

( D ) not succeeded in putting her plans into action .

5 . What happened when she sat down to write on the first morning ?

( A ) She discovered that she could have the same problems as any other writer .

( B ) She realized that something she had written in the past was excellent .

( C ) She overcame a problem with the machine she had taken with her .

( D ) She decided that her first idea for a story was unlikely to work .

6 . What does the writer say about the first tutorial ?

( A ) The teachers didn’t tell them what they really thought of their work .

( B ) It was better than those given on some other courses for writers .

(C ) She was more nervous about it than some of the other writers .

( D ) She thought that Stephen’s approach wasn’t as useful as Deborah’s .

7 . When people read their own stories to the others ,

( A ) different stories got different reactions .

( B ) there was no opportunity for the writer to read hers .

( C ) the stories revealed things about their writers .

( D ) the writer felt that they were better than hers .

Answer Key

1 . C  2 . A 3 . B  4 . D  5 . A  6 . B  7 . C

Comprehension , Upper Intermediate , Advanced ( 4 )

 Comprehension 

4 - ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced 

Read the following , then answer the questions below :

  WANTED : Sports -mad training partner

  for triathlete , preferably female . Chance to

  work with potential Olympic champion .

  Should be extremely keen on distance running

  ( regular 15 km sessions ) , distance swimming

  ( addiction to winter training in cold rivers

  useful ) and distance cycling ( love of 100km

  an advantage ) . Ability to do all three without

  a rest essential

            The triathlon promises to be one of the most popular Olympic sports . Recently it has drawn huge crowds fascinated ( and horrified ) by athletes swimming 1500 m , cycling w0 km , then running 10 km without stopping . Great for those watching , maybe , but what makes the triathletes want to punish their bodies so much ? And what makes an attractive 17-year-old , with excellent academic results , give up everything for the doubtful pleasure it offers ?

          Melanie Sears has not yet learnt those often-repeated phrases about personal satisfaction , mental challenge and higher targets that most athletes automatically use when asked similar questions . ‘You swim for 1500 m , then run out of the water and jump on your bike , still wet . Of course , then you freeze . When the 40 km cycle ride is over , you have to run 10 km , which is a long way when you’re feeling exhausted . But it’s great fun , and all worth it in the end ,’ she says .

            Melanie entered her first triathlon at 14 . ‘I won the junior section - but then I was the only junior taking part . It seemed so easy that I was waving at my team-mates as I went round .’ Full of confidence , she entered the National Championships , and although she had the second fastest swim and the fastest run , she came nowhere . ‘I was following this man and suddenly we came to the sea . We realized then that we had gone wrong . I ended up cycling 20 kilometers too far . I cried all the way through the running .’

            But she did not give up and is determined that she never will. ‘Sometimes I wish I could stop , because then the pain would be over , but I am afraid that if I let myself stop just once , I would be tempted to do it again.’ Such doggedness draws admiration from Steve Trew , the sport’s director of coaching . ‘I’ve just been testing her fitness .’ he says , ‘and she worked so hard on the running machine that it finally threw her off and into a wall . She had given it everything , but whereas most people step off when they realize they can’t go any further , she just kept on .’

            Melanie was top junior in this year’s European Triathlon Championships , finishing 13^th . ‘I was almost as good as the top three in swimming and running , but much slower at cycling . That’s why I’m working very hard at it .’ She is trying to talk her long-suffering parents , who will carry the £ 1,300 cost of her trip to New Zealand for this year’s World Championships , into buying a £ 2 ,000 bike (It’s special deal , with £ 1,000 off) so she can try national 25 km and 100 km races later this year .

             But there is another price to pay . Her punishing training sessions have made her a bit of a recluse . ‘I don’t have a social life .’ she says . ‘I’m not a party animal anyway . After two hours’ hard swimming on Friday nights . I just want to go to sleep . But I phone and write to the other girls in the team .’ What does she talk about ? Clothes ? ‘No , what sort of times they are achieving .’  

                    Where will all this single-mindedness end ? Melanie has tried other events . She has had a go at the triathlon ‘sprint’ , for example , where you only have to swim 750 m , cycle 20 km and run 5 km . She wants to enter even tougher events than the triathlon . ‘The big trouble is , I have no one of my age to train with ,’ she says . Funny , that .

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1 . What is the purpose of the ‘advertisement’ in the first paragraph ?

( A ) to encourage people to take up the triathlon

( B ) to explain why the triathlon is becoming more popular

( C ) to describe how difficult the triathlon is

( D ) to criticize people who do the triathlon

2 . How does Melanie differ from other athlete , according to the writer ?

( A ) Her personality is not like theirs .

( B ) Her aims are different from theirs .

( C ) She worries less than they do .

( D ) She expresses herself differently .

3 . What upset Melanie during the National Championships ?

( A ) She was tricked by another competitor .

( B ) She realized she couldn’t cycle as fast as she thought .

( C ) She felt that she had let her team-mates down .

( D ) She made a mistake during part of the race .

4 . What is meant by Melanie’s ‘doggedness’ ?

( A ) She continues despite all difficulties .

( B ) She feels less pain than most people .

( C ) She knows her own limits .

( D ) She likes to please her coach .

5 . What is Melanie trying to persuade her parents to do ?

( A ) let her compete in longer races

( B ) buy a special bike for her

( C ) pay for her to go to New Zealand

( D ) give her half the cost of a bike

6 . What does Melanie say about her relationships with her team-mates ?

( A ) She only discusses the triathlon with them .

( B ) She would like to see them more often .

( C ) She dislikes discussing boys or clothes with them .

( D ) She thinks they find her way of life strange .

7 . What does the writer mean by the phrase ‘Funny , that’ at the end of the article ?

( A ) It is strange that more young people do not take up the triathlon .

( B ) It is clear that Melanie enjoys training for tough events .

( C ) It is amusing to hear people’s reactions to the triathlon .

( D ) It is understandable that Melanie does not have a training partner of her own age .

8 . What is the writer’s attitude to Melanie ?

( A ) He is worried that her social life is interesting with her sport .

( B ) He believes that success has come to her too young .

( C ) He thinks that she is an extraordinary teenager .

( D ) He envies her enormous determination to succeed .

Answer Key

1 . C 2 . D 3 . D 4 . A 5 . B 6 . A 7 . D 8 . C   

 

Comprehension , Upper Intermediate , Advanced [ 3 ]

3 - ] Comprehension  

Upper Intermediate & Advanced

Read the following , then answer the question below :

            We’re ‘animal people’ who enjoy the company of all kinds of creatures. Consider the typical chain of events , leading to total confusion , which began one afternoon . My daughter telephoned me ay work with the news that she had found a wonderful pine snake.   

             ‘Can we keep him ?’ she cried , I said ‘Yes , but only overnight.’ We had set up a special tank for just such passers-through , overnight being long enough to admire and look them up in our well-used natural history book .

              I was late getting home . I hurriedly put a pot on to boil just as screams of ‘oh , Mother ! Help ! Do something !’ came from my sons’ bedroom . I leapt to it .

               The crisis involved Domino the cat and Bianca the white mouse given to me as a Mother’s Day present . ( I’ve heard that some mothers get perfume . ) Domino , with mouse feet waving from his jaws , ran round and round the bedroom that was crowded with furniture and children .

                 Looking for a way out so he could enjoy his catch , Domino had so far avoided the forest of waving arms . I threw myself into the confusion and promptly tripped over something of someone to find myself on the floor .

                  As I thought about dropping my full weight on Domino when he next came past , my eyes locked on the snake . It had escaped - or , more correctly , was escaping . It was pouring itself up and out and off the table and all over the floor . I crouched like a rabbit at the approach of its bullish head , and long powerful body .

                The snake and I were now both being jumped over by cat / mouse / kids in a screaming , leaping , hissing mass - the snake striking at every moment , the dog barking wildly .

                The pot boiled over in the kitchen and I raced to shut off the gas , returning to the battle with new strength . This time I successfully captured Domino by the tail , and pulled the small , damp and miraculously uninjured mouse from his growling jaws . Incidentally , the same mouse was caught by the same cat three more times during its lifetime , but eventually died of old age .

                 Encouraged by mu success with the cat , I looked the snake over for weak points . It didn’t have any . In the end , I sat on the floor like a snake-charmer , rocking backwards and forwards , but within a flute . Gradually the snake relaxed enough to drop its head on to its piled-up body , but its eyes still shone with suspicion . I eventually ever-so-slowly eased my hands beneath the piled-up snake and gradually raised myself to a kneeling position , then I stood up and walked to the very end of the garden where I gave the snake the choice of living happily ever after on the garden shed by pointing it in the direction of a handy tree .

                    But when I finally gathered enough courage to release the snake’s head - fully expecting it to swing instantly around to crush my face in its powerful jaws - it slid away from the tree and up over my shoulders where , like a colorful leathery shawl , it gave every sign of making itself comfortable for the winter .

                  We stood in the gathering dusk , four young children , Mum and the snake . DJ , my eldest , broke the heavy silence with a scientific explanation : ‘ You know what it is , Mum ? You’re nice and fat and warm , and the shed isn’t .’ I had the children gather at the snake’s tail end and gently encourage it to move on . Slowly and unwillingly it did so . Without a backward glance , the snake traveled smoothly up the wall to disappear over the now night-shadowed roof .

                         As the last tiny bit of tail disappeared from our property , three-year old Clay sighed and said it for all of us : ‘Boy , that was one big snake !’   

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1 . Why did the children start shouting ?

( A ) They were arguing about what to do .

( B ) The cat had eaten the mouse .

( C ) The snake had frightened them .

( D ) They wanted their mother to save the mouse .

2 . What does the writer really mean when she says ‘I’ve heard that some mothers get perfume’ ?

( A ) She would not be surprised to receive perfume .

( B ) She sometimes received perfume .

(  C ) She thinks perfume is a strange present .

( D ) She would quite like to receive perfume .

3 . When did she realize the snake was escaping ?

( A ) when she arrived in the bedroom

( B ) as she lay on the floor

( C ) when she tripped over it

( D ) as she grabbed the cat

4 . What does she mean when she says she was ‘encouraged’ by her success with the cat ?

( A ) She now had the confidence to deal with the snake .

( B ) The cat was no longer a threat .

( C ) The snake no longer seemed so strong .

( D ) The children were pleased with what she’d done .

5 . How did she get the snake out of the house ?

( A ) She frightened it .

( B ) She sent it to sleep .

( C ) She chased it away .

( D ) She carried it .

6 . Where did the snake move to instead of the tree ?

( A ) up the garden wall

( B ) into the writer’s shoulders

( D ) into the garden

7 . The snake finally left the garden when the writer

( A ) used her hands to give it a push .

( B ) let go of its head .

( C ) got her children to help .

( D ) stood up quickly .

8 . Why was the story written ?

( A ) to warn

( B ) to amuse

(C ) to instruct

( D ) to advise

Answer Key

1 .D 2 . D 3 . B 4 . A 5 . D 6 . B 7 . C 8 . B