222

FURTHER
COMPREHENSION AND
PRECIS PIECES
(4)
Code (222)
By
Dr. Ghada Abdel Kader &
Dr. Sherine El Shoura
2010/2011
PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

FURTHER COMPREHENSION
AND PRECIS PIECES

CONTENTS
PAGE
Introduction 3
1 Aeroplanes 7
2 The Best Age to be. 11
3 The Hero 15
4 A Day in London 18
5 Escape 22
6 Beware of the Bull . 26
7 An Ideal Holiday 30
8 National Heroes 34
9 Trees 38
10 Radar 41
II The Underground in London 45
12 Taxation 49
13 Ships 53
14 Sports and Games 57
15 The Value of Education 61
16 Travelling Cheaply 64
17 The Value of Fear 68
18 Women's Rights 72
19 A Wet Afternoon. 75
20 Beginnings of Government in Europe 79
21 A Quiet Holiday 84
22 Freedom 88

23 A Lucky Escape 92
24 Equal Pay for Equal Work 96
25 Amusements 100
26 My Hobby 104
27 Memory. 108
28 Public Spirit 112
30 Money 120

INTRODUCTION
This book contains thirty pieces, most of them of a factual

nature, which have been specially written for overseas students.
The vocabulary, with a few exceptions, is that of A General
Service List of English Words (WEST, Longmans), and the
authors have tried to use each word only in ways which are
given in this "List". In the choice of structures, the aim has been
to avoid the rarer ones and to give as much practice as possible
of commoner ones.
The value of comprehension work in learning a foreign

language is now widely recognized. In countries where a
reading knowledge of English is the main aim, the most
important thing is to train students to read the language rapidly
with good comprehension. This cannot be done suddenly. Good
foundations have first to be laid by using a carefully graded
course. Then an intensive course of reading for speed and
comprehension can be started, using texts which are still written
within controlled English. Finally, full English can be used in a
similar fashion. This book, like my previous one
(Comprehension & Prcis Pieces for Overseas Students,

Longmans), is intended to help in the second step by providing
texts written within limits which should be reached somewhere
about the end of the Fourth Year of study. This book is rather
more advanced than Comprehension & Prcis Pieces, especially
in thought content.
It is not necessary to use all the questions provided in the book,

nor to use all the questions on one piece at the same time. Some
of the questions have deliberately been made more difficult
than others on the same piece (the more difficult ones are
marked ADV., for Advanced). Such questions may be left until
later in the year. Some of them ask for a personal opinion
instead of merely requiring the student to show that he
understands what the writer has said.
If the maximum benefit is to be obtained from this book, the

instructions which head each question must be carefully
followed, and failure to observe them must be penalised by the
teacher.
In the vocabulary questions, for instance, the words "of similar

meaning to that in the context" are used. This means that the
student must show that he knows the meaning in which the

word is used in the piece, not 'merely one meaning that might
be shown opposite it in a dictionary.
Where a question requires one complete sentence for the

answer, the teacher should insist that the sentence makes
complete sense when taken by itself and that it shows what
question it is an answer to. For instance, if the question is,
"Why did Mr. Smith arrive late?", the answer should not be,
"Because he missed his train", or "He did this because he
missed his train", but "Mr. Smith arrived late because he missed
his train". The teacher should also insist on only one sentence
being in fact used, and he should make sure that only the
information asked for in the question is given in the answer.
Marks should be taken off for any extra information, even if it
is correct. In the answers to these questions, it is often
necessary to rearrange material to be found in the piece, so that
the question can be answered clearly.
Where a question requires a longer answer, and a limit is set to

the number of words to be used, it is once more essential to
make sure that the students give all the information asked for in
the question and nothing more. The teacher should insist on the
limit being strictly adhered to, as this is part of the exercise.

It should not be thought that all the opinions expressed in the
pieces are those of the authors of this book. The pieces have
been written primarily with a linguistic aim, and a number of
them are intended to test ability to follow argumentative
writing, whether one happens to agree with the writer's opinion
or not. Teachers may find certain of these pieces useful as a
basis for discussion or debate.
The approximate number of words in each piece is given at the

end of it. For prcis work, a piece should be reduced to within a
third of the number of words it contains.

I
AEROPLANES
Man's natural home is the land, but many thousands of years

ago he learnt how to travel on the sea-in fact boats are older
than anything built for land transport.
Travel on the sea was not a very difficult problem, * since

wood, which can be found in most places near the sea, floats
easily on water. But travel through the air was quite a different
matter, since men knew of nothing which could at the same
time float in the air and carry a man's weight. For centuries,
therefore, flying remained only a dream. * In Ancient Greek
times, there is the story of two men who escaped from an island
by sticking wings made of feathers on to themselves with wax.
(Unfortunately, we are told, one of them flew too near the sun,
and the wax melted, so that he fell to his death in the sea.) Then
we have the plans of Leonardo da Vinci, the Renaissance Italian
artist and engineer, as a further example of Man's interest in
flying. But it was not until rather recent times that the great
dream became a fact.

First, man made use of the fact that hot air rises to make a light
balloon carry people up a short distance above the ground. Then
gases lighter than air were used in place of hot air, and in the
1870-71 war between France and Prussia a balloon was used by
a Frenchman to fly out of Paris when the Prussians were all
round it.
But balloons had the disadvantage of having to go wherever the

wind blew them, so that one never knew where they would
come down. It was not until the petrol engine was invented that
this difficulty could be overcome. During the 1914-18 war,
early. aeroplanes, made of wood and canvas and armed with an
ordinary machine-gun each, were used by both sides. Great
progress was made in knowledge about flying as a result of the
needs of the war, so that the years between 1918 and the
beginning of the Second World War in ] 939 saw an
extraordinary development of aeroplanes, which increased
greatly in size, strength, speed and safety.
For thousands of years man dreamt what seemed impossible

dreams about flying; and then suddenly, in the short space of
fifty years, aeroplanes were invented and developed into one of
the most important means of transport* and instruments of war,

without which the atom-bomb might never have been thought
of.
(About 410 words.)
QUESTIONS
I. In the piece, five words are printed in italic. They are listed
below and opposite each are three words or phrases. Only one
of these gives the correct meaning as the word is used in the
piece. Choose this word and write it down.
(a) natural wild, country, usual

(b) floats rises, remains on top, swims
(c) fell dropped, came, met
(d) lighter less dark, less heavy, burning more easily
(e) progress superiority, advance, expedition
2. Explain the meaning of the following phrases, marked * in

the piece:
a very difficult problem
remained only a dream
one of the most important means of transport

3 Answer the following questions using short-form answers
wherever possible.
(a) Why did one of the Greeks who were trying to fly fall into
the sea?
(b) Who was Leonardo da Vinci?
(c) What was a balloon used for during the war between France
and Prussia in 1870?
(d) What were the early planes made of?
4. Give brief answers to the following questions using ONE

COMPLETE sentence for each. Use your own words as far as
possible, but your answer must be based only on the
information in the piece.
(a) Why was it not difficult for men to be able to travel on the
sea?
(b) Why was it hard to discover how to travel through the air?
(c) What was the disadvantage of flying in a balloon?
(d) What reasons does the author give for the extraordinary
development of aeroplanes between 1918 and 1939?

2
THE BEST AGE TO BE
How often one hears children wishing they were grown up, and
old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its
pleasures and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who
enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in
useless regrets.
Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities to make

life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after
and loved, whatever he may do. It is improbable* that he will
ever again in his life be given so much without having to do
anything in return. In addition, life is always presenting new
things to the child-things that have lost their interest for older
people because they are too well-known. A child finds pleasure
in playing in the rain, or in the snow. His first visit to the
seaside is a marvellous adventure. But a child has his pains: he
is not so free to do as he wishes as he thinks older people are;
he is continually being told not to do things, or being punished
for what he has done wrong. His life is therefore not perfectly
happy.

When the young man starts to earn his own living, he becomes
free from the discipline of school and parents; but at the same
time he is forced to accept responsibilities. He can no longer
expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but
has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most
of his time playing about in the way that he used to as a child,
he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society as he
used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If,
however, he works hard, keeps out of trouble and has good
health, he can have the great happiness of seeing himself make
steady progress in his Job and of building up for himself his
own position in society.*
Old age ago always been thought of as the worst age to .be; but
It IS not necessary for the old to be unhappy. With old age
should come wisdom and the ability to help others with advice
wisely given. The old can have the Joy of seeing their children
making progress in life; they can watch their grandchildren
growing up around them; and, perhaps best of all, they can, if
their life has been a useful one, feel the happiness of having
come through the battle of life* safely and of having reached a
time when they can he back and rest, leaving others to continue
the fight.

(About 350 words.)
QUESTIONS
I. The following words and phrases are printed above in italic.

Give for each of them another word or phrase of similar
meaning to that used in the passage.
useless, responsibilities, adventure, discipline, playing about,
wisdom,
the piece:
it is improbable
building up for himself his own position in society the battle of
life
3 Give brief answers to the following questions using ONE

(a) What kind of person is the happiest according to the author?
(b) What things are mentioned that the child enjoys very much?
(c) What may happen if the young man breaks the law?

(d) What are the pleasures of old people?
4. (ADV.) There are four paragraphs in this piece. Write down

in a few words what each one IS about.

3
THE HERO
"Fire! Fire I" What terrible words to hear when one wakes up in
a strange house in the middle of the night! It was a large, old,
wooden house-the sort that burns . beautifully-and my room
was on the top floor. I jumped out of bed, * opened the door
and stepped out into the passage. It was full of thick smoke.
I began to run, but as I was still only half-awake, instead of

going towards the stairs I went in the opposite direction. The
smoke grew thicker and I could see flames all around. * The
floor became hot under my bare feet. I found an open door and
ran into a room to get to the window.* But before I could reach
it, one of my feet caught in something soft and I fell down. The
thing I had fallen over felt like a bundle of clothes, and I picked
it up to protect my face from the smoke and heat. Just then the
floor gave way under me and I crashed to the floor below with
pieces of burning wood all around me.
I saw a flaming doorway in front, put the bundle over my face

and ran. My feet burned me terribly, but I got through. As I

reached the cold air outside, my bundle of clothes gave a thin
cry. I nearly dropped it in my surprise. Then I saw a crowd
gathered in the street. A woman in a night-dress and a borrowed
man's coat screamed as she saw me and came running madly.
"My baby! My baby!" she cried. The crowd cheered wildly as

she took the smoke-blackened bundle out of my arms. I had
some difficulty in recognizing her. She was the Mayor's wife,
and I had saved her baby. I was a hero!
(About 300 words.)
QUESTIONS
beautifully, protect, gave way, got through, gathered,
recognizing.

the piece:
jumped out of bed
I could see flames all around
to get to the window

(a) Why was it so terrible on this occasion to hear the cry of
"Fire"?
(b) Why did the writer not run straight to the stairs?
(c) For what reason did he pick up the bundle he had fallen
over?
(d) Why did the crowd gathered in the street cheer when the
writer came out?
(e) Why was it difficult for him to recognize the mother of the
baby?
4 Explain, in your own words, exactly how the writer escaped
from his room. Be sure not to miss anything out. Do not use
more than 80 words.

4
A DAY IN LONDON
This morning the sun was shining, and I decided to begin seeing
the sights of London. So I asked the manager of my hotel what I
should see first, and he advised me to go to the Tower of
London in the morning and to Westminster in the afternoon.
I set off at about nine in the morning by the Underground train,

and managed to get out at the right station.* I had to walk a
short distance from the latter to the Tower, and found myself in
a group of several other people, some of them foreigners like
myself, who were also taking the opportunity of the fine
weather to see something of London. We reached the entrance
to the Tower, crossed a bridge and were met by a soldier in
strange red and yellow clothes, with a big crown sewn on his
chest, a flat black hat on his head and a long stick in his hand. I
knew from books I had read that he was one of the
"Beefeaters", the old soldiers dressed in clothes of long ago
who guard the Tower.
Our "Beefeater" took us round the Tower, and showed us the

Crown jewels, which the King and Queen wear on special days;

the prisons in which famous people were kept long ago; and the
places where some queens of England had their heads cut off.
Listening to all these strange stories and seeing the old stones of
the Tower, I could easily imagine the terrible things that had
happened within those walls, and I left the Tower at lunch-time
with a clearer idea of English history* than I had had before.
In the afternoon I went out again, this time to see Westminster,

with its bridge over the Thames, the Houses of Parliament, Big
Ben and Westminster Abbey. As I looked at these famous
buildings, at the Abbey where kings and queens of England are
crowned, at the tower of Big Ben, which is heard all over the
world through the B.B.C., and at the Houses of Parliament,
where history is made day after day,* I felt that I was at the
heart of modern England, just as that morning I had been at the
heart of English history when I was at the Tower.
(About 380 words.)
QUESTIONS


advised, set off, terrible, famous, at the heart of.

the piece:
managed to get out at the right station
with a clearer idea of English history
day after day

wherever possible.
(a) What was the weather like on the day described in the
piece?
(b) How did the author travel to the Tower of London?
(c) How is Big Ben heard all over the world?
(d) What buildings did the writer see in the afternoon?
4 Give brief answers to the following questions using

ONE COMPLETE sentence for each. Use your own words as
far as possible, but your answer must be based only on the
(a) What does the author tell us about the group of people with
whom he went round the Tower?
(b) What did the "Beefeater" show them?

(c) What helped the author to imagine the events that had taken
place?
5 (ADV.) Imagine that you are spending a holiday in London.

Write a short letter to your parents or a friend describing such a
day as the writer had, but tell it in your own way.

5
ESCAPE
Our boat floated on, between walls of forest* too thick to allow
us a view of the land we were passing through, though we knew
from the map that our river must from time to time be passing
through chains of hills which crossed the jungle plains.
Nowhere did we find a place where we could have landed:
where the jungle did not actually spread right down into the
river, banks of soft mud prevented us going ashore. In any case,
what would we have gained by landing? The country was full
of snakes and other dangerous creatures, and the jungle so thick
that one would be able to advance only slowly, cutting one's
way with knives the whole way. So we stayed in the boat,
hoping that when we reached the sea, a friendly fisherman
would pick us up* and take us to civilization.
We lived on fish, caught with a home-made net of string (we

had no hooks), and any fruit and nuts we could pick up out of
the water. As we had no fire, we had to eat everything,
including the fish, raw. I had never tasted raw fish before, and I
must say I did not much enjoy the experience: perhaps sea-fish
which do not live in the mud are less tasteless.* After eating my

raw fish, I lay back and dreamed of such things as fried chicken
and rice, and ice-cream. In the never-ending damp heat of the
jungle, ice-cream was a particularly frequent dream.
As for water, there was a choice: we could drink the muddy

river water, or die of thirst. We drank the water.
Me-r who have just escaped what had appeared to be certain

death lose all worries about such small things as diseases
caused by dirty water. In fact, none of us suffered from any
illness as a result.
One day we passed another village, but fortunately nobody saw

us. We did not wish to risk being taken prisoners a second time:
we might not be so lucky as to escape* in a stolen boat again.
(About 350 words.)
QUESTIONS
I. The following words are printed above in italic. Give for each
of them another word or phrase of similar meaning to that used
in the passage.
chains, landing, experience, frequent, escaped, risk.

the piece:
walls of forest
pick us up
less tasteless
we might not be so lucky as to escape

wherever possible.
(a) Why could the people in the boat not see the land they were
passing through?
(b) What did they live on?
(c) Did any of them become ill through drinking the river
water?
(d) How had they obtained their boat?

(a) Why were the people in the boat unable to land?
(b) What did the writer often dream of?

(c) Why did they drink the dirty river water?
(d) What did they fear as they passed another village?
5 (ADV.) Explain, as clearly as you can, how these people

came to be in the boat. Do not use more than 60 words. It is not
necessary to make up facts: you are told sufficient in the piece.

6
BEWARE OF THE BULL
A friend and I had arranged to spend a whole Sunday taking a

long walk in the country. We set off on an early train, each
carrying a heavy bag filled with sandwiches, cakes, fruit and
bottles of lemonade. I wondered how two people would be able
to finish it all.
Soon we had left behind the smoky air of the city and had
reached the country station where our walk was to begin. We
were lucky, because the sun was shining and there was a gentle
breeze to make it just right for walking.*
We decided to go on a walk called the Four Mile Square: it has

four equal sides, each about four miles in length and on a map
looks like a rough square. It is famous because each side passes
through a different kind of country.
We started off in high spirits along the first side, which

followed a river, planning to have a swim and our first meal
before we left it. Before long, we came to a gate near which

there was a notice "Beware of the Bull". We were very
annoyed. Our path ran through this field, and, as it was a public
foot-path, the farmer had no right to put a dangerous animal in
it. "Oh, but it's all right," my friend said. "The bull is tied up.
Come on."
I followed, because I could see for myself a strong rope tied to

the ring in its nose at one end and round a large tree at the other.
We felt very bold and walked nearer, waving a red
handkerchief just to show that we weren't afraid.
The bull began to walk towards us-and did not stop.

"He seems to have a long rope."* I said, walking more quickly.
The bull too was .walking more quickly. Then, at the same
moment we both saw that the rope was broken, and without
another word we began to run.
We were half way across the field but it didn't take us long to
reach the gate again. We jumped over, very much out of breath,
and looked back to see the bull quietly examining a bag of food.
"That was a clever trick of mine, wasn't it?" said my friend: "I
dropped the food on purpose to draw away the bull's attention:'

"No," I cried, "it was not clever! I dropped mine-accidentally. "
(About 400 words.)
QUESTIONS

set off, lucky, before long, annoyed, ran, bold, looked back,
examining, accidentally.

the piece:
just right for walking
the farmer had no right
he seems to have a long rope

wherever possible.
(a) What were their bags filled with?
(b) How far would it be round the Four Mile, Square?
(c) What did they do to show that they weren't afraid?
(d) Which way did they run?

COMPLETE sentence for each. Use your own words 16
as far as possible, but your answer must be based only on the
(a) Why does the writer say they were lucky?
(b) What did the friends plan to do before they left the first side
of the walk?
(c) Why were they not afraid to go into the field where they
could see the bull?
(d) When did they start to run?
5 (ADV.) Explain the friend's trick and why he thought it was

clever, and why the writer thought it was not. Do not use more
than 60 words.

7
AN IDEAL HOLIDAY
Of course, what is an ideal holiday for one person may be a

very unpleasant one for another. The sportsman likes a kind of
holiday which his lazy friend would find worse than his daily
work; while the lazy man's ideal holiday would leave the
sportsman quite unsatisfied.
If I were allowed to choose my own holiday, I would have no

doubts*: I would go on a voyage in a modern passenger ship
with a swimming bath. Even if my sportsman friend and my
lazy friend came with me, they would both be happy: one
would have plenty of games, swimming and dancing; the other
could sit in a comfortable chair all day, looking at the sea and
drinking lemonade or beer. In a ship, one can do as one likes,*
when one likes. If one day I find an interesting book in the
ship's library, I can spend the whole day reading it, and nobody
will stop me. Perhaps the next day I shall want some exercise.
Well, then I can play games with other passengers until I am
hot and sweating and ready for a bath. I can go and sleep in my
cabin at any time of the day or night, I can get cheap drinks

during most of the day, and I can eat as I like, choosing among
a variety of foods.
But what I like even more about a sea voyage is the chance to
meet new and interesting people from many countries. What
other kind of holiday gives us such a chance? Freed from all the
duties* of life at home, we can talk, play games, swim, drink
and dance with our new friends. They can tell us about their
own countries, their daily lives and amusements, their hopes
and their fears. And in return we can tell them all about
ourselves.
But perhaps the greatest pleasure of a sea holiday is coming to

new ports in strange lands, and going ashore for a few hours to
see strange places, eat strange foods and hear a strange
language talked around us. Whenever I think of my ideal
holiday, it is the picture of a mysterious foreign city that comes
to my mind.
(About 370 words.)

QUESTIONS
in the passage.
ideal, worse, exercise, variety, chance, strange.

the piece:
I would have no doubts
one can do as one likes
freed from all duties.

(a) What does the writer say the sportsman would feel about the
lazy man's holiday?
(b) What are we told about the food and drink on a modern
passenger ship?
(c) What does the author discuss with his new friends? (d) What
picture comes into the writer's mind when he thinks of the ideal
holiday?

4 State briefly, using not more than 90 words, the reasons the
author gives for choosing to take his holiday on a modem
passenger ship.

8
NATIONAL HEROES
Most nations have a hero who is remembered for his great

deeds, either in saving his country from enemies, or in bringing
order, by his wise rule, to a land which had previously been in
disorder. An English hero of this kind is King Alfred, called
"the Great" because he did both these things while he was king,
at the time when England was being attacked by Danish tribes.
He was a brave fighter and a great leader of men in battle so
that, although he had only a small army, he was able to defeat
the attackers soon after he became king. He was a great
organiser," respected as the English ruler who first built ships to
defend the island against enemies by sea. He was also a good
man who preferred peace to war, and he encouraged learning in
his kingdom by translating foreign books into English and
sending them all over England.
Many heroes are remembered only for their famous deeds and
those which are not heroic have been forgotten. But the story
most often told about Alfred is certainly not heroic. He was
escaping after one of the early battles against the Danes in

which his army had been defeated. Alone and dressed in
borrowed clothes." he asked a poor man's wife for shelter in her
cottage. She was baking some cakes at the fire and, as she
wished to go out, she asked the stranger to stay and watch her
cakes. She reminded him to turn them so that they would not
burn. But the king spent the time thinking of plans to defeat the
enemy and bring peace to his unfortunate people, with the result
that he did not notice the cakes although he was looking at the
fire. When the housewife returned she found that they were
very burnt. Since she did not recognise the stranger as her king,
she was very angry with him for being so careless as to allow
her cakes to spoil.
Yet this story, re-told to English children ever since," helps

them to remember King Alfred the Great although he lived so
long ago. They remember him first as the man who burnt the
cakes and then as the national hero whose bravery and wisdom
brought peace and honour to his native land.
(About 360 words.)

QUESTIONS
in the passage.
deeds, defeat, preferred, escaping, notice, recognise.

the piece. .
a great orgainser,
dressed in borrowed clothes,
ever since.
3 Answer the following questions using short form answers

wherever possible.
(a) When did King Alfred beat the Danes?
(b) How had he got the clothes that he wore during his escape?
(c) What did he forget to do in the cottage?
(d) Why didn't the woman watch the cakes herself?


(a) What were the two things that caused people to call King
Alfred "the Great"?
(b) Why did King Alfred ask for shelter in a poor cottage?
(c) Why were the cakes burnt?
(d) Why did the woman not recognise Alfred as her king?
5. (ADV.) State, in your own words as far as possible, what the

reader learns about the character of King Alfred from this piece.

9
TREES
Trees are useful to Man in three very important ways: they

provide him with wood and other products; they give him
shade; and they help to prevent drought and floods.
Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, Man has not realized

that the third of these services is the most important. In his
eagerness to draw quick profit* from the trees, he has cut them
down in large numbers, only to find that with them he has lost
the best friends he had.
Two thousand years ago a rich and powerful country cut down
its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire.
It gained the empire but, without its trees, its soil became hard
and poor. When the empire fell to pieces, the home country
found itself faced by floods and starvation. *
Even where a government realizes the importance of a plentiful

supply of trees, it is difficult for it to persuade the villager to see
this. The villager wants wood to cook his food with; and he can

earn money by making charcoal or selling wood to the
townsman. He is usually too lazy or too careless to plant and
look after new trees. So, unless the government has a good
system of control, or can educate the people, the forests slowly
disappear.
This does not only mean that the Villagers' sons and grandsons
have fewer trees. The results are even more serious: for where
there are trees their roots break the soil up-allowing the rain to
sink in-and also bind the soil, thus preventing its being washed
away easily; but where there are no trees, the rain falls on hard
ground and flows away on the surface, causing floods and
carrying away with it the rich top-soil, in which crops grow so
well. When all the top-soil is gone, nothing remains but
worthless desert.*
(About 310 words.)
QUESTIONS
I. Choose SIX of the following words and give for each another
word or phrase of similar meaning to that used in the piece:
products gain disappear
realized poor serious
services importance worthless

2. Explain briefly what you understand by the following
phrases, marked * in the piece:
to draw quick profit the country found itself faced by floods and
starvation nothing remains but desert

(a) What is the most important service of trees to man?
(b) What did the country mentioned in the third paragraph gain
and what did it lose, by cutting down its trees?
(c) Why does a villager cut down trees?
(d) What happens to land in the end after all the trees are cut
down?
4. Explain clearly in your own words the effects trees have on

the soil, and the result of taking them away. You should not use
more than 50 words.

10
RADAR
When we are travelling along in a ship or an aeroplane at night

or in fog, we are much happier if we know that the captain of
the ship, or the pilot of the plane, knows where rocks or
mountain tops are, so that he can keep away from them. Until
the Second World War, travellers could never have this feeling
of safety, because there was no way of "seeing" dangers
through fog and cloud. But now there is "radar", a wonderful
wartime invention, which has saved the lives of many
thousands, both in war and in peace.
Radar is not too difficult a thing for the ordinary man in the
street to understand. All of us have heard echoes: we speak in a
large hall or before a wall of rock, and our voices come back to
us, echoed by the hard substance which they hit, just as light is
reflected by a mirror, or a ball is thrown back by the wall it has
hit. Scientists know the speed at which sound travels, so they
can measure the distance of a wall of rock by making a loud
sound and seeing how long it takes to reach the wall and return
to the place from which it started. For example, at the same

time as the noise is made (perhaps with a car horn) a special
watch, which can measure time very accurately, is started. As
soon as the echo comes back, the watch is stopped, and it is
found that the sound has taken 20 seconds to go and return. We
know that the speed of sound is about I mile in 5 seconds. So
we know that the noise of our car horn has covered 4 miles, two
miles from us to the rock, and two from the rock back to us.
The rock, then, must be two miles away.
But sound travels too slowly and cannot go far enough to be

useful over long distances or when something is moving very
fast. It is therefore no use to an aeroplane, or to a ship which
wants to discover a small enemy ten miles away.
Now, it has been known for many years that wireless waves
travel at very great speed: it takes them less than four seconds
to go from the earth to the moon and back. But the difficult
thing is to measure the time they take to go a certain distance. If
they take less than two seconds to reach the moon, you can
imagine that you would not be able to measure (with a watch or
a clock) how long they take to go from a ship to the shore, or
from an aeroplane to a mountain near it. Radar was made
possible by the use of a thing called a "cathode-ray tube" which

can measure millionths of a second. With this tube, we can
"see" things at a great distance, and it shows us how far away
they are, in which direction they lie, and what movements they
are making. On the radar screen we can "see" all around us. The
captain of a ship can find his way between rocks and other
ships, and the soldiers guarding a town can see enemy
aeroplanes hundreds of miles away, and follow them as they
approach, perhaps from many different directions at once.
That is radar, one of the wonders of modern science, which is

making travel and trade between the nations easier and safer.
(About 580 words.)
QUESTIONS
I. Give brief answers to the following questions using ONE
(a) If we are travelling in a plane, what does the writer say
makes us much happier?
(b) What examples of different kinds of echoes does the writer
give?

(c) Why cannot sound be used for finding distances from an
aeroplane?
(d) How did the "cathode-ray tube" make radar possible?
(e) What information is radar able to give us?
2. In the example of scientists measuring the distance of a rock,

explain exactly how they found it was two miles away. Do not
use more than 60 words.
3. (ADV.) How can radar make "travel and trade between the
nations easier and safer", as the author says it does?

11
THE UNDERGROUND IN LONDON
In a very big city, in which millions of people live and work,

fast, frequent means of transport* are of the greatest
importance. In London, where most people live long distances
from their work, all offices, factories and schools would have to
close if the buses, the trains and the Underground stopped work.
Originally the London Underground had steam trains which

were not very different from other English trains, except that
they went along in big holes under the ground in order to keep
away from the crowded city above their heads. They could get
from one place to another faster under the ground than above it,
because there were no buses, trams, carriages and people on
foot to get in their way the whole time.
Steam trains used coal, however, which filled the underground

stations with terrible smoke. As a result, the old engines were
taken away, and electric ones put in their place. Now the
London Underground is very clean, and the electric trains make
faster runs possible. As the traffic on the roads above has also
become greater and greater, the time . which one saves by going

by Underground instead of by bus has increased year after
year.* Taxis are usually faster, but they are very much more
expensive.
At every Underground station there are maps of all the

Underground lines in London, so that it is easy to see how to
get to wherever one wants to go. Each station has its name
written up clearly and in large letters several times, so that one
can see when one comes to where one must get out. At some
stations one can change to a different underground line, and in
some places, such as Piccadilly, there are actually three lines
crossing each other. So that there should not be accidents, * the
trains on the different lines are not on the same level. To change
trains, one has to go up or down some stairs to a new level. It
would be tiring to have to walk up these stairs, so the stairs are
made to move themselves, and all that the passengers have to
do is to stand and be carried up or down to where they wish. In
fact, everything is done to make the Underground fast and
efficient.
(About 385 words.)

QUESTIONS
I. For each of the following words write a separate sentence of
your own to illustrate its meaning.
originally, crowded, faster, clearly, efficient.

the piece:
means of transport
increased year after year
so that there should not be accidents

(a) Why would all offices, factories and schools have to close if
the Underground stopped working?
(b) Why can these trains travel quicker than the traffic above
ground?
(c) Why were the original Underground stations not clean?
(d) What does the writer say about travel by taxi commpared
with travel by Underground?

4 Explain what is done to make it both easy and safe for people
to travel on the London Underground. You should not use more
than 75 words.

12
TAXATION
Everyone knows that taxation is necessary in a modern state:

without it, it would not be possible to pay the soldiers and
policemen who protect us; nor the workers in government
offices who look after our health, our food, our water, and all
the other things that we cannot do for ourselves; nor also the
ministers and members of parliament who govern the country
for us. By means of taxation, we pay for things that we need
just as much as we need somewhere to live and something to
eat.
But though everyone knows that taxation is necessary, different

people have different ideas about how taxation should be
arranged. Should each person have to pay a certain amount of
money to the government each year? Or should there be a tax
on things that people buy and sell? If the first kind of taxation is
used, should everyone pay the same tax, whether he is rich or
poor? If the second kind of tax is preferred, should everything
be taxed equally?

In most countries, a direct tax on persons, which is called
income tax, exists. It is arranged in such a way that the poorest
people pay nothing, and the percentage of tax grows greater as
the taxpayer's income grows. In England, for example, the tax
on the richest people goes up as high as ninety-five per cent I
But countries with direct taxation nearly always have indirect

taxation too. Many things imported into the country have to pay
taxes or 'duties'. Of course, it is the men and women who buy
these imported things in the shops who really have to pay the
duties, in the form of higher prices. In some countries, too,
there is a tax on things sold in the shops. If the most necessary
things are taxed, a lot of money is collected, but the poor people
suffer most. If unnecessary things like jewels and fur coats are
taxed, less money is obtained, but the tax is fairer, as the rich
pay it.
Probably this last kind of indirect tax, together with a direct tax
on incomes which is low for the poor and high for the rich, is
the best arrangement.
(About 370 words.)
QUESTIONS

I. Choose SIX of the following words or phrases and give 'for
each of them another word or phrase of similar meaning to that
in the context.
state Should income
protect arranged imported
look after preferred fairer
2. Distinguish between each of the following pairs of words:

(a) Soldiers and policemen;
(b) ministers and members of Parliament;
(c) taxes and duties.

(a) Who has to be paid out of the taxes?
(b) How is income tax arranged?
(c) Who has to pay the duties that are collected on imported
goods?
(d) Why is it fairer if unnecessary things are taxed?

4. Explain the differences between direct and indirect taxes, and
the effects they have on rich people and poor people. Do not
use more than 50 words.

13
SHIPS
The person who can see a ship without some feeling of

excitement must have very little imagination. Even the idea of
leaving the solid land on which most of us were born and
brought up, and going out on to the ever-moving waters must
rouse in us all some feelings of strangeness. We may remember
stories of terrible storms, with waves as high as mountains; and
of people from ships which have sunk spending weeks in small
boats hundreds of miles from land. But we have also heard of
the joy of travelling over calm seas under blue skies, and of the
unforgettable excitement of coming, one fine morning, to a new
and beautiful land which we have seen only in pictures before.
But ships are not, of course, made chiefly for pleasure: their
biggest use is in carrying goods from country to country. If
ships did not exist, the British Government would be quite
unable* to feed the people in the British Isles. Aeroplanes are
much too expensive, and there are not enough of them to feed
even a small country like England. Trains cannot cross seas,
and even if they could, the amount of goods they can carry

cannot be compared with* the amount that ships can. In fact,
ships can carry more goods than any other means of transport,
and can do so more cheaply; but, on the other hand, they are
slower than trains or aeroplanes.
This slowness means that travellers who want to get somewhere

in a hurry and who have not got too much luggage now usually
prefer to fly rather than to go by ship. But even for passengers,
ships have the advantage of being cheaper* than trains or
aeroplanes, and also much more comfortable, so that if you
want a restful, not too expensive voyage, the ship will suit you
best.
Ships have played a very important part in history by making it

possible to discover more and more distant parts of our world.
Columbus used a ship to discover America about 450 years ago.
And even now, ships are used for exploring the Antarctic, It
would, in fact, not be too much to say* that ships have for
thousands of years played one of the most important parts in
shaping society.
(About 380 words.)

QUESTIONS
I. Choose SIX of the following words or phrases and give for

in the context.
excitement unforgettable suit
solid chiefly exploring
rouse in a hurry shaping

the piece: quite unable
cannot be compared with
have the advantage of being cheaper
it would not be too much to say

(a) What does the writer say we must all feel at the idea of
going to sea?
(b) What stories may we remember of unpleasant experiiences
at sea?

(c) What have we heard about pleasant ones?
(d) What is the most important use of ships?
(e) Why cannot aeroplanes be used to carryall the goods from
abroad that England needs?
(f) Who prefers to fly rather than go by sea?
(g) How have ships played an important part in history?
4- (ADV.) In one paragraph describe the advantages of sea

travel that the writer gives compared with other means.
In the next paragraph, describe the disadvantages.
In a third paragraph, say which method you would prefer and
why.

14
SPORTS AND GAMES
Some people seem to think that sports and games are

unimportant things that people do, at times when they are not
working, instead of going to the cinema, listening to the radio,
or sleeping. But in actual fact* sports and games can be of great
value, especially to people who work with their brains most of
the day, and should not be treated only as amusements.
Sports and games make our bodies strong, prevent us from

getting too fat, and keep us healthy. But these are not their only
uses. They give us valuable practice in making eyes, brain and
muscles work together. In tennis, our eyes see the ball coming,
judge its speed and direction and pass this information on to the
brain. The brain then has to decide what to do, and to send its
orders to the muscles of the arms, legs, and so on, so that the
ball is met and hit back where it ought to go. * All this must
happen with very great speed, and only those who have had a
lot of practice at tennis can carry out this complicated chain of
events successfully. For those who work with their brains most
of the day, the practice of such skills is especially useful.

Sports and games are also very useful for character-training. In
their lessons at school, boys and girls may learn about such
virtues at unselfishness, courage, discipline and love of one's
country; but what is learned in books cannot have the same
deep effect on a child's character as what is learned by
experience. The ordinary day-school cannot give much practical
training in living, because most of the pupils' time is spent in
classes, studying lessons. So it is what the pupils do in their
spare time that really prepares them to take their place in
society as citizens when they grow up. If each of them learns to
work for his team* and not for himself on the football field, he
will later find it natural to work for the good of his country
instead of only for his own benefit.
(About 350 words.)
QUESTIONS

instead of, judge, pass on, complicated. experience, benefit.

2. Write down the following words and then give for each a
word or phrase of opposite meaning to that used in the passage.
valuable
successfully
practical

the piece:
in actual fact
where it ought to go
for his team

(a) What different activities are mentioned in the first
paragraph?
(b) To whom are sports and games of especial value?
(c) What does the writer say that the playing of sports and
games will do for us?
(d) What is the writer's opinion about learning from books?

5 (ADV.) The writer says "sports and games should not be
treated only as amusements". What does he tell us to support
this statement? You should not use more than 75 words for your
answer.

15
THE VALUE OF EDUCATION
Education is not an end. but a means to an end. In other words.

we do not educate children only for the purpose of educating
them; our purpose is to fit them for life. As soon as we realize
this fact. we will understand that it is very important to choose a
system of education which will really prepare children for life.
It is not enough* just to choose the first system of education
one finds; or to continue with one's old system of education
without examining it to see whether it is in fact suitable or not.
In many modern countries it has for some time* been

fashionable to think that. by free education for all-whether rich
or poor, clever or stupid-one can solve all the problems of
society and build a perfect nation. But we can already see that
free education for all is not, enough: we find in such countries a
far larger number of people with university degrees than there
are jobs for them to fill. Because of their degrees, they refuse to
do what they think "low" work; and, in fact. work with the
hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such countries.

But we have only to think a moment* to understand that the
work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important
than that of a professor: we can live without education. but we
die if we have no food. If no one cleaned our streets and took
the rubbish away from our houses. we should get terrible
diseases in our towns. In countries where there are no servants
because everyone is ashamed to do such work, the professors
have to waste much of their time doing housework.
In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for

life, it means that we must be educated in such a way that,
firstly, each of us can do whatever job is suited to his brain and
ability, and, secondly, that we can realize that all jobs are
necessary to society, and that it is very bad to be ashamed of
one's work, or to scorn someone else's. Only such a type of
education can be called valuable to society.
(About 375 words.)
QUESTIONS
I. Choose SIX of the following words and give for each .of
them another word of similar meaning to that in the context.
education suitable shameful
fit fashionable housework
realize perfect scorn

the piece:
it is not enough
for some time
we have only to think a moment

information in the piece. .
(a) What is the definition of education given by the writer in the
first paragraph?
(b) What is the fashionable view about free education for all?
(c) How is a farmer's work more important than a professor's?
(d) Why do professors in some countries have to spend their
time doing housework?
4 What does the writer think education is for? How does he

disagree with the system used in many modern countries? Use
two paragraphs in answering these questions. Your total
number of words should not be more than 75

16
TRAVELLING CHEAPLY
The express train was waiting for us when we left the Cross-
Channel steamer. After climbing up into my carriage and
finding my reserved seat, I had the usual heated argument with
the porter and then settled down to wait* for the train to start,
while passengers from the ship continued to stream past. I leant
out of the window and watched the fatter people struggling to
climb up -the steps into the train. I could never understand why
they did not build a platform high enough to enable people to
step straight into the train, as they do in England. instead of
making them climb about four feet.
I was lucky: the five travellers with whom I shared my

compartment were pleasant people-and not too fat. A waiter
from the dining-car came round. and I arranged to have dinner
soon after the train started. I knew that the food on these big
Continental trains was always excellent.
Before going to dinner, however, I went along to the sleeping-

cars, and booked a bed just for the night* at a cost of ten

shillings (this was before the war I). It was much cheaper that
way than if one booked for the whole journey. During the day, I
travelled in an ordinary second-class carriage, which was just as
comfortable and much more interesting, because I met more
people. Then each evening I went along to see the sleeping-car
attendant. Of course, I was sometimes unlucky enough to find
all the beds already booked; but this was rare.
Next morning, after an unhurried wash and shave, followed by

a pleasant breakfast in the dining-car, I returned to my carriage
of the day before, to find my fellow-passengers tired and
unshaven.
I had to change trains at Munich, which gave me a chance of

having a hot bath at the railway station, followed by a good and
amazingly cheap lunch in a little restaurant opposite. As my
next train did not leave until the evening, I had plenty of time
for a sleep on a park-bench and a visit to a museum, before I
went back to my little restaurant for dinner.
On returning to the station after a cheap and interesting day, Y.

again began by making sure of a bed* in the train for the night,
knowing that I would wake up in the mountains next morning

in time for coffee and delicious buns at the Austrian frontier
before I again returned to my day-carriage.
(About 415 words.)
QUESTIONS
I. Choose SIX of the following words or phrases and give. for

in the context.
reserved seat came round amazingly
heated argument went along delicious
stream past unhurried frontier

the piece:
settled down to wait
just for the night
making sure of a bed


a) What were the writer's thoughts as he saw fat people
struggling to get into the train?
(b) What did the writer do before he went for his dinner on the
train?
(c) What did he notice about his fellow-passengers when he
returned to his carriage in the morning?
(d) What did the writer do during his day in Munich?
4. Make clear, using not more than 60 words, how the writer
travelled cheaply.
5. (ADV.) This piece could be an extract from a diary.

Write down the notes that the writer might have made at the
time. E.g.:
Thurs. 10 a.m. Left steamer, found reserved seat, had to argue
with porter. Fat people...

17
THE VALUE OF FEAR
Fear and its companion pain are two of the most useful things
that men and animals possess, if they are properly used. If fire
did not hurt when it burnt, children would play with it until
their hands were burnt away.* Similarly, if pain existed but fear
did not, a child would burn itself again and again, because fear
would not warn it to keep away from the fire that had burnt it
before. A really fearless soldier-and some do exist-is not a good
soldier, because he is soon killed; and a dead soldier is of no
use to his army. Fear and pain are therefore two guards without
which men and animals might soon die out.
In our first sentence we suggested that fear ought to be properly

used. If, for example, you never go out of your house because
of the danger of being knocked down and killed in the street by
a car, you are letting fear rule you too much. Even in your
house you are not absolutely safe:* an aeroplane may crash on
your house, or ants may eat away some of the beams in your
roof so that the latter falls on you, or you may get cancer!

The important thing is not to let fear rule you, but instead to use
fear as your servant and guide. Fear will warn you of dangers;
then you have to decide what action to take.
In many cases, you can take quick and successful action to

avoid the danger. For example, you see a car coming straight
towards you; fear warns you, you jump out of the way, and all
is well.
In some cases, however, you decide that there is nothing that

you can do to avoid the danger. For example, you cannot
prevent an aeroplane crashing into your house, and you may not
want to go and live in a desert where there are no aeroplanes. In
this case, fear has given you its warning; you have examined it
and decided on your course of action,* so fear of this particular
danger is no longer of any use to you, and you have to try to
overcome it.
(About 365 words.)
QUESTIONS
in the context.

companion warn avoid
hurt guards prevent
again and again servant examined

the piece:
burnt away
absolutely safe
decided on your course of action.

(a) If fire did not give pain what would happen to a child who
put his hand in a fire?
(b) What would happen to the same child if he did not have
fear?
(c) What does the writer say may happen to you even if you
stay in your house?
(d) What might you do to avoid the danger of an aeroplane
crashing on your house?

4 Make clear, in not more than 60 words, how the author
shows that without fear and pain animals and men might die
out.

18
WOMEN'S RIGHTS
Ought women to have the same rights as men? A hundred-

years ago, the answer In every country In the world would have
been, "No". If you had asked, "Why not?" you would have been
told, scornfully and pityingly, that women were weaker and less
clever than men, and had worse characters. Even now, In the
Twentieth Century, there are many countries where women are
still treated almost like servants, or even slaves.
It is certainly true that the average woman has weaker muscles

than the average man. Thousands of years ago, when men lived
in caves and hunted animals for food, strength of body was the
most important thing; but now, in the Twentieth Century, brains
are more important. Strength of body is still needed for a few
kinds of work, but the fact that such kinds of work are not well
paid shows that the Twentieth Century does not think that
muscles are of very great importance.
What about women's brains? Of course, in countries where girls

are not given so good an education as boys they know less. But

in countries where there is the same education for both, it has
been clearly shown that there is no difference at all between the
brain of the average woman and that of the average man. There
have been women judges in Turkey, women ambassadors in
America, women ministers in the British government and
women University professors in many countries.
And among the greatest and strongest rulers of England were

Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria.
But women can do one thing that men cannot: they can produce
children. Because they, and not men, do this, they usually love
their children more, and are better able to look after them, since
they are more patient and understanding with small children.
For this reason, many women are happier if they can stay at
home and look after their house and family than if they go out
and do the same work as men do. It is their own choice, and not
the result of being less clever than men.
(About 350 words.)
QUESTIONS

in the context.
ought well paid understanding
scornfully know look after
average ambassadors the result of

(a) Why would you have been told a hundred years ago that
women ought not to have the same rights as men?
(b) Why was strength of body important thousands of years
ago?
(c) How can we see that it is no longer so important?
(d) What work does the writer mention that women have done
as well as men?
3 What does the writer think about the brains of women

compared with those of men? Do not use more than 50 words in
your answer.

19
A WET AFTERNOON
"Hullo," said John, "it's raining again. What a nuisance I Now

we shan't be able to play tennis this afternoon."
"No," said Mary, "I suppose we shan't. Let's stay at home and
stick some photographs in our book, shall we?"
"Do you really want to?" said John rather doubt. fully. "I
thought you said you didn't like doing it because it was so
messy."
"Oh,' replied Mary, "I'll just watch you sticking them in."
"Oh, no, you won't," said John. "You've done that to me before.
You'll have to do your share, my girl I " "All right. Then what
about playing cards? You're keen enough on doing that with
your friends at the club."

"But you don't know how to play," protested John. "That's all
right. You can teach me, can't you? You taught me to drive a
car."
"Well, it's not much fun teaching someone to play cards. The
whole point of playing cards is the chance of winning."
"You'd be sure to win if you played with me, because I don't

know how to play. Surely that would be better than playing
with your friends, because you sometimes lose there."
"But if I did win when I was playing against you, I would only
win my own money I "
Mary laughed. Then she said. "All right, I think we'll just have
to go to the cinema. There's a good film on at the Grand, isn't
there?"
"Not the Grand," said John. "The Splendid."
"Oh, yes," said Mary. "I keep on getting them mixed up. The
Grand's the one down by the river, isn't it?"

"Yes," answered John. "After we've been here a few more
weeks we'll know everything there is to know about this town:
it's small enough. Well, we'd better go, or we'll be too late for
the matinee. Have you got your umbrella back from Jane yet, or
will you have to go on sharing mine?"
"No, I got mine back. I came across Jane in a shop this

morning. She was carrying my umbrella, but she put it down for
a moment while she looked in her handbag for some money. So
I picked the umbrella up and started to walk out. The
shopkeeper was horrified. He said, 'Madam, that umbrella
belongs to this lady!' 'No, it doesn't,' I answered, 'it belongs to
me.' 'That's right,' said Jane. 'It does.' You should have seen the
shopkeeper's face! He didn't know whether to believe his eyes
or his ears-especially as Jane pretended never to have seen me
before: you know how she loves a joke!"
(About 4.25 words.)
QUESTIONS
I. (a) What had John and Mary planned to do earlier?
(b) Why didn't Mary like sticking photographs in a book?
(c) Why does Mary say that John would be sure to win at
cards?

(d) What does John mean when he says that he would only
win his own money? .
(c) Whereabouts is the Grand Cinema?
(f) What reason does John give for saying that they will soon
get to know the town?
(g) Which performance of the film are they going to?
(h) Why was the shopkeeper horrified when Mary picked up
the umbrella?
(i) What was Jane's joke?
2. Explain why the shopkeeper "didn't know whether to believe

his eyes or his ears",

20
BEGINNINGS OF GOVERNMENT IN EUROPE
About 4000 years ago, the Greeks began to move across from
their' home in the mountains of Asia towards the Western
Mediterranean Sea. At this time they were wandering
shepherds, living in groups of families called tribes. They had
no real government: such a thing was unnecessary because
there was no public business, there were no taxes, and nobody
owned any land, since the tribe moved from place to place the
whole time looking for grass for its sheep and goats. There were
also no law cases and no lawyers, and men were controlled by a
few customs, such as the one that said that if one man killed
another, one of the dead man's relations had to find and kill the
killer.
Sometimes the old men of the tribe would meet together to

discuss questions which were very important to the whole tribe,
such as a war or long journeys; and occasionally there might be
a meeting of all the fighting men in the tribe to say what they
thought about such important matters. But such meetings were
only for discussion, not for governing.

When the Greek shepherds came to what is now Greece, they
began to become farmers, growing corn as well as keeping
sheep. This forced them to settle in one place and build real
houses, instead of living only in tents, as they had done before.
At first, the men continued to look after the sheep and goats and
to fight enemies, while the women did the work in the fields.
As each tribe settled and became a group of villages, the land

was divided among the families, but for a long time the tribe
continued to be the only owner of the land. But slowly families
began to own pieces of land, and arguments began between
families about who owned a certain piece of land, and about the
lines dividing one piece of land from the next. After a man had
died, there were also arguments between his relations as to how
his land should be divided. To settle such business. some sort of
government became necessary, and for about 400 years the
Greeks struggled to learn how to carry out the business of
groups of people living a settled life and owning land. During
this time, too, people began to be divided into rich and poor by
the owning of land, and quarrels between classes, which had
never taken place when the Greeks were wandering shepherds,
became more and more dangerous.

Slowly groups of villages joined together to make cities, which
were not like our modern cities, but more like small nations,
each quite independent of other cities, governing itself and
going to war with other cities when it wanted to.
Each of these cities had its own laws and its own army. The rich
landowners, who alone could buy good armour and weapons,
loved war and robbed the poor and weak. The head of the
government was the king, who was one of the rich. In his work
he was helped by a council, or group, of other rich men. The
king and his council used to sit in the market-place all day,
hearing all those who came to them to complain against anyone,
and doing all the public business of the city. These public, daily
meetings were the beginnings of real government in Europe,
even though they were often neither very honest, nor very
effective, nor very just.
(About 575 words.)
QUESTIONS
I. Choose SIX of the following words and give for each ?f them
another word or phrase of similar meaning to that III the
context.

taxes discussion governing
owned settle council
relations dangerous effective
2. Write down the following words and then give for each a
word or phrase of opposite meaning to that used in the passage.
wandering
public
whole
loved

(a) Why was a government unnecessary to the wandering Greek
shepherds?
(b) What example of an early custom does the writer give?
(c) What did the old men of the tribe discuss when they met
together?
(d) What were quarrels between families usually about? (e) In
what ways were the Greek cities different from modern ones?
(f) Who did the fighting in the time of the Greek ci ties?

4 (ADV.) What are we told about the different kinds of public
meeting that are mentioned in this piece?
You should not use more than 60 words in your answer.

21
A QUIET HOLIDAY
It was the hottest part of the year, and also the busiest in the
office. The school was closed for the holidays, and the children
could not find enough to do,* so that they were had-tempered
and disobedient. As for the servants, they seemed even more
stupid than usual.
At last, we rented a house in the mountains for two weeks. We

decided to take the three children, but no servants, and said we
would spend our time swimming, walking and enjoying the air
of the mountains, far from hot offices and stupid servants.
It was a very small house, clean and cheerful, standing in a

beautiful garden, with the green mountain rising up behind it.
We were delighted. We stood in the garden for half an hour
before unpacking our things from the car, enjoying the peace
and coolness and watching the sunset.
Then we went in to turn on the light---but there was no switch I

We searched all the rooms carefully-there was no electricity I

We found several oil lamps-but we had no oil I At last, I went
down the road to the little village store and bought some
candles: they had no oil.
When I got back, my wife said, "There's no water either." There

were pipes and taps, so there must be water* somewhere: I took
a candle and followed a pipe out of the house. It led to a pump
and well. I began pumping. I pumped for a quarter of an hour
and then stopped, too tired to continue.
There was a shower in the house, but no way of heating it; and
the water felt very, very cold. The children's cries as they were
being washed brought a crowd of village children to our gate.*
We ate sandwiches and drank lemonade for supper: we were
too tired to cook. Then we went straight to bed. My wife and I
didn't even wash: we do not like cold water.
We cooked breakfast on the oil-stove next morning: the smell

of that burning oil was terrible. Then we heated water for
washing ourselves, and lots more water for washing our clothes.
I pumped for three-quarters of an hour that morning.

That afternoon I drove back to town and brought the servants
up to the mountains. We were all very glad to see them; and
they seemed less stupid now.
(About 400 words.)
QUESTIONS

Choose SIX, and give for each of them another word or phrase
of similar meaning to that used in the passage.
busiest searched no way
seemed got back straight
far from led to terrible

the piece:
could not find enough to do
there must be water
the cries brought a crowd of children to our gate
3 (a) What did the writer and his family plan to do for their
holiday?

(b) What did they do before they unpacked their things from the
car?
(c) Why had they to use candles?
(d) Why did the writer and his wife not wash on their first night
in the mountains?
4. Describe what the writer did on the first two days of his
holiday. Make sure that you do not miss out anything
mentioned in the piece.

22
FREEDOM
A man living absolutely alone in a desert or forest is free from

other people; but he is not absolutely free. His freedom is
limited* in several ways. Firstly, by the things around him, such
as wild animals or cliffs too steep to climb. Secondly, by his
own needs: he must have sleep, water, food and shelter from
extreme heat or cold. Lastly, by his own nature as a man:
disease may attack him, and death will certainly come to him
sooner or later. *
When men live together, on the other hand, protection against

wild animals is easier and they can work together to get food
and build shelters; but each man has to give up some of his
freedom so that he can live happily with the others.
When men become organized into very large groups, and

civilization develops, it is possible to get freedom from hunger,
thirst, cold, heat and many diseases, so that each person can live
a happier life than he could if he were living alone; but such a
society cannot work successfully unless the freedom of each

human being is to some extent limited so that he is kept from
hurting others. I am not free to kill others, nor to steal someone
else's property, nor to behave in a way that offends against the
moral sense of the society in which I live. I have to limit my
own freedom myself so that others will not limit it too much: I
agree to respect the rights of others, and in return they agree to
respect mine.
The advantages of such an agreement are great: one man can

become a doctor, knowing that others will grow food, make
clothes and build a house for him, in return for the work he does
to keep them healthy. If each man had to grow his own food,
make his own clothes, build his own house and learn to be his
own doctor, he would find it impossible to do anyone of these
jobs really well. By working together,* we make it possible for
society to provide us all with food, clothes, shelter and medical
care, while leaving each of us with as much freedom as it can.
(About 375 words.)
QUESTIONS
each of them another word or phrase of similar meanning to
that in the context.

absolutely give up in return
his needs successfully advantages
protection respect healthy

the piece:
his freedom is limited
sooner or later
by working together

(a) Why is a man living alone in a desert or forest not
absolutely free?
(b) Why are individuals in a civilized society willing to accept
limits on their freedom?
(c) What would happen, according to the writer, if everybody
had to do all his own jobs?
4 What do men gain if they live together in large groups? In a

second paragraph explain how they have to pay for these

advantages. Your total number of words should not he more
than 80.
5 (ADV.) Make clear the author's meaning when he says in the

first paragraph that the man living alone is limited by his own
needs.

23
A LUCKY ESCAPE
We had slowed down to go round a corner when the wheel

came off our car, otherwise we should probably have been
killed.* It was a strange sight seeing our wheel running past us
and disappearing up the road.
Luckily it was a back wheel. The car dropped heavily on to the

axle and tore a hole in the road before we came to a stop. If it
had been a front wheel, the car would have rolled over and over
like a shot rabbit. When we got out, pale and shaken, we found
that the bolts fastening the wheel to the axle had just broken off
as if they had been sticks.
While the driver stayed with the car, I stopped a passing Army
truck and went to the next village to telephone to the nearest
Army garage and work-shop. They said that they were very
busy because of the big battle that was going on: hundreds of
damaged cars and trucks and guns were coming in for repair.
They advised me to leave my car with the driver and continue
my journey in another one.

I then telephoned my staff "head-quarters to tell them about the
accident and to ask for another car; but as they were 100 miles
away, they were unable to help. I went back to tell my driver
what had happened, and found that he had managed to get the
help of some farmers* and their horses, so that the car was now
off the road and in a farmyard.
There I left them: a friendly captain took me on to the next

small town on the back of his motor-cycle, and I spent the night
there in a hotel which had been taken over by the Army. Next
day I completed my journey, and for two weeks took part in one
of the fiercest battles I have ever seen. I had no time to think of
my three-wheeled car.* Then, when things were quieter once
more, I telephoned to my staff to ask about it.
"Oh," said the voice at the other end, "haven't you heard? The
repair-shop put a new back-axle in, and your driver was on his
way to join you when one of the front wheels came off. Was he
killed? Of course he was. It was on a straight piece of road, and
he was driving at 50 miles an hour at least. You had a lucky
escape, two weeks ago."
(About 410 words.)

QUESTIONS
I. The following words and phrases are in italic in the piece.

Choose SIX of them and give for each another word or phrase
of similar meaning to that used In the piece:
slowed down happened completed
tore friendly on his way
continue taken over straight
2. Explain the meaning of these phrases (marked *):

otherwise we should probably have been killed
had managed to get the help of some farmers
I had no time to think of my car
3 In your own words as far as possible, answer these questions

using one complete sentence for each.
(a) Why had the writer's car slowed down before the accident
took place?
(b) Why was the Army workshop busy when he telephoned?
(c) Why was his headquarters unable to help?
(d) Why did the writer not think of his car for the next
fortnight?

4 Explain why the writer calls his escape a lucky one.
You should not use more than 50 words.

24
EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK
It seems quite clearly unjust to pay two people different

amounts of money for doing the same work. But it is not as
easy as it appears at first sight to introduce equal pay for equal
work.
First of all, one must be sure that the work is in fact equal. Two
people may be working side by side in a factory and doing the
same work, but one may be doing it twice as fast as the other;
or one may be making no mistakes, while the other is making a
lot. In some kinds of work, one can solve the problem of speed
if one pays by the amount of work done and not by the hour:
work paid for in this way is called piece-work. But it is not
always possible to do this, so it is sometimes useful to pay
workers at different rates, which take differences in skill into
account. This usually means that the younger and therefore less
experienced worker gets less than the older and more
experienced one, which seems reasonable enough.

What does not appear to be so reasonable is when two equally
skilled, equally fast workers receive different rates of pay. In
some countries, for instance, women are paid less than men for
the same work.
The employers' argument in places where this happens is that

men usually have a wife and children to support and women
usually have not. They say that most women workers are either
unmarried and have no one to support, or have husbands who
also work and bring home money, so that it would be unjust for
them to be paid as much as a man who has a wife who does not
work because she has several children at home to look after.
This, of course, is quite true; but you do find some men workers
who are unmarried and have no one to support, and some
women workers who are widows and have children to support.
Other women workers, though they have no children, may have
old or sick parents and young brothers and sisters who cannot
yet work.
The fact is that the problem of paying workers according to

their family needs cannot be solved simply by giving the men
more and the women less. The answer is to pay both alike, and

to leave it to the state to see that justice is done by means of
taxation and allowances.
(About 405 words.)
QUESTIONS
I. Give for each of the following words or phrases another word

or phrase of similar meaning to that used in the context.
clearly unjust look after
skill simply
reasonable by means of

possible, but your answer must be based only on the facts in the
piece.
(a) How is it possible for two people working side by side in the
same factory at the same work not to be doing equal work?
(b) What is meant by piece-work?
(c) Why do older workers usually get more money than younger
ones?
(d) What is the employers' argument for paying women less
than men?

3. (ADV.) Why cannot the problem of paying workers
according to their family needs be solved by giving men, who
usually have a family to support, more than women? What
solution does the author mention? Do not use more than 60
words.

25
AMUSEMENTS
During the past hundred years, the railway, the motor-car, the
gramophone, the radio, the cinema, and now television, have
produced very great changes in the amusements with which
people fill their free time.
A hundred years ago, people were in the habit of* making their
own amusements. Both sexes read and wrote far more than their
descendants do now: very long books, in several parts, were the
fashion, '* and many 'people, especially ladies, kept diaries, in
which they wrote long descriptions of their doings and feelings.
Ladies did a lot of needlework, or went for long walks, and
gentlemen went riding or shooting.
When a group of people were gathered together, they talked,

played cards or other games, read aloud to each other, or went
out riding, shooting or walking together. Most people could
sing a little, or play some musical instrument reasonably well;
so at a party the guests amused each other. Above all,

conversation was an art: amusing conversation could keep
people happy for hours.
As for games such as football and cricket, people were in the

habit of playing them themselves, on the village green or in the
local park. Most of them did not play very well, but they
managed to amuse themselves and their friends.
Nowadays, we are amused by professionals. Why listen to your

friends singing when you can hear the great singers of the world
on the gramophone or the radio? Why read even a detective
story if you can see one at the cinema? and why play football
with players who are not very good when you can go, by train
or car, to see some of the best players in your country playing
an important match; or, if you have a television set, just sit
comfortably at homes and watch the game without the trouble
of going outside?
The art of conversation and the habit of reading and writing are
dying; people are becoming more and more lookers and
listeners, and less and less doers and talkers. This can only
harm the individual: it is better to do something not very well

oneself than always to sit and watch others doing it, however
perfectly.
(About 865 words.)
QUESTIONS

in the context.
amusements diaries managed
free time reasonably professionals
descendants conversation individual

the piece:
people were in the habit of
were the fashion
just sit comfortably at home

possible, but base your answer only on the information in the
piece.

(a) What has caused amusements to change during the last
hundred years, according to the author?
(b) Who was amused by the games played on village greens or
in local parks?
(c) What kinds of professionals of the present day are
mentioned?
(d) What opinion does the writer express in the last sentence?
4 Describe, using not more than 60 words, the amusements of

people living a hundred years ago.

26
MY HOBBY
My hobby is collecting stamps. When I was still only a baby,

my mother began to collect for me. Of course, she did not let
me touch the stamps until I was old enough not to spoil them. I
remember that it was on my fifteenth birthday that she first put
them into my hands.* They were in four fat books, but since
that time I have added three more, so that now I have a bigger
collection than any of my friends.
How do I get my stamps? I have never bought a single one from

a shop-so my collection has really cost me nothing. My father,
who works in a big office, sometimes brings me home stamps
from many countries of the world. And I have friends both here
and in other lands who send me stamps in return for ones which
I send to them.
Now that I am working for my living, I do not have as much

time as before to spend on my stamps. But in the evenings,
what' can be better than to sit down at a table with my precious
books, arranging new stamps in them, writing in the names of

countries, or, if I am too tired, only looking through the stamps
already in the books? Each stamp has a story to tell me of far
countries and strange peoples. I see pictures of men and
women, birds and animals that I have never seen. Kings and
presidents pass before my eyes, * and I can follow the history
of nations-I can see Hitler's Germany spreading over Europe
and then suddenly breaking into pieces; Pakistan is born before
my eyes; countries rise and countries fall-and the whole time I
remain comfortably in my armchair at home.
But my stamp collection does not make me think only of the

past. Just as my mother collected for me, so I too am collecting
for my future child. What better way will there be of interesting
him in history, geography and languages, and of making these
subjects live for him instead of being only things in school
books? If I can pass my hobby on* to him, he will bless me for
it as I have blessed my mother for her wise action.
(About 380 words.)
QUESTIONS

let, arranging, looking through, rise, future, interesting.

the piece: .
first put them into my hands
pass before my eyes
pass my hobby on
3 Answer the following questions, using short forms wherever

possible:
(a) How old was the writer when his stamp collection was
started?
(b) How many books had he when he was fifteen years old, and
how many has he now?
(c) Where does his father work?

possible, but base your answer only on information in the piece.
(a) Why did the author's mother not let him touch his stamps
before he was fifteen years old?
(b) Why has his collection cost him nothing?

(c) What docs he like to do in the evening?
(d) What reason does he give for blessing his mother?
5 (ADV.) Explain in a few sentences the different kinds of

pleasure the author gets from his hobby. Do not use more than
75 words.

MEMORY
If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time,* they
become weak; when you start using them again, they slowly
become strong again. Everybody knows this, and nobody would
think of questioning this fact. Yet there are many people who
do not seem to know that the memory works in the same way.
When someone says that he has a good memory, he really
means that he keeps his memory in practice by exercising it
regularly, either consciously or unconsciously. When someone
else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does
not give it enough opportunity to become strong. The position
is exactly the same as that of two people, one of whom
exercises his arms and legs by playing tennis, while the other
sits in a chair or a motor car all day.
If a friend complains that his arms are weak, we know that it is

his own fault. But if he tells us that he has a poor memory,
many of us think that his parents are to blame,* or that he is just
unlucky, and few of us realize that it is just as much his own
fault as if it was his arms or legs that were weak. Not all of us

can become extremely strong or extremely clever; but all of us
can, if we have ordinary bodies and brains, improve our
strength and our memory by the same means* practice.
Have you ever noticed that people who cannot read or write
usually have better memories than those who can? Why is this?
Of course, because those who cannot read or write have to
remember things: they cannot write them down in a little
notebook. They have to remember dates, times and prices,
names, songs and stories; so their memory is the whole time
being exercised.
So if you want a good memory, learn from the poor and

humble: practise remembering.
(About 324 words.)
QUESTIONS

Give for each of them another word or phrase of Similar
again, exercising, opportunity, complains, have to.

the piece:
for some time
his parents are to blame
by the same means

wherever possible.
(a) What happens -if you do not use your arms or your legs?
(b) How' do we improve our strength and our memory?
(c) Which people have the best memory: those who can read
and write or those who cannot?

(a) What does the author suggest it means when someone says
he has a good memory?
(b) Who is to blame if someone complains that his memory is
poor?
(c) What are we told we can learn from the poor and humble?

(d) Explain why a person who cannot read or write usually has
a better memory than one who can.
5. (ADV.) Write a short conversation between the author and

someone who complains that his memory is bad.

28
PUBLIC SPIRIT
Each nation has its own peculiar character which distinguishes

it from others. But the peoples of the world have more points in
which they are all like each other than points in which they are
different. One type of person that is common in every country is
the one who always tries to do as little as he possibly can and to
get as much in return as he can. His opposite, the man who is in
the habit of doing more than is strictly necessary and who is
ready to accept what is offered in return, is rare everywhere.
Both these types are usually unconscious of their character. The

man who avoids effort is always talking about his "rights": he
appears to think that society owes him a pleasant, easy life. The
man who is always. doing more than his share talks of "duties":
he feels that the individual is in debt to society, and not society
to the individual. As a result of their views, neither of these men
thinks that he behaves at all strangely.
The man who tries to do as little as he can is always full of

excuses: * if he has neglected to do something, it was because

he had a headache, or the weather was too hot-or too cold-or
because he was prevented by bad luck. At first, other people,
such as his friends and his employer, generously accept his
stories; but soon they realize what kind of person he is. In the
long run he deceives only himself When his friends become
cool towards him and he fails to make progress in his job, he is
surprised and hurt. He blames every one and
everything except himself He feels that society is failing in its
duties towards him, and that he is being unjustly treated. He
soon becomes one of the discontented members of the society
he lives in.
His public-spirited opposite is never too busy to take on an

extra piece of work: that is the strangest thing about the whole
business. If you want something done in a hurry, don't go to the
man who has clearly not much to do. He will probably have a
dozen excellent excuses for not being able to help you, much as
he claims he would like to.* Go to the busiest man you know,
particularly if you are sure that he has not a spare minute in the
week. If your work is really important, he will make time for
it.*
(About 4110 words.)

QUESTIONS
I. Choose SIX of the following words and phrases and give for
in the context.
peculiar neglected hurt
rare realize unjustly
unconscious in the long run take on
2. Explain the meaning of the following phrases, marked *:

always full of excuses
much as he claims he would like to
make time for it
3. Write down a word or phrase opposite in meaning to each of

the following words as used in the piece:
ready, pleasant, accept, except, sure.


(a) What kind of person is common and what kind uncommon,
in every country, according to the author?
(b) What does the man who tries to avoid effort seem to think
about other people?
(c) Who does this kind of man blame when he is discontented?
(d) What is the strange thing about the public-spirited man?
(e) Why does the author suggest that if you have something
which needs doing very quickly, you ought to go to a very busy
man and not to one who clearly has not much to do?
5. Explain the views about society held by the two kinds of

people mentioned in this piece, and describe how these views
affect their behaviour. Use two paragraphs, but not more than
90 words.
6. (ADV.) What is the difference between "rights" and "duties"?

29
TEACHERS AND ACTORS
To be a good teacher, you need some of the gifts of the good

actor: you must be able to hold the attention* and interest of
your audience; you must be a clear speaker, with a good, strong,
pleasing voice which is fully under your control; and you must
be able to act what you are teaching, in order to make its
meaning clear.
Watch a good teacher, and you will see that he does not sit
motionless before his class: he stands the whole time he is
teaching; he walks about, using his arms, hands and fingers to
help him in his explanations, and his face to express feelings.
Listen to him, and you will hear the loudness, the quality and
the musical note of his voice always changing according to
what he is talking about.
The fact that a good teacher has some of the gifts of a good
actor does not mean that he will indeed be able to act well on
the stage; for there are very important differences between the
teacher's work and the actor's. The actor has to speak words

which he has learnt by heart;* he has to repeat exactly the same
words each time he plays a certain part; even his movements
and the ways in which he uses his voice are usually fixed
before. What he has to do is to make all these carefully learnt
words and actions seem natural on the stage.
The good teacher works in quite a different way. His audience

takes an active part in his play: they ask and answer questions,
they obey orders, and if they do not understand something, they
say so. The teacher there fore has to suit his act to the needs of
his audience, which is his class. He cannot learn his part by
heart, but must invent it as he goes along.*
I have known many teachers who were fine actors in class but
were unable to take part in a stage-play because their brains
would not keep discipline: they could not keep strictly to what
another had written.
(About 350 words.)
QUESTIONS
in the passage.

gifts express needs
clear indeed invent
motionless fixed strictly

the piece: -
hold the attention
learnt by heart
as he goes along

(a) What gifts of the actor needed by a teacher does the author
mention?
(b) What does a good teacher do with his voice as he is
teaching?
(c) What has an actor to do when he is on the stage?
(d) How does a teacher's "audience" take part in his "play"?
(e) Why must a teacher invent as he goes along?

4 Explain why a good teacher who has some of the gifts of an
actor may be unable to act well on the stage. You must not use
more than 7S words.

30
MONEY
Money has various uses in the modern world: it is a measure of

the value of goods and services, a means of exchanging such
goods and services, and a way to store up buying power so that
one can use it later.
As a measure of value, it is of the very greatest use. If I work in

an office, how can my employer know what to pay me for my
services if there is no generally recognized measure of value?
He may decide to pay me a certain number of loaves of bread
each week; but then I shall have to exchange some of these
loaves for other things that I need; and how am I to know how
many loaves I should give for a pair of shoes or for the rent of
my house, for example? Money gives us a very useful means of
measuring such relative values. My services are worth, let us
say, 7 a week to my employer; my rent is thirty shillings a
week; a pair of shoes costs 1; and so on.
Money is also of very great use as a means of exchanging goods

and services. If, for example, I am a shoemaker, it will not be at

all convenient to me always to have to exchange the shoes I
make for other goods or services. A doctor may want to buy a
pair of shoes from me, for example; but I may not need medical
care, so he will then have to find something else that I want, or
look for another shoemaker who needs him. Without money,
the tax-collector would come back to his office with an
extraordinary collection of objects.
Considered as a means of storing up buying power, money has

good and bad points. It can more easily be kept a long time than
such things as food, which rots, or buildings, which slowly fall
to pieces, or machines, which rust. It takes up very little space,
and if you put it in a bank, it is as safe as anything in this world
can be.
But modern money has some very serious disadvantages as a

means of storing up buying power. In the old days, when
money was in the form of gold and silver coins, the metal in
each was really worth the amount stamped on the coin. But the
paper in modern paper money and even the metal in most
modem coins are worth very much less than in the amount
written on them. As a result, the buying power of modern
money can change very greatly in a short time.

It has happened more than once this century that the buying
power of a country's money has fallen to almost nothing in a
few weeks, ruining many thousands of people with savings.
This happened in Germany after the First World War, for
example. A man who had saved enough money to buy a large
house in 1913 found that in 1919 this money would not buy
even a loaf of bread. It is not surprising that some people are
doubtful about the wisdom of saving money.
(About 520 words.)
QUESTIONS
used in the passage.
store up means buying power
generally recognized look for ruining
relative serious wisdom

COAIPLETE sentence for each. Use your own words as far as

(a) What would be the difficulty if we were paid in loaves
instead of money?
(b) Why would the tax-collector come back to his office with an
extraordinary collection of objects, if there were no money?
(c) How does modern money store up value more easily than
other things?
(d) Why is it possible for the buying power of present-day
money to change very quickly?
3 Explain briefly, in your own words, how modern money

helps us to live, in the modern world. Do not use more than 75
words.
4. (ADV.) Explain the difference between the following pairs:

(a) goods and services.
(b) gold money and paper money.

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FURTHER

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This book contains thirty pieces, most of them of a factual

The value of comprehension work in learning a foreign

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It is not necessary to use all the questions provided in the book,

If the maximum benefit is to be obtained from this book, the

In the vocabulary questions, for instance, the words "of similar

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Where a question requires one complete sentence for the

Where a question requires a longer answer, and a limit is set to

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The approximate number of words in each piece is given at the

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Man's natural home is the land, but many thousands of years

Travel on the sea was not a very difficult problem, * since

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But balloons had the disadvantage of having to go wherever the

For thousands of years man dreamt what seemed impossible

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(a) natural wild, country, usual

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4. Give brief answers to the following questions using ONE

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THE BEST AGE TO BE

Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities to make

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I. The following words and phrases are printed above in italic.

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I began to run, but as I was still only half-awake, instead of

I saw a flaming doorway in front, put the bundle over my face

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"My baby! My baby!" she cried. The crowd cheered wildly as

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I set off at about nine in the morning by the Underground train,

Our "Beefeater" took us round the Tower, and showed us the

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In the afternoon I went out again, this time to see Westminster,

I. The following words and phrases are printed above in italic.

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4 Give brief answers to the following questions using

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We lived on fish, caught with a home-made net of string (we

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As for water, there was a choice: we could drink the muddy

Me-r who have just escaped what had appeared to be certain

One day we passed another village, but fortunately nobody saw

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3 Answer the following questions using short-form answers