TEST 8 READING PASSAGE 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-14, which are based on Reading Passage

1 below. This is very much the story of a story The outline of the tale has been told before. It can be found in Edward Miller's history of the British Museum. Arundell Esdaile's book on the British Museum Library, rather more chattily, in Edward Edward's Lives of the founders of the Museum, and most recently, and its first excursion this century outside the literature of the Museum, in Christopher Hibbert's new biography of Geogre III. The December 1850 issue of the Quarterly Review contains a long article reviewing a number of official reports into the functioning of the British Museum (including incidentally a review of the House of Commons Select Committee report of 1836, fifteen years earlier: it is never too late to review a good report. Although anonymous, it was written by Richard Ford, probably best remembered today as the author of Murray's Handbook for travellers in Spain. The review contains much that is entertaining and amusing, and I must say it can be recommended today to anyone concerned with organising Library services, but for our purposes the bit that matters is the allegation that, among other things, Geogre IV had been considering selling Geogre III's library to the Tsar of Russia, until the British government intervened and arranged for its transfer instead to the British Museum. This story was picked up during 1851 by a number of contributors to Notes & Queries, where various mischievous observations about what happened and who was involved were made. These comments revolved chiefly round the suggestion that the King's Library was not the munificent gift to the nation that it was claimed to be, but that the government had in effect had to buy the Library, either directly by purchase, or indirectly by agreeing to treat the King's requests for money more sympathetically than hitherto. In August 1851, however, came a communication to Notes & Queries of a different kind from the previous notes, which are rather more gossipy in nature. It is signed "C". He writes: "I have delayed contradicting the stories told about the King's Library in the Quarterly Review of last December ... I am sorry to say still more gravely and circumstantially reproduced by the Editor of Notes & Queries. I have delayed. I say, until I was enabled to satisfy myself more completely as to one of the allegations in your Note." "C." goes on: "I can now venture to assure you that the whole story of the projected sale to Russia is absolutely unfounded". He then goes on to sketch in background about Geogre

IV's wish to dispose of the Library and the government's success in getting it to the British Museum. "C." then objects in particular to the suggestion, made by the Notes & Queries editor rather than in the Quarterly, that Princess Lieven, the well-known socialite and friend of Geogre IV's, whose husband was Russian ambassador in London at the time, had been involved in the plan. He explains that Princess Lieven was adamant that she had known of no such proposal, and therefore that that was that. But that was not that. The December issue of Notes & Queries includes a short note, signed "Griffin", arguing that while Princess Lieven may claim to have known nothing, it did not mean that there had not been talk about a Russian purchase. "Griffin" also suggests that one of the King's motives for getting rid of the Library was to sort out problems arising from Geogre III's Will ( a suggestion, as has been pointed out before, that is incidentally supported by an entry from early 1823 in the journal of Charles Greville). This provoked "C." to return to the matter in early 1852, when he argued that it was inconceivable that Princess Lieven would not have known that such a thing was in the air, given her court and social connections. In other words, the Russian connection is just idle speculation. An interesting aspect of all this is that the initial stirring and rumour-mongering was all to do with money: was the library, or was it not, paid for? It is the intervention of "C." and his fervent denials that bring the Russians into prominence. The identity of "C." is obscure. Arundell Esdaile identifies him as John Wilson Croker, the veteran politician and essayist. This seems to me unlikely: Croker was certainly involved in public affairs in the 1820s, but he was also a major contributor, a sort of editorial advisor, to the Quarterly Review, where the original offending article appeared. Indeed he wrote this own piece for it on the Museum in the December 1852 issue, without referring at all to the King's Library stories, and referring to Richard Ford's article in respectful not to say glowing terms. A footnote to his article, however, states that the Quarterly expected to publish an authoritative account of the King's Library business in the future: it never did. Questions 1 - 6 Do the statements below agree with the information in Reading Passage 1? In Boxes 1-6, write: Yes No Not Given if the statement agrees with the information in the passage if the statement contradicts the information in the passage if there is no information about the statement in the passage

Example: Answer:

The outline of the tale has been told before. Yes

1. The story that the writer is telling has only ever been carried in publications relating to the British Museum. 2. When published, the review of several reports on the workings of the British Museum in the Quarterly Review was anonymous. 3. The writer claims that it was Richard Ford who wrote the review of several reports on the workings of the British Museum in the Quarterly Review. 4. Richard Ford alleged that Geogre IV was planning to sell his father's, i.e. Geogre III's, library to the Tsar of Russia. 5. Murray wrote the Handbook for travellers to Spain. 6. The British Government bought Geogre IV's father's library for a very large sum of money. Questions 7 - 10 Complete the sentences below. Use NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS from the passage to complete each blank space. Write your answers in Boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet. 7. Geogre IV's father's collection of books is known as the ___________________. 8. Doubting that the collection was given to the nation, some commentators said it was not a ________________. 9. "C." says that the story about the sale of the books to Russia was _________________. 10. According to "C.", Princess Lieven was not _____________________. Questions 11 - 14 Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in Boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet. 11. "Griffin" argued that the connection with Russia ...... A could not be trusted B was genuine

C was possible D was worth examining 12. Charles Greville .... A does not corroborate Griffin's suggestion that the sale of the Library was connected with Geogre III's Will B partially supports Griffin's suggestion that the sale of the Library was connected with Geogre III's Will C corroborates Griffin's suggestion that the sale of the Library was connected with Geogre III's Will D was Prime Minister in the early 1820s 13. Which of the following is true according to the text? A The identity of "C." is obvious B The identity of "C." is not clear C The identity of "C." is Arundell Esdaile D The identity of "C." is John Wilson Croker 14. Croker .... A had been a politician for a long time B was an editor C was someone who advised politicians D was a minor contributor to Notes & Queries