I Complete the following sentences putting one word in each space.

1 The scene is set in a hotel in ………. . (1)*

2 Tony and Nora Swart are from ………. ………. . (2)

3 The narrator is a(n) ………. citizen. (1)

4 The narrator says that Africans are ………. ………. in South Africa. (2)

5 Mrs Swart is provoked into thinking that ………. ………. is an English author. (2)

* the number of words to write in

II Decide whether the following statements are True or False and

justify your answers.

1 Tony and Nora Swart were a black South African couple.

T

F

2 Nora disapproved of apartheid.

T

F

3 Nora approved of the way Aborigines were treated in Australia.

T

F

4 Nora was unaware of the narrator’s irony.

T

F

5 Her husband saw that the narrator was being sarcastic and left the room.

T

F

6 “Tony’s silence was a kind of apology” for his wife’s racial prejudices.

T

F

7 Tony’s information about Namibia was completely reliable.

T

F

8 Daphne du Maurier is the name of a novel.

T

F

9 The narrator thinks that Nora is well-read.

T

F

III Tick the right answer.

1 “… being a bumpkin” means being … .

a) insensitive c) racially prejudiced

b) a city dweller d) ignorant and ill-mannered

2 When Nora says, “it’s bleddy unfair.” she means that … .

a)apartheid is not a fair system;

b) it is unfair that they should have been arrested in Nigeria and Zaire;

c) it is normal that black South Africans should be discriminated against

in Nigeria and Zaire;

d) it is unjust that white South Africans should be denied the right to

stay in some African countries

3 When the narrator says, “They treated Africans like dogs” by

“they” he means … .

a) the Swarts; c) African countries;

b) Americans; d) white South Africans

4 When Nora says “and you were killing your Indians” she is speaking about … .

a) Australians; c) the narrator;

b) the English; d) white Americans

5 “Nora made a noise at me …” means that she … .

a) laughed; c) gave vent to her complaint for Namibians;

b) imitated a caracul; d) expressed irritation at the narrator’s ignorance

6 The narrator “urged her to ask for Daphne at the local bookshop” … .

a) so that Nora should be ridiculed;

b) for Daphne was a good friend of his;

c) because he thought it was a good novel, well worth reading;

d) as he mistook the name of the author for the title of the book

IV Find the word or words in the text that mean the same as:

a) with a persistent feeling of resentment

b) were unwilling or reluctant

c) were taking care of

d) destroy completely

e) making fun of smb

f) to grow

g) a film

THE END

TEXT 18 MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS

by Gerald Durrell

Gerald Durrell (1925 – 1995) – a naturalist, conservationist, author and TV presenter.

(The book which came out in 1956 is an autobiographical work describing the life of the Durrell family on the Greek island of Corfu between 1935 and 1939.)

Then one day I found a fat female scorpion in the wall, wearing what at first glance appeared to be a pale fawn fur coat. Close inspection proved that this strange garment was made up of a mass of tiny babies clinging to the mother’s back. I was enraptured by this family, and I made up my mind to smuggle them into the house and up to my bedroom so that I might keep them and watch then grow up. With infinite care I maneuvered the mother and family into a matchbox, and then hurried to the villa. It was rather unfortunate that, just as I entered the door, lunch should be served; however, I placed the

(10) matchbox carefully on the mantelpiece in the drawing-room, so that the scorpions should get plenty of air, and made my way to the dining-room and joined the family for the meal. Dawdling over my food, feeding Roger surreptitiously under the table and listening to the family arguing, I completely forgot about my exciting new captures. At last Larry, having finished, fetched the cigarettes from the drawing-room, and lying back in his chair he put one in his mouth and picked up the matchbox he had brought. Oblivious of my impending doom I watched him interestedly as, still talking glibly, he opened the matchbox.

(20) Now I maintain to this day that the female scorpion meant no harm. She was agitated and a trifle annoyed at being shut up in a matchbox for so long, and so she seized the first opportunity to escape.

She hoisted herself out of the box with great rapidity, her babies clinging on desperately, and scuttled on to the back of Larry’s hand.

There, not quite certain what to do next, she paused, her sting curved up at the ready. Larry, feeling the movement of her claws, glanced

down to see what it was, and from that moment things got increasingly confused.

He uttered a roar of fright that made Lugaretzia drop a plate and

(30) brought Roger out from beneath the table, barking wildly. With a flick of his hand he sent the unfortunate scorpion flying down the table, and she landed midway between Margo and Leslie, scattering babies like confetti as she thumped on the cloth. Thoroughly enraged at this treatment, the creature sped towards Leslie, her sting quivering with emotion. Leslie leapt to his feet, overturning his chair, and flicked out desperately with his napkin, sending the scorpion rolling across the cloth towards Margo, who promptly let out a scream that any railway engine would have been proud to produce. Then Margo, in a vane attempt to stop the scorpion’s advance, hurled a glass of water at her. (40) The shower missed the animal completely, but successfully drenched Mother.

NOTES

Larry – the author’s elder brother Lawrence Durrell, a novelist, dramatist and travel writer

Oblivious of my impending doom… – Forgetting the menace hanging over me …

glibly – fluently but with little concern for the truth

at the ready – prepared for immediate use

flicked out – made quick jerky motions with his hand

hurled – threw forcefully

EXERCISES