Multiple Choice Testing

Part III: Reading

Read the text and the questions. Choose the best answer: [A B C D]

My name is Mary. I am a secretary in a large company in Brighton. I live in a small village about seven miles from my office. It takes me half an hour to drive to work and another ten minutes to park my car. I sometimes leave my car at home and take the train, but only on very cold winter days when there is ice on the roads. I always leave home at eight o' clock.

25. Where does Mary work?

A) In a school B) In a small village

C) In a small company D) In an office

26. When does Mary usually arrive at work?

A) In half an hour B) At eight o'clock

C) At half past eight D) At twenty to nine

27. How often does Mary drive to work?

A) Usually B) Sometimes

C) Not often D) Always

One morning on Friday, 6th October 1987, I was late for work. Many people were late for work on that terrible day. The first signs of trouble had appeared the evening before while I was in the village pub with my husband Peter. There were very high winds, far stronger than normal for the time of year. Even the weather forecasters were caught unawares. As we made our way home, we were nearly blown over.

Further horror was yet to come. We put the telly on in our bedroom but the picture was too hazy to see. The wind pounded mercilessly on the bay windows. Luckily our new double-glazing was able to withstand the pressure, but half an hour later as we lay in bed, we thought that the whole front wall was about to give way.

We held our breath as we listened to the orchestra of smashed tiles, broken chimney pots and clattering dustbin lids in the street outside. We drew the thick velvet curtains, our last line of defence against an angry wind which was busy uprooting trees, overturning cars and demolishing buildings. I gripped Peter's hand tightly. Just before two in the morning we finally managed to fall asleep.

28. Mary was late for work on Friday, 6th October 1987 because

A) she had been drinking B) she was nearly blown over

C) many people were late D) the roads were blocked

29. People did not expect the high winds to be so strong because

A) October is always mild B) it was the end of the week

C) the forecasting was poor D) Britain is rarely windy

30. Mary felt the strength of the high winds

A) while returning from the pub B) while sitting in the pub

C) when she turned on the telly D) when she was late for work

31. The high winds seemed to have damaged Mary's

A) velvet curtains B) TV aerial

C) double-glazing D) bay windows

32. As they lay in bed, Mary and her husband felt

A) excited B) drunk

C) afraid D) tired

33. They knew that the winds were causing great destruction because

A) they could see it B) they could watch it

C) they could feel it D) they could hear it

We were up at six o'clock the next morning.

The wind was still howling though not as fiercely as before. We turned on the portable radio to learn what had happened. Many pylons and cables had been blown down. We were very relieved when the water in our kettle started to boil. Happily there were few fatalities, but damage to forestry, plant-life and buildings was massive.

The official advice was to stay indoors, but ignoring the perils of falling masonry and unstable tree trunks, I decided to go to work. There were some reports to finish, which had to be mailed that day. The way through the village to the main road was an unrecognizable tangle of fallen trees. I threaded my way through this unknown jungle to the main road where I managed to hitch a lift into the outskirts of Brighton. I had to continue on foot stepping gingerly over broken branches. A third of the town's magnificent oak and elm trees had been torn to pieces. Telephone boxes had been ripped up from the pavement and bowled over. I contented myself with the thought that there was no need to phone the office. I was not the only one in this predicament and I might even be the first to arrive.

34. Why did Mary and Peter feel that they were lucky at breakfast?

A) They still had electricity B) There were few fatalities

C) They still had a kettle D) The wind had died down

35. What was the main devastation according to Mary's description?

A) Damage to buildings B) Destruction of trees

C) Damage to phone boxes D) She was late for work

36. Mary did not even try to phone the office because

A) she would arrive on time B) perhaps there was no-one there

C) there were no phones D) she was not the only secretary