ESERCIZIO READING AND COMPREHENSION

Mr Merriweather was dozing by the fireside. His newspaper slipped from his grasp, his head fell forward and he started to wander by the banks of a fast-flowing river. Then a coal slipped, the fire crackled and he woke up with a start.

He reached down to retrieve his newspaper and then remembered something that he wanted to ask his wife. But Mrs Merriweather was not there.

He listened for a while. The cottage seemed very quiet. Then he called out "Molly!" several times but received no reply. He shuffled out into the hall and saw that Molly's rainwear was missing from its accustomed hook. And her Wellingtons which always stood with the umbrellas in the umbrella stand had also gone. Whatever would have possessed her to go out on a night such as this?

Questions (passate col mouse sulla striscia gialla per vedere le soluzioni)

1. Which statement tells you that Mr Merriweather was dreaming?

a: he was dozing by the fireside
b: his newspaper slipped from his grasp
c: his head fell forward
d: he started to wander by banks of a river
e: a coal slipped

D "he started to wander by banks of a river

2. Mr Merriweather felt sure that his wife had left the house because:

a: the cottage seemed very quiet when he woke up
b: the door to the hall was open
c: her raincoat was not on its peg
d: her umbrella had disappeared
e: she had taken all her possessions

C "her raincoat was not on its peg

3. The word accustomed in line 11 could most accurately be replaced by:

a: acquainted
b: usual
c: protruding
d: established
e: adapted

B "usual"&nbsp&nbsp

4. The two short sentences in line 8 are effective because they convey Mr Merriweather's sense of:

a: haste
b: alarm
c: concentration
d: sleepiness
e: loneliness

C "concentration"

5. What sort of weather is suggested by the passage?

a: a wet, stormy and windy night
b: a cold frosty night
c: a mild and breezy night
d: a windy but dry night
e: a snowy night

A "stormy and windy night"

ESERCIZIO COMPRENSIONE INGLESE

Julie's Race

The dogsled race was about to begin. Julie’s team of dogs was lined up at the starting gate. Julie stood behind them. The air was so cold that she could see her breath. Other teams were lined up, too, and the dogs were excited. Julie kept her eyes on the clock. At exactly ten o’clock, she and the other racers yelled, "Mush!" The dogs knew that meant "Go!" They leapt forward and the race began!

Julie had trained months for this race, and she hoped she and her dogs would win. Hour after hour, day after day, Julie’s dogs pulled the sled in order to get in shape for the race.

Now, they ran over snowy hills and down into frozen valleys. They stopped only to rest and eat. They wanted to stay ahead of the other teams. The racers had to go a thousand miles across Alaska. Alaska is one of the coldest places on Earth. The dogs’ thick fur coats helped keep them warm in the cold wind and weather. In many places along the route, the snow was deep. Pieces of ice were as sharp as a knife. The ice could cut the dogs’ feet. To keep that from happening, Julie had put special booties on their feet.

At first, the dogs seemed to pull the sled very slowly. They were still getting used to the race. But on the third day out, they began to pull more quickly. They worked as a team and passed many of the other racers. Once, one of the sled’s runners slid into a hole and broke. Julie could have given up then, but she didn't. She fixed it and they kept going.

When they finally reached the finish line, they found out that they had come in first place! It was a great day for Julie and her dogs.

Questions

1)This story was written in order to 

a. explain how cold it can be in winter
b.describe how dogs stay warm in cold weather
c.tell about a dogsled race
d.entertain the reader about funny stories about dogs

2)The story starts when the race has already begun

a.True
b.False

3)On the starting line Julie stands

a.in front of the dogs
b.behind the dogs
c.above the dogs
d.under the dogs

4)She starts the race all alone

a.True
b.False

5)Where does the dogsled race take place?

a.In Alabama
b.In Alaska
c.In Antarctica
d.In Canada

6)Read this sentence from the story

"Julie’s team of dogs was lined up at the starting gate"
What does "team"means

a.to join together
b.friends and family
c.a group working together
d.many dogs

7)It's the first time that Julie drives a doglsed

a.True
b.False

8)During the race Julie and her team stop only to rest and have something to eat

a.True
b.False

9)Why don’t the dogs freeze in the cold weather?

a.They sleep by the fire at night
b.It doesn't get very cold in Alaska
c.Julie puts special booties on their feet.
d.Their thick fur coats keep them warm.


10)What does "sharp" means?

a.taglienti
b.ghiacciati
c.lucidi
d.trasparenti

SOLUZIONI

Passare col mouse sulla linea gialla per vedere le soluzioni

1)C 2)B (False) 3)B (behind the dogs) 4)B (False) 5)B (In Alaska) 6)C 7)B (False) 8)A (True ) 9)D 10)A

F