Unit 7 A. Reading Passage Crazy Children often have far more sense than their elders. this simple truth was demonstrated rather dramatically during a civil defense exercise in a small town in Canada. Most of the inhabitants were asked to take part in the exercise during which they had to pretend that their city had been bombed. Air-raid warnings were sounded and thousands of people went into special air-raid shelters. Doctors and nurses remained above ground while police patrolled the streets in case anyone tried to leave the shelters too soon. The police did not have much to do because the citizens took the exercise seriously. they stayed underground for twenty minutes and waited for the siren to sound again. On leaving the air-raid shelters, they that doctors and nurses were busy. A great many people had volunteered to act as casualties. Theatrical make-up and artificial blood had Been used to make the injuries look realistic. A lot of people lying ‘dead’ in the streets. The living helped to carry the dead and wounded to special stations. A child of six was brought in by two adults. the child was supposed to be dead. With theatrical make-up on his face, he looked as he had died of shock. Some people were so moved by the sight that they began to cry. However, the child suddenly sat up and doctor asked him to comment on his death. The child looked around for a moment and said, ‘I think they’re all crazy!” (Developing Skills, L.G. Alexander). B. Comprehension and Precis In not more than 80 words describe the scene after the people left the air-raid shelters. Do not include anything that is not in the last paragraph. Answer these questions in note form to get your points: 1, Why were doctors and nurses busy during the civil defense exercise? 2. Were there many ‘casualties’? 3. Did their injuries look realistic? 4, Where did the living carry the dead and wounded? 5. How many adults brought in a six-year old child? 6. What had the child ‘died’ of? 7. Were some people moved by the sight or not? 8. What did the child suddenly do? 9. What did the child suddenly do? 10. What was the child opinion? 23C. Vocabulary Give another word or phrase to replace the following words as they are used in the passage: demonstrated; inhabitants; pretend; remained; patrolled; volunteered; artificial. D. Theory of Reading REVISING PREDICTIONS Very often predictions must be revised in the light of later information. For example, it is impossible to read the following passage without regressing and revising your hypothesis. Jack’s arrows were nearly gone so he sat down and stopped hunting. Then he saw Henry making a bow to a little girl who was coming down the road. She had tears I her dress and in her eyes. She gave Henry a note which he brought over the young hunters. Read to the boys it caused great excitement. ‘After a small minute but rapid examination of their weapons, they ran down the valley to ward the little stream. Do female dear were standing at the edge of the lake making a perfect target Obviously this is a contrived reading passage. Fortunately, so many uncertainties seldom occur so close together. But the passage illustrates the way in which we make instant hypotheses and then change them quickly, as new information becomes available and is processed as part of our overall comprehension. Exercise 8. HARD 1. not soft 2. not easy ______ He thought the bed was too hard. ______He thought the test was too hard. _____"_ Be thought it was very hard. GLASS _1.acontainer for drinking liquids 2. a transparent window She fixed the glass in the window She broke the glass She drank a glass of iced tea. 24CAPITAL 1. money 2, the governing city of a country ______ She doesn’t have enough capital. ______ The capital is a beautiful city. ______ What is your capital? PUPIL L.astudent 2. the middle of the colored part of the eye ___ She looked closely at the pupil in the classroom. She looked closely at the pupil of his eye. E. Written Exercises . 1. The purpose of the civil defence exercise was to a. demonstrate that children are often more sensible than adults b, familiarize the citizens with certain emergency routines ¢. discover whether the police would be needed in times of emergency d. create a situation which would test the acting ability of the citizens 2. Why did the police not have much to do during the air-raid? a. Like most of the inhabitants, they stayed underground b, Doctors and nurses did most of their work for them c. Everyone stayed in the shelters after the siren sounded again d. Those who were above ground were there for legitimate reasons 3. What was particularly strange about adults behavious during the civil defence exercise? a. Their willingness to go to such extremes to create a realistic situation b. To have reacted so emotionally to a situation they knew was not real c. To have sked a child of six to comment on his supposed death 4. To expect the police would have any need to exercise their authority 4. They had to act their city had been bombed. a.asif b. in case ¢. like d.as 5. Police patrolled the streets to make sure to leave the shelters too soon. a. anyonee from trying b. no one to try b. no one tried d. anyone who tried 256. They stayed __ for twenty minutes. a.under ground —b. under the ground _c. the ground underneath d. underground there 7. They waited until the siren again. a, would sound b.wassounding c. wassounded —d. will be sounded 8. The child told him that he thought crazy. a.allwere b. everyone was _c. everyone all 4. they ate all 9, --remained above ground __ because the citizens took-—- a. and b.since c.although until 10. The police were not very ___ because the citizens took —-- a.concemed ». employed . interested d. occupied 11, some people were so moved by his that they began to cry. a. apparition b. appearance c.showing — d. seeming 12. A doctor asked him to_on his death. aremak — b. begin c. tell 4. note 26