PASSAGE 13

DIFFICULT LIFE

Sixty-eight-year old Mary Cooper leads a very difficult life in a block of flats in
Dover. There is no central-heating installed in the flats, so in the winter Mrs. Cooper sits in
front of her small electric fire in the kitchen. She goes to bed with her clothes on because she
is too cold to take them off. She has to put old newspapers between her blankets to keep
warm. Sometimes she isn't ivell enough to get up, so she stays in bed all day.

I. VOCABULARY
To lead a life: To live
Central heating: Heating system for buildings.
To install: To put in, to fit
Electric fire: A device that works by means of electricity and warms a room
Blanket: A piece of thick cloth put on bed to keep us warm
II. EXERCISE: Complete the sentences with a suitable form of the words defined
above.
1. As it is rather cold today, you'd better turn on the ........
2. The sick man was wrapped up in two ..., still he was shivering.
3. He had an alarm .... in his car to prevent it from being stolen.
4. Because...........are portable devices, they are easily carried to wherever you want
to warm.
5. Our parents do their best so that we can ...a happy .........
III. READING COMPREHENSION
1. Mrs. Tylary Cooper ..............
A. likes reading in bed very much.
B. is fond of collecting old newspapers.
C. is lazy because she reads newspapers all day.
D. puts blankets between her newspapers to keep warm.
E. E) supports her blankets with newspapers so as not to feel cold.

2. She doesn't change her clothes ...........

A. because it is very cold in her house.

B. when she feels very lazy to take them off.
C. because she is sixty eight years old.
D. since she doesn't have many clothes.
E. although she stays home all day.

3. She sits in the kitchen

A. when the central heating is off.
B. because she likes sitting in front of the electric fire.
C. as the other rooms of the house are very cold.
D. when she doesn't feel well enough to go to bed.
E. because the only central heating is in the kitchen.