School Name…

Reading Comprehension – 8th A

 A. Read the following text carefully and say if

the statements in the left are True or False.

1.1. Catapulting
Catapulting and
and
bungee
bungee jumping
jumping are
are
one
one and the
and same Feeling lucky? Why don’t you try an extreme sport?
the same
sport.
sport. Catapulting is like bungee jumping in reverse. You
True False
True False wear a safety harness, and a special machine shoots you
60 metres into the air.
But what is bungee jumping? According to legend,
bungee jumping was invented on Southern Pentecost
2.2.People
Peopleare
arethrown
thrown Island in the South Pacific. When a villager mistreated his
into
into the
the air
air by
by aa wife, she climbed to the top of a banyan tree and
machine.
machine. jumped off. The man was so upset that he followed her
True
True False
False example, not knowing that she had tied vines around her
ankles to stop her from hitting the ground. Later, other men
in the village built a giant platform and practised
jumping with lines.
3.3. No
No one
one isis one
one For many fans, the great thing about this sport is the lack of training required. You
hundred
hundred percent
percent just need courage! We call these fans adrenaline junkies, because they do dangerous sports.
sure
sure of the origin ofof
of the origin Bungee jumping and catapulting look and feel extremely dangerous, but, because
this
thissport.
sport.
True conditions are carefully controlled, both sports are surprisingly safe. Apart from the thrill
True FalseFalse
associated with danger, what makes people get involved in such dangerous sports? One view
is that they are instinctively acting out their personal views of existence.
4.4.Bungee
BungeeJumping
Jumping Source: Spy Out 9, Texto Editora (adapted)
requires
requireshard
hardwork.
work.
True False
True False
B. Look for words in the 2nd paragraph of the text which mean more or
less the same as the ones below.
5.5.People
Peopledo
dothis
this
sport
sport because
becausethey
they C. 1. old popular story 2. treated badly
find it exciting.
find it exciting.
True
True FalseFalse Say

3. stressed/unhappy 4. fastened (with a knot)

what these words refer to in the text.

D.
1. you (line 1) 2. his (line 8)

3. her (line 10) 4. they (line 15 )

Now answer these questions on the text.

1. What type of sports are catapulting and bungee jumping? ____________________________

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2. Where do people think bungee jumping was practised for the first time? _____________

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3. What do you think happened to the man who mistreated his wife? ____________________

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4. What’s so special about this sport? ________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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5. What’s the nickname given to bungee jumping fans? Justify your answer. _____________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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6. In your opinion are catapulting and bungee jumping safe? Why/Why not? _____________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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7. The Title of the text is incomplete. Give us your suggestion:

“1, 2, 3... ___________________________________________.”

8. Would you have the courage to try one of these sports?

Justify your answer.
__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

GD WRK!

(1, 2, 3... JUMP!” – that was the title of this text)