Reading Skill, G9-10, Advanced, 2021 Lexis ELT, Page 1 of 4

Student’s Full Name: _____________________________________________ Class/Course: ____________

Instructions: Read the following text and answer questions 1-3. This lesson (Q1-Q10) carries 130 marks in total.
A POWDER KEG IN EUROPE
Europe dissolved (ছ োট ছ োট খন্ডে বিভক্ত হল) into many
cultures at the end of the Roman Empire (ছ োমোন সোম্রোজ্য).
Several smaller empires emerged (সৃবি হল), but none
matched the power and glory of Rome. By the turn of
5 the twentieth-century, most of the smaller states of
Europe combined or were conquered into larger nation-
states (বৃহত্ত জ্োবি োষ্ট্র). Germany and Italy became
unified (এক) nations in the latter part of the nineteenth
century. They joined Great Britain, France, Austria-
10 Hungary, and Russia as European world powers.
These nations were filled with nationalism (জ্োিীয়িোিোদ),
or great national pride. They expanded (বিস্তৃি ক ো) their
borders by building imperial colonies (সোম্রোজ্যিোদী
উপবনন্ডিশ) in Africa and Asia. Most Europeans believed
15 their nation to be superior to (ছেষ্ঠ) every other nation,
and many Europeans were willing to go to war to
demonstrate (ছদখোন্ডি) their will.
Europe had been at peace for many years by the
spring of 1914. There had not been a multinational war
20 since Napoleon’s defeat 99 years earlier. Germany,
France, and Russia fought minor (ছ োট-খোট) wars, but
they were of little consequence (গুরুত্বহীন). Ethnic
minorities (ক্ষুদ্র জ্োবিন্ড োষ্ঠী) chafed (অসন্ডতোষ প্রকোশ ক ল) in
Austria-Hungary, the final remnant (সি বন্ডশষ অংশ) of the
25 Holy Roman Empire, but it was reasonable (ঠিক/ন্যোয্য)
in 1914 to assume (মন্ডন ক ো) that Europe would remain
peaceful for many years. That assumption would be
false.
Francis Ferdinand
Hungary. There was talk of an assassination attempt
(ছ োপন হিযো ছেিো) by ethnic Serbians in Sarajevo, but the
Archduke and his wife wandered through the city
45 (ন ী বিবভন্ন িোন্ডন ঘুন্ড ছিড়োন্ডলো) believing they were safe.
The Black Hand proved otherwise.
The Black Hand was an ethnic Serbian terrorist
organization composed mainly of teenagers. Several
Black Hand terrorists were in Sarajevo with orders to
50 kill the Archduke. That morning, one terrorist
attempted to throw a bomb into the Archduke’s car.
The driver sped up (দ্রুি োবড় েোলোল). The bomb bounced
off (ব টন্ডক ছ ল) the Archduke’s arm and landed behind
the crowd. Several people were injured and the next
55 car in the procession was destroyed.
The Archduke gave a speech, and then changed his
plans to visit the city. He wanted to go to the hospital
to visit the people wounded in the attack. The
Archduke’s driver was unfamiliar with the route and
60 had taken a wrong turn. The car slowed to a halt in
front of a café, where Gavrilo Princip sat sipping (িন্ডস
কবপন্ডি চুমুক বদবিল) coffee only five feet away. Princip was
a Black Hand terrorist who thought the
opportunity to kill the Archduke had
65 passed. Suddenly and by coincidence
(কোকিোলীয়ভোন্ডি), Princip was presented with
another chance. The young Serbian shot
three times, killing the Archduke and the
Archduke’s wife.

Europe in 1914 is often compared to a powder 70 Gavrilo Princip set events in motion
30 keg: safe and secure until a fuse is lit. That summer, a (ঘটনো সূেনো ক ল) that would lead to a worldwide conflict
minor event lit a fuse ( ছিোমো ইিযোবদ সলন্ডিন্ডি আগুন ধ োন্ডনো) (বিশ্বব্যোপী সংঘোি). Princip died in prison, but he was a
that exploded across the entire continent. The result hero to many Serbian people. The store in front of the
was known as “the Great War,” the most destructive site where the Archduke was killed became a museum
conflict then known to humankind. 75 that honored Princip. The museum
closed in 1992 because ethnic violence
35 The city of Sarajevo is at the foot of the Balkan (জ্োবি ি দোঙ্গো) made it a target of snipers
Mountains. Sarajevo was a city of great unrest (ব্যোপক (ছেো োন্ড োপ্তো হোমলোকো ী). The ethnic
অবি িো) in 1914. Austria-Hungary seized the city (ন violence that led to World War I was
দখল ক ল) and the surrounding region in 1908. On June 80 still a factor in the Balkan region (িলকোন
28, 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife অঞ্চল) almost eighty years later. Gavrilo Princip
40 visited the city. Ferdinand was the heir (বসংহোসন
উত্ত োবধকো ী), or next in line to be emperor of Austria-

1. Fill in the blanks. 1 x 11 = 11

By 1914, E__________ had not seen a multinational w____ in almost a *c__n__u__y. Many Europeans were
filled with *n__t__o__a__i__t__c pride and hoped to show the *s__p__r__o__i__y of their nations. The
killing of the A________________ of A____________ in S_______________, fueled by n__t__o__a__i__m
and diplomatic a_________________, led to the first of two *g__o__a__ wars.

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 Reading Skill, G9-10, Advanced, 2021 Lexis ELT, Page 2 of 4
Student’s Full Name: _____________________________________________ Class/Course: ____________
2. Choose the best answer from the alternatives. Circle and fill in the letter/number of your choice. 1 x 20 = 20
(a) The text above focuses on (k) In line 17, ‘will’ is a
i. Roman Empire i. Modal
ii. Europe Continent ii. Adjective
iii. breakout of World War I iii. Noun
iv. destruction of World War I iv. Action verb
(b) Which paragraph claims that the Balkan region (l) The first World War was fueled by
suffers from ethnic conflict even at present i. an assassination
times? ii. a sudden shooting
i. the 1st paragraph iii. a long feud between Austria and Sarajevo
ii. the 3rd paragraph iv. a feud between Austria and Serbia
iii. the final paragraph (m) ‘explode’ in line 32 means
iv. none i. flared up
(c) In line 8 ‘latter’ implies ii. geared up
i. former iii. ripped apart
ii. the 2nd iv. engulfed
iii. previous (n) ‘Imperial’ in line 13 implies
iv. latest i. belonging to a knight
(d) ‘dissolved’ means ii. belonging to a duke
i. devolved iii. belonging to a continent
ii. devalued iv. belonging to an empire
iii. disintegrated (o) ‘ethnic’ in line 43 denotes
iv. denounced i. cultural
(e) In line 13, ‘expanded’ indicates ii. ethical
i. enlarged iii. racial
ii. elongated iv. communal
iii. elaborated (p) In line 46, ‘otherwise’ denotes
iv. impressed i. besides
(f) Germany became a unified nation ii. contrary
i. in early nineteenth century iii. on the other hand
ii. late nineteenth century iv. likewise
iii. mid nineteenth century (q) What does ‘slowed to a halt’ in line 60 imply?
iv. at the turn of the nineteenth century i. tilted
(g) ‘demonstrate’ in line 17 means ii. halted
i. protest iii. catapulted
ii. prove iv. veered
iii. produce (r) Which of the following can replace ‘away’ in line
iv. substitute 62?
(h) Holy Roman Empire refers to i. at the distance
i. Great Britain ii. in the distance
ii. France iii. off the distance
iii. Austria iv. down the distance
iv. Most parts of Europe (s) What does a sniper do?
(i) Which word can best describe ‘landed’ in line 54 i. shoots openly
i. fell ii. shoots secretively
ii. descended iii. shoots violently
iii. dropped iv. shoots face to face
iv. deflected (t) ‘honored’ means
(j) What does ‘reasonable’ mean in line 25? i. paid tribute to
i. culpable ii. paid homage
ii. palpable iii. paid gratitude
iii. realistic iv. paid a visit to
iv. ballistic

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 Reading Skill, G9-10, Advanced, 2021 Lexis ELT, Page 3 of 4
Student’s Full Name: _____________________________________________ Class/Course: ____________
3. Write True / False / Not Given. (Not Given means the information is NOT mentioned in the text.) 2 x 15 = 30
a. A museum was set up in Sarajevo to commemorate the assassination of the archduke.
b. Archduke Francis Ferdinand succeeded the Austria-Hungary throne.
c. Archduke’s chauffeur was quite familiar with the route to the hospital.
d. Austria-Hungary Empire besieged Sarajevo in 1908.
e. Austria-Hungary was the last swathe of Roman Empire in Europe.
f. Black Hand was dominated by Serbian youngsters.
g. Both the archduke and his wife took the possible assassination attempt very seriously.
h. Clashes among different ethnic groups in the Balkans are a rarity nowadays.
i. During Roman Empire, much of Europe was unified.
j. Imperialistic aggression instigated a lot of unrest in Sarajevo in 1914.
k. Larger nations in Europe did not take pride in themselves.
l. Nationalistic pride turned most Europeans into war-mongers.
m. Sarajevo was located at the foothills of the Balkans.
n. The assassin waylaid in a café for he was sure of archduke’s passing through the route.
o. The first attempt to kill the Archduke fell through.

4. Fill in the gaps with suitable word from the table. 1 x 14 = 14

traditionally of middle they a an as

speak tents the their travel almost position

Bedouins are nomadic people who inhabit the (a)______________ East and North Africa. Bedouin is (b)___________
Arabic word that means desert dweller. Like (c)_____________ plants and animals, the Bedouin have adapted
(d)________________ lifestyle to the severe desert climate. (e)________________ use their extensive knowledge of the
location (f)________________ water and seasonal weather changes to survive.
(g)_________________, the Bedouin prefer to herd animals such (h)_________________ camels, sheep, and goats. They
generally (i)___________________ in extended family units called goums. (j)______________ goam is headed by a sheik,
a (k)_______________ handed down from father to eldest son. Many Bedouins live in tents. The
(l)_________________________ allow the Bedouins to move easily. (m)________________ all of the Bedouins are
Muslims who (n)_______________________ Arabic.

5. Fill in the gaps with suitable word from the table. 1 x 11 = 11

the dwindle Severe people Africa living
many jobs services that Bedouins

(a)__________ droughts in the region have forced many (b)_________________ to give up herding and take traditional
(c)____________. The oil wealth of (d)__________ nations of the Middle East and North (e)___________ has provided
economic opportunities for the Bedouin. The wealth derived from oil provides social (f)___________ that would not be
available to people (g)______________ a nomadic lifestyle. It is estimated (h)_____________ about 2.5 million people
continue to practice (i)________________ traditional Bedouin lifestyle, but the population of (j)________________
following the traditional Bedouin lifestyle continues to (k)__________________ as they are offered better
opportunities.

6. Fill in the gaps with suitable word from the table. You can use one word more than once. 1 x 16 = 16

later mastabas most of people people smaller

period built flat styles the times so

(a)__________________ tend to think that Egyptian building (b)________________ stayed the same for the whole
(c)_______________ of Egyptian history, from the beginning (d)________________ the Old Kingdom to the end
(e)____________________ the New Kingdom two thousand years (f)________________, but that's not true. The
Egyptians (g)____________________ different kinds of buildings at different (h)__________________, just like any
other group of (i)_________________________.

In the early part of (j)__________________ Old Kingdom, the Egyptians built mainly (k)_______________, a kind of
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 Reading Skill, G9-10, Advanced, 2021 Lexis ELT, Page 4 of 4
Student’s Full Name: _____________________________________________ Class/Course: ____________
tomb with a (l)___________ roof like a house. Then throughout (m)________ of the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians
(n)__________ the pyramid tombs which are now (o)_________ famous. Of course, they also built (p)_____________
buildings like houses and butcher shops.

7. Fill in the gaps with suitable word from the table. You can use one word more than once. 1 x 13 = 13

buildings came elaborate of on for

in new build same the
(a)_______ the Middle Kingdom, the mastaba tomb (b)_________ back again, although in a more (c)_________ form
for the Pharaohs. They didn't (d)___________ any more pyramids.

Then in (e)____________ New Kingdom there was a lot (f)_________ buildings that were not tombs: temples
(g)__________ the gods especially, but also palaces (h)____________ the Pharaohs. You could compare these
(i)______________ Kingdom temples, with their columns mainly (j)_________ the inside of the walls, to
(k)_____________ from Shang Dynasty China, about the (l)___________ time, where the columns are around
(m)____________ outside.
8. Underline the main events in the text above and write a summary of the text (not exceeding 80 words). 10

9. Rearrange the main ideas in the sequence they are mentioned in the text. 15
a. Arrival of Archduke in Sarajevo
b. Black Hand Assassination Plot
c. Disintegration of Europe
d. Emergence of Larger Nation States
e. Emergence of Smaller Empires
f. Ethnic Conflict in Austria-Hungary Empire
g. Exhibition of Nationalism
h. Expansion of Imperial Colonies in Africa and Asia
i. Failure of First Attempt
j. Fall of Roman Empire in Europe
k. Gavrilo Princip’s Successful Attempt
l. Minor wars, but No Multinational War for 99 years
m. Occupation of Sarajevo by Austria-Hungary in 1908
n. The Outbreak of World War I
o. Widespread Discontent in Sarajevo and the Balkans until 1914

10. Make a flowchart of the main ideas/events mentioned in the text (10-12 ideas). 10

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