PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD JAVERIANA Name: Nicolás Reyes Mora _

DEPARTAMENTO DE LENGUAS Teacher´ s name Nubia Jimenez_

CURSOS DE INGLÉS DE SERVICIO Date: Wednesday, April 16th, 2020_

READING. (13 points)

Read the text about “How to be best friends forever” and solve the tasks that follow.
The Irish woman who shot Mussolini in the face

On April 7, 1926, an upper-class, 50-year-old Dublin woman tried to shoot Benito Mussolini, Italy's fascist leader,
in the face.
How had Violet Gibson’s life gone from the well-heeled upbringing of Merrion Square in Dublin to dying in a
mental asylum having attempted to assassinate a world leader and how different the world may have been if she
had succeeded?
If she had hit her target, Mussolini’s reign as the “strongman” would have ended and his successes could not have
emboldened Adolf Hitler. Il Duce’s legacy is still felt in Italy (his granddaughter Alessandra is a Member of the
European Parliament), and in Greece where the Golden Dawn proclaims themselves fans of the fascist leader.
What’s worse is that Gibson’s attempted assassination triggered a wave of support for Il Duce which possibly
helped strengthen his grip on Italy.
What drove Violet Gibson to this fateful act?
Her upbringing was one of privilege. Her father was made 1st Baron Ashbourne and went on to serve as Lord
High Chancellor of Ireland from 1885 to 1905. She grew up dividing her time between Dublin and London, and
at the age of 18 was a debutante in the court of Queen Victoria.
It was noted, however, that as a child Gibson was often sick with scarlet fever, pleurisy, bouts of ill-defined
"hysteria" and that she had a “violent temper.” During her younger years, she also showed an interest in Christian
Science and then theosophy, but at the age of 26 in 1902, she converted to Catholicism.
By 1913, Gibson had been married to an artist and widowed. She then moved to Paris and worked for pacifist
organizations. In that same year, she contracted Paget's disease (an abnormal breakdown of bone tissue) and a
mastectomy left her with a nine-inch scar. She then returned to England where surgery for appendicitis left her
with chronic abdominal pain.
On the fateful day of April 7, Gibson went to Palazzo del Littorio with her gun wrapped in a black veil, and a rock,
in case she needed to break Il Duce’s car windshield. While Il Duce drove through Rome's Piazza del Campidoglio
after leaving an assembly of the International Congress of Surgeons, where he had delivered a speech on the
wonders of modern medicine, Gibson jumped from the crowd and shot the leader.
Her rock was unnecessary as the leader walked among the crowds just feet from Gibson. Her first shot grazed his
nose and on the second shot, the gun misfired. The fascist leader stayed very calm and told the crowds “Don't be
afraid. This is a mere trifle." Mussolini was only slightly injured and, after having his nose bandaged, he continued
his parade.
Later he said that while he was ready for “a beautiful death” he did not want to die at the hands of an “old, ugly,
repulsive" woman. In custody for her crimes, Gibson said she shot Mussolini “to glorify God,” who had sent an
angel to keep her steady.

A. Fill in the spaces with the right information using no more than five words per line. Use your own
words. Don’t copy answers from the text. (7 points / 1 each)

present repercussions to •1. She was in cusotody

failed attempt to kill
Mussolini •2 Went a mental asylum

•3. England
Where Violet spent time as
an adult •4.Paris
•5. scarlet fever
•6. pleurisy
health issues •7. hysteria, Paget's disease,
mastectomy, appendicitis

B. Mark the following sentences True (T), False (F) or Doesn’t say (DS) (It means there’s no way to
find support to find ideas anywhere in the text). Correct the idea in the space provided if the idea is
F. Don’t copy ideas from the text. (6 pts. 2 each)

A. Il Duce attended the Congress of surgeons. T

B. Gibson was not successful due to the fact that her gun was improperly charged. F
The first shoot, she failed and the second maybe the weapon jammed

C. Gibson said she tried to kill Il Duce to obey God. F

She did that to glorify God