Julia Stretton was late.

The Tartan Army had planted a bomb at Heathrow,

and Julia, who had gone the long way round past the airport to avoid the usual
congestion on the approach roads to the M3, had been delayed for two hours by
police and army checkpoints. Then she finally joined the motorway further down,
she put thoughts of Paul Mason out of her mind, and concentrated on her driving.
She drove quickly for an hour, breaking the speed limit, all the way, and not
particularly concerned about being spotted by one of the police helicopters.
She left the motorway near Basingstoke, and drove steadily down the main
road towards Salisbury. The plain was grey and misty. It had been a cool, wet
summer in Britain, and, although it was still only July, there had been reports of
snow along the Yorkshire coast, and flooding in parts of Cornwall.
A few miles beyond Salisbury, on the road to Blandford Forum, Julia
stopped at a roadside cafe for a cup of coffee, and as she sat at the
plastic-topped table she had time at last for reflection.
It had been a surprise of seeing Paul Mason -that had probably upset her
more than anything else; that, and the way it had happened, and the place…

1. Why was Julia late?

2. What was the weather like in Britain at that moment?

3. Explain the meaning of the phrase “a plastic-topped table.”

4. Write the passive voice of the following sentence: “The Tartan Army had
planted a bomb in Heathrow.”

5. Write a composition about “travelling.”