Republic of Yemen Subject: Reading (1)

Thamar University Instructor: Jameel Alghaberi

Faculty of Education Date:26/11/2022
Department of English
Mid-Semester Exam

Student Name: _______________________________________________

20
Q. 1. [5 marks]
Adventurous Storyteller

Jack Wilson was an American writer born in California in 1876. During his life, Jack worked at many jobs. His broad life experi -
ences would become the background for his writing because he travelled to many countries. Jack also loved to read. As a teenager,
he spent many hours educating himself at the local public libraries. He attended college at the University of California at Berkeley,
but he stayed for six months only. He thought university was “not exciting enough” and wanted to do something more interesting.

As young man, Jack worked in his uncle’s farm. In his early years, he wrote stories about farm life and how hired helps earn a liv -
ing. He grew up near his uncle’s barn and loved the fields and the herd of animals in the farm. The farm was usually shady and
grassy. He loved to take care of yearlings and ducks. When Jack was fifteen years old, he decided to visit Japan. He booked a
ticket and travelled to Japan. He boarded the flight and selected an aisle seat. During the journey, he dragged a book from his bag
and started reading. An old man on the seat beside him looked at him with daggers in his eyes. Jack was shocked and frightened.
He drove the book into the bag. The flight time was 6 hours non-stop, and Jack spent most of the time sleeping.

In Tokyo, Jack didn’t like Japanese food. He had to cook by himself. He bought pots and pans and usually cooked his favourite
food. However, he didn’t like cleaning the kitchen. He hired a servant to cook for him. One day, the servant came too early. He
cooked the breakfast and put some poison in it. Jack fell into a sound sleep. In the next morning, he realized that the servant had
stolen his bag and all the gifts he purchased for his family. Jack was supposed to inform the police about the incidence. However,
he was not feeling well that day. He had to take rest and then think about what to do. Mr. Cheng Li, the guard of the house, real -
ized that something wrong happened. He did not see Jack going out that day. He went upstairs and knocked the door, finding Jack
shaking out of hunger. Cheng Li was kind enough to help, reporting the case to the police and giving Jack some food.

Jack did not enjoy his stay in Tokyo. It was very crowded, and he did not understand Japanese well. He decided to return home. It
was obvious that his family were worried about him. At the departure lounge, he glanced an American lady. She was coming to-
wards him looking tired and unhappy. It seemed that her flight layover was too much. Jack hurried to help her with the luggage.
On the plane, her seat was next to his. It was a coincidence, she said. Jack laughed and said “a nice coincidence”.

Answer all the questions below:

1. Why was Jack able to write on many topics?

2. Jack did not complete college, why?

3. How did Jack spend the time of his flight to Japan?

4. Why didn’t Jack report the robbery case to police?

5. Was Tokyo interesting for Jack? Why?

Q. 2. Choose the correct word/phrase matching the underlined. [12
marks]
1) Jack selected an aisle seat. 2) It was obvious that his family 3) He looked at him with daggers in his
a. A comfortable seat were worried about him. eyes.
b. A place next to the walkway a. Clear a) Looked happily
c. A place on an island. b. Hardly b) Looked with daggers
c. simple c) Looked angrily
4) Jack was shocked and freighted. 5) Jack fell into a sound sleep. 6) It was a coincidence.
a. Scared a. Noise making a) Sudden event
b. Felt welcome b. Deep sleep b) Planned activity
c. straightened c. Long sleep c) Unusual event

Q. 3. Fill the blanks with the correct idiomatic expression that means the same as the underlined
word or words. [3 marks]

1) The wings of a hawk make a sound like a small engine.

The wings of the hawk make a………………..
2) If there are difficult tasks that I cannot perform, I sometimes don’t do them.
If there are difficult tasks that I cannot perform, I sometimes …………….…… them.
3) My classmate always made us glad that we had come to their house to visit.
My classmate always made us ……………….

Best of luck