Robinson

The plane crashed on the tenth of May, 1954. It had been bound for the Azores but missed the
airport of Santa Maria in the fog. I woke by the side of a green and blue mountain lake, and
immediately thought, «The banana boat must have been wrecked.» I then went back in to my coma.
It is true I had nearly taken a banana boat bound for the West Indies which called in at the Azores,
but had been gradually dissuaded by my friends, after we had taken several looks at the Lascars,
Danes, and Irish lolling round the East India Docks. And so, although I had finally taken the expen-
sive Lisbon route by plane, still in my dreams it was the banana boat.
When I came round the second time it was in Robinson's house. I was lying on a mattress on the
floor, and as I moved I felt my shoulder hurting very painfully. I could see, facing me through the
misty sunlight of a partly open door, a corner of the blue and green lake. We seemed to be quite high
on the side of a mountain.
I could hear someone moving in an inner room to my left. In a few moments I heard the voices of
two men.
«I say!» I called out. The voices stopped. Then one murmured something.
Presently a door opened at my left. I tried to twist round, but this was painful, and I waited while a
man entered the room and came to face me.
«Where am I?»
«Robinson,» he said.
«Where?
«Robinson.»
He was short and square, with a brown face and greyish curly hair.
«Robinson,» he repeated. «In the North Atlantic Ocean. How do you feel?»
«Who are you?»
«Robinson,» he said. «How do you feel?»
«Who?»
«Robinson.»
«I think I must be suffering from concussion.» I said.
He said, «I'm glad you think so, because it is true. To know you have concussion, when you have it,
is one-third of the cure. I see you are intelligent.»
On hearing this I decided that I liked Robinson, and settled down to sleep. He shook me awake and
placed at my lips a mug of warm tangy milk. While I gulped it, he said,
«Sleep is another third of the cure, and nourishment is the remaining third.»
«My shoulder hurts,» I said.
«Which shoulder?»
I touched my left shoulder. I found it stiff with bandages.
«Which shoulder?» he said.
«This one,» I said, «it is bound up.»
«Which shoulder? Don't point. Think. Describe.»
I paused for light, Presently I said, «My left shoulder.»
«That's true. You will soon recover.»
A little fluffy blue-grey cat came and sat in the open door-way, squinting at me as I fell asleep. This
was twenty hours after the crash. When I woke again it was dark and I was frightened.
1. The second question in italics shows that:
the narrator thinks Robinson has misunderstood
2. One of the reasons for taking the banana boat was
it was cheaper
3. The narrator is suffered from
concussion
4. The narrator lost consciousnes:
three times: …
5. «I say!» means that:
the narrator wants to attract someone's attention;
6. Robinson is:
the name of a man
7. The narrator:
escapes with minor injuries
8. The first question in italics shows that:
the narrator has never heard the name before;
9. Which of the following faculties did the narrator quickly regain?
memory of recent events: .
10.The story is set in:
none of the above

Chinese Food - What a Way to Cook!

My interest in Chinese food started many years ago, when I had my
first job. I was a young reporter for the Daily Journal in San Francisco. Our
office wasn't far from Chinatown. I usually managed to arrange my
schedule so that I could go there at least two or three times a week for a
good meal.
The first time I ever ate Chinese food I loved it. And since then, it just
tastes better and better to me. The first thing I noticed was the fresh taste of
the meat and vegetables. When I learned more about the food, I began to
understand why it has this unique feature.
About 5000 years ago, China lost much of its wood because of over
population and poor management of its forests. This loss was very bad for
the country, of course, but it turned out to be very good for the food. Wood
became very expensive and hard to get, so the Chinese had to either find a
substitute for their valuable wood, or learn how to use it better. There
weren't any substitutes available, so people found ways to economize.
In order to economize in cooking, they had to use very little wood. So
they started cutting their meat and vegetables into small pieces before they
put them in the hot oil. That way, the food cooked faster and they saved
their fuel. The food prepared in this manner kept its fresh flavor - and it's
this flavor that attracts people to the art of Chinese cooking.
I often wonder if the Chinese appreciated their solution to that ancient
energy crisis as much as I do now - whenever I eat Chinese food.
-Pete Maxwell, StaffWriter
1. He has understood why Chinese food has unique feature.
He learnt a lot of about food
2. The text is about
The art of Chinese cooking
3. An ancient Chinese cooking is…
Keeping its fresh flavour
4. The Chinese are…
Patient
5. How did the Chinese energy problem help their cooking?
To have to use very little wood
6. The reason of losing much wood
Because of over population
7. The true statement
The office was near China town
8. Why was wood so valuable in ancient China?
China lost many woods
9. How did the Chinese prepare their food for cooking?
Cutting their meat and vegetables into small pieces.
10.Do the Chinese value their solution to the ancient energy crisis so much?
They appreciate their solution\

Maxim's - A Great Restaurant

One of the world's great restaurants is Maxim's, on the Rue Royale in Paris. From the street, you see
only a typical Parisian building and the famous red awning that says ''Maxim's". But when you walk
inside, you know immediately that this is a restaurant devoted to luxury. The light isn't very bright,
so it takes a few minutes to see the lovely gold mirrors, the paintings of famous customers, the white
tablecloths, the red velvet seats … and the beautifully-dressed men and women who go there. If you
look carefully, you will see that many of these men and women have familiar faces. Maxim's is a
favorite eating place of the world's celebrities.
But the rich and famous didn't always eat at Maxim's. The restaurant opened in the 1890's and
enjoyed several years of success. But after World War One, it became less popular and well-known
people looked for other places to eat. In 1931 a man named Vaudadel bought Maxim's. Mr.Vaudadel
was a clever businessman, and he hired Albert Blaser as the maitre d'hôtel (head waiter).
Albert, who was very arrogant, loved his job because he had the power to decide where people
would sit and when they would get their tables. And he very much enjoyed making famous
customers wait a little while from time to time. One customer said, "That man is incredible. He's a
bigger snob than any of the snobs who eat here." And this, of course, was the reason for his great
success.

1.According to the text we have known that a restaurant devoted to luxury

2. True statement
The restaurant’s light isn’t very bright
3. The Customer said about Albert that…
he is a bigger snob
4.The main idea of the text is …
to get to know one of the world’s great restaurant
5. It opened…
in the 1890’s
6. In the text “snob” means
a person who claims to be highly intelligent
7. Where is Maxim’s?
in Paris
8. From the text we can know who eats there
the worlds celebrities
9. The restaurant is considered luxurious because of
the beautifully-dressed men and women
10. Albert Blaser was…
a head writer