English Reading Comprehension

The phrase ‘not having allowed for’ means

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

I climbed into bed and rolled myself in my blanket, first extinguishing the light that burned steadily near the door. I lay still, trying to get to sleep but my fear made that impossible and soon I sat up in bed peering into the darkness and occasionally glancing at the round window in the side of the ship, which seemed like a plate suspended in the darkness. For an hour, I must have sat like this, and then a draught of cold air suddenly roused me. I jumped out of bed; not having allowed for the motion of the ship, I was instantly thrown violently across the room.

Which one of the following did the author do first?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

I climbed into bed and rolled myself in my blanket, first extinguishing the light that burned steadily near the door. I lay still, trying to get to sleep but my fear made that impossible and soon I sat up in bed peering into the darkness and occasionally glancing at the round window in the side of the ship, which seemed like a plate suspended in the darkness. For an hour, I must have sat like this, and then a draught of cold air suddenly roused me. I jumped out of bed; not having allowed for the motion of the ship, I was instantly thrown violently across the room.

The author was thrown across the room because

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

I climbed into bed and rolled myself in my blanket, first extinguishing the light that burned steadily near the door. I lay still, trying to get to sleep but my fear made that impossible and soon I sat up in bed peering into the darkness and occasionally glancing at the round window in the side of the ship, which seemed like a plate suspended in the darkness. For an hour, I must have sat like this, and then a draught of cold air suddenly roused me. I jumped out of bed; not having allowed for the motion of the ship, I was instantly thrown violently across the room.

The author jumped out of bed because

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

I climbed into bed and rolled myself in my blanket, first extinguishing the light that burned steadily near the door. I lay still, trying to get to sleep but my fear made that impossible and soon I sat up in bed peering into the darkness and occasionally glancing at the round window in the side of the ship, which seemed like a plate suspended in the darkness. For an hour, I must have sat like this, and then a draught of cold air suddenly roused me. I jumped out of bed; not having allowed for the motion of the ship, I was instantly thrown violently across the room.

What is the passage most likely to be?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

Marilyn Monroe
For a scene she was shooting for Some Like it Hot in 1959, Marilyn Monroe was supposed to enter a room, walk to a dressing table, rummage through the drawers, find a bottle of bourbon and ask for a drink. She messed up the line no fewer than 47 times in a row – still far from the famously forgetful movie star’s record of 82 takes.
“On the 46th take,” recalled director Billy Wilder, “I told her we had put the line on pieces of paper and they were in a drawer she would open.” Unfortunately, “she went to the wrong piece of furniture.”
Sir John Gielgud The distinguished British actor Sir John Gielgud was dining in a restaurant with a playwright when Gielgud spied someone he thought he recognised. “Did you see that man just coming in?” he asked his companion. “He’s the biggest bore in London, second only to Edward Knoblock.”
At that moment he remembered that Edward Knoblock was in fact the man sitting across from him. “Not you, of course,” Gielgud quickly added. “I mean the other Edward Knoblock.”
Alan Devlin Irish actor Alan Devlin was known for his habit of leaving the stage in a fit of pique in mid performance. On one such occasion, while appearing in HMS Pinafore at the Dublin Gaiety Theatre in 1987, he looked out at the audience and shouted, “I’m going home! Finish it yourself!”

Who was Oliver's original partner?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

When Oliver was born, he was such a little thing. He grew into a 45 kg dog, and despite his size, didn’t have a mean bone in his body. He looked strong and fierce to outsiders, but was gentle, clumsy and lovable with us.
When Oliver’s partner - in - crime, Tessa, passed away, he was downcast for a long time. So we decided to buy another dog and got Albert, a little Maltese - cross - Bichon Frise. I was very protective of Albert. As Oliver was so big, I worried he might sit on Albert and squash him.
Eventually we moved to the country, where Oliver and Albert had more freedom. They became the best of friends; I no longer worried about Oliver hurting Albert because he was so gentle and understanding. When we went out, Albert was allowed to come along. This confused Oliver, who couldn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to sit in the car, too. Albert was allowed in the house, but because of his size, Oliver was not. He sat on the doorstep and watched from there.
One day we arrived home with Albert sitting in the front seat of the car. I opened the door and in jumped Oliver, who squashed on top of us. We all had a great laugh, and I’m sure Oliver was embarrassed.

What happens after an onion is cut?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

Let’s look at it from the point of view of the onion. An onion is perfectly polite to us until we start hacking at it with a knife. Alas, the act of cutting enlivens a gas, propanethiol S-oxide, which works in tandem with the enzymes in the onion to unleash a passive sulphur compound found within the onion.
The result: as you cut, the gas moves upwards and, combined with the water in your eyes, creates sulphuric acid.
Your eyes aren’t happy, even if you are, and react in the only way they know how when irritated by a foreign substance - they start tearing. Rubbing your eyes with your hands is about the worst way to alleviate the problem, since your hands are likely full of the tear - inducing agent too. We’ve heard all kinds of folk remedies for onion tears, ranging from rubbing the onion with lemon to wearing gloves as you cut to donning scuba diving masks while performing surgery. But we’re of the old school: no pain, no gain.

Why are the supersenser’s abilities confusing to normal people?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.
 
But every once in a while, Moylan reports to a special lab where the air is pressurised and filtered to eliminate any outside odours. There she uses a very different set of tools: her own nose and tongue.
She is not alone. Men and women around the world are using their unusually heightened senses to detect smells, tastes, sounds and images that many ordinary humans don’t even know are there. There are not many of these extraordinary people about, but they have senses significantly more acute, discerning or powerful than the norm. They are the supersensers.
Whether due to nature or nurture, supersensers are able to smell scents, taste flavours, hear sounds, feel sensations and see details that elude the rest of us. Moylan, for example, has a naturally acute sense of taste and smell that she has enhanced through extensive training.
Special Powers Whatever their origin, heightened senses can enrich experiences, boost careers and even help save lives. But amplified senses can also be distracting, overwhelming and painful, leaving the supersenser longing for a respite from sensory overload. To the rest of us who don’t have such gifts, supersensers’ abilities can be confusing and even downright eerie.

What confused Oliver sometimes?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

When Oliver was born, he was such a little thing. He grew into a 45 kg dog, and despite his size, didn’t have a mean bone in his body. He looked strong and fierce to outsiders, but was gentle, clumsy and lovable with us.
When Oliver’s partner - in - crime, Tessa, passed away, he was downcast for a long time. So we decided to buy another dog and got Albert, a little Maltese - cross - Bichon Frise. I was very protective of Albert. As Oliver was so big, I worried he might sit on Albert and squash him.
Eventually we moved to the country, where Oliver and Albert had more freedom. They became the best of friends; I no longer worried about Oliver hurting Albert because he was so gentle and understanding. When we went out, Albert was allowed to come along. This confused Oliver, who couldn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to sit in the car, too. Albert was allowed in the house, but because of his size, Oliver was not. He sat on the doorstep and watched from there.
One day we arrived home with Albert sitting in the front seat of the car. I opened the door and in jumped Oliver, who squashed on top of us. We all had a great laugh, and I’m sure Oliver was embarrassed.

What was the record number of takes which Marilyn Monroe had taken.

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

Marilyn Monroe
For a scene she was shooting for Some Like it Hot in 1959, Marilyn Monroe was supposed to enter a room, walk to a dressing table, rummage through the drawers, find a bottle of bourbon and ask for a drink. She messed up the line no fewer than 47 times in a row – still far from the famously forgetful movie star’s record of 82 takes.
“On the 46th take,” recalled director Billy Wilder, “I told her we had put the line on pieces of paper and they were in a drawer she would open.” Unfortunately, “she went to the wrong piece of furniture.”
Sir John Gielgud The distinguished British actor Sir John Gielgud was dining in a restaurant with a playwright when Gielgud spied someone he thought he recognised. “Did you see that man just coming in?” he asked his companion. “He’s the biggest bore in London, second only to Edward Knoblock.”
At that moment he remembered that Edward Knoblock was in fact the man sitting across from him. “Not you, of course,” Gielgud quickly added. “I mean the other Edward Knoblock.”
Alan Devlin Irish actor Alan Devlin was known for his habit of leaving the stage in a fit of pique in mid performance. On one such occasion, while appearing in HMS Pinafore at the Dublin Gaiety Theatre in 1987, he looked out at the audience and shouted, “I’m going home! Finish it yourself!”

Why must have Oliver been embarrassed?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

When Oliver was born, he was such a little thing. He grew into a 45 kg dog, and despite his size, didn’t have a mean bone in his body. He looked strong and fierce to outsiders, but was gentle, clumsy and lovable with us.
When Oliver’s partner - in - crime, Tessa, passed away, he was downcast for a long time. So we decided to buy another dog and got Albert, a little Maltese - cross - Bichon Frise. I was very protective of Albert. As Oliver was so big, I worried he might sit on Albert and squash him.
Eventually we moved to the country, where Oliver and Albert had more freedom. They became the best of friends; I no longer worried about Oliver hurting Albert because he was so gentle and understanding. When we went out, Albert was allowed to come along. This confused Oliver, who couldn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to sit in the car, too. Albert was allowed in the house, but because of his size, Oliver was not. He sat on the doorstep and watched from there.
One day we arrived home with Albert sitting in the front seat of the car. I opened the door and in jumped Oliver, who squashed on top of us. We all had a great laugh, and I’m sure Oliver was embarrassed.

What idiosyncrasy did Alan Devlin have?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

Marilyn Monroe
For a scene she was shooting for Some Like it Hot in 1959, Marilyn Monroe was supposed to enter a room, walk to a dressing table, rummage through the drawers, find a bottle of bourbon and ask for a drink. She messed up the line no fewer than 47 times in a row – still far from the famously forgetful movie star’s record of 82 takes.
“On the 46th take,” recalled director Billy Wilder, “I told her we had put the line on pieces of paper and they were in a drawer she would open.” Unfortunately, “she went to the wrong piece of furniture.”
Sir John Gielgud The distinguished British actor Sir John Gielgud was dining in a restaurant with a playwright when Gielgud spied someone he thought he recognised. “Did you see that man just coming in?” he asked his companion. “He’s the biggest bore in London, second only to Edward Knoblock.”
At that moment he remembered that Edward Knoblock was in fact the man sitting across from him. “Not you, of course,” Gielgud quickly added. “I mean the other Edward Knoblock.”
Alan Devlin Irish actor Alan Devlin was known for his habit of leaving the stage in a fit of pique in mid performance. On one such occasion, while appearing in HMS Pinafore at the Dublin Gaiety Theatre in 1987, he looked out at the audience and shouted, “I’m going home! Finish it yourself!”

‘His running shoes were covered in mould’...what does this line from the passage signify?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question.

Nick, my partner, and Todd went way back. In their early 20s, they’d bonded over a mutual love of outdoor sport, riding mountain bikes, ripping into wild ocean swims, and pushing through exhausting triathlon courses, finishing drained but exuberant.
Now, a few years shy of 40, Nick was more accustomed to the comfort of a couch than a bike saddle. His running shoes were covered in mould. And his taste for competition had softened into appreciation for family life.
By contrast, Todd’s life had continued along the same athletic course. He took corporations all over the globe to trek mountains, ride across exotic countryside, and run marathons around the world.
During their reunion, Nick and Todd’s talks intensified and Nick’s eyes started flickering with ambition. On the way home he announced, “I’m going to run a marathon.” He had drawn key details from Todd about what to expect. A marathon pushes the human body to such extremes that the heart rate is elevated to maximum for up to five hours. The average runner finishes 2 cm shorter than they were when they began the race, as muscles deteriorate.
Even Olympians suffer. In order to complete a 42. 2 km course he needed “kilometres under his legs”. There is no shortcut to achieving this: he would have to train, train and train some more. Nick knew he was 10 kg (OK, maybe 15) above fighting weight. And because Todd had not sugar coated the reality – freely admitting to use of anti-inflammatories just to finish – he knew that a marathon hurt like hell.

Who sent Rick a message in December 2004?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows. 

It was before dawn in California, and the always - restless Rick Warren was at work on his home computer, exchanging e-mails with some of the 250,000 pastors in his vast network around the world. Suddenly a message from a minister in Colombo, Sri Lanka, flashed up on his screen. “Rick, please pray for us,” he wrote on that December day in 2004. “We had a huge earthquake two minutes ago, and I’m sure a tidal wave is coming.”
Warren, founder of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, did more than pray. He immediately had his staff contact church leaders in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India with a directive: “Head for high ground. There is a disaster.” The e-mails arrived before the tsunami hit. The following Sunday, he stood up at Saddleback and said, “Folks, we need to help these people who have gone through this tidal wave. Please give a little extra.” The donations that morning totalled US $ 1.6 million ($2.3 million), about US \$ 1 million more than the usual Sunday offering. Warren sent it to the churches in the stricken region; it paid for everything from fishing nets to boat repairs. When Hurricane Katrina drowned New Orleans nine months later, Warren raised \$ 2.5 million.
Saddleback, a mega church in the hills of affluent Orange County, is one of the few in the world with the members and the means to manage such generosity. But then, Warren is used to big numbers.
Some 83, 000 people worship at Saddleback, choosing from 28 church services on four campuses each week. Warren’s first book – The Purpose Driven Church, published in 1995 and aimed at pastors – has sold a million copies. In 2002 he released The Purpose Driven Life, which sold 30 million, making it one of the best - selling books of all time. He and his wife, Kay, give away 90% of their income to charity, much of it anonymously; in 2004, the last year the figures were made public, they donated nearly $20 million.

Why was Warren used to big numbers?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows. 

It was before dawn in California, and the always - restless Rick Warren was at work on his home computer, exchanging e-mails with some of the 250,000 pastors in his vast network around the world. Suddenly a message from a minister in Colombo, Sri Lanka, flashed up on his screen. “Rick, please pray for us,” he wrote on that December day in 2004. “We had a huge earthquake two minutes ago, and I’m sure a tidal wave is coming.”
Warren, founder of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, did more than pray. He immediately had his staff contact church leaders in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India with a directive: “Head for high ground. There is a disaster.” The e-mails arrived before the tsunami hit. The following Sunday, he stood up at Saddleback and said, “Folks, we need to help these people who have gone through this tidal wave. Please give a little extra.” The donations that morning totalled US $ 1.6 million ($2.3 million), about US \$ 1 million more than the usual Sunday offering. Warren sent it to the churches in the stricken region; it paid for everything from fishing nets to boat repairs. When Hurricane Katrina drowned New Orleans nine months later, Warren raised \$ 2.5 million.
Saddleback, a mega church in the hills of affluent Orange County, is one of the few in the world with the members and the means to manage such generosity. But then, Warren is used to big numbers.
Some 83, 000 people worship at Saddleback, choosing from 28 church services on four campuses each week. Warren’s first book – The Purpose Driven Church, published in 1995 and aimed at pastors – has sold a million copies. In 2002 he released The Purpose Driven Life, which sold 30 million, making it one of the best - selling books of all time. He and his wife, Kay, give away 90% of their income to charity, much of it anonymously; in 2004, the last year the figures were made public, they donated nearly $20 million.