Reading Test     5 form   II semester

 Things Used to Be Different Many Years Ago

My name is Mary Baker. I’m a writer. I have written ten books in the past fifteen years and now I’m working on the eleventh. I began writing as a girl and I used to write poems and short stories about birds and animals, and I used to write a lot while I was at the medical college. Then I got married and started my work at the hospital in London. I used to be a nurse and I worked at a women’s hospital in London. So, as you can see I used to live and work in the capital city, one of the busiest cities of England and now I have this quiet life in a small village in the country, where I write my stories and create my characters. I can’t tell you I miss my city life. I used to find it very interesting but now I prefer the piece of the country where I can read a lot, think a lot and write my history book. I write historical novels now. I have always been curious about the past and I have always tried to learn as much as possible about those who lived before us. Life used to be really different in those times. People didn’t use to travel in cars and planes. They used to tell the time by the Sun. They didn’t use to buy so much food but grew most of it themselves. Yes, life used to be different many years ago.

Task 1

Read the statements. Put a “+” if it’s true or a “–” if it’s false.

1. Mary Baker has written eleven books.

2. She began writing when she was 20.

3. She studied at the medical college.

4. She worked at a children’s hospital.

5. Her favourite free-time activities are reading and writing books.

6. She used to write historical novels when she was a girl.

Task 2

Read and choose.

1. Mary Baker is __ .

a) a doctor;      b) a writer;      c) a teacher.

2. Her first poems and short stories were about __ .

a) history;      b) people;      c) animals.

3. After she got married, she began working __ .

a) at the hospital;      b) at the medical college;      c) at the historical museum.

4. Mary prefers living in the country because she __ .

a) finds it very interesting;   

 b) likes gardening;

c) likes reading books.

5. She has always tried to learn as much as possible about __ .

 a) birds and animals;      b) the past;      c) cars and planes.

6. People __ grow most of food themselves.

a) didn’t use to;      b) don’t use to;      c) used to.

Task 3

Answer the questions.

1. What is the writer’s name?

2. When did she use to write poems and short stories?

3. Where did she use to live?

4. Where does Mary live now?

5. What has she always been curious about?

6. Why does Mary say that life used to be different many years ago?

Task 4

Write four sentences about what you used and didn’t use to do when you were younger.

Keys

Reading Test

 Task 1        1 False.      2 False.     3 True.      4 False.       5 True.      6 False.

 Task 2          1 b;    2 c;    3 a;    4 c;    5 b;    6 c.