Comprehention passages

Comprehentions of O,levels

Passage one

Schools in the Past 

The following is an extract from Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.  To a certain extent it describes the author’s experience of school.  The extract describes life at LowoodSchool, a boarding school that Jane was sent to in order to get her out of the way.

The next day commenced as before: getting up and dressing by rush-light; but this morning we were obliged to dispense with the ceremony of washing’ the water in thepitchers was frozen.  A change had taken place in the weather the preceding evening, and a keen north-east wind, whistling through the crevices of our bedroom windows all night long, had made us shiver in our beds, and turned the contents of the ewers to ice.

Before the long hour and a half of prayers and Bible reading was over, I felt ready toperish with cold. Breakfast-time came at last, and this morning the porridge was not burnt; the quality was eatable, the quantity small:  how small my portion seemed!  I wish it had been doubled.

In the course of the day, I was enrolled a member of the fourth and regular tasks and occupations were assigned to me; hitherto I had only been a spectator of the proceedings at Lowood.  I was now to become an actor therein.  At first, being littleaccustomed to learn by heart, the lessons appeared to me both long and difficult: the frequent change from task to task, too, bewildered me: and I was glad, when about three o’clock in the afternoon Miss Smith put into my hands a border of muslin two yards long, together with needle, thimble, etc and sent me to sit in a quiet corner of the schoolroom with directions to hem the same. At that hour most of the others were sewing likewise; but one class still stood round Miss Scatcherd’s chair reading, and as all was quiet, the subject of their lessons could be heard, together with the manner in which each girl acquitted herself, and the animadversions or commendations of Miss Scatcherd on the performance.  It was English history; among the readers I observed my acquaintance in the verandah; at the commencement of the lesson her place had been at the top of the class, but for some error of pronunciation, or some inattention to stops, she was suddenly sent to the bottom.  Even in that obscure position Miss Scatcherd continued to make her an object of constant notice: she was continually addressing to her such phrases as the following:

‘Burns’ (such it seems was her name; the girls here were all called by their surnames, as boys are elsewhere) – ‘Burns, you are standing on the side of your shoe; turn your toes out immediately.’  ‘Burns, you poke your chin most unpleasantly; draw it in.’  ‘Burns, I insist on your holding your head up; I will not have you before me in that attitude,’ etc, etc.

A chapter having been read through twice, the books were closed and the girls examined.  The lesson had comprised part of the reign of Charles I, and there weresundry questions about tonnage and poundage and ship money, which most of them appeared unable to answer; still every little difficulty was solved instantly when it reached Burns; her memory seemed to have retained the substance of the whole lesson, and she was ready with answers on every point.  I kept expecting that Miss Scatcherd would praise her attention; but, instead of that, she suddently cried out:

‘You dirty, disagreeable girl! You have never cleaned your nails this morning!’

Burns made no answer: I wondered at her silence.

‘Why,’ I thought ‘does she not explain that she could neither clean her nails nor wash her face, as the water was frozen?’

My attention was now called off by Miss Smith desiring me to hold a skein of thread: while she was winding it, she talked to me from time to time asking whether I had ever been at school before, whether I could mark, stitch, knit etc; till she dismissed me I could not pursue my observations on Miss Scatcherd’s movements.  When I returned to my seat that lady was just delivering an order, of which I did not catch the import; but Burns immediately left the class, and, going into the small inner room where the books were kept, returned in half a minute, carrying in her hand a bundle of twigs  tied together at one end.  This ominous tool she presented to Miss Scatcherd with a respectfulcourtsey; then she quietly, and without being told, unloosed her pinafore, and the teacher instantly and sharply inflicted on her neck a dozen strokes with the bunch of twigs.  Not a tear rose to Burns’s eyes; and, while I paused from my sewing, because my fingers quivered at this spectacle with a sentiment of unavailing and impotent anger, not a feature of her pensive face altered its ordinary expression.

‘Hardened girl!’ exclaimed Miss Scatcherd; ‘nothing can correct you of your slatternlyhabits:  carry the rod away.’  Burns obeyed:  I looked at her narrowly as she emerged from the book-closet; she was just putting back her handkerchief into her pocket, and the trace of a tear glistened on her thin cheek.

Questions:

1.               In your own words explain the sentence in bold type. (Extract the keywords of the sentences and use other words to explain them).

2.               Make a list of the hardships that students at Lowood School had to endure.

3.               What kind of person is Miss Scatcherd?

4.              Do you get any impression that Miss Smith is different?  Explain your    answer.

5.               Why, do you think, does Miss Scatcherd dislike Burns?

6.               Does Burns deserve her punishment?  Explain why.

7.               Why doesn’t Burns cry when she is beaten?

8.               What do we learn about what kind of person Burns is?

9.             Read again the extract and try and explain the underlined words as used in the context.  Below is a list of meanings which you should match with the underlined words. 

Comprehention 2nd passage..

The Age of Exploration started in the 1400's. Europeans were desperate to get spices from Asia. Spices were used to preserve foods and keep them from spoiling. Spices, however, were expensive and dangerous to get. European rulers began to pay for explorations to find a sea route to Asia so they could get spices cheaper. Portugal was the first country that sent explorers to search for the sea route to Asia. After Bartholomew Dias and his crew made it to Africa's Cape of Good Hope, Vasco da Gama and his crew became the first to sail around Africa and through the Indian Ocean to India. Spain, however, would soon take over the lead in exploration. When Portugal refused to finance Christopher Columbus' idea to sail west to find the shortcut to the Indies, Columbus convinced Spain's King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to finance it. On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his crew reached the island of Hispaniola. Although Columbus believed he had reached Asia, he had actually discovered the entire continent of North America and claimed it for Spain. Spain quickly colonized North America. Ponce de Leon discovered Florida, and the first European settlement in the New World was later established at St. Augustine. Hernando Cortes crushed the Aztec empire in Mexico and claimed it for Spain. Francisco Pizarro did the same to the Incan Empire in South America. Other explorers such as Francisco Coronado and Hernando de Soto claimed other portions of North America for Spain. Vasco Nunez de Balboa even claimed the entire Pacific Ocean for Spain. As the Spanish empire grew, explorers forced native populations into slavery and to convert to Christianity. Meanwhile, France began to explore North America. Explorations by Giovanni Verrazano and Jacques Cartier resulted in French claims of much of Canada and the north Atlantic coast. England would soon attempt to make its presence known by financing pirates such as Francis Drake to plunder Spanish settlements and steal gold from Spanish sea vessels. England also established a settlement in North Carolina in 1587. Territorial disputes and constant pirating resulted in a series of major wars between the competing nations. In 1588, the British Army defeated the vaunted Spanish Armada. The British victory proved a serious blow to Spanish influence in the New World.Although Spain still controlled much of the New World after defeat, England and France were able to accelerate their colonization. England soon established successful colonies throughout the eastern portions of the United States, and France had colonies in Canada and the middle portions of the United States. By the mid 1700's, new territorial disputes between England and France eventually resulted in England gaining control over much of North America after the French and Indian War. English colonies flourished in North America until 1776 when the colonists declared their independence. The Revolutionary War ensued and resulted in independence for the colonists. The United States of America was formed.

1. What country was the first to send explorers to search for a sea route to the Asia?

1.   Spain
2.   England
3.   Portugal
4.   France

2. Who was the first explorer to sail through the Indian Ocean to India?

1.   Christopher Columbus
2.   Vasco Nunez de Balboa
3.   Vasco da Gama
4.   Hernando Cortes

3. Christopher Columbus believed he had reached _____________.

4. Select all of the following that were claimed by Spain.

1. Florida
2. Pacific Ocean
3. Canada
4. South America

5. What country established the first permanent European settlement in the New World?

1.   Spain
2.   England
3.   France
4.   Portugal

6. What happened first?

1.   October 12, 1492
2.   Vasco da Gama sails to India.
3.   Ponce de Leon discovers Florida
4.   Vasco Nunez de Balboa claims the Pacific Ocean for Spain

7. What happened last?

1.   1588
2.   The English establish a settlement in North Carolina.
3.   The Revolutionary War
4.   Vasco Nunez de Balboa discovers the Pacific Ocean

 

8. Which of the following best describes why the Age of Exploration occurred?

  England and Spain wanted to expand their empires.

1.   Spain had claimed North and South America
2.   European rules wanted to find a cheaper way to obtain spices from Asia.
3.   The English defeated the Spanish Armada.

9. Select all of the following that are true.

1. The English defeated the Spanish Armada in 1587.
2. Vasco da Gama claimed the Pacific Ocean for Spain.
3. Hernando Cortes conquered the Incan empire in South America.
4. Explorations by Giovanni Verrazano and Jacques Cartier resulted in French claims of much of Canada

10. Select all of the following that are not true.

1. Sir Francis Drake was an English pirate.
2. Spain was the first country to search for a sea route to the Asia.
3. Spices were used to preserve food.
4. Vasco da Gama sailed for Spain.