L1

Reading and understanding quiz

Level A
Read the text below The Bull in the Well by Salma Aroof. Then have a go at answering the
following questions.

The Bull in the Well

by Salma Aroof
The last time I went back to visit my village in Pakistan something
dramatic happened, which affected the whole village.
I was walking in my fields looking at the fruit trees and I heard some
people shouting. Then we all went to see what had happened. There
was a big commotion in the field because a beautiful, precious cow
had fallen into the well. At that time everyone was worried about
what to do and what would happen to the poor cow and everyone
was giving their own advice. Several of the men tried their best three times to pull that cow out of
the well using strong ropes and a tractor but three times that big heavy animal fell back into the
well.
There were a few men helping and waiting by the well who were very distressed because the
animal was, in fact, a bull that one of the men had borrowed from another farmer. He knew that if
he could not save this animal then it would be impossible for him to repay the cost of the bull to its
owner because he was just an ordinary farmer with no other source of income or savings.
After trying to work out how to save this poor, valuable animal, the villagers came up with an idea.
They slaughtered the animal as it lay in the well and then they cut it up and sold the meat to
everyone in the village. Obviously they paid the money to the man who had borrowed the bull in
the first place so that he could repay its owner.
This event showed me how good it is when people unite to help each other. On his own, that man
would have been ruined, but with the help of his fellow villagers he was saved from ruin.

(from NRDC Voices on The Page)

BBC 2011

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Reading and understanding quiz

1. Salma writes about her village in Pakistan. What does she mean by my village?
A) She lives there now, but didnt live there in the past.
B) She lives there now and has always lived there.
C) She used to live there but doesnt live there now.
2. What was the order of events?
A) She went walking in the fields.
People started shouting.
The animal fell in the well.
B) She went walking in the fields.
The animal fell in the well.
People started shouting.
C) The animal fell in the well.
People started shouting.
She went walking in the fields
3. What is the meaning of the word commotion in this text?
A) a group of angry people
B) a lot of loud noise
C) a meeting place
4. The men were trying to get the animal out of the well. What did they use?
A) They used strong ropes
B) They used a tractor.
C) They used strong ropes and a tractor.
5. Why were the men so upset about the animal in the well?
A) Because it had been borrowed from another farmer
B) Because it was a big heavy animal
C) Because he had just bought the animal from another farmer
6. The animal was
A) a cow
B) a bull
C) we cant tell

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Reading and understanding quiz

7. Which two words used to describe the animal show how much it was worth?
A) beautiful and precious
B) poor and valuable
C) valuable and precious
8. The farmer who had borrowed the bull was able to pay back its owner
A) True
B) False
C) we cant tell
9. What does Salma think about what happened?
A) She thinks the farmer should have looked after the bull better.
B) She thinks it was a sad situation for the villagers.
C) She is impressed at how well the villagers helped each other.
10. Which of these proverbs could be used as the moral of this story?
A) Unity is strength
B) Many hands make light work.
C) Too many cooks spoil the broth

BBC 2011

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Reading and understanding quiz

Level B
Read the text below Life as a stutterer is hard by Shamim Akhtar. Then have a go at answering
the following questions.
Life as a stutterer is hard
By Shamim Akhtar
Life as a stutterer is very hard. Stuttering is not widely understood or
discussed. Its enormous effect on an individual is definitely not
seen by people. Stuttering came to public eyes mainly due pop
idol Gareth Gates. There is no cure for stuttering and one
percent of the population stutters. It affects mainly men.
I find it hard to talk to people that I dont know and would get very
anxious and try to avoid speaking to a group of people. I am especially nervous when I am
speaking to an attractive woman as I feel I have to make a good impression and feel that I must
speak in a fluent way otherwise she would have negative feelings. But because I cant be fluent I
try to avoid the embarrassment and not talk them. So I miss out on making friends and
relationships.
Job interviews are a nightmare. So is answering telephone calls. Ive had people hanging up on
the other end of the phone because I couldnt get words out in time! Ive had several job
interviews and in each of them I stuttered but some interview panel members are helpful, while
others seemed taken aback by my stuttering and looked embarrassed. I know I cant compete
with fluent speakers. All these greatly affect my self esteem and my outlook on life recently
became a bit depressed.
I feel I am socially excluded from society and that I am unable to secure a decent job, unable to
make relationships and basically very frustrated at not being able say what I wanted to say or
when I wanted to say it. As a result I have unwillingly become a very quiet person who does not
talk to people and avoids speaking in meetings or in group discussions. As a consequence I am
perceived by people around me as shy, quiet or even unfriendly - none of it is true! In fact I love
talking to people but because of the sheer embarrassment of my stutter I mostly keep my mouth
shut! I even left a course as I had to give a 30 minutes oral presentation.
Close friends suggest that I need to overcome my embarrassment to be myself when talking to
people including women, so that people can see my stutter and decide to be friends. Also they
suggest that I tell people that I stutter so that they are ready for my blocks and dont feel taken
back. I will have to make the effort to speak to people and take part in society.

(adapted from the BBC website)

BBC 2011

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Reading and understanding quiz

1. The purpose of this text is ...
A) descriptive
B) explanatory
C) persuasive
2. Why is life hard for a stutterer?
A) because people dont understand the problems a stutterer faces
B) because people do not like Gareth Gates
C) because it affects mostly men
3. Shamim gives three situations where it is hard for him to talk, which one doesnt he mention?
A) talking to people he hasnt met before
B) talking to attractive women
C) talking to children and young people
4. Why does Shamim find phone calls difficult?
A) because he is applying for a job
B) because people shout down the line at him
C) because people hang up on him while he is trying to talk
5. At job interviews ...
A) panel members are unhelpful
B) panel members are helpful
C) some panel members are helpful and some are not
6. What could be a good sub-heading for the fourth paragraph?
A) Why I am a quiet person
B) Social exclusion
C) The difficulty of getting a job
7. Shamim gives an example of why people think he is shy, quiet and unfriendly. What example
does he give?
A) he left a course rather than give a presentation
B) he avoids speaking in groups
C) he doesnt like speaking on the phone

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Reading and understanding quiz

8. Shamims friends have given him some advice. How could you sum up this advice?
A) decide to be friends with people and they will decide to be friends with you
B) be open about your stutter- dont try to hide it
C) speak to more people especially women
9. In explanatory texts writers give reasons by using certain words. What words does Shamim
use to give his reasons?
A) when & in fact
B) so & but
C) as & because
10. Most of the verbs in this text are written in a tense typical of explanatory texts. What tense is
this?
A) past tense
B) present tense
C) future tense

BBC 2011

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Reading and understanding quiz

Level C
Read the text below Your babys emotional well-being taken from the BBC website. Then have a
go at answering the following questions.

Your babys emotional well-being

Starting from birth, your baby has the potential to form secure
attachments, and attachment theory has evolved over the past 50 years
or so to explain how infants social and emotional needs should be met,
in order to ensure normal development.
Babies whose needs for love, attention, response and care are not met show
serious brain under-development by the age of two to three; they may find
learning more difficult, and may need a great deal of careful therapy and fixing to grow up happy and confident.
Attachment theory
This is a well-accepted theory by all early years health and social care practitioners, teaching us that
babies who develop a secure attachment become more resilient and can take the knocks and
disappointments of normal, everyday life and bounce back. In the long term, people who were securely
attached as babies and toddlers are less likely to experience mental health problems such as depression
or anxiety, and can cope better with stress.
For parents, supporting the development of secure attachment simply means caring for your baby in a way that
consistently tunes into, and responds to his needs. In practical terms, it means:

Feeding him when he shows signs of needing to be fed and crying is actually a late sign of this need.
Staying close to him, and accepting that sleeping and settling is often more comfortable and rewarding
for him if he is not expected to be alone for long periods.

Looking at him, talking to him, playing with him, but taking your lead from his cues (so not insisting on
eye-to-eye contact if your baby turns his face away, not continuing with a game when he shows hes had
enough).

Understanding that when hes still young, he copes best if only one or two special people are involved in
his care, most of the time.

When babies get the chance to develop a secure attachment, and experience parenting that meets their needs
for responsive care, they actually cry less at age eight months than babies who have had more distant or
regulated parenting. Attachment theory explains this by pointing out that a securely attached baby trusts that the
world is a good place and that he is an important part of it he doesnt need to cry as much to alert his parents
to any discomfort, hunger or stress he feels, because he knows other expressions of his feelings will produce a
response. He can be patient, because he is not fearful that hell be ignored.
More recent work on attachment shows that there are several different styles of attachment, and although for
babies, the secure attachment is emotionally-speaking the healthiest, it can take time to develop, and some
parent-baby relationships go through different stages and styles.

BBC 2011

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Reading and understanding quiz

(from BBC website)

BBC 2011

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Reading and understanding quiz

1. What sort of a text is this?
A) descriptive text
B) informative text
C) persuasive text
2. The introduction to this text explains ...
A) why babies need love for normal development
B) what happens to babies whose brains dont develop normally
C) why babies dont form normal attachments
3. Attachment theory ...
A) is debated by practitioners
B) is generally accepted by practitioners
C) is ignored by practitioners
4. Babies who are more resilient are ...
A) more likely to suffer mental illness
B) more likely to be knocked about
C) more able to survive lifes hard times
5. The writer thinks ...
A) babies should be fed four times a day
B) babies should be fed when they are hungry
C) babies should be fed before they get hungry
6. The use of he in this text refers to ...
A) girl and boy babies
B) boy babies only
C) girl babies only
7. In the text, the writer claims that babies who have developed a secure attachment cry less at
age eight months than babies who have had more distant or regulated parenting. The writer
goes on to give the evidence for this claim.
A) True
B) False
C) we cant tell

BBC 2011

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Reading and understanding quiz

8. A baby who has formed strong attachments ...
A) is strongly attached to one or two people
B) is more fearful of the world
C) is more trusting and patient
9. Recent work on attachment shows ...
A) the most secure attachments are the quickest to develop
B) attachment is no longer necessary
C) there are different types of attachment
10. The writer ...
A) gives the argument for the importance of attachment in babies
B) gives the argument against the importance of attachment in babies
C) gives the arguments for and against the importance of attachment in babies

BBC 2011

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Reading and understanding quiz

Answers
Level A
These answers refer to the questions on the text The Bull in the Well by Salma Aroof.

1. Salma writes about her village in Pakistan. What does she mean by my village?
The correct answer is: C. The answer is She used to live there but doesnt live there now.
Salma says I went back to visit my village in Pakistan. This suggests she used to live there
but doesnt any longer. She was just visiting.

2. What was the order of events?

The correct answer is: B. The answer is that the first thing to happen was that she was
walking in the fields; then she heard shouting. People were shouting because the animal had
fallen into the well, so that must have happened before the shouting started.

3. What is the meaning of the word commotion in this text?

The correct answer is: B. The answer is a lot of loud noise. Salma heard shouting and there
was a lot of noise in the field.

4. The men were trying to get the animal out of the well. What did they use?
The correct answer is: C. The answer is that they used both strong ropes and a tractor. Salma
says they were using strong ropes and a tractor .

5. Why were the men so upset about the animal in the well?
The correct answer is: A. The answer is that the men were upset because the animal had
been borrowed from another farmer.

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Reading and understanding quiz

6. The animal was
The correct answer is: B. The answer is that the animal was a bull. Salma thought at first that
it was a cow, but it was, in fact, a bull.

7. Which two words used to describe the animal show how much it was worth?
The correct answer is: C. The answer is valuable and precious. Both valuable and precious
are adjectives which describe something worth a lot of money.

8. The farmer who had borrowed the bull was able to pay back its owner
The correct answer is: A. The answer is True. Although Salma doesnt actually tell us he did
pay back the money, we know he was able to because he got money from his fellow villagers
for the meat.

9. What does Salma think about what happened?

The correct answer is: C. The answer is that she is impressed at how well the villagers helped
each other. Salma may have thought all these things but the only one she tells us about is
how good it is when people unite to help each other.

10. Which of these proverbs could be used as the moral of this story?
The correct answer is: A. The answer is Unity is strength. The villagers acted together to
save the farmer from ruin.

BBC 2011

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Reading and understanding quiz

Level B
These answers refer to the questions on the text Life as a stutterer is hard by Shamim Akhtar.

1. The purpose of this text is ...

The correct answer is: B. The answer is explanatory. Shamim explains what life as a stutterer
is like.

2. Why is life hard for a stutterer?

The correct answer is: A. The answer is because people dont understand the problems a
stutterer faces. Shamim says Stuttering is not widely understood or discussed. Its enormous
effect on an individual is definitely not seen by people.

3. Shamim gives three situations where it is hard for him to talk, Which one doesnt he mention?
The correct answer is: C. The answer is talking to children and young people. Shamim says
he finds it hard to talk to people that I dont know and he also says I am especially nervous
when I am speaking to an attractive woman. But he doesnt mention children and young
people

4. Why does Shamim find phone calls difficult?

The correct answer is: C. The answer is because people hang up on him while he is trying to
talk. He says Ive had people hanging up on the other end of the phone because I couldnt
get words out in time!

5. At job interviews ...

The correct answer is: C. The answer is that some panel members are helpful and some are
not. Shamim says some interview panel members are helpful, while others seemed taken
aback by my stuttering and looked embarrassed.

BBC 2011

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Reading and understanding quiz

6. What could be a good sub-heading for the fourth paragraph?
The correct answer is: B. The answer is Social exclusion. Shamim describes several ways in
which he feels excluded - the difficulty of getting a job is one of these but there are others as
well. A heading needs to be broad enough to include all the options. Why he is a quiet perso

7. Shamim gives an example of why people think he is shy, quiet and unfriendly. What example
does he give?
The correct answer is: A. The answer is that he left a course rather than give a presentation.
He doesnt like speaking in groups or on the phone, but these are general statements rather
than an example of why people regard him as shy, quiet and unfriendly.

8. Shamims friends have given him some advice. How could you sum up this advice?
The correct answer is: B. The answer is be open about your stutter don t try to hide it. His
friends are suggesting that he lets people see his stutter so he can be himself; also they say
that he should tell people that he stutters so they are prepared for it.

9. In explanatory texts writers give reasons by using certain words. What words does Shamim
use to give his reasons?
The correct answer is: C. The answer is as and because. These are words that explain the
reasons for something. For example Shamim explains I even left a course as I had to give a
30 minutes oral presentation. As and because mean the same thing.

10. Most of the verbs in this text are written in a tense typical of explanatory texts. What tense is
this?
The correct answer is: B. The answer is present tense. As in most explanations, Shamim uses
the present tense to show that the issues he talks about are happening on a regular basis.

BBC 2011

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Reading and understanding quiz

Level C
These answers refer to the questions on the text Your babys emotional well-being taken from the
BBC website.

1. What sort of a text is this?

The correct answer is: B. The answer is that this is an informative text. It gives information
about attachment theory and what this means for parents and carers.

2. The introduction to this text explains ...

The correct answer is: A. The answer is that the introduction explains why babies need love
for normal development. The introduction to this text explains how infants social and
emotional needs should be met in order to ensure normal development.

3. Attachment theory ...

The correct answer is: B. The answer is that this is generally accepted by practitioners. The
text says This is a well-accepted theory by all early years health and social care
practitioners, which means that it is generally accepted by the profession.

4. Babies who are more resilient are ...

The correct answer is: C. More resilient means more able to survive the stresses of lifes hard
times.

5. The writer thinks ...

The correct answer is: B. The answer is that babies should be fed when they are hungry. The
writer says it is important to feed the baby when he shows signs of needing to be fed. When
he cries, he is already hungry.

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Reading and understanding quiz

6. The use of he in this text refers to ...
The correct answer is: A. The writer uses the term he in this text to refer to both boy and girl
babies. Some writers use s/he or he or she to show that girls are included too.

7. In the text, the writer claims that babies who have developed a secure attachment cry less at
age eight months than babies who have had more distant or regulated parenting. The writer
goes on to give the evidence for this claim.
The correct answer is: B. The statement is False. The writer goes on to explain why this might
be, according to attachment theory, but does not back up his or her claim with any evidence.

8. A baby who has formed strong attachments ....

The correct answer is: C. is more trusting and patient. Babies who have formed strong
attachments trust that the world is a good place and are more patient.

9. Recent work on attachment shows ...

The correct answer is: C. Recent work shows that there are several different types of
attachment.

10. The writer ...

The correct answer is: A. ...gives the argument for the importance of attachment in babies

BBC 2011