Part 5

You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 31-36, choose the answer (А, В, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

“Come along, young fellow,” shouted Mr. Watson. “I’ll show you the school room.”

He swept out of the drawing-room with giant strides and Philip hurriedly limped behind him. He was taken into a long, bare room with two tables that ran along its whole length; on each side of them were wooden forms.

“Nobody much here yet,” said Mr. Watson. “I’ll just show you the playground, and then I’ll leave you to shift for yourself.”

Mr. Watson led the way. Philip found himself in a large playground with high brick walls on three sides of it. On the fourth was an iron railing through which you saw a vast lawn and beyond this some of the buildings of King’s School. One small boy was wandering disconsolately, kicking up the gravel as he walked.

“Hulloa, Venning,” shouted Mr. Watson. “When did you turn up?”

The small boy came forward and shook hands.

“Here’s a new boy. He’s older and bigger than you, so don’t you bully him.”

The headmaster glared amicably at the two children, filling them with fear by the roar of his voice, and then with a guffaw left them.

“What’s your name?”

“Carey.”

“What’s your father?”

“He’s dead.”

“Oh! Does your mother wash?”

“My mother’s dead, too.”

Philip thought this answer would cause the boy a certain awkwardness, but Venning was not to be turned from his facetiousness for so little.

“Well, did she wash?” he went on.

“Yes,” said Philip indignantly.

“She was a washerwoman then?”

“No, she wasn’t.”

“Then she didn’t wash.”

The little boy crowed with delight at the success of his dialectic. Then he caught sight of Philip’s feet.

“What’s the matter with your foot?”

Philip instinctively tried to withdraw it from sight. He hid it behind the one which was whole.

“I’ve got a club foot,” he answered.

“How did you get it?”

“I’ve always had it.”

“Let s have a look.”

“No.”

“Don’t then.”

The little boy accompanied the words with a sharp kick on Philip’s shin, which Philip did not expect and thus could not guard against. The pain was so great that it made him gasp, but greater than the pain was the surprise. He did not know why Venning kicked him. He had not the presence of mind to give him a black eye. Besides, the boy was smaller than he, and he had read in The Boy’s Own paper that it was a mean thing to hit anyone smaller than yourself. While Philip was nursing his shin, a third boy appeared and his tormentor left him. In a little while he noticed that the pair were talking about him, and he felt they were looking at his feet. He grew hot and uncomfortable.

But others arrived, a dozen together, and then more, and they began to talk about their doings during the holidays, where they had been, and what wonderful cricket they had played. A few new boys appeared, and with these presently Philip found himself talking! He was shy and nervous. He was anxious to make himself pleasant, but he could not think of anything to say. He was asked a great many questions and answered them all quite willingly. One boy asked him whether he could play cricket.

“No,” answered Philip. “I’ve got a club foot.”

The boy looked down quickly and reddened. Philip saw that he felt he had asked an unseemly question. He was too shy to apologise and looked at Philip awkwardly.

31 What does ‘strides’ mean? (Paragraph Two, underlined)
A brooms
B leaps
C steps
D yells

32 When Philip is shown around the school, it is
A mostly empty.
B bright and cheerful.
C small and cramped.
D full of noise and activity.

33 Why were the children afraid of Mr. Watson?
A He was very loud.
B He was angry with them.
C He was unkind to them.
D He was very big and powerful.

34 What does ‘his tormentor’ refer to? (fourth paragraph from the bottom, underlined)
A Phillip’s club foot
B the boy called Venning
C the third boy to arrive
D the pain in Philip’s shin

35 Why does Philip become hot and uncomfortable when the boys talked about his foot?
A It was summertime.
B He had been beaten.
C He was embarrassed.
D He felt left out.

36 How do the boys who interact with Philip directly react to his club foot?
A They pay it little attention.
B They are curious or embarrassed.
C They are polite and sympathetic.
D They are disgusted by it.

For this task: Answers with explanations :: Vocabulary