Text:
I was working with a young man who was in his early
30s and fairly close to death.
His parents had come from out of town and were
spending as much time as possible with him at hospital. They had been with him
for many hours and finally decided to take a break to go out for dinner. But
while they were out, things were getting worse and worse with their son. After
some moments of weak struggles, he died. The man’s parents were devastated, the
man’s mother in particular, not only had her son died, but to make matters
worse, he had died during her absence. She was obviously distressed and
frequently rested her head on her son’s chest and cried. She wished she hadn’t
gone out. How sad!
As I was standing with her, I distinctly heard a little
voice in my head say, “Suggest that she get up on the bed and hold him”. My
mind whizzed. How could I make such a suggestion? What if someone saw? What
would people think? What would they say? So, I tried to ignore the voice,
hoping it would go away. But I didn’t. Seconds later, the voice said in a
louder, more insistent tone, “She needs to get up on the bed and hold him!”
“Would you like to get up on the bed and hold him?” I
said. To my great surprise, she leapt onto it without the slightest hesitation
and without any comments. I remained with her while she held her son, stroked
his face, talked with him and sang to him. These moments with this mother and
her son were some of the most exquisite moments of my life. These were moments
that I would never forget. I felt blessed that I was able to be with her while
she said good bye to her child.
I.
Reading comprehension
A.
Find in the text:
1. The synonym of “persistent”
2. The opposite of “strong”
B.
Choose the most appropriate title of the text
a. I distinguished a little voice.
b. I heard a little voice.
c. I ignored a little voice.
d. I uttered a little voice.
C.
True or False. Justify your answer:
1. The dead person was a teenager.
2. The writer obeyed the little voice.
Answer
these questions:
1. Where did everything happen?
2. What do you think of the suggestion made by the
writer? Would you have done the same if you were in her place? Explain.
II.
Language test
A.
Grammar in use
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate grammatical
items:
Last December Annette Taylor made her first deposit at
the bank. She opened (1) saving account. Three months later the bank paid (2)
$6.00 interest on her deposit. Annette needed money, (3) she went to the bank
(4) made a withdrawal. (5) June Annette made another withdrwal, (6) this time
she opened a checking account. Now she (7) write a check (8) she wants to buy
something.
B.
Indirect test of speaking
A. Make the following sentences more formal:
a. Hey! Do you have a minute?
b. Fine, thanks.
B. Complete the following conversation:
Beth: Do you like sports, Joyce?
Joyce: (1)
Beth: (2)?
Joyce: well, I love baseball.
Beth: (3)?
Joyce: Not often. I’m always very busy, you know.
Beth: (4)?
Joyce: I usually practice with my friend, Terry.
Beth: Terry! That’s a good name. (5)?
Joyce: He’s as tall as you are. And he’s very funny.
(6)? I’m sure you’ll like him.
Beth: Sure. I’d love to.
III.
Writing
It is sometimes said
that borrowing money from a friend can harm the friendship. Do you agree? Why
or why not?
