32 Challenging Practices To Workout Your Reading & B oO U Answering Skills THIS OOK Aan Cyn PART @ use READING KEYs to read each paragraph or PART @ make your own keynotes paragraph by paragraph on PART © read from start to end with a timingS Ghallenging Comprehension Practices for ‘0’ Level Se4 CONTENTS \ PART ® Practise Your Reading Skill (1 Challenging Passage 1 (] Challenging Passage 2. Ghallenging Passage 3 OO Challenging Possage 4 25 ( Ghattenging Passage $__. (1 Challenging Passage 6 CB (Challenging Passage 7 i Chaltenging Passage 8 50 (1) Challenging Passage 9 56 C1 Ghattenging Passage 10 63 Challenging Pessage 11 69 i age PART ® Practise Your Answering Skill (Practice No 12 (Practice No. 13 Cl Practice woo we ot (Practice No. 15 98 (Practice No. 6 0 (Practice No 7D OO Practice no. 18 119 (Practice No. 19 126 (Practice No. 20 133 Practice No. 21 140 Practice No 22 47 PART © Test Your Speed & Accuracy D1 Chaltenging Passage 22S (1 Challenging Possage 24.0 GD 1 Chaltenging Possage 25 1 (Ol Challenging Passage 26 1 Chattenging Passage 27 182 (] Challenging Passage 22 SB (O Challenging Pessoge 29. D1 Chattenging Passage 30 203 1 thattenging Possage 31 210 (Challenging Pessage 32 217 C1 Challenging Possage 32 224ParRtT 1 Practise Your Reading Skill FROM PASSAGES 1 TO 11Practise your reading skill: own keynotes paragraph by Challenging Comprehension Practices for ‘0’ Level SRE Challenging Passage 1 @ use READING KEYs to read each paragraph or @ make your paragraph cr © read from start to end with a timing (In 1954, at the small athletics ground of Oxford University, a young medical student made an attempt on the world record for the mile, which in those days was the standard middle-distance race, now replaced by the slightly shorter 1500 metres. In the following account, the points in inverted commas are his own words.) Roger Bannister remembers that running had always been important to him: “As a boy | just ran everywhere — never because it was an end in itself, but because it was easier for me to run than to walk. My walk was ungainly, as though | had springs in my knees. | always felt impatient to see or do something new, and running saved time.” When he went to Oxford University, he discovered that running was an ideal way of relaxing. He found that he was good at it and began to take it more and more seriously. Until 1954 it was thought that no man could run one mile in less than four minutes. The greatest runners of each generation had set up new records for this distance, but the time of four minutes was believed to be beyond the limit of human endurance. As years went by, the record came closer and closer to four minutes and the young English runner began to believe that he might break this almost magic barrier. He saw this time for the distance as a challenge and was determined to succeed where so many others had failed. Fortunately, there were two other students, Christopher Chataway and Chris- topher Brasher, who encouraged him by running both with him and against him in races before the attempt on the Four Minute Mile was made. For this attempt, they were running with him. It was a cold afternoon at the Oxford track on May 6th, 1954, when Ban- nister knew he had a real chance. It was important that there should not be too much wind, for this could make running difficult. For an athlete to run such a race as this, his mind must be as ready as his body. Bannister had been training hard and was very fit, but the weather conditions were a real worry to him. He alone had to decide whether to try for the record. Describing the event later, Bannister said: “Spectators fail to understand the mental agony through which an athlete must pass before he can give his maximum effort. | spent the afternoon watching the swaying of the leaves. On the way to the track the wind blew strongly but now came in gusts, as if uncertain. The decision was mine alone and the moment was getting closer. As we lined up for the start | glanced at the flag. It fluttered gently now. This was the moment when | made my decision. The attempt was on. “There was complete silence on the ground .. . a false start . . . | felt angry that precious moments during the lull in the wind might be slipping by. The gun fired a second time. Brasher went into the lead and | slipped in effortlessly behind him, feeling tremendously full of running. My legs seemed to meet no resistance, as if | was propelled by some unknown force. We seemed to be going so slowly. Impatiently | shouted, faster! But Brasher kept his head and did not change the pace. | went on worrying until | heard the first lap time — 57.5 seconds. In my excitement, my knowledge of pace had deserted me. Brasher could have run the first quarter of the race in 55 seconds without my realising it, but | should have had to pay for it later. Instead, he had made success possible. “At one and a half laps | was still worrying about the pace. A voice shouting Relax! penetrated to me above the noise of the crowd; unconsciously | obeyed. If the speed was wrong it was too late to do anything about it so why worry? | relaxed so much that my mind seemed almost detached from my body. There was no strain.” 10 5 20 es 30 YOUR READING KEYs INTRODUCTION In Oxford University in 1954, Roger Bannister attempted to break the world record for the one mile foot roce. A vivid account of his experience is given in the passoge, PARAGRAPH 1 As 0 youngster, Bannister son everywhere he went. This wos be- cause he hod an awkward walk and also because he wos impa tient to see and do new things In Oxford, he ran to relax ard discovered that he wos good at running. PARAGRAPH 2 Before 1954, everyone believed that no one could run 1 mile in less than 4 minutes, The records came closer and closer to the 4 minute limit, and Ban- nister believed that the limit could be overcome. He made op his mind to succeed. ‘PARAGRAPH 3 Two other students, Christopher Chatawoy and Christopher Brasher, encouraged Bannister ty training with him. On the dey Bonvister made the attempt, they ran with him. PARAGRAPH 4 On & May 1954, Bannister know that he could do it. It was cold and not too windy. When at- tempting such a feat, on athlete's body and his mind must be ready. He was worried about the weather, even though he hod trained hard and was physically fit. He commented that the people watching the event did not know what mental pain an athlete had to undergo. He wotched the gentle fluttering of the flag and conclutted that the time was right to make the at tempt. PARAGRAPH 5 There wos a false stort and he was angry: the wind might change. Brasher dashed ahead when the race started, Bannister was behind him, followed by Chataway. He felt confident os his legs carried him easily. He shouted to Brasher to run faster but Brasher, who obviously knew whot he wes doing, kept the pace. Bannister realized thet Brasher was right when he heard the lap time oeing announced es 57.5. seconds,Challenging Compretrension Practices for ‘O" Level $3.7 7 By now the runners were half-way through the race. Brasher was leading, PARAGRAPH 6 Bannister was second and Chataway was just behind him. But this was not At one and-o half Jens, someone a race against each other — it was a race against the clock. Soon it would 50) sHouted “Relax!” and Bannister took the advice. He felt no strain, be Chataway’s turn to help, and then Bannister would be on his own against | os yy mis head ond. body were the seconds ticking away on the stop-watch. separate units, 8 “| barely noticed that half-mile, passed in one minute, 58 seconds, nor PARAGRAPH 7 when, round the next bend, Chataway went into the lead. At three-quarters Halfway through the rece Brasher of a mile the effort was still hardly perceptible; the time was three minutes, 55] "95 still leading followed by Ban- H nister and then by Chataway. The 0.7 seconds, by now the crowd were roaring. Somehow | had to run that takelnas asolagt: tine ‘on tot last lap in 59 seconds. Chataway led round the next bend and then | pounced each other. past him, PARAGRAPH 8 9 “| had a moment of mixed joy and anguish, when my mind took over. Bannister did not notice that he It raced ahead of my body and drew it compellingly forward. | felt that the 60) fad un half-o-mile in 1 minute (i i and 58 seconds nor olso that it moment of a lifetime had come. There was no pain, only a great unity of wos Chotaway ives: teoling movement and aim. The world seemed to stand still or did not exist. The only him, At three-quarter miles, the reality was the next two hundred yards of track under my feet. | felt then attempt did not look possible; that it was my chance to do one thing supremely well. The noises in my ears the time was 3 minutes and 7 seconds, He realized that he had were those of the faithful Oxford crowd. Their hope and encouragement gave 65] 15 jun the last lap in $9 sec- me greater strength. | had now turned the last bend and there were only onds. He overtook Chataway. fifty yards more. PARAGRAPH 9 a 10 “I was driven on by a combination of fear and pride. My body had long Bannister had a feeling of since exhausted all its energy but it went on running just the same. This was eS ne, ee: = i ind took over. It seemed to ru the crucial moment when my legs were strong enough to carry me over the 70 ahead dragging his body after it. last few yards as they never could have done in previous years. With five He jelt no pain; only his run yards to go, the finishing tape seemed almost to move away from me. Would ‘mattered, The cheers of the crowd | ever reach it? Those last few seconds seemed never-ending. The arms of urged him on. the world were waiting to receive me if only | reached the tape without slackening PARAGRAPH 10 my speed. If | faltered, the world would be a cold, forbidding place, because 75) The force that drove him on was | had been so close. | leapt at the tape. My effort was over. | collapsed, almost @ mixture of fear and pride, Ke unconscious describes his onxiety. Finally, he ° jumped at the tape and col- "1 “tt was only then that the real pain overtook me. | felt like a photographer's lapse flash-bulb, exploded. | knew that | had done it, even before | heard the time. PARAGRAPH 11 | was too close to have failed, unless my legs had played strange tricks at 80| Then the pain and exhoustion the finish by slowing me down and not telling my tired brain that they had caught up with him, He just knew done so. The stop-watches held the answer. The announcement came: ‘Result tint be. ed succgeded, Then: nouncement confirmed his. suc- of the one mile .. . Time, three minutes . . ’ the rest was lost in the roar cons: The: Gree venners tance) of excitement. | grabbed Brasher.and Chataway, and together we scampered victory lap around the field. round the track in a burst of spontaneous joy. We had done it — the three 85 of us.” (from “We Were There” by Godfrey Caute) Oma oO 1 an - 2 es 3 ae _ [Total: 10 marks] (a) There are two reasons why the young Roger Bannister liked running better than walking. (i) One reason was because his walk was “ungainly’ (line 3). What does “ungainly’ mean? [1]Challenging Comprehension Practices for ‘0’ Level 628 (b) (c) (d) (ii) What other reason does the author give? a ‘awn anos 0} uy payqaua burwund (pun sbinyy mou ep puo 20s 07 wonodur skomjo som s9yS\uuog yOYR St SoM LoyInO 947 Wosoa 1240 24, (11) (aanzomoun “Ain ‘puonyo :ogo) ,Aswnyg, suoew ,Amobun, (1) (0) The author gives a reason for the belief “that no man could run one mile in less thar four minutes.” (lines 8—9). (i) Write down this reason, as given in the passage. ia (ii) Explain it in your own words. t Answer “puos 0} 3990 som Gulag uouny 0 yoyM uoyy aoM 2 oO} panaijaq s0m Siu) “SaqnuiW sno) You S53) ws aruEpstp ay) UNI pinod Gwweq woWnYy ou yoy panagag som ‘uns aw avo ay) Jof spiova snoviasd uo paroudun poy siauuns Auow yoy) any som yx yBmoy2 wang (\) ‘eouounpua uowny Jo 3uW) 24; puotag ag} paraijaq som saqnuiw Jno} Jo auiy oy inq o2versip 514i 40} spiozes mau dn yes poy wejro1eve6 y200 Jo siouuns rseqoel6 a4, (1) (4) What two reasons led Bannister “to believe that he might break this almost magic barrier’ (lines 12—13)? (2) ‘proves ay) yoog 0} wy s0f abvayoys 0 soy Mos ay puo Yow aynvtur-snaf ay o} 19509 puo 1as0)9 awOI poy aur p1OD® ayy 204) MOS O50 2 "paaDINS OF MY a]qDUA pInoM poe ayy HAI O} uoNoUMiyep SLY 204 pOAa\jag Jo4s\WLG (2) “The decision was mine alone’ (lines 28—29). (i) What decision did he have to make? [1] (ii) Why was the decision difficult? [1]9 Challenging Comprehension Practices for ‘0’ Levet eB iii) How did the fluttering flag help him to make up his mind? {1] ) 9 ‘AnswerKEY. “apizep way padjay puo pum 24% of Jn) © SOM azoxy IOU] wy 0) perO2;pU! Boy ayy fo Buusjynyf apUaB ayy (1H) ‘ajqumnonny wiower pynom sayzvem ayy 3043 pue Aowuai pun AposAyd Apoar som ay roy) ans aq 07 poy ay asnoraq avo ynayf\p v som uoisiz=p ayy (14) “hop yoy uns ays aue aya sof pscoas 94a yoa1q 0} Ano} pawuom ay sayreyM apap 0) poy aq (1) (p) (e) Explain: The wind “came in gusts” (line 28) a | “sysnbi uaaanag ut sn} yan — Jfo puo uo ana Asmonugu0> Bumorg rou som puim 242 suosW siqs (z) Question 2 z [Total: 9 marks] (a) Why did the loss of time caused by the “false start’ (line 33) make Bannister angry? i ArsnerkeY = ‘yduano sw wind pjnom pum Jo ysn6 bua) 0 yoy, pur parson ag pinom pum Jo sjsnB ayy uaaajag ut spuawow snoraid ayy 7042 snotxuD SoM ay asnozaq AlGuo som saysiuuog (0) (b) “My legs seemed to meet no resistance, as if | were propelled by some unknown force.” (lines 35— 36). Explain the meaning of this sentence, paying particular attention to the italicised words. i AnswerKEY_ “aarof umoujun uo Aq piomiof paysnd 6.aq som ay ji so pesoeddo 27 “uns ay i0f ABsous Auv puadse 0} peau ou pip ay 04s som Guyae} ssozsiuuog (4) (c) (i) What was Brasher's task in the race? i (ii) Brasher ‘kept his head” (line 37). What does this mean? tl (iii) How did Brasher’s “keeping his head’ help Bannister to succeed? (2)