READING COMPREHENSION B2

(Par. 1) In spite of his love of theorizing, the prehistorian Louis Leakey took nothing
for granted and always put everything to a practical test. He became an expert maker of stone
tools, and would use them to skin and chop up animals. Even this was not enough: to prove
that man had to be a tool-maker to survive, he tried unsuccessfully to skin animals with his
teeth.
(Par. 2) Louis could show amazing patience if necessary, but by nature he was
impetuous. His inclination was to get on with the next job rather than slag over uninteresting
details. Although temperamentally unsuited to making detailed excavations and minute
studies of fossils he did both successfully; he had tremendous self discipline and would
cheerfully work all night if necessary. He was never good at working with other people,
especially with men, and always wanted to tackle everything himself.
(Par. 3) Although always an individualist and happiest in the bush, he was stimulated
by company and blossomed at conferences. He was very adoptable and, curiously, when he
lived in Nairobi he enjoyed such suburban pursuits as dog shows and breeding tropical fish.
Not gardening, however: this would have been too slow, and for relaxation he preferred to
clean a fossil.
(Par. 4) Louis had a great ability to make complicated subject seem straightforward: he
loved to share his encyclopedic knowledge, and however tired he might be, he would respond
to an intelligent question. His finds brought him fame in scientific circles, but his way of
talking about them made them and him known to a much wider public. His frequent
appearances on the lecture platform and television screen in the USA, and the articles about
him in popular journals brought him an enormous fan-mail.
I Select the best of the four choices a), b), c), d) after each question.
1. Louis Leakey proved that early man was dependent on tools because he himself
a) showed that modern man could survive in primitive conditions.
b) found it unpleasant to skin animals with his teeth.
c) mastered the art of making primitive tools.
d) showed that certain tasks were impossible without tools.
2. When it came to the more monotonous side of his work, Leakey
a) executed it to the best of his ability.
b) was too impulsive to work through it properly.
c) approached it without any motivation.
d) enjoyed the opportunity for detailed study.
3. The phrase happiest in the bush in the third paragraph means that Leakey:
a) did not enjoy the spotlight very much.
b) was very adoptable.
c) loved to explore nature.
d) was very known among his friends.

4. During the time that Leakey lived in Nairobi, he

a) carried out research into the fossils of fish.
b) found it difficult to separate himself from his work.
c) led a normal kind of existence.
d) spent a great deal of time at conferences.
5. Leakeys popular success was primarily due to
a) his exciting discoveries.
b) his vast knowledge.
c) his clear explanations.
d) his articles in journals.
II Ask a question relating to the underlined part of the following sentence.
6. He became an expert maker of stone tools.
____________________________________
7. He was never good at working with other people.
_________________________________________
III Which of the words from the text correspond in meaning to the following words or
expressions:
8.

a) specialist (par. 1) ____________

b) boring (par. 2) ____________

9.

a) to deal with (par. 2) ____________

b) leisure (par. 3) ____________

10.

a) discoveries (par. 4) __________

b) huge (par. 4) ____________