Учим иностранные языки

(продолжение):

Elijah had a secret that he kept from his friends at school. While he knew that the other students in his class liked him—they enjoyed playing video games or basketball together—he worried that revealing his secret would change everything. He feared that his friends would no longer spend time with him if they knew he was a musical prodigy. At thirteen, he could play most string instruments, as well as the piano, and he wrote many of his own compositions.

Of course, some of his classmates took music lessons or played in the school orchestra, but he often heard them complain about practicing for fifteen minutes or having to lug their instruments around. Although Elijah kept his talents hidden, he adored music. How could he explain this to his friends who disliked simply carrying their instruments? Elijah not only toted around different instruments, but he also practiced for hours at a time.

Elijah faced a dilemma; he did not want to expose his secret, but his friend needed some help. His friend Hadeel had an upcoming piano recital. She had to play a piece by Chopin, one of Elijah's favorite composers. During lunch Hadeel told the students at their table about what a difficult time she had with this piece of music.

"This Chopin guy wants my fingers to go all over the keys," she sighed. "It's not even the real concerto, only a version for beginners, and I still can't play it!"

Although Hadeel had been complaining, Elijah sensed that Hadeel actually liked playing the piano. He wanted to help her understand the complexities of Chopin's music, but he did not want to come across as a know-it-all.

Despite his fears, Elijah found himself knocking on Hadeel's door after school. She looked surprised to see him, so he quickly explained that he could help her with the Chopin concerto. She invited him in, and they sat down together at the piano. He told Hadeel that Chopin composed as if he were having a conversation with his piano, and, if you listened closely enough, you could hear the back-and-forth rhythm. Once you got the hang of it, you could play the "conversation" as Chopin had intended. Hadeel looked skeptical, so Elijah played a few bars of music, paused, then played a few more. After a while, Hadeel got the hang of the conversation, and she found it easier to play the concerto.

The following week, Hadeel thanked Elijah and told him that her recital had been a success. She asked him why he had never told her that he also enjoyed playing the piano. Elijah smiled, thankful that he now had one friend with whom he could share his love of music.

When does the story reach a climax?
A. when Elijah knocks on Hadeel's door
B. when the author reveals that Elijah is a musical prodigy
C. when Hadeel announces that she is having trouble
D. when Hadeel thanks Elijah for his help

Who is a supporting character in the story?
A. Chopin's teacher
B. Elijah's mother
C. Elijah
D. Hadeel

***
The terms buried treasure, peg leg, and Jolly Roger are associated with the legends of pirates. Through various novels, movies, and comic strips, these terms have gained popularity. Long used as frightening, fictional characters, pirates became part of the storytelling mystique. The images of pirates, though they seem fictional, are actually based on true stories that sailors recounted about their journeys.

In the early years of the sixteenth century, merchant ships delivered goods via ocean trade routes. Piracy originated when certain countries attempted to gain control of these routes by sending out pirate ships. The ships were inhabited by buccaneers, hunters named for the French word for barbeque, boucan; by corsairs, hunters found in the Mediterranean and Dominican Republic; or by the most dangerous of the three, privateers, who destroyed the merchant vessels of other nations to gain riches for their country.

The captain of a pirate ship is usually depicted in movies as cruel and overbearing. In some cases, this may have been true. Usually, though, the captain was chosen by his crew because of his ability to win prizes and riches, and because he had the courage and daring needed to take over other ships. When a crew no longer supported its captain, he was simply thrown overboard, or marooned on a deserted island.

From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, a pirate ship's flag was known to evoke fear and terror in the hearts of any sailors in its view. Each pirate captain had a differently designed pirate flag, or Jolly Roger. The Jolly Roger, either black and white, or red, bore pictures meant to scare sailors, like the classic skull and crossbones design. The origin of the Jolly Roger's name is unclear, but it may have evolved from a nickname for the devil, Old Roger. Another possibility is that the name originates from the French words for pretty and red, jolie rouge. Sight of the black and white flag warned sailors of an impending attack. Many ships would surrender at the mere sight of it. An even more terrifying sight, though, was the red flag, which meant that sailors would not be given the option to surrender prior to the attack, but were instead forced to fight to the death.

Many researchers believe these pirate tales represent scare tactics meant to encourage caution among sailors. For example, one such tale explained that a black flag was raised to warn sailors that a plague or illness was on board. Regardless, during the last century, by increasing naval patrolling and by labeling piracy an international offense, the prevalence of piracy has been greatly minimized. Hence, we will probably never discover the truth behind these pirate legends.

Where would you read this type of passage?
A. a sixteenth century historical review
B. a children's science magazine
C. a pirate's autobiography
D. a collection of piracy short stories

From which of the following points of view is this passage written?
A. second person
B. first person objective
C. third person
D. first person subjective

Which of the following topics would not have been mentioned if the author were a pirate?
A. captain and crew
B. buried treasure
C. pirate flags
D. naval patrols

Which of the following is not a reason that the pirate flag would evoke fear in passing sailors?
A. It sometimes symbolized a guaranteed attack.
B. It sometimes symbolized that sailors would be shown no mercy.
C. It sometimes symbolized that a plague was on board.
D. It sometimes symbolized that the captain was overbearing.

What is the meaning of the word "prevalence" in paragraph five?
A. ingratitude
B. scarcity
C. melodrama
D. frequency

Which answer best restates the information in the third paragraph?
A. The crew often got rid of a captain for no apparent reason.
B. The captain of a pirate ship was cruel and overbearing.
C. Marooning involves intentionally abandoning someone.
D. Pirate captains were picked and removed by the crew.