END-OF-TERM READING 11TH GRADE

Mary Kingsley’s Fur Hat

Famous for her eccentric behaviour and appearance, Mary Kingsley

wore this moleskin hat during her travels in West Africa.

Often described as “an extremely amusing woman with a strange taste for odd forms of danger”, Mary Kingsley came to adventuring late in life, despite the fact that exploration seemed to be in her blood. The niece of a well-respected travel writer, she spent much of her life helping her father in his studies of African religions and laws, and nursing her mother; however, before her first trip to Africa in 1892, she had never travelled further than Paris.

All that changed when her mother and father died within a few weeks of each other when she was 30 years old. Finding herself alone for the first time, Kingsley made the radical decision to continue her father’s work in Africa. Within five years, she had travelled across large sections of equatorial West Africa. She became the first European to enter some parts of Gabon. She made extensive collections for the British Museum and climbed the region’s highest peak, 4,000-metre Mungo Mah Lobeh (literary “the Throne of Thunder”; now known as Mount Cameroon). On her return to the UK, she spent three years hosting lectures on her travels and wrote several books about her experiences.

At a time when it wasn’t appropriate for a woman to walk the streets of London unaccompanied, travelling in previously unexplored areas of West Africa entirely alone was decidedly eccentric behaviour. However, when accused of behaving improperly, Kingsley replied: “Neither the Royal Geographical Society’s list, nor any other, of articles necessary to travellers in tropical climates makes mention of husbands.”

She had equally firm views about what clothing was appropriate for travel, reportedly saying: “You have no right to go about Africa in things you would be ashamed to be seen in at home.” She gained a reputation for eccentric dress, and wore this moleskin hat, now stored within the archives of the Royal Geographical Society, throughout her travels in West Africa. She got that moleskin hat while staying with the cannibalistic Feng tribe in the Gabon.

Kingsley went on to work as a nurse in Cape Town during the Boer War, and it was here, in 1900, that she died of heart failure. Her body was taken out to sea in a torpedo boat and she was given a military and naval funeral. Burial at sea was a unique honour for woman to receive at the time, and she was further honoured when the African Society was founded in her memory in 1901.

1.Mary Kingsley’s exploration of Africa began when she ...

Mary Kingsley’s Fur Hat

Famous for her eccentric behaviour and appearance, Mary Kingsley

wore this moleskin hat during her travels in West Africa.

Often described as “an extremely amusing woman with a strange taste for odd forms of danger”, Mary Kingsley came to adventuring late in life, despite the fact that exploration seemed to be in her blood. The niece of a well-respected travel writer, she spent much of her life helping her father in his studies of African religions and laws, and nursing her mother; however, before her first trip to Africa in 1892, she had never travelled further than Paris.

All that changed when her mother and father died within a few weeks of each other when she was 30 years old. Finding herself alone for the first time, Kingsley made the radical decision to continue her father’s work in Africa. Within five years, she had travelled across large sections of equatorial West Africa. She became the first European to enter some parts of Gabon. She made extensive collections for the British Museum and climbed the region’s highest peak, 4,000-metre Mungo Mah Lobeh (literary “the Throne of Thunder”; now known as Mount Cameroon). On her return to the UK, she spent three years hosting lectures on her travels and wrote several books about her experiences.

At a time when it wasn’t appropriate for a woman to walk the streets of London unaccompanied, travelling in previously unexplored areas of West Africa entirely alone was decidedly eccentric behaviour. However, when accused of behaving improperly, Kingsley replied: “Neither the Royal Geographical Society’s list, nor any other, of articles necessary to travellers in tropical climates makes mention of husbands.”

She had equally firm views about what clothing was appropriate for travel, reportedly saying: “You have no right to go about Africa in things you would be ashamed to be seen in at home.” She gained a reputation for eccentric dress, and wore this moleskin hat, now stored within the archives of the Royal Geographical Society, throughout her travels in West Africa. She got that moleskin hat while staying with the cannibalistic Feng tribe in the Gabon.

Kingsley went on to work as a nurse in Cape Town during the Boer War, and it was here, in 1900, that she died of heart failure. Her body was taken out to sea in a torpedo boat and she was given a military and naval funeral. Burial at sea was a unique honour for woman to receive at the time, and she was further honoured when the African Society was founded in her memory in 1901.

2. Why did Mary begin to travel?

Mary Kingsley’s Fur Hat

Famous for her eccentric behaviour and appearance, Mary Kingsley

wore this moleskin hat during her travels in West Africa.

Often described as “an extremely amusing woman with a strange taste for odd forms of danger”, Mary Kingsley came to adventuring late in life, despite the fact that exploration seemed to be in her blood. The niece of a well-respected travel writer, she spent much of her life helping her father in his studies of African religions and laws, and nursing her mother; however, before her first trip to Africa in 1892, she had never travelled further than Paris.

All that changed when her mother and father died within a few weeks of each other when she was 30 years old. Finding herself alone for the first time, Kingsley made the radical decision to continue her father’s work in Africa. Within five years, she had travelled across large sections of equatorial West Africa. She became the first European to enter some parts of Gabon. She made extensive collections for the British Museum and climbed the region’s highest peak, 4,000-metre Mungo Mah Lobeh (literary “the Throne of Thunder”; now known as Mount Cameroon). On her return to the UK, she spent three years hosting lectures on her travels and wrote several books about her experiences.

At a time when it wasn’t appropriate for a woman to walk the streets of London unaccompanied, travelling in previously unexplored areas of West Africa entirely alone was decidedly eccentric behaviour. However, when accused of behaving improperly, Kingsley replied: “Neither the Royal Geographical Society’s list, nor any other, of articles necessary to travellers in tropical climates makes mention of husbands.”

She had equally firm views about what clothing was appropriate for travel, reportedly saying: “You have no right to go about Africa in things you would be ashamed to be seen in at home.” She gained a reputation for eccentric dress, and wore this moleskin hat, now stored within the archives of the Royal Geographical Society, throughout her travels in West Africa. She got that moleskin hat while staying with the cannibalistic Feng tribe in the Gabon.

Kingsley went on to work as a nurse in Cape Town during the Boer War, and it was here, in 1900, that she died of heart failure. Her body was taken out to sea in a torpedo boat and she was given a military and naval funeral. Burial at sea was a unique honour for woman to receive at the time, and she was further honoured when the African Society was founded in her memory in 1901.

3. What did Mary Kingsley do in Africa?

Mary Kingsley’s Fur Hat

Famous for her eccentric behaviour and appearance, Mary Kingsley

wore this moleskin hat during her travels in West Africa.

Often described as “an extremely amusing woman with a strange taste for odd forms of danger”, Mary Kingsley came to adventuring late in life, despite the fact that exploration seemed to be in her blood. The niece of a well-respected travel writer, she spent much of her life helping her father in his studies of African religions and laws, and nursing her mother; however, before her first trip to Africa in 1892, she had never travelled further than Paris.

All that changed when her mother and father died within a few weeks of each other when she was 30 years old. Finding herself alone for the first time, Kingsley made the radical decision to continue her father’s work in Africa. Within five years, she had travelled across large sections of equatorial West Africa. She became the first European to enter some parts of Gabon. She made extensive collections for the British Museum and climbed the region’s highest peak, 4,000-metre Mungo Mah Lobeh (literary “the Throne of Thunder”; now known as Mount Cameroon). On her return to the UK, she spent three years hosting lectures on her travels and wrote several books about her experiences.

At a time when it wasn’t appropriate for a woman to walk the streets of London unaccompanied, travelling in previously unexplored areas of West Africa entirely alone was decidedly eccentric behaviour. However, when accused of behaving improperly, Kingsley replied: “Neither the Royal Geographical Society’s list, nor any other, of articles necessary to travellers in tropical climates makes mention of husbands.”

She had equally firm views about what clothing was appropriate for travel, reportedly saying: “You have no right to go about Africa in things you would be ashamed to be seen in at home.” She gained a reputation for eccentric dress, and wore this moleskin hat, now stored within the archives of the Royal Geographical Society, throughout her travels in West Africa. She got that moleskin hat while staying with the cannibalistic Feng tribe in the Gabon.

Kingsley went on to work as a nurse in Cape Town during the Boer War, and it was here, in 1900, that she died of heart failure. Her body was taken out to sea in a torpedo boat and she was given a military and naval funeral. Burial at sea was a unique honour for woman to receive at the time, and she was further honoured when the African Society was founded in her memory in 1901.

4. Mary was criticized for...

Mary Kingsley’s Fur Hat

Famous for her eccentric behaviour and appearance, Mary Kingsley

wore this moleskin hat during her travels in West Africa.

Often described as “an extremely amusing woman with a strange taste for odd forms of danger”, Mary Kingsley came to adventuring late in life, despite the fact that exploration seemed to be in her blood. The niece of a well-respected travel writer, she spent much of her life helping her father in his studies of African religions and laws, and nursing her mother; however, before her first trip to Africa in 1892, she had never travelled further than Paris.

All that changed when her mother and father died within a few weeks of each other when she was 30 years old. Finding herself alone for the first time, Kingsley made the radical decision to continue her father’s work in Africa. Within five years, she had travelled across large sections of equatorial West Africa. She became the first European to enter some parts of Gabon. She made extensive collections for the British Museum and climbed the region’s highest peak, 4,000-metre Mungo Mah Lobeh (literary “the Throne of Thunder”; now known as Mount Cameroon). On her return to the UK, she spent three years hosting lectures on her travels and wrote several books about her experiences.

At a time when it wasn’t appropriate for a woman to walk the streets of London unaccompanied, travelling in previously unexplored areas of West Africa entirely alone was decidedly eccentric behaviour. However, when accused of behaving improperly, Kingsley replied: “Neither the Royal Geographical Society’s list, nor any other, of articles necessary to travellers in tropical climates makes mention of husbands.”

She had equally firm views about what clothing was appropriate for travel, reportedly saying: “You have no right to go about Africa in things you would be ashamed to be seen in at home.” She gained a reputation for eccentric dress, and wore this moleskin hat, now stored within the archives of the Royal Geographical Society, throughout her travels in West Africa. She got that moleskin hat while staying with the cannibalistic Feng tribe in the Gabon.

Kingsley went on to work as a nurse in Cape Town during the Boer War, and it was here, in 1900, that she died of heart failure. Her body was taken out to sea in a torpedo boat and she was given a military and naval funeral. Burial at sea was a unique honour for woman to receive at the time, and she was further honoured when the African Society was founded in her memory in 1901.

5. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about Mary Kingsley?

Read the article about a strange accident, and decide if the statements 1–8 are true (T) or false (F).

WHO AM I?

On 3 July 2003, a thirty-five-year-old Englishman called Doug Bruce walked into a police station in Coney Island, New York, and told the police that he did not know his own name. He had woken up a few minutes earlier on an underground train, with a headache and a hurt hand and shoulder. At that moment, he had no idea where he was going, where he had been, or who he was.

Doug went to a police station because he had nowhere else to go. He was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sandals and he had a backpack with a few things in it: a Spanish textbook, a bunch of keys and a map of New York. The police were puzzled. ‘We’d never had anything like this before,’ says Lieutenant Pete Pena. They sent Doug to Coney Island Hospital. On his name tag, the nurse wrote ‘Unknown white male’.

The doctors were surprised at how strong his memory loss was. Although Doug could form sentences, he remembered nothing about his own past and seemed to know little about the world. One specialist at the hospital, Dr Leonid Voroybyev, admitted that he’d only ever seen such a serious case ‘in the movies and in my textbooks’.

The hospital would not let Doug go until they knew who he was. In the end, hospital staff found a phone number inside the textbook in Doug’s backpack. It belonged to an ex-girlfriend’s mother, but when staff contacted her, she had no idea who he was. However, when Doug spoke to the daughter, Nadine, she recognised his voice at once. ‘Is that you, Doug?’ she asked. ‘I don’t know,’ came the reply. Nadine went to the hospital, told the doctors who Doug was, and took him home.

‘Home’ was a very attractive apartment in downtown Manhattan, which he shared with two dogs and three parrots. Doug discovered that he had previously lived in Paris, where he had made a lot of money working in the banking industry.

Now that Doug knew who he was, he had to deal with other challenges. He was worried about meeting his family and friends because he thought they would seem like strangers to him. However, when he met his sisters, they told him that he had changed. Before the accident, he had been very friendly and sociable, but rarely showed his feelings. According to them, he had become much more relaxed and wasn’t scared to let people know how he was feeling. And indeed, to Doug, it felt like his life had started all over again as he tasted strawberries, saw snow fall and watched fireworks explode for what seemed like the first time.

1. Doug Bruce was a rich American.  

Read the article about a strange accident, and decide if the statements 1–8 are true (T) or false (F).

WHO AM I?

On 3 July 2003, a thirty-five-year-old Englishman called Doug Bruce walked into a police station in Coney Island, New York, and told the police that he did not know his own name. He had woken up a few minutes earlier on an underground train, with a headache and a hurt hand and shoulder. At that moment, he had no idea where he was going, where he had been, or who he was.

Doug went to a police station because he had nowhere else to go. He was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sandals and he had a backpack with a few things in it: a Spanish textbook, a bunch of keys and a map of New York. The police were puzzled. ‘We’d never had anything like this before,’ says Lieutenant Pete Pena. They sent Doug to Coney Island Hospital. On his name tag, the nurse wrote ‘Unknown white male’.

The doctors were surprised at how strong his memory loss was. Although Doug could form sentences, he remembered nothing about his own past and seemed to know little about the world. One specialist at the hospital, Dr Leonid Voroybyev, admitted that he’d only ever seen such a serious case ‘in the movies and in my textbooks’.

The hospital would not let Doug go until they knew who he was. In the end, hospital staff found a phone number inside the textbook in Doug’s backpack. It belonged to an ex-girlfriend’s mother, but when staff contacted her, she had no idea who he was. However, when Doug spoke to the daughter, Nadine, she recognised his voice at once. ‘Is that you, Doug?’ she asked. ‘I don’t know,’ came the reply. Nadine went to the hospital, told the doctors who Doug was, and took him home.

‘Home’ was a very attractive apartment in downtown Manhattan, which he shared with two dogs and three parrots. Doug discovered that he had previously lived in Paris, where he had made a lot of money working in the banking industry.

Now that Doug knew who he was, he had to deal with other challenges. He was worried about meeting his family and friends because he thought they would seem like strangers to him. However, when he met his sisters, they told him that he had changed. Before the accident, he had been very friendly and sociable, but rarely showed his feelings. According to them, he had become much more relaxed and wasn’t scared to let people know how he was feeling. And indeed, to Doug, it felt like his life had started all over again as he tasted strawberries, saw snow fall and watched fireworks explode for what seemed like the first time.

2. Doug had been learning a foreign language.  

Read the article about a strange accident, and decide if the statements 1–8 are true (T) or false (F).

WHO AM I?

On 3 July 2003, a thirty-five-year-old Englishman called Doug Bruce walked into a police station in Coney Island, New York, and told the police that he did not know his own name. He had woken up a few minutes earlier on an underground train, with a headache and a hurt hand and shoulder. At that moment, he had no idea where he was going, where he had been, or who he was.

Doug went to a police station because he had nowhere else to go. He was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sandals and he had a backpack with a few things in it: a Spanish textbook, a bunch of keys and a map of New York. The police were puzzled. ‘We’d never had anything like this before,’ says Lieutenant Pete Pena. They sent Doug to Coney Island Hospital. On his name tag, the nurse wrote ‘Unknown white male’.

The doctors were surprised at how strong his memory loss was. Although Doug could form sentences, he remembered nothing about his own past and seemed to know little about the world. One specialist at the hospital, Dr Leonid Voroybyev, admitted that he’d only ever seen such a serious case ‘in the movies and in my textbooks’.

The hospital would not let Doug go until they knew who he was. In the end, hospital staff found a phone number inside the textbook in Doug’s backpack. It belonged to an ex-girlfriend’s mother, but when staff contacted her, she had no idea who he was. However, when Doug spoke to the daughter, Nadine, she recognised his voice at once. ‘Is that you, Doug?’ she asked. ‘I don’t know,’ came the reply. Nadine went to the hospital, told the doctors who Doug was, and took him home.

‘Home’ was a very attractive apartment in downtown Manhattan, which he shared with two dogs and three parrots. Doug discovered that he had previously lived in Paris, where he had made a lot of money working in the banking industry.

Now that Doug knew who he was, he had to deal with other challenges. He was worried about meeting his family and friends because he thought they would seem like strangers to him. However, when he met his sisters, they told him that he had changed. Before the accident, he had been very friendly and sociable, but rarely showed his feelings. According to them, he had become much more relaxed and wasn’t scared to let people know how he was feeling. And indeed, to Doug, it felt like his life had started all over again as he tasted strawberries, saw snow fall and watched fireworks explode for what seemed like the first time.

3. The police found the situation rather confusing.  

Read the article about a strange accident, and decide if the statements 1–8 are true (T) or false (F).

WHO AM I?

On 3 July 2003, a thirty-five-year-old Englishman called Doug Bruce walked into a police station in Coney Island, New York, and told the police that he did not know his own name. He had woken up a few minutes earlier on an underground train, with a headache and a hurt hand and shoulder. At that moment, he had no idea where he was going, where he had been, or who he was.

Doug went to a police station because he had nowhere else to go. He was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sandals and he had a backpack with a few things in it: a Spanish textbook, a bunch of keys and a map of New York. The police were puzzled. ‘We’d never had anything like this before,’ says Lieutenant Pete Pena. They sent Doug to Coney Island Hospital. On his name tag, the nurse wrote ‘Unknown white male’.

The doctors were surprised at how strong his memory loss was. Although Doug could form sentences, he remembered nothing about his own past and seemed to know little about the world. One specialist at the hospital, Dr Leonid Voroybyev, admitted that he’d only ever seen such a serious case ‘in the movies and in my textbooks’.

The hospital would not let Doug go until they knew who he was. In the end, hospital staff found a phone number inside the textbook in Doug’s backpack. It belonged to an ex-girlfriend’s mother, but when staff contacted her, she had no idea who he was. However, when Doug spoke to the daughter, Nadine, she recognised his voice at once. ‘Is that you, Doug?’ she asked. ‘I don’t know,’ came the reply. Nadine went to the hospital, told the doctors who Doug was, and took him home.

‘Home’ was a very attractive apartment in downtown Manhattan, which he shared with two dogs and three parrots. Doug discovered that he had previously lived in Paris, where he had made a lot of money working in the banking industry.

Now that Doug knew who he was, he had to deal with other challenges. He was worried about meeting his family and friends because he thought they would seem like strangers to him. However, when he met his sisters, they told him that he had changed. Before the accident, he had been very friendly and sociable, but rarely showed his feelings. According to them, he had become much more relaxed and wasn’t scared to let people know how he was feeling. And indeed, to Doug, it felt like his life had started all over again as he tasted strawberries, saw snow fall and watched fireworks explode for what seemed like the first time.

4. The doctors decided to study similar cases in textbooks.

Read the article about a strange accident, and decide if the statements 1–8 are true (T) or false (F).

WHO AM I?

On 3 July 2003, a thirty-five-year-old Englishman called Doug Bruce walked into a police station in Coney Island, New York, and told the police that he did not know his own name. He had woken up a few minutes earlier on an underground train, with a headache and a hurt hand and shoulder. At that moment, he had no idea where he was going, where he had been, or who he was.

Doug went to a police station because he had nowhere else to go. He was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sandals and he had a backpack with a few things in it: a Spanish textbook, a bunch of keys and a map of New York. The police were puzzled. ‘We’d never had anything like this before,’ says Lieutenant Pete Pena. They sent Doug to Coney Island Hospital. On his name tag, the nurse wrote ‘Unknown white male’.

The doctors were surprised at how strong his memory loss was. Although Doug could form sentences, he remembered nothing about his own past and seemed to know little about the world. One specialist at the hospital, Dr Leonid Voroybyev, admitted that he’d only ever seen such a serious case ‘in the movies and in my textbooks’.

The hospital would not let Doug go until they knew who he was. In the end, hospital staff found a phone number inside the textbook in Doug’s backpack. It belonged to an ex-girlfriend’s mother, but when staff contacted her, she had no idea who he was. However, when Doug spoke to the daughter, Nadine, she recognised his voice at once. ‘Is that you, Doug?’ she asked. ‘I don’t know,’ came the reply. Nadine went to the hospital, told the doctors who Doug was, and took him home.

‘Home’ was a very attractive apartment in downtown Manhattan, which he shared with two dogs and three parrots. Doug discovered that he had previously lived in Paris, where he had made a lot of money working in the banking industry.

Now that Doug knew who he was, he had to deal with other challenges. He was worried about meeting his family and friends because he thought they would seem like strangers to him. However, when he met his sisters, they told him that he had changed. Before the accident, he had been very friendly and sociable, but rarely showed his feelings. According to them, he had become much more relaxed and wasn’t scared to let people know how he was feeling. And indeed, to Doug, it felt like his life had started all over again as he tasted strawberries, saw snow fall and watched fireworks explode for what seemed like the first time.

5. Doug’s ex-girlfriend gave the hospital his address.  

Read the article about a strange accident, and decide if the statements 1–8 are true (T) or false (F).

WHO AM I?

On 3 July 2003, a thirty-five-year-old Englishman called Doug Bruce walked into a police station in Coney Island, New York, and told the police that he did not know his own name. He had woken up a few minutes earlier on an underground train, with a headache and a hurt hand and shoulder. At that moment, he had no idea where he was going, where he had been, or who he was.

Doug went to a police station because he had nowhere else to go. He was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sandals and he had a backpack with a few things in it: a Spanish textbook, a bunch of keys and a map of New York. The police were puzzled. ‘We’d never had anything like this before,’ says Lieutenant Pete Pena. They sent Doug to Coney Island Hospital. On his name tag, the nurse wrote ‘Unknown white male’.

The doctors were surprised at how strong his memory loss was. Although Doug could form sentences, he remembered nothing about his own past and seemed to know little about the world. One specialist at the hospital, Dr Leonid Voroybyev, admitted that he’d only ever seen such a serious case ‘in the movies and in my textbooks’.

The hospital would not let Doug go until they knew who he was. In the end, hospital staff found a phone number inside the textbook in Doug’s backpack. It belonged to an ex-girlfriend’s mother, but when staff contacted her, she had no idea who he was. However, when Doug spoke to the daughter, Nadine, she recognised his voice at once. ‘Is that you, Doug?’ she asked. ‘I don’t know,’ came the reply. Nadine went to the hospital, told the doctors who Doug was, and took him home.

‘Home’ was a very attractive apartment in downtown Manhattan, which he shared with two dogs and three parrots. Doug discovered that he had previously lived in Paris, where he had made a lot of money working in the banking industry.

Now that Doug knew who he was, he had to deal with other challenges. He was worried about meeting his family and friends because he thought they would seem like strangers to him. However, when he met his sisters, they told him that he had changed. Before the accident, he had been very friendly and sociable, but rarely showed his feelings. According to them, he had become much more relaxed and wasn’t scared to let people know how he was feeling. And indeed, to Doug, it felt like his life had started all over again as he tasted strawberries, saw snow fall and watched fireworks explode for what seemed like the first time.

6.Doug lived abroad in the past.  

Read the article about a strange accident, and decide if the statements 1–8 are true (T) or false (F).

WHO AM I?

On 3 July 2003, a thirty-five-year-old Englishman called Doug Bruce walked into a police station in Coney Island, New York, and told the police that he did not know his own name. He had woken up a few minutes earlier on an underground train, with a headache and a hurt hand and shoulder. At that moment, he had no idea where he was going, where he had been, or who he was.

Doug went to a police station because he had nowhere else to go. He was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sandals and he had a backpack with a few things in it: a Spanish textbook, a bunch of keys and a map of New York. The police were puzzled. ‘We’d never had anything like this before,’ says Lieutenant Pete Pena. They sent Doug to Coney Island Hospital. On his name tag, the nurse wrote ‘Unknown white male’.

The doctors were surprised at how strong his memory loss was. Although Doug could form sentences, he remembered nothing about his own past and seemed to know little about the world. One specialist at the hospital, Dr Leonid Voroybyev, admitted that he’d only ever seen such a serious case ‘in the movies and in my textbooks’.

The hospital would not let Doug go until they knew who he was. In the end, hospital staff found a phone number inside the textbook in Doug’s backpack. It belonged to an ex-girlfriend’s mother, but when staff contacted her, she had no idea who he was. However, when Doug spoke to the daughter, Nadine, she recognised his voice at once. ‘Is that you, Doug?’ she asked. ‘I don’t know,’ came the reply. Nadine went to the hospital, told the doctors who Doug was, and took him home.

‘Home’ was a very attractive apartment in downtown Manhattan, which he shared with two dogs and three parrots. Doug discovered that he had previously lived in Paris, where he had made a lot of money working in the banking industry.

Now that Doug knew who he was, he had to deal with other challenges. He was worried about meeting his family and friends because he thought they would seem like strangers to him. However, when he met his sisters, they told him that he had changed. Before the accident, he had been very friendly and sociable, but rarely showed his feelings. According to them, he had become much more relaxed and wasn’t scared to let people know how he was feeling. And indeed, to Doug, it felt like his life had started all over again as he tasted strawberries, saw snow fall and watched fireworks explode for what seemed like the first time.

7. Doug’s family felt like strangers to him.  

Read the article about a strange accident, and decide if the statements 1–8 are true (T) or false (F).

WHO AM I?

On 3 July 2003, a thirty-five-year-old Englishman called Doug Bruce walked into a police station in Coney Island, New York, and told the police that he did not know his own name. He had woken up a few minutes earlier on an underground train, with a headache and a hurt hand and shoulder. At that moment, he had no idea where he was going, where he had been, or who he was.

Doug went to a police station because he had nowhere else to go. He was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sandals and he had a backpack with a few things in it: a Spanish textbook, a bunch of keys and a map of New York. The police were puzzled. ‘We’d never had anything like this before,’ says Lieutenant Pete Pena. They sent Doug to Coney Island Hospital. On his name tag, the nurse wrote ‘Unknown white male’.

The doctors were surprised at how strong his memory loss was. Although Doug could form sentences, he remembered nothing about his own past and seemed to know little about the world. One specialist at the hospital, Dr Leonid Voroybyev, admitted that he’d only ever seen such a serious case ‘in the movies and in my textbooks’.

The hospital would not let Doug go until they knew who he was. In the end, hospital staff found a phone number inside the textbook in Doug’s backpack. It belonged to an ex-girlfriend’s mother, but when staff contacted her, she had no idea who he was. However, when Doug spoke to the daughter, Nadine, she recognised his voice at once. ‘Is that you, Doug?’ she asked. ‘I don’t know,’ came the reply. Nadine went to the hospital, told the doctors who Doug was, and took him home.

‘Home’ was a very attractive apartment in downtown Manhattan, which he shared with two dogs and three parrots. Doug discovered that he had previously lived in Paris, where he had made a lot of money working in the banking industry.

Now that Doug knew who he was, he had to deal with other challenges. He was worried about meeting his family and friends because he thought they would seem like strangers to him. However, when he met his sisters, they told him that he had changed. Before the accident, he had been very friendly and sociable, but rarely showed his feelings. According to them, he had become much more relaxed and wasn’t scared to let people know how he was feeling. And indeed, to Doug, it felt like his life had started all over again as he tasted strawberries, saw snow fall and watched fireworks explode for what seemed like the first time.

8. Dough was discovering common things once again, after the accident.