Test in Reading 10

You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-10, choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.

I had never been married before so there was nothing in my past experience to go by but it was beginning to dawn on me that I was very nicely fixed. I am talking, of course, of material things. It would have been enough for me or anybody else to be paired with a beautiful girl whom I love and who loved me. I hadn't reckoned on the other aspects.

This business of studying my comfort, for instance. I thought such things had gone out of fashion, but not so with Helen. It was brought home to me again as I walked into breakfast this morning. We had at last acquired a table -I had bought it at a farm sale and brought it home in triumph tied to the roof of my car - and now Helen had vacated the chair on which she used to sit at the bench and had taken over the high stool. She was perched away up there now, transporting her food from far below, while I was expected to sit comfortably in the chair. I don't think I'm a selfish swine but there was nothing I could do about it.

And there were other little things. The neat pile of clothing laid out for me each morning; the clean, folded shirt and handkerchief and socks so different from the jumble of my bachelor days. And when I was late for meals, which was often, she served me with my food but instead of going off and doing something else she would down tools and sit watching me while I ate. It made me feel like a sultan.

It was this last trait which gave me a clue to her behaviour. I suddenly remembered that I had seen her sitting by Mr Alderson while he had a late meal; sitting in the same pose, one arm on the table, quietly watching him. And I realized I was reaping the benefit of her lifetime attitude to her father. Mild little man though he was she had catered gladly to his every wish in the happy acceptance that the man of the house was number one; and the whole pattern was rubbing off on me now.

In fact it set me thinking about the big question of how girls might be expected to behave after marriage. One old farmer giving advice about choosing a wife once said: 'Have a blooming good look at the mother first, lad', and I'm sure he had a point. But if I may throw in my own little word of counsel it would have to be to have a passing glance at how she acts towards her father.

Watching her now as she got down and started to serve my breakfast the warm knowledge flowed through me as it did so often that my wife was the sort who just liked looking after a man and that I was so very lucky.

And I was certainly blooming under the treatment. A bit too much, in fact, and I was aware I shouldn't be attacking this plateful of porridge and cream; especially with all that material sizzling in the frying pan. Helen had brought with her to Skelton House a delicious dowry of fish, and these hung from the beams of the barn in an impressive array of cold-smoked kippers; a constant temptation. Some samples were in the pan now, and though I had never been one for large breakfasts I did not object when she threw in a couple of large brown eggs for company.

1 After his marriage, the writer started to realise

You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-10, choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.

I had never been married before so there was nothing in my past experience to go by but it was beginning to dawn on me that I was very nicely fixed. I am talking, of course, of material things. It would have been enough for me or anybody else to be paired with a beautiful girl whom I love and who loved me. I hadn't reckoned on the other aspects.

This business of studying my comfort, for instance. I thought such things had gone out of fashion, but not so with Helen. It was brought home to me again as I walked into breakfast this morning. We had at last acquired a table -I had bought it at a farm sale and brought it home in triumph tied to the roof of my car - and now Helen had vacated the chair on which she used to sit at the bench and had taken over the high stool. She was perched away up there now, transporting her food from far below, while I was expected to sit comfortably in the chair. I don't think I'm a selfish swine but there was nothing I could do about it.

And there were other little things. The neat pile of clothing laid out for me each morning; the clean, folded shirt and handkerchief and socks so different from the jumble of my bachelor days. And when I was late for meals, which was often, she served me with my food but instead of going off and doing something else she would down tools and sit watching me while I ate. It made me feel like a sultan.

It was this last trait which gave me a clue to her behaviour. I suddenly remembered that I had seen her sitting by Mr Alderson while he had a late meal; sitting in the same pose, one arm on the table, quietly watching him. And I realized I was reaping the benefit of her lifetime attitude to her father. Mild little man though he was she had catered gladly to his every wish in the happy acceptance that the man of the house was number one; and the whole pattern was rubbing off on me now.

In fact it set me thinking about the big question of how girls might be expected to behave after marriage. One old farmer giving advice about choosing a wife once said: 'Have a blooming good look at the mother first, lad', and I'm sure he had a point. But if I may throw in my own little word of counsel it would have to be to have a passing glance at how she acts towards her father.

Watching her now as she got down and started to serve my breakfast the warm knowledge flowed through me as it did so often that my wife was the sort who just liked looking after a man and that I was so very lucky.

And I was certainly blooming under the treatment. A bit too much, in fact, and I was aware I shouldn't be attacking this plateful of porridge and cream; especially with all that material sizzling in the frying pan. Helen had brought with her to Skelton House a delicious dowry of fish, and these hung from the beams of the barn in an impressive array of cold-smoked kippers; a constant temptation. Some samples were in the pan now, and though I had never been one for large breakfasts I did not object when she threw in a couple of large brown eggs for company.

2 What was the writer reminded of at breakfast that morning?

You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-10, choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.

I had never been married before so there was nothing in my past experience to go by but it was beginning to dawn on me that I was very nicely fixed. I am talking, of course, of material things. It would have been enough for me or anybody else to be paired with a beautiful girl whom I love and who loved me. I hadn't reckoned on the other aspects.

This business of studying my comfort, for instance. I thought such things had gone out of fashion, but not so with Helen. It was brought home to me again as I walked into breakfast this morning. We had at last acquired a table -I had bought it at a farm sale and brought it home in triumph tied to the roof of my car - and now Helen had vacated the chair on which she used to sit at the bench and had taken over the high stool. She was perched away up there now, transporting her food from far below, while I was expected to sit comfortably in the chair. I don't think I'm a selfish swine but there was nothing I could do about it.

And there were other little things. The neat pile of clothing laid out for me each morning; the clean, folded shirt and handkerchief and socks so different from the jumble of my bachelor days. And when I was late for meals, which was often, she served me with my food but instead of going off and doing something else she would down tools and sit watching me while I ate. It made me feel like a sultan.

It was this last trait which gave me a clue to her behaviour. I suddenly remembered that I had seen her sitting by Mr Alderson while he had a late meal; sitting in the same pose, one arm on the table, quietly watching him. And I realized I was reaping the benefit of her lifetime attitude to her father. Mild little man though he was she had catered gladly to his every wish in the happy acceptance that the man of the house was number one; and the whole pattern was rubbing off on me now.

In fact it set me thinking about the big question of how girls might be expected to behave after marriage. One old farmer giving advice about choosing a wife once said: 'Have a blooming good look at the mother first, lad', and I'm sure he had a point. But if I may throw in my own little word of counsel it would have to be to have a passing glance at how she acts towards her father.

Watching her now as she got down and started to serve my breakfast the warm knowledge flowed through me as it did so often that my wife was the sort who just liked looking after a man and that I was so very lucky.

And I was certainly blooming under the treatment. A bit too much, in fact, and I was aware I shouldn't be attacking this plateful of porridge and cream; especially with all that material sizzling in the frying pan. Helen had brought with her to Skelton House a delicious dowry of fish, and these hung from the beams of the barn in an impressive array of cold-smoked kippers; a constant temptation. Some samples were in the pan now, and though I had never been one for large breakfasts I did not object when she threw in a couple of large brown eggs for company.

3 The writer suggests to us that, as an unmarried man, he

You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-10, choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.

I had never been married before so there was nothing in my past experience to go by but it was beginning to dawn on me that I was very nicely fixed. I am talking, of course, of material things. It would have been enough for me or anybody else to be paired with a beautiful girl whom I love and who loved me. I hadn't reckoned on the other aspects.

This business of studying my comfort, for instance. I thought such things had gone out of fashion, but not so with Helen. It was brought home to me again as I walked into breakfast this morning. We had at last acquired a table -I had bought it at a farm sale and brought it home in triumph tied to the roof of my car - and now Helen had vacated the chair on which she used to sit at the bench and had taken over the high stool. She was perched away up there now, transporting her food from far below, while I was expected to sit comfortably in the chair. I don't think I'm a selfish swine but there was nothing I could do about it.

And there were other little things. The neat pile of clothing laid out for me each morning; the clean, folded shirt and handkerchief and socks so different from the jumble of my bachelor days. And when I was late for meals, which was often, she served me with my food but instead of going off and doing something else she would down tools and sit watching me while I ate. It made me feel like a sultan.

It was this last trait which gave me a clue to her behaviour. I suddenly remembered that I had seen her sitting by Mr Alderson while he had a late meal; sitting in the same pose, one arm on the table, quietly watching him. And I realized I was reaping the benefit of her lifetime attitude to her father. Mild little man though he was she had catered gladly to his every wish in the happy acceptance that the man of the house was number one; and the whole pattern was rubbingoff on me now.

In fact it set me thinking about the big question of how girls might be expected to behave after marriage. One old farmer giving advice about choosing a wife once said: 'Have a blooming good look at the mother first, lad', and I'm sure he had a point. But if I may throw in my own little word of counsel it would have to be to have a passing glance at how she acts towards her father.

Watching her now as she got down and started to serve my breakfast the warm knowledge flowed through me as it did so often that my wife was the sort who just liked looking after a man and that I was so very lucky.

And I was certainly blooming under the treatment. A bit too much, in fact, and I was aware I shouldn't be attacking this plateful of porridge and cream; especially with all that material sizzling in the frying pan. Helen had brought with her to Skelton House a delicious dowry of fish, and these hung from the beams of the barn in an impressive array of cold-smoked kippers; a constant temptation. Some samples were in the pan now, and though I had never been one for large breakfasts I did not object when she threw in a couple of large brown eggs for company.

4 What did the writer realise about Helen's relationship with her father?

You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-10, choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.

I had never been married before so there was nothing in my past experience to go by but it was beginning to dawn on me that I was very nicely fixed. I am talking, of course, of material things. It would have been enough for me or anybody else to be paired with a beautiful girl whom I love and who loved me. I hadn't reckoned on the other aspects.

This business of studying my comfort, for instance. I thought such things had gone out of fashion, but not so with Helen. It was brought home to me again as I walked into breakfast this morning. We had at last acquired a table -I had bought it at a farm sale and brought it home in triumph tied to the roof of my car - and now Helen had vacated the chair on which she used to sit at the bench and had taken over the high stool. She was perched away up there now, transporting her food from far below, while I was expected to sit comfortably in the chair. I don't think I'm a selfish swine but there was nothing I could do about it.

And there were other little things. The neat pile of clothing laid out for me each morning; the clean, folded shirt and handkerchief and socks so different from the jumble of my bachelor days. And when I was late for meals, which was often, she served me with my food but instead of going off and doing something else she would down tools and sit watching me while I ate. It made me feel like a sultan.

It was this last trait which gave me a clue to her behaviour. I suddenly remembered that I had seen her sitting by Mr Alderson while he had a late meal; sitting in the same pose, one arm on the table, quietly watching him. And I realized I was reaping the benefit of her lifetime attitude to her father. Mild little man though he was she had catered gladly to his every wish in the happy acceptance that the man of the house was number one; and the whole pattern was rubbingoff on me now.

In fact it set me thinking about the big question of how girls might be expected to behave after marriage. One old farmer giving advice about choosing a wife once said: 'Have a blooming good look at the mother first, lad', and I'm sure he had a point. But if I may throw in my own little word of counsel it would have to be to have a passing glance at how she acts towards her father.

Watching her now as she got down and started to serve my breakfast the warm knowledge flowed through me as it did so often that my wife was the sort who just liked looking after a man and that I was so very lucky.

And I was certainly blooming under the treatment. A bit too much, in fact, and I was aware I shouldn't be attacking this plateful of porridge and cream; especially with all that material sizzling in the frying pan. Helen had brought with her to Skelton House a delicious dowry of fish, and these hung from the beams of the barn in an impressive array of cold-smoked kippers; a constant temptation. Some samples were in the pan now, and though I had never been one for large breakfasts I did not object when she threw in a couple of large brown eggs for company.

5 What does the writer mean by 'and the whole pattern was rubbing off on me' in line 20?

You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-10, choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.

I had never been married before so there was nothing in my past experience to go by but it was beginning to dawn on me that I was very nicely fixed. I am talking, of course, of material things. It would have been enough for me or anybody else to be paired with a beautiful girl whom I love and who loved me. I hadn't reckoned on the other aspects.

This business of studying my comfort, for instance. I thought such things had gone out of fashion, but not so with Helen. It was brought home to me again as I walked into breakfast this morning. We had at last acquired a table -I had bought it at a farm sale and brought it home in triumph tied to the roof of my car - and now Helen had vacated the chair on which she used to sit at the bench and had taken over the high stool. She was perched away up there now, transporting her food from far below, while I was expected to sit comfortably in the chair. I don't think I'm a selfish swine but there was nothing I could do about it.

And there were other little things. The neat pile of clothing laid out for me each morning; the clean, folded shirt and handkerchief and socks so different from the jumble of my bachelor days. And when I was late for meals, which was often, she served me with my food but instead of going off and doing something else she would down tools and sit watching me while I ate. It made me feel like a sultan.

It was this last trait which gave me a clue to her behaviour. I suddenly remembered that I had seen her sitting by Mr Alderson while he had a late meal; sitting in the same pose, one arm on the table, quietly watching him. And I realized I was reaping the benefit of her lifetime attitude to her father. Mild little man though he was she had catered gladly to his every wish in the happy acceptance that the man of the house was number one; and the whole pattern was rubbingoff on me now.

In fact it set me thinking about the big question of how girls might be expected to behave after marriage. One old farmer giving advice about choosing a wife once said: 'Have a blooming good look at the mother first, lad', and I'm sure he had a point. But if I may throw in my own little word of counsel it would have to be to have a passing glance at how she acts towards her father.

Watching her now as she got down and started to serve my breakfast the warm knowledge flowed through me as it did so often that my wife was the sort who just liked looking after a man and that I was so very lucky.

And I was certainly blooming under the treatment. A bit too much, in fact, and I was aware I shouldn't be attacking this plateful of porridge and cream; especially with all that material sizzling in the frying pan. Helen had brought with her to Skelton House a delicious dowry of fish, and these hung from the beams of the barn in an impressive array of cold-smoked kippers; a constant temptation. Some samples were in the pan now, and though I had never been one for large breakfasts I did not object when she threw in a couple of large brown eggs for company.

6 How did the writer feel about the old farmer's advice?

You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-10, choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.

I had never been married before so there was nothing in my past experience to go by but it was beginning to dawn on me that I was very nicely fixed. I am talking, of course, of material things. It would have been enough for me or anybody else to be paired with a beautiful girl whom I love and who loved me. I hadn't reckoned on the other aspects.

This business of studying my comfort, for instance. I thought such things had gone out of fashion, but not so with Helen. It was brought home to me again as I walked into breakfast this morning. We had at last acquired a table -I had bought it at a farm sale and brought it home in triumph tied to the roof of my car - and now Helen had vacated the chair on which she used to sit at the bench and had taken over the high stool. She was perched away up there now, transporting her food from far below, while I was expected to sit comfortably in the chair. I don't think I'm a selfish swine but there was nothing I could do about it.

And there were other little things. The neat pile of clothing laid out for me each morning; the clean, folded shirt and handkerchief and socks so different from the jumble of my bachelor days. And when I was late for meals, which was often, she served me with my food but instead of going off and doing something else she would down tools and sit watching me while I ate. It made me feel like a sultan.

It was this last trait which gave me a clue to her behaviour. I suddenly remembered that I had seen her sitting by Mr Alderson while he had a late meal; sitting in the same pose, one arm on the table, quietly watching him. And I realized I was reaping the benefit of her lifetime attitude to her father. Mild little man though he was she had catered gladly to his every wish in the happy acceptance that the man of the house was number one; and the whole pattern was rubbingoff on me now.

In fact it set me thinking about the big question of how girls might be expected to behave after marriage. One old farmer giving advice about choosing a wife once said: 'Have a blooming good look at the mother first, lad', and I'm sure he had a point. But if I may throw in my own little word of counsel it would have to be to have a passing glance at how she acts towards her father.

Watching her now as she got down and started to serve my breakfast the warm knowledge flowed through me as it did so often that my wife was the sort who just liked looking after a man and that I was so very lucky.

And I was certainly blooming under the treatment. A bit too much, in fact, and I was aware I shouldn't be attacking this plateful of porridge and cream; especially with all that material sizzling in the frying pan. Helen had brought with her to Skelton House a delicious dowry of fish, and these hung from the beams of the barn in an impressive array of cold-smoked kippers; a constant temptation. Some samples were in the pan now, and though I had never been one for large breakfasts I did not object when she threw in a couple of large brown eggs for company.

7 What was Helen cooking?

You are going to read an extract from a novel. For questions 1-10, choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.

I had never been married before so there was nothing in my past experience to go by but it was beginning to dawn on me that I was very nicely fixed. I am talking, of course, of material things. It would have been enough for me or anybody else to be paired with a beautiful girl whom I love and who loved me. I hadn't reckoned on the other aspects.

This business of studying my comfort, for instance. I thought such things had gone out of fashion, but not so with Helen. It was brought home to me again as I walked into breakfast this morning. We had at last acquired a table -I had bought it at a farm sale and brought it home in triumph tied to the roof of my car - and now Helen had vacated the chair on which she used to sit at the bench and had taken over the high stool. She was perched away up there now, transporting her food from far below, while I was expected to sit comfortably in the chair. I don't think I'm a selfish swine but there was nothing I could do about it.

And there were other little things. The neat pile of clothing laid out for me each morning; the clean, folded shirt and handkerchief and socks so different from the jumble of my bachelor days. And when I was late for meals, which was often, she served me with my food but instead of going off and doing something else she would down tools and sit watching me while I ate. It made me feel like a sultan.

It was this last trait which gave me a clue to her behaviour. I suddenly remembered that I had seen her sitting by Mr Alderson while he had a late meal; sitting in the same pose, one arm on the table, quietly watching him. And I realized I was reaping the benefit of her lifetime attitude to her father. Mild little man though he was she had catered gladly to his every wish in the happy acceptance that the man of the house was number one; and the whole pattern was rubbingoff on me now.

In fact it set me thinking about the big question of how girls might be expected to behave after marriage. One old farmer giving advice about choosing a wife once said: 'Have a blooming good look at the mother first, lad', and I'm sure he had a point. But if I may throw in my own little word of counsel it would have to be to have a passing glance at how she acts towards her father.

Watching her now as she got down and started to serve my breakfast the warm knowledge flowed through me as it did so often that my wife was the sort who just liked looking after a man and that I was so very lucky.

And I was certainly blooming under the treatment. A bit too much, in fact, and I was aware I shouldn't be attacking this plateful of porridge and cream; especially with all that material sizzling in the frying pan. Helen had brought with her to Skelton House a delicious dowry of fish, and these hung from the beams of the barn in an impressive array of cold-smoked kippers; a constant temptation. Some samples were in the pan now, and though I had never been one for large breakfasts I did not object when she threw in a couple of large brown eggs for company.

8 All in all; what is the writer's attitude towards Helen?