ACME
08-10-2010, 09:10 PM
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THE BRITISH MENTALITY
Although I had stayed in England for over a year, it was
difficult for me to understand the British mentality. Traveling
to the office everyday by train, I watched people concealing
their faces behind newspaper. They rarely conversed with
each other, occasionally lifting their eyebrows to look at their
fellow passengers. But when I started a conversation under
the pretext of the weather I found many had a natural gift for
gossip.
VOCABULARY
DEFINITIONS
Mentality: Mind
To conceal: To hide
To converse: To talk
Occasionally: Seldom, rarely
To lift: To raise
Pretext: Excuse/ false reason
Gift: Talent, skill
Gossip: Friendly chat
> EXERCISES
Complete the sentences with a suitable form of the words
defined above
1. Maggie crossed the room, .................. the lid of the pot and sniffed
at the contents.
2. Under the ...................of wanting to return a pen which she had
left behind, I visited her.
3. It turned out that Jane had inherited a natural ...................for music.
4. They were .................. intimately, opening up their private problems to
each other with a freedom well beyond the usual.
5. Paul confesses his doubts such as he would have.................... from
anyone he did not trust absolutely.
READING COMPREHENSION
1. The writer was quite surprised
A) as he could understand the British mind
B) because almost noone on the train was talking to each other
C) since most people were reading newspaper
D) after he saw people traveling by train
E) when he saw the British way of life.
2. Using the excuse of the weather
A) doesn't work all the time
B) is how one can get the British to talk
C) is good for gossiping about nature
D) requires natural gift for gossip
E) makes it easy to change the subject.
3. It can be inferred from the passage that
A) people in England cover their faces with a newspaper
B) .the British do not look at anybody in the train
C) the British are in fact have a tendency to talking
D) Englishmen always read something
E) the writer wanted to stay for another year.
I hope you found this passage interesting and informative . Thanks to all
.
THE BRITISH MENTALITY
Although I had stayed in England for over a year, it was
difficult for me to understand the British mentality. Traveling
to the office everyday by train, I watched people concealing
their faces behind newspaper. They rarely conversed with
each other, occasionally lifting their eyebrows to look at their
fellow passengers. But when I started a conversation under
the pretext of the weather I found many had a natural gift for
gossip.
VOCABULARY
DEFINITIONS
Mentality: Mind
To conceal: To hide
To converse: To talk
Occasionally: Seldom, rarely
To lift: To raise
Pretext: Excuse/ false reason
Gift: Talent, skill
Gossip: Friendly chat
> EXERCISES
Complete the sentences with a suitable form of the words
defined above
1. Maggie crossed the room, .................. the lid of the pot and sniffed
at the contents.
2. Under the ...................of wanting to return a pen which she had
left behind, I visited her.
3. It turned out that Jane had inherited a natural ...................for music.
4. They were .................. intimately, opening up their private problems to
each other with a freedom well beyond the usual.
5. Paul confesses his doubts such as he would have.................... from
anyone he did not trust absolutely.
READING COMPREHENSION
1. The writer was quite surprised
A) as he could understand the British mind
B) because almost noone on the train was talking to each other
C) since most people were reading newspaper
D) after he saw people traveling by train
E) when he saw the British way of life.
2. Using the excuse of the weather
A) doesn't work all the time
B) is how one can get the British to talk
C) is good for gossiping about nature
D) requires natural gift for gossip
E) makes it easy to change the subject.
3. It can be inferred from the passage that
A) people in England cover their faces with a newspaper
B) .the British do not look at anybody in the train
C) the British are in fact have a tendency to talking
D) Englishmen always read something
E) the writer wanted to stay for another year.
I hope you found this passage interesting and informative . Thanks to all
.