Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

Pliny the Elder (b. Gaius Plinius Secundus, AD 23 79) was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, a naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and friend of the emperor Vespasian.

Spending most of his spare time studying, writing, and investigating natural and geographic phenomena in the field, Pliny wrote the encyclopedic "Naturalis Historia" ("Natural History"), which became an editorial model for encyclopedias. His nephew, Pliny the Younger, wrote of him in a letter to the historian Tacitus:

Pliny the Younger refers to Tacitus's reliance upon his uncle's book, the "History of the German Wars". Pliny the Elder died in AD 79, while attempting the rescue, by ship, of a friend and his family, in Stabiae, from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which already had destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The wind caused by the sixth and largest pyroclastic surge of the volcano's eruption did not allow his ship to leave port, and Pliny probably died during that event.

Pliny's dates are pinned to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 and a statement of his nephew that he died in his 56th year, which would put his birth

Pliny was the son of an equestrian, Gaius Plinius Celer, and his wife, Marcella. Neither the younger nor the elder Pliny mention the names. Their ultimate source is a fragmentary inscription (CIL V 1 3442) found in a field in Verona and recorded by the 16th century Augustinian monk Onofrio Panvinio at Verona. The reading of the inscription depends on the reconstruction, but in all cases the names come through. Whether he was an augur and whether she was named Grania Marcella are less certain. Jean Hardouin presents a statement from an unknown source that he claims was ancient, that Pliny was from Verona and that his parents were Celer and Marcella. Hardouin also cites the conterraneity (see below) of Catullus.

1. who was friends with the emperor?
2. what was his real name?
3. who was his dad?
4. and mom?
5. how did he spend his spare time?
6. anything else?
7. what was his nephews name?
8. what did the elder write?
9. how did he die?
10. when did he die?
11. why couldnt his ship leave the port?
12. who did the younger write a letter to?
13. what was it about?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. Pliny the Elder
2. Gaius Plinius Secundus
3. Gaius Plinius Celer,
4. Marcella
5. studying
6. Yes
7. Pliny the Younger
8. Naturalis Historia
9. the eruption of Mount Vesuvius
10. AD 79
11. The wind caused by Mount Vesuvius
12. Tacitus
13. Tacitus's reliance upon his uncle's book

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

How do you feel when you stay in hospital alone? Jenny, 13, a US student, feels bored. She knows the feeling because she has been in hospital many times herself. One day, she thought of an idea--if patients could get some books to read, they would feel better. So, from May, she and many of her friends began to collect books for hospital patients. In six months the students collected 1,250 books at school. They decided to donate the books to the North Shore Medical Centre, a children's hospital next door to their school. "There are books for kids of all ages, from babies up to high school level." said Jenny. The students put the books into "early readers", "middle readers" and "advanced readers". Then they wrote their best wishes to patients on bookmarks and letters, put the books in big boxes and donated them to the hospital. "We wrote things like, "Keep on reading!' and 'Hope you feel better!," said John, 14, Jenny's brother. "And we also wrote some funny things to make them laugh." Frank, 12, and Steven, 14, helped carry 16 large boxes of books into a car. "I think these books will make me a lot of patients feel happy." said Frank. Steven shared his opinion. "It is really the most meaningful thing that I have ever done in my life."

1. who feels bored ?
2. how old is she ?
3. what did the the students collect ?
4. how long did it take ?
5. how many books ?
6. who were they for ?
7. who is jennys brother ?
8. how old is frank ?
9. who did they wrote their best wishes too ?
10. how many large boxes was it ?
11. who carried them ?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. Jenny
2. 13
3. books
4. six months
5. 1,250
6. hospital patients
7. John
8. 12
9. patients
10. 16
11. Frank and Steven

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

Jack Brown, an office worker, lives in Washington. He inherited a million dollars when he was 23, but he wasn't happy at all.When his college friends were looking for their jobs, he didn't have to. Jack decided to keep living a simple life like everyone else. He gave $ 10,000 of his money to a charity to help poor children live a happy life. Today he is 36. He still wears cheap shoes and clothes and drives a small car only, but he is very happy. Up to now Jack has helped some children from poor countries all over the world, by sending them each $200 a month. The money is used for the children's study, food, medicine and clothing. Jack receives a report each year on the children's progress They can write to each other, but usually the children do not speak English. When Jack first heard about these children, he wanted to help them. "It was nothing special,"he said."Until I went to these countries and met the children I was helping, I didn't know anything about their life." Once Jack went to meet a little girl in Africa, he said that the meeting was very exciting. "When I met her, I felt very,very happy,"he said."And I saw that the money was _ . It brought me happiness. I want to do everything I can to go on helping these children."

1. What is jack's occupation?
2. how old is he?
3. when did he inherit money?
4. how much did he get?
5. did it make him happy?
6. what decision did he make?
7. does he drive an expensive car?
8. do his cheap shoes make him sad?
9. How much of his money did he originally donate?
10. what does he do every month?
11. who?
12. where are they from?
13. what is the money used for?
14. anything else?
15. was it used for education?
16. do the children often speak English?
17. prior ot meeting any of the children, what was Jack's attitude towards helping them>
18. how did hefeel after meeting the little African girl?
19. did it ispire him to keep helping?
20. Does he follow their progress?

Numbered answers:

A:
1. an office worker
2. 36
3. when he was 23
4. a million dollars
5. No
6. to keep living a simple life
7. No
8. No
9. $ 10,000
10. sending them each $200
11. some children
12. poor countries
13. medicine and clothing
14. food
15. Yes
16. No
17. It was nothing special
18. very,very happy
19. Yes
20. Yes