I. Read the text and decide whether the following sentences are true or false, Mark the sentences ‘t’ (true), or ‘f (false). 1. Mrs. Foster was a particularly nervous woman.
2. When Mrs. Foster was nervous she would begin to twitch.
3. Mr. Foster didn't know anything about his wife's state.
4. When they were to go somewhere Mr. Foster used to make his wife wait.
5. Mr. Foster didn't have disciplined his wife for anything.
6. Mr. Foster always drove his wife into hysterics.
II. Put the sentences in the correct order in accordance with the context of the text. 1. It was really extraordinary how in certain people a simple apprehension about a thing like
catching a train can grow into a serious obsession.
2. He had disciplined her too well for that.
3. In other respects, she was not a particularly nervous woman.
4. All her life Mrs. Foster had had an almost pathological fear o f missing a train, a plane, a boat or
even a theatre curtain.
5. And one thing he must have known - that she would never dare to call out and tell him to hurry.
6. Mind you, it is by no means certain that this is what he did, yet whenever they were to go
somewhere, his timing was so accurate -just a minute or two late, you understand - and his manner
so bland that it was hard to believe he wasn't purposely indicting a nasty private little torture o f his
own on the unhappy lady.
III. Complete the following sentences in accordance with the text. 1. The mere thought o f being late on occasions like these would throw her into such a state of
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nerves that s h e ___ .
a) would begin to cry.
b) was babbling on the verge o f hysteria.
c) would begin to twitch d) was always trying to stir up scandal.
2. It was nothing much - just a tiny muscle in the comer o f the left eye, like a secret wink - but the
annoying thing was th a t___ until an hour or so after the train or plane or whatever it was had been
safely caught.
a) it still hurt quite badly
b) it refused to disappear
c) her face twitched violently
d) her husband teased her mercilessly
3. It w a s___ how in certain people a simple apprehension about a thing like catching a tra in ___ .
a) really extraordinary, can bring a wealth o f experience
b) absolutely ridiculous, can cause serious dissent
c) really strange, can grow into a serious mania
d) quite understandable, can grow into a serious obsession
4. Mrs. Foster would flutter and fidget about from room to room until her husband, who must have
been well aware o f her state, fin ally ___.
a) came out and suggested their going
b) emerged from his privacy and suggested in a cool dry voice that perhaps they had better
get going nowhere
c) spoke from his room in a loud voice that it was high time to leave
d) brought his wife her hat, and coat and gloves and suggested that they had better get going
now
5. Mr. Foster may p o ssib ly ___ this foolishness o f his wife, but he could have had _ _ increasing
her misery by keeping her waiting unnecessarily.
a) be intimidated by, no right to
b) have had a right to be irritated by, no reason for
c) have had a big worry about, no excuse for
d) have had a right to laugh at, no excuse for
6. And one thing he must have known - that she would never ___.
a) miss the train
b) dare to keep him waiting unnecessary
c) dare utter a word o f reproach
d) dare to call out and tell him to hurry