1. Every year thousands of birds migrate to the U.S.A.
Migrate means that the birds ...
a. will live in the U.S.A. until they die
b. visit the U.S.A. as tourists
c. go to live in the U.S.A. for a while

2. The boat began to drift slowly away from the shore.
Another way to say to drift is ...
a. to sink
b. to wait
c. to move

3. I'm taking a correspondence course, so I don't have to go to any classes.
Correspondence means ...
a. learning how to use letters to write words
b. making different things similar to each other
c. communicating without being in direct contact

4. Except for Mary, no one else went to the party.
Except for tells us that ...
a. only Mary attended
b. Mary did not attend
c. only Mary did not attend

5. Because Kenji has to work and study, he is always exhausted.
Exhausted is a word that means ...
a. not working hard
b. being tired
c. liking to study

6. Jim and Alice quarrel every day, so they have decided not to get married.
Here, quarrel tells us that ...
a. they often get angry with each other
b. he will not pay for the wedding
c. she wants him to make more money

7. Jim says he's tired of studying Chinese and would like to study Japanese from now on.
Tired of means that ...
a. Japanese is more difficult than Chinese
b. he has been studying Chinese and Japanese
c. he no longer wants to study Chinese

8. "Stop whining and start enjoying life," said the father to his son.
Another word for whining is ...
a. drinking
b. complaining
c. playing

9. I was so absorbed in the novel that I didn't hear the door bell ring.
Here, absorbed means ...
a. not interested
b. the book was great
c. I fell asleep

10. The students' chattering made the teacher angry.
Chattering tells us that the students ...
a. did not do their homework
b. did their homework in class
c. were not listening but talking

11. "I don't listen to rock music," he said in an irritated voice.
Irritated means that he ...
a. loves rock 'n' roll
b. was angry
c. wants to dance

12. When he heard that his mother had died, he repeatedly asked if it were true.
Repeatedly lets us know that ...
a. he asked the same question again and again
b. she did not have to say something more than once
c. the question had to be answered by the asker

13. I tried and tried to study math when I was in college, but eventually gave up.
Another way to say eventually is ...
a. finally
b. on the second time
c. next time

14. I won't give you the answer to the problem, but I'll give you a hint.
Hint means to tell ...
a. everything
b. a little
c. nothing

15. The policeman grabbed the thief and took him to the police station.
Grabbed means that ...
a. the thief was captured
b. the policeman took something from the thief
c. they waited at the police station

16. I took a stroll along the river.
The word stroll tells us that the person went ...
a. to a place to sing
b. on a walk
c. swimming

17. He didn't like his boss, so he quit his job.
Quit could be changed to ...
a. gave up
b. enjoyed
c. worked a lot at

18. My problem is a lack of time and money.
A lack of means that I have ...
a. some time but no money
b. a bit of money but no time
c. no time and no money

19. It is bad manners to interrupt someone who is speaking.
Here, to interrupt means ...
a. to talk while someone is talking
b. to speak as soon as someone stops speaking
c. to pretend to listen until you can speak

20. It is not easy to raise our children.
To raise is the same as ...
a. to bring back to life
b. to bring up
c. to bring home

21. The Japanese are an industrious people who take few holidays.
The word industrious tells us that they ...
a. work hard
b. never take a break
c. have many factories

22. When he made a grammar mistake, the student was embarrassed.
Embarrassed is a way to say that he ...
a. felt bad because other people were there
b. will never make a mistake again in his life
c. will take only written exams in future

23. The old woman appreciated Jim's kindness: he helped her to cross the street.
Appreciated means that she ...
a. was thankful
b. got angry
c. said good-bye

24. The U.S. government is giving a big reward to anyone who can tell them where Bin Laden is.
Here, reward refers to ...
a. money
b. kiss
c. visa

25. The purpose of his visit to India was to meet a yogi who lives in the jungle.
Purpose is similar to ...
a. reason
b. a forest
c. meeting a guru

This is the time of year when the birds that first came to Kyoto from Siberia some fifteen years ago are due to reappear. I love to see these snow-white creatures flying above me against the heavy gray sky before the real snowflakes appear to tell us that winter has begun.

Three years ago I watched those birds with a broken heart. I had taken a Practical English Test that autumn. There was a listening comprehension test which included the topic of bird migration. As soon as I caught the words "migration of birds," a beautiful scene with white birds entered my mind, and my attention began to drift away. So I was quite sure that I had failed. As I looked blankly at the birds at the foot of the bridge, it was as though they were teasing me as they flew above my head. Fortunately, a postcard marked "success" was delivered to me a few weeks later. At that time, I had been fumbling in the dark trying to find a key to show me how to improve my English. How often I came to a standstill! When I was a student, I was disappointed to discover how poor my English was and that my ability in mastering a foreign language was quite limited.

After I got married the trouble was that I did not have enough time to study English. I was taking an English correspondence course, but often delayed sending in my test papers to the school. My daughters were five and two at the time. There was no one except me to do the housework and take care of them. The younger one was always around me while the older one was in kindergarten during the morning. I used to be exhausted at night which was the time when I was supposed to be studying. I wanted to study in the daytime, but a few children, sometimes more, were often playing in the small house. Even though they were upstairs, the noise carried downstairs. They sang, jumped, ran, and quarreled.

When my younger daughter didn't join the others, she soon tired of being alone and asked me to play with her. If I said, "No," she began whining and wouldn't stop. So, I sometimes studied in the morning when my family was still sleeping. But being an "early bird" was hard work.

It once happened that I had to send the regular examination paper to the school within a couple of days. As my younger child was looking at a picture book upstairs by herself, I thought it was a good chance to finish the task. Several minutes later I had become absorbed in it when I heard the patter of little feet. My daughter came to me with a picture book in her hand and said, "Mommy, look at this page. The rabbit is so cute. What is she doing?"

"She is crying," I answered simply.

"Why? Why is she crying? Oh, your book has a picture, too! What's this? Can I see?"

Her chattering sounded endless. Then I told her in an irritated voice, "Be quiet, or go upstairs." But, she just kept sitting beside me and repeating her questions. Eventually I threw the pencil in my hand against the wall and shouted, "Shut up! Don't you understand what I am saying! Can't you see that I am studying? I told you to go away. So, why don't you?"

She stopped talking and gazed at me. She seemed about to burst into tears, but she bit her lip and just kept on staring at me. For a moment I saw a hint of fear in her eyes. Fear of her own mother! She was completely at a loss and looked very sad. Suddenly, I grabbed her hand and took her out of the house.

It was autumn outside. Yellow ginkgoes and red maples were rustling among the dark green pine trees. A narrow street covered with colorful falling leaves led us to a quiet temple where a few tourists were enjoying a stroll. Walking in the cool, fresh air with my daughter, I found that her hand was tiny, tender, and very warm. She was humming her favorite song. And so was I.

I wondered if it would have been better to quit studying and to dedicate all of my time to raising my children, if I wasn't to have trouble with them. Or perhaps I should have just told them not to interrupt me whenever I was involved in studying English. However, I could choose neither alternative, and I have spent three years complaining about my lack of free time and the small progress I have made in learning English.

My daughters are now old enough to understand that studying is a part of my life. When the younger one speaks to me, the industrious student, the older one tells her, "Be quiet, Mommy is studying!" Quite honestly, I am embarrassed every time I hear it.

I appreciate their concern and at the same time, I cannot help asking myself, "Are you doing your duty as a mother? Do you ever reward them for their kindness?"

I can't answer these questions, and I doubt that I will be able to in the future. But there is something I do believe. My daughters will always have an example of what it means to have a purpose in life.

1. The author thought she had failed the examination because ...
a. she likes the white Siberian birds
b. a few birds flew into the classroom
c. she had been daydreaming

2. It was difficult for the author to continue to study English after she got married because ...
a. she had too many children who were in kindergarten at the time
b. she was busy with housework and had to look after two small children
c. she was poor at English and so she had to read everything twice

3. The episode in the story tells us that the author is ...
a. sensitive, reflective, and caring towards her children
b. a bad mother who is always thinking only of herself
c. someone who never studied hard while she was at university

4. Housewives who study English after getting married are bad ...
a. if they cannot give enough love and attention to their children
b. when they do not study hard but go to karaoke or pachinko
c. if, after studying all night, they fall asleep during the examination

This is the time of year when the birds that first came to Kyoto from Siberia some fifteen ears ago are due to reappear. I love to sea these snow-white creatures frying above I against the heavy gray sky before the real snowflakes appear to tell us that winter has began.

Three years ago i watched those bird with broken heart. I had taken a Practical English Test that autumn. There was a listening comprehension test which included the topic of bird migration. As soon as I caught the words "migration of birds," a beautiful scene with white birds entered my mind, and my atention began to drift away. So I was quiet sure that I had failed. As I looked blankly at the birds at the foot of the blidge, it was as though they were teasing me as they flew above my head. Fortunately, a postcard marked "success" was delivered to me few weeks later. At that time, I had been fumbling in the dark trying to find a key to show me how to improve my English. How often I came to a standstill. When I was a student, I was disappointed to discover how poor my English was and that my ability in mastering a forein language was quite limited.

After I got marryed the trouble was that I did not have enouph time to study English. I was takeing an English correspondence course, but often delayed sending in my test papers to the school. My daughters were five and tow at the time. There was no one except me to do the house work and takes care of them. The younger one was allways around me while the older one was in kindergarten during the morning. I used to be exhausted at night which was the time when I am supposed to be studying. I wanted to study in the daytime, but a few children, sometimes more, were often playing in the small house. Even though they were upstairs, the noise carried dawnstairs. They sang, jumped, run, and quarreled.

When my younger daughter didn't join the others, she soon tired of being arone and asked me to play with her. If I said, "No," she began whining and wouldn't stop. So, I sometimes studied in the morning when my family was still sleeping. but being an "early bird" was hard work.

It once happened that I had to sent the regular examination paper to the school within a couples of days. As my younger child was looking at a picture book upstairs on herself, I thought it was a good chance to finish the task. Several minutes later I had become absorbed in it when I hered the patter of little feets. My daughter came to me with a picture book in her hand and said, "Mommy, look at this page. The rabbit is so kute. What is she doing?"

"She is crying" I answered simply.

"Why? Why is she crying. Oh, your book have a picture, to! What's this? Can I see?"

Her chattering sounded endless. Then I told she in an irritated voice, "Be quiet, or go upstairs." But, she just kept siting beside me and repeeting her questions. Eventually I threw the pencil in my hand against the wall and shouted, "Shut up! Don't you understand what I am saying! Can't you see that I am studying? I told you to go away. So, why don't you?"

She stoped talking and gazed at me. She seemed about to burst into tear, but she bit her lip and just kept on stareing at me. For a moment I saw a hint of fear in her eyes. Fear of her owns mother! She was complete at a loss and looked very sad. Suddenly, I grabbed her hand and took her out of the house.

It was autumn outside. Yellow ginkgoes and red maples were rustling among the dark green pine trees. A narrow street covered with colorfull falling leaves led us to a quiet temple where a few tourist were enjoying a stroll. Walking in the cool, fresh air with my daughter, I found that her hand was tiny, tender, and very warm. She was huming her favorite song. And so was I.

I wondered if it would have been better to quit studying and to dedicate all of my time to raising my children, if I wasn't to have trouble with them. Or perhaps I should have just told them not to interupt me whenever I was involve in studying English. However, I could choose neither alternative, and I have spent three year complaining about my lack of free time and the small progress I have make in learning English.

My daughters are now old enough to understand that studying is a part of my life. When the younger one speak to me, the industrious student, the older one tells her, "Be quiet, Mommy is studying!" Quite honestly, I embarrassed every time I heard it.

I appreciate their concern and at the same time, I cannot help asking myself, "Are you doing your duty as a mother? Do you ever reward they for their kindness?"

I can't answer these question, and I doubt that I will be able in the future. But there are something I do believe. My daughters will always have a example of what it mean to have a purpose in life.

次の質問に答えましょう。

1. What is your opinion of housewives who work after marriage?

2. Would you agree that the author is a good mother? Say why or why not.