Exercise 2: Read the paragraph below. Then do the tasks that follow.

                Louis Braille was born in 1809 in Coupvray. He was a French teacher of the blind. He himself was blind from the age of thee. In 1818 he was a foundling (trẻ bỏ rơi) in the National Institute for the Young Blind in Paris (NIYBP). Soon showing marked ability in both science and music, he became famous in Paris as an organist and violoncellist. In 1826 Braille began teaching the blind in the institute. Braille is known for his idea modifying the Barrier “point writing” system, used for coded army messages, to enable the blind to read. Point writing consists of dots and dashes on cardboard; the Braille system derived from it is used successfully today in many countries.

Task 1: Match one word in A with its definition in B.

Task 2: Decide whether the statements below are true (T) or false (F).

1. _________       Louis Braille was an engineer.

2. _________       Braille was blind in 1812.

3. _________       Braille studied sciences and music well.

4. _________       Braille invented the Barrier point writing system.

5. _________       The Braille system was used in the French army.

Task 3: Answer the questions.

1. When and where was Louis Braille born?

> ……………..................................................................

2. When did he begin teaching the blind in NIYBP?

> ……………..................................................................

3. What did the Braille system derive from?

> ……………..................................................................

4. What was used for coded army messages?

> ……………..................................................................

5. What does the Barrier point writing system consist of?

> ……………..................................................................

Louis Braille (1)........ in 1809 in Coupvray. He was a French (2).... of blind. He himself was blind from the age of three and in 1818 he went to the National Institute for the Young Blind in Paris. Soon showing marked ability in both science and (3)....... ,he became famous in Paris an organist and violoncellist. In 1826 Braille bega the (4)......blind in institute. Braille is known for his idea of modifying the Barbier "point writing" system, used for coded army messages to enable the blind to read. Point writing consists of embossed dots and dashes on cardboard; the Braille system derived from it is used (5)......today, in slightly modified form, and (6) ......countries. many

IV. READING COMPREHENSION

A. Choose the one option - a, b, c or d - that best fits each of the num ­bared blank.

Louis Braille was born in 1809 in Coupvray. He was a French (1) .................. of the blind. He (2) …................ was blind from the age of three, and in 1818 he went to the National Institute for the Young Blind in Paris. Soon showing marked (3) .................... in both science and music, he became famous in Paris as an organist and violoncellist. In 1826 Braille began teaching the blind in the school . Braille is known for his idea of (4) .................... the Briberies “point writing” system , used for coded army messages, to enable the blind to read. Point writing consists of embossed dots and dashes on cardboard; the Braille system (10) ................... from it is used successfully today, in slightly modified form, and in many countries.

1. a. designer                        b. doctor                           c. teacher                          d. lawyer

2. a. who                               b. whom                           c. himself                          d. for himself

3. a. activity                         b. ability                           c. intelligence                   d. determination

4. a. expressing                     b. learning                        c. bringing                        d. modifying

5. a. made                             b. taken                            c. done                             d. derived

Read the passage and choose the best answers :

Louis Braille was born in France in 1809 . His father had a small business . He made shoes and other things from leather . Louis liked to help his father in the store even when he was very small . One day when Louis was 3 years old , he was cutting some leather , suddenly the knife slipped and hit him in the eyes . He soon became completely blind .

When he was ten years old , he entered the National Institute for the blind in Paris . One day his class went to visit a speacial exhibit by a captain in the army . One thing in the exhibit was very interesting for Louis . It showed messages in code . Armies send messages in secret codes so no - one else can read them . The captain wrote this code in raised letters on very thick paper .

Louis thought a lot about this code . Then he decided to write in the same way so the blind could " read " with their fingers . It is very difficult to feel the differences between raised letters . Instead of letters , Louis used a " cell " of six dots . He arranged the dots with two dots across and three down . So blind people can read and write even write music by Braille .

1 . It is difficult to feel the differences between ................................

A . arrangements of dots

B . coded messages

C . raised letters

D . a system of raised dots

2 . Louis Braille's father made things from .............................

A . codes

B . exhibit

C. leather

D . wood

3 . Which of these sentences is probably not true ?

A . Braille invented a system of reading for blind people .

B . Braille system is used for everyone .

C . Braille visited an exhibit of codes

D . Braille was an intelligent boy .

4 . When Louis was ten years old , he began to study ......................................

A . at a local school

B . at a special school for the blind .

C . in the army

D . at a university .

The New York Institution for the blind was (1).............in 1831, about five years after Louis Braille had developed system of writing for the (2)...........It was one of the first schools in the United States to provide an (3)............program for children who were blind or mentally impaired. Early in the twentieth century the name was (4)............to The New York Institute for Special Education to better reflect the program's expanded focus and commitment to children with a variety of (5).............

1.a.discovered b.founded c.located d.provided

2.a.deaf b.blind c.mute d.disable

3.a.educated b.educating c.education d.educational

4.a.renamed b.adjusted c.changed d.developed

5.a.impairments b.injuries c.handicaps d.disabilities

Choose the correct words to complete the passage .

The New York Institution for the Blind was ( 1) ............... in 1831 , about five years after Louis Braille had developed system of writing for the ( 2 ) ............... . It was one of the first schools in the United States to provide an ( 3 ) ............... program for children who were blind or ( 4 ) .................. impaired .

1. A . discovered B . founded C . located D . provided

2. A . deaf B . blind C . mute D . disabled

3. A . educated B . educating C . education D. educational

4. A . visually B . mentally C . hearing D . badly

HELP ME !!!!!!!!!!

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), who wrote under the pseudonym of O. Henry, was born in North Carolina. His only formal education was to attend his Aunt Lina’s school until the age of fifteen, where he developed his lifelong love of books. By 1881 he was a licensed pharmacist. However, within a year, on the recommendation of a medical colleague of his Father’s, Porter moved to La Salle County in Texas for two years herding sheep. During this time, Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary was his constant companion, and Porter gained a knowledge of ranch life that he later incorporated into many of his short stories. He then moved to Austin for three years, and during this time the first recorded use of his pseudonym appeared, allegedly derived from his habit of calling “Oh, Henry” to a family cat. In 1887, Porter married Athol Estes. He worked as a draftsman, then as a bank teller for the First National Bank.

In 1894 Porter founded his own humor weekly, the “Rolling Stone”, a venture that failed within a year, and later wrote a column for the Houston Daily Post. In the meantime, the First National Bank was examined, and the subsequent indictment of 1886 stated that Porter had embezzled funds. Porter then fled to New Orleans, and later to Honduras, leaving his wife and child in Austin. He returned in 1897 because of his wife’s continued ill-health, however she died six months later. Then, in 1898 Porter was found guilty and sentenced to five years imprisonment in Ohio. At the age of thirty five, he entered prison as a defeated man; he had lost his job, his home, his wife, and finally his freedom. He emerged from prison three years later, reborn as O. Henry, the pseudonym he now used to hide his true identity. He wrote at least twelve stories in jail, and after re-gaining his freedom, went to New York City, where he published more than 300 stories and gained fame as America’s favorite short Story writer. Porter married again in 1907, but after months of poor health, he died in New York City at the age of forty-eight in 1910. O. Henry’s stories have been translated all over the world.

According to the passage, Porter’s Father was ___________.

A. the person who gave him a life-long love of books

B. a medical doctor

C. a licensed pharmacist

D. responsible for his move to La Salle County in Texas

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), who wrote under the pseudonym of O. Henry, was born in North Carolina. His only formal education was to attend his Aunt Lina’s school until the age of fifteen, where he developed his lifelong love of books. By 1881 he was a licensed pharmacist. However, within a year, on the recommendation of a medical colleague of his Father’s, Porter moved to La Salle County in Texas for two years herding sheep. During this time, Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary was his constant companion, and Porter gained a knowledge of ranch life that he later incorporated into many of his short stories. He then moved to Austin for three years, and during this time the first recorded use of his pseudonym appeared, allegedly derived from his habit of calling “Oh, Henry” to a family cat. In 1887, Porter married Athol Estes. He worked as a draftsman, then as a bank teller for the First National Bank.

In 1894 Porter founded his own humor weekly, the “Rolling Stone”, a venture that failed within a year, and later wrote a column for the Houston Daily Post. In the meantime, the First National Bank was examined, and the subsequent indictment of 1886 stated that Porter had embezzled funds. Porter then fled to New Orleans, and later to Honduras, leaving his wife and child in Austin. He returned in 1897 because of his wife’s continued ill-health, however she died six months later. Then, in 1898 Porter was found guilty and sentenced to five years imprisonment in Ohio. At the age of thirty five, he entered prison as a defeated man; he had lost his job, his home, his wife, and finally his freedom. He emerged from prison three years later, reborn as O. Henry, the pseudonym he now used to hide his true identity. He wrote at least twelve stories in jail, and after re-gaining his freedom, went to New York City, where he published more than 300 stories and gained fame as America’s favorite short Story writer. Porter married again in 1907, but after months of poor health, he died in New York City at the age of forty-eight in 1910. O. Henry’s stories have been translated all over the world.

Why did the author write the passage?

A. to outline the career of a famous AmericanB. because of his fame as America’s favorite short story writer

B. because of his fame as America’s favorite short story writer

C. because it is a tragic story of a gifted writer

D. to outline the influences on O. Henry’s writing