Exercises
A. Determining the main idea.
Choose the best answer. Do not refer to the text.
The main idea of the text is that ________.( D )
(a) after forty luckless days, the boy left the old fisherman and went to a lucky boat
(b) though the boy was made to leave the old man, he still went to help him
(c) the old man talked about his problems with the boy and made preparations to go out to sea
(d) the old man talked about better days and baseball to the boy and was ready to go far out to sea by himself
B. Comprehending the text.
Choose the best answer.
1. When the boy left the old man and stayed with a lucky boat, ________.( C )
(a) the old man was very angry because he had taught the boy to fish
(b) he doubted the ability of the old man
(c) he was unwilling but had to obey his parents’ orders
(d) he wanted to make some money
2. No one had any more faith in the old man except ________.( D )
(a) the boy
(b) the old man himself
(c) the boy's father
(d) the boy and the old man himself
3. When the boy bought a beer for the old man, he wanted ________.( B )
(a) the old man to forgive him
(b) to serve the old man in some way
(c) to go and fish with the old man
(d) to encourage the old man
4. The man in the lucky boat did not like to work too far out because ________.( A )
(a) he was almost blind
(b) he didn't have much faith in himself
(c) he was a strange man
(d) he never went turtle-ing
5. The photograph of the old man's wife was removed from the wall and placed on the shelf. This shows that ________.( B )
(a) the boy tried to make the old man forget his sorrow
(b) the old man didn't want to feel too lonely
(c) the old man didn't want the photograph to be damaged
(d) the old man tried to face his loneliness
6. When the boy returned to the old man's shack for the second time, the old man was ________.( A )
(a) still sleeping
(b) reading a newspaper
(c) cooking the meal
(d) preparing sardines
7. The old man was grateful to Martin for ________.( C )
(a) the gift of the belly meat of a big fish
(b) his encouraging words
(c) the food he had offered
(d) the beer in cans
8. When the old man said, "I hope no fish will come along so great that he will prove us wrong," he meant that ________.( D )
(a) he didn't want to fight great fish
(b) he doubted his ability to fight great fish
(c) he didn't want great fish to appear when he went fishing
(d) he hoped he could defeat any great fish he might meet
9. At the end of the section, the old man dreamed of ________.( D )
(a) his past glories
(b) his wife
(c) the boy
(d) the lions on the beach
10. The old man as described in the text is all of the following except ________.( D )
(a) cheerful and undefeated
(b) aged and lonely
(c) confident and wise
(d) feeble and pitiable
C. Understanding vocabulary.
Choose the correct definition according to the context.
1. The sail was patched with flour sacks and furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat. ( A )
(a) lasting forever
(b) temporary
(c) desperate
(d) thorough
2. The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck. ( A )
(a) raw-boned
(b) tall
(c) worn
(d) short
3. The old man leaned the mask with its wrapped sail against the wall. ( D )
(a) bumped
(b) put
(c) nailed
(d) rested
4. Once there had been a tinted photograph of his wife on the wall. ( C )
(a) beautiful
(b) black-and-white
(c) slightly colored
(d) big
5. I wanted to take him fishing but I was too timid to ask him. ( A )
(a) afraid
(b) tired
(c) hurried
(d) bold
6. "Thank you," the old man said. He was too simple to wonder when he had attained humility. ( A )
(a) the quality of being humble
(b) the quality of being thoughtful
(c) the quality of being wise
(d) the quality of being philosophical
7. They walked up the road together to the old man's shack. ( D )
(a) attic
(b) skiff
(c) cottage
(d) small hut
8. His hope and his confidence had never gone. But now they were freshening as when the breeze rises. ( B )
(a) lessening
(b) becoming stronger
(c) going
(d) freezing
9. If you hook something truly big, we can come to your aid. ( A )
(a) help
(b) need
(c) boat
(d) hand
10. A picture in color of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and another of the Virgin of Cobre were relics of his wife. ( A )
(a) things kept in remembrance
(b) favorites
(c) ornaments
(d) remains
11. I know many tricks and I have resolution. ( A )
(a) determination
(b) plans
(c) confidence
(d) experience
D. Discussing the following topics.
1. Did other fishermen understand the old man? Explain.
No. In the eyes of the fishermen, it was disgraceful not to catch any fish. Santiago had gone 84 days without taking a fish. Many of the fishermen
made fun of them. Others,the older fishermen, looked at him and were sad though they didn't show it. They did not know that the old man was a man of strong will.
2. Discuss the friendship between the old man and the boy.
The old man and the boy loved each other deeply. The boy understood the old man and tried his best to help him. He trusted the old man. At the same time, the old man regarded the boy as one who understood him. The old man knew that it was the boy's family that did not allow the boy to go fishing with him. The relationship between the two was friendly, tender and touching.
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