English Base

Test 015

Reading Practice: Learning to Swim

Reading Text

The water felt cool at the edge of the pool. Six adults stood near the wall and held the metal rail. Marta watched the others and waited for the teacher. She was thirty-four years old and she could not swim.

The teacher gave every person a light plastic board. It was easy to hold, so Marta kicked with both legs. She moved only a metre, because her legs were heavy. After that, the teacher asked her to breathe evenly, not fast. She counted her breaths and her body became calmer.

Then the group moved to the deep part of the pool. The water was cold and she could not see the floor. Marta looked down into it and stopped at once. The teacher stayed beside her and spoke quietly. He told her to look at the wall, not at the water.

Slowly, she swam across the whole pool for the first time. Her arms ached, but she laughed at the side. After the lesson, she wanted to come back next week.

Comprehension Test

Question 1. Where were the adults standing at the start of the lesson?

✗ IncorrectThe text says they stood "near the wall", not out in the middle of the pool.

✓ Correct"Six adults stood near the wall and held the metal rail" — this is exactly where they were.

✗ IncorrectThey were already in the water and felt it was cool, so they were not outside the pool.

✗ IncorrectThe group only went to the deep part later, in the third paragraph.

Question 2. What did Marta do before the lesson began?

✓ Correct"Marta watched the others and waited for the teacher" — she did not do anything else.

✗ IncorrectShe could not swim and she waited, so she did not jump into the pool.

✗ IncorrectThe text never says she spoke about her fear; the teacher saw how she moved.

✗ IncorrectShe started kicking only after the teacher gave her a board.

Question 3. What did the teacher give each adult?

✗ IncorrectThere is no rope in the text; the only thing he handed out was the board.

✗ IncorrectThe rail was part of the pool and the adults held it; nobody received it.

✗ IncorrectThe board was "light" and made of plastic, so it was not heavy and not wooden.

✓ Correct"The teacher gave every person a light plastic board." The word "every" includes Marta.

Question 4. Why did Marta move only a metre?

✗ IncorrectThe board was easy to hold and its size was not a problem for her.

✓ Correct"She moved only a metre, because her legs were heavy" — that is the reason the text gives.

✗ IncorrectThe water is described as cool at the edge too, and cold only later in the deep part.

✗ IncorrectHe did not stop her; right after that he gave her advice about breathing.

Question 5. What did the teacher ask her to do after that?

✗ IncorrectThe deep part came later, as a step for the whole group, not as his first advice.

✗ IncorrectShe counted her breaths, not her kicks, and she did it quietly for herself.

✓ Correct"The teacher asked her to breathe evenly, not fast" — and she counted her breaths.

✗ IncorrectThe text only says that the board was "easy to hold"; the teacher's advice was about breathing, and nothing is said about lifting the board above her head.

Question 6. How did Marta feel after she counted her breaths?

✓ Correct"She counted her breaths and her body became calmer" — the breathing helped her.

✗ IncorrectShe was not tired at that moment; her tiredness came at the very end, after the swim.

✗ IncorrectShe followed his advice, and nothing in the text shows her angry with him.

✗ IncorrectThe board was easy to hold and she was not afraid of it.

Question 7. What made Marta stop at the deep part of the pool?

✗ IncorrectHer arms ached only at the end of the lesson, after she crossed the pool.

✗ IncorrectThe teacher did not ask anyone to wait; he stayed beside Marta after she stopped.

✗ IncorrectShe still had her board with her; losing it is never mentioned.

✓ Correct"She could not see the floor. Marta looked down into it and stopped at once" — the deep water frightened her.

Question 8. What did the teacher tell her to do in the deep water?

✗ IncorrectThe rail was at the edge of the pool and he said nothing about holding it there.

✗ IncorrectHe did not send her back; he stayed beside her and gave her one simple idea.

✓ Correct"He told her to look at the wall, not at the water" — this helped her keep going.

✗ IncorrectHe had asked her for even breathing, not fast breathing, so this is the opposite of his advice.

Question 9. What does "ached" mean in "Her arms ached"?

✗ IncorrectThe arms had just worked hard for a long swim, so they were not moving fast.

✓ CorrectAfter her first full swim her arms hurt from the work: "her arms ached, but she laughed".

✗ IncorrectThe word "but" shows a problem next to her laughing, not a gain in strength.

✗ IncorrectWet arms are normal in a pool, but the word describes the feeling after hard work.

Question 10. What is the best conclusion about Marta at the end?

✗ IncorrectThe opposite is true: "she wanted to come back next week".

✗ IncorrectShe did cross it: "she swam across the whole pool for the first time".

✗ IncorrectShe is still a learner here; nothing shows her planning to teach anyone.

✓ Correct"Her arms ached, but she laughed at the side" and she "wanted to come back next week".
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