5. When he arrived, his wife wasn't there. a. in home d. home b. at home e. by home c. to home ANS: D

Transcription

1 BIH FEDERATION ENGLISH COMPETITION 2010 organized by BOSNA SEMA EDUCATIONAL INSTUTITIONS MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. We're going to meet them the airport. a. at d. in b. to e. from c. on 2. My father's not here. He to his office. a. go d. was gone b. gone e. has gone c. was ANS: E 3. Which postcard you? a. she sent d. was she sent b. did she send e. she sent to c. did she sent 4. I read when I was six. a. can d. use to b. have to e. knew c. could 5. When he arrived, his wife wasn't there. a. in home d. home b. at home e. by home c. to home 6. I think that somebody in the accident. a. was death d. was died b. dead e. died c. death ANS: E 7. That coat is small for you. a. so much d. as b. like e. too much

2 c. too 8. There wasn't in the shop. a. any people d. some people b. nobody e. somebody c. anybody 9. She me that the plane was late. a. said d. told to b. told e. told for c. said that 10. She's wearing the same dress her sister. a. as d. similar b. than e. same like c. that 11. Don't be angry! It makes things a. worser d. best b. worst e. more worse c. much worse 12. A: Have they finished working yet? B: I don't think. a. it d. either b. that e. neither c. so 13. I my uncle since last year. a. didn't see d. haven't seen b. don't see e. couldn t see c. wasn t seen 14. Who was the girl?

3 a. spoke to you d. she was speaking to you b. that you were speaking to e. I spoke to you c. that you spoke 15. My wife doesn't eat meat, and I don't. a. also d. either b. too e. so c. neither 16. She's a friend of. a. theirs d. their s b. their e. them c. they re 17. There isn't much news in the paper today? a. isn t it d. is there b. is it e. isn t there c. are there 18. You come if you don't want to. a. couldn't d. needn't b. haven't e. mustn t c. can t 19. in the class likes that teacher. a. Some students d. All students b. Everyone e. Some of the students c. All the students 20. Melisa : Have some more cake. Minela:. Melisa : Well, you can have another. Minela: No, thank you. I've had enough. a. d. I never eat cake. Yes, I'd like that. b. I'd like some more. e. I'd rather have a sandwich. c. I have already had one piece.

4 Ramis: What have you done with your first salary? Berin: I have put some of it in the bank. Ramis: Berin: Nothing as yet, but I shall buy some clothes for myself. a. Have you decided the type of car you want? b. How much have you put there? c. That was thoughtful of you. d. If I were you, I'd buy some clothes. e. Good. What have you done with the rest? ANS: E Sejla: Would you like sandwiches or cake with your tea? Adem: Sejla: Really? Adem: Yes, I am very hungry. a. d. Neither. Please. b. No, thank you. e. Of course. c. Both, please. Lejla: Have you made the last payments on your car? Belmin : Lejla: Why? Belmin : I've had too much to take care of today. a. d. I haven't had a chance yet. Of course, I have. b. Well. I don't care anymore. e. I've already sold my car. c. I do not want to pay for it. 24. A : Are Rolls Royce cars expensive? B : Yes,. a. d. they are the more expensive. it is really very expensive b. they're the most expensive cars in e. they are very more expensive the world. c. it is the most expensive. 25. Don't yell your children, talk to them.

5 a. for d. towards b. to e. on c. at think that The Empire Strikes Back is than Star Wars. a. worser d. better b. more e. the best c. best 27. If you the new Sylvester Stallone movie, you will like it. a. saw d. would see b. will see e. had seen c. see 28. Nejra hasn t eaten fondue before,? a. did she d. does she b. has she e. hasn't she c. is she 29. Which sentence is ordered correctly? a. That s a brown, attractive leather coat. b. That s a leather brown attractive coat. c. That s a brown leather coat attractive. d. That s an attractive leather brown coat. e. That s an attractive brown leather coat. ANS: E 30. They're carrying out repairs to the building. a. school old d. old school b. schools old e. old schools c. old schools 31. I don't believe him, excuse he offers. a. however d. whatever b. for any e. for much c. for ever 32. She fell down and broke her ankle, was a pity.

6 a. which d. and b. what e. this c. that 33. Your wife rang you that you're meeting her after work. a. for reminding d. to remind b. for remembering e. to remember c. for remember 34. She seems very keen on discipline but I wonder in class. a. what is she like d. how is she b. what she is like e. what does she do c. how she is 35. I'll meet you when you the airport. a. will arrive to d. arrive at b. will arrive at e. arrive to c. arrive 36. Every old house like this has strange stories. a. their d. the b. its e. it s c. his 37. I gave her jeans for her birthday. a. a d. a pair of b. two e. an c. a couple 38. that you would be at the meeting. a. I was said d. It was told me b. It was said me e. It told me c. I was told 39. I have tea than coffee. a. would like more d. would rather b. prefer e. would like

7 c. had better 40. We had a lovely time. It was good picnic. a. so d. a too b. such e. such a c. a so ANS: E 41. Which sentence is incorrect? a. Why was he given the knife? b. Who was speaking in English? c. Who is the strongest person on the world? d. What will you give them? e. Who let the children play in the garden? 42. Which sentence has the wrong preposition? a. Who does this car belong to? d. This morning, he was in the house. b. We re going to holiday to Egypt next e. They all began laughing at him. week. c. Did they break this vase by accident? 43. Which sentence is correct? a. How long has she been knowing Armin? d. She has been painting her baby s room. b. When has she visited you? e. I have enjoyed the last night s film. c. I ve lost my keys yesterday. 44. Since social relations are, most people of our century feel. a. depress / depressed d. depressed / depressed b. depressed / depressing e. depressing / depressing c. depressing / depressed 45. International Ataturk Airport is busiest airport in Turkey. a. the / the / the d. the / the / -- b. --- / --- / --- e. --- / the / the c. --- / the / the

8 46. Which one is correct? a. It hasn t been as cold as this for ages, did it? b. Good morning! It is another lovely day, isn t it? c. It rained yesterday evening, isn t it? d. It is very warm today, is it? e. It wasn t as warm as this yesterday, wasn t it? 47. Active : Did Haris break the window? Passive : the window? a. were / break d. was / break b. was / broke e. were / broken c. was / broken 48. Which one of the following words has a wrong prefix or suffix? a. likeable d. unconscious b. thoughtless e. illogical c. powerfull 49. If I taller, I be a policeman but I m too short. a. am / will d. have been / will b. was / would have e. had been / would have c. were / would 50. Birds head south to warmer climates when. a. is cold weather d. comes cold weather b. does cold weather come e. cold weather come c. cold weather comes 51. A hero of the war of 1812, president of the United States. a. Andrew Jackson later became d. later became Andrew Jackson b. that Andrew Jackson later became e. who he became c. who was Andrew Jackson 52. Is post office near here? asks Allison. Allison wants to know post office is near here. a. there d. if b. which e. what

9 c. where 53. The tourist asks where. a. would be the nearest post office d. the nearest post office would be b. the nearest post office e. was the nearest post office c. the nearest post office is 54. I didn t answer the phone when it because I a shower, so I it until it was too late. a. rang / has had / hasn t heard d. ring / was taking / heard b. rang / was taking / heard e. rang / was taking / didn t hear c. rings / am having / heard ANS: E 55. Choose the uncountable nouns in the following words. cheese, money, pound, flour, suitcase, song, meal a. cheese / pound / suitcase d. cheese / money / flour b. cheese / money / flour / meal e. cheese / money / flour / song c. cheese / money / meal 56. Why are you putting on your coat? a. Because I'll take the dog for a walk b. Because I took the dog for a walk c. Because I've taken the dog for a walk d. Because I'm going to take the dog for a walk e. Because I took the dog for a walk 57. He goes to his guitar lessons... a. by underground d. at underground b. in underground e. with underground c. on underground 58. What an amazing holiday! We should have done this... a. years back b. for years c. since years d. in years e. at years

10 59. It would be lovely to go to Japan, but...thinking we can. a. There is no use d. There is usefulness b. It is no point e. There is no point c. It is no use 60. He wrote the programme, he didn t need anybody's help a. by his own d. by hisself b. on his own e. by him c. on himself 61. Which one is not correct? a. make a phone call d. make a noise b. do your best e. do my homework c. do my bed 62. I watching that program because it's very interesting. a. amuse d. enjoy b. please e. dislike c. smile 63. She's got a much more interesting in the company now. a. job d. reward b. work e. place c. employ 64. Who will you call in the following situation? You need a new cupboard in the kitchen. a. repairman d. carpenter b. electrician e. plumber c. mechanic 65. She's a good neighbor. She the house when we're on holiday. a. cares d. looks for b. takes care e. searches for c. looks after

11 66. He came to the meeting he hadn't been invited. a. in case d. despite b. in spite e. although c. even ANS: E 67. The school that I went to was 10 miles. a. away d. long b. far e. way c. distance 68. What was the name of the person who won the first? a. reward d. price b. wage e. place c. prize 69. Her work has been and she deserves an increase in salary. a. quite regular d. very pleasing b. very well e. pretty normal c. available 70. He had to get off the bus because he couldn't pay the. a. bill d. wage b. fare e. hire c. rent 71. He stayed under water for a minute and then swam to the. a. sea d. ground b. bottom e. surface c. level ANS: E 72. They him of taking the money. a. accused d. punished b. blamed e. called c. threatened 73. We have for a secretary but haven't appointed anyone yet.

12 a. announced d. noticed b. advised e. assigned c. advertised 74. He's a better player than I am so I didn't expect to him. a. beat d. victory b. gain e. lose c. win 75. The service at the hotel was so I'll be happy to stay there again. a. interesting d. sympathetic b. regular e. ordinary c. satisfactory 76. That was a nasty thing to do. You should be of yourself. a. ashamed d. amazed b. disgusted e. sorry c. sorry 77. No one has for the job of chief of police so far. a. appointed d. appeared b. applied e. signed c. presented 78. He wasn't elected, the efforts of his team. a. even if d. in spite b. although e. despite c. nevertheless ANS: E 79. It's a dangerous occupation. I don't do it for the of my health. a. cause d. sake b. desire e. help c. reason 80. She the cloth and put it away in the drawer. a. twisted d. curved b. bent e. charged c. folded

13 81. He to me for the mistake. a. excused d. apologized b. forgave e. punished c. pardoned 82. My neighbors are a bit. They believe in ghosts and magic. a. weird d. decayed b. haunting e. haunted c. rare 83. If you don't do what the boss tells you, you'll be from the firm. a. rejected d. sacked b. resigned e. postponed c. retired 84. They made a serious mistake and their opponents took of it. a. profit d. gain b. benefit e. opportunity c. advantage 85. She at me and then went on reading. a. glanced d. responded b. viewed e. startled c. regarded 86. The radio is too loud. Could you please volume? a. turn off d. turn out b. turn down e. turn on c. turn up 87. My uncle's daughter is my. a. cousin d. sister b. nephew e. aunt c. niece

14 88. All the people on board were killed in the plane crash. There were no.... a. injuries d. victims b. survivors e. damages c. remains 89. It is very important to use the correct when you make a dish from a cookery book. a. recipes d. ingredients b. receipts e. lists c. bills 90. Which pair is different than the others? a. receive - take d. borrow - lend b. persuade - convince e. develop - improve c. rescue - save 91. We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of pre-conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway time-tables. Ships may be delayed by storms, air flights may be cancelled because of bad weather, but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something goes wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs. After consulting my railway time-table, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. I was not surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly stopped dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Wethaven Express, he had not even heard of it. I determined to make a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station-master at Westhaven. When he denied the train s existence, I borrowed his copy of the time-table. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said : This service has been delayed. The word punctual is closest in meaning to a. undeveloped d. right

15 b. delayed e. temporary c. not late 92. We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of pre-conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway time-tables. Ships may be delayed by storms, air flights may be cancelled because of bad weather, but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something goes wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs. After consulting my railway time-table, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. I was not surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly stopped dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Wethaven Express, he had not even heard of it. I determined to make a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station-master at Westhaven. When he denied the train s existence, I borrowed his copy of the time-table. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said : This service has been delayed. The word consulting means a. discuss with someone d. to notice something b. read something carefully e. to ask or to look up for information c. to check the meaning of something 93. We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of pre-conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway time-tables. Ships may be delayed by storms, air flights may be cancelled because of bad weather, but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something goes wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs. After consulting my railway time-table, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a

16 great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. I was not surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly stopped dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Wethaven Express, he had not even heard of it. I determined to make a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station-master at Westhaven. When he denied the train s existence, I borrowed his copy of the time-table. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said : This service has been delayed. What does theirs refer to in the following sentence from the text?, they are more likely to be ours than theirs. a. passengers d. snow fall b. time-tables e. railway services c. railway authorities 94. We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of pre-conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway time-tables. Ships may be delayed by storms, air flights may be cancelled because of bad weather, but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something goes wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs. After consulting my railway time-table, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. I was not surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly stopped dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Wethaven Express, he had not even heard of it. I determined to make a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station-master at Westhaven. When he denied the train s existence, I borrowed his copy of the time-table. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said : This service has been delayed. The author learnt that the Wethaven Express did not exist

17 a. from a passenger on the train. d. from a footnote in the time-table he borrowed from a station-master. b. from the station-master at Westhaven. e. from a time-table on the train. c. from an old time-table he had at home. 95. We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of pre-conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway time-tables. Ships may be delayed by storms, air flights may be cancelled because of bad weather, but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something goes wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs. After consulting my railway time-table, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. I was not surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly stopped dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Wethaven Express, he had not even heard of it. I determined to make a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station-master at Westhaven. When he denied the train s existence, I borrowed his copy of the time-table. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said : This service has been delayed. The word odd could most easily replaced by a. different d. a lot of b. stranger e. similar c. usual 96. We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of pre-conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway time-tables. Ships may be delayed by storms, air flights may be cancelled because of bad weather, but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something goes wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs. After consulting my railway time-table, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a

18 great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. I was not surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly stopped dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Wethaven Express, he had not even heard of it. I determined to make a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station-master at Westhaven. When he denied the train s existence, I borrowed his copy of the time-table. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said : This service has been delayed. The word denied means a. not to agree to do something d. to realize something is true b. to state that something is true e. to reject the existence of something c. to refuse to give something ANS: E 97. We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of pre-conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway time-tables. Ships may be delayed by storms, air flights may be cancelled because of bad weather, but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something goes wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs. After consulting my railway time-table, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. I was not surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly stopped dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Wethaven Express, he had not even heard of it. I determined to make a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station-master at Westhaven. When he denied the train s existence, I borrowed his copy of the time-table. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said : This service has been delayed. According to the passage people developed an unshakable faith in railway time-table, because...

19 a. ships and flights are usually delayed. d. snow fall will perhaps effect the trains. b. trains are rarely on time. e. railway authorities arrange everything perfectly. c. it is true after many years of experiences. 98. We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of pre-conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway time-tables. Ships may be delayed by storms, air flights may be cancelled because of bad weather, but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something goes wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs. After consulting my railway time-table, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. I was not surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly stopped dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Wethaven Express, he had not even heard of it. I determined to make a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station-master at Westhaven. When he denied the train s existence, I borrowed his copy of the time-table. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said : This service has been delayed. The phrase roar down is closest in meaning to a. to move in the direction mentioned d. to pass the way b. to make deep sounds e. to cover the estimated distance c. to travel so fast 99. We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of pre-conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway time-tables. Ships may be delayed by storms, air flights may be cancelled because of bad weather, but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something goes wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs. After consulting my railway time-table, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a

20 great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. I was not surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly stopped dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Wethaven Express, he had not even heard of it. I determined to make a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station-master at Westhaven. When he denied the train s existence, I borrowed his copy of the time-table. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said : This service has been delayed. Which of the following is not the cause of the writer s wondering? a. the train stopped at station after station d. there were a lot of local people on the train b. the train was going slower e. since the beginning of trip they haven t covered the half of the way c. the passenger didn t hear about the Express 100. We have learnt to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of pre-conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway time-tables. Ships may be delayed by storms, air flights may be cancelled because of bad weather, but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something goes wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs. After consulting my railway time-table, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this did not strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. I was not surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly stopped dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Wethaven Express, he had not even heard of it. I determined to make a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station-master at Westhaven. When he denied the train s existence, I borrowed his copy of the time-table. There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said : This service has been delayed.

21 What does it refer to in the following sentence from the text? when I told him that it was there in black and white. a. a tiny asterisk d. a passenger b. the Westhaven Express e. the time-table c. the station-master