READING COMPETENCE
Read the following fivetexts which are representative of different texttypes and answer the subsequent questions to demonstrate your understanding. Pay special attention to their structure, the types of sentences used, the register, etc.:
- A narration on a past event:
ROLLING IN THE BUSH
On 17 October 2006, at about 9am, I had a near-death experience in a car crash. I was 44km north of Arusha driving my LandRover Discovery to Nairobi to collect a visa from the British Embassy to get married in the UK. I was in Tanzania, on the downward slope of Mount Meru. While overtaking a truck with my lights on and after honking, I got pushed to the right side of the road, nearly off the road, by a bad or malicious truck driver. The right edge of the road was broken and missing, and as a result I burst the right tire, then skidded to the left side of the road, burst my two left tires, then skidded back to the right side, went off the road to the right side, and rolled 2.5 times. The car ended up upside down, facing away from and perpendicular to the road. I never saw the truck's registration.
I had one passenger, a legal defence assistant for Bagosora, who broke her collarbone. We got bashed around in rolling over, but luckily no life-threatening injuries. We climbed out the windows of the wreck. About ten minutes later tourists on safari passed by and called the police for us. A shuttle bus took my passenger to Nairobi, and she flew onward to Qatar and London that same day in pain.
The truck driver heard my honking, saw us skid, burst tires, crash, and roll in front of him, but he fled. This makes me think his pushing me was malicious.
I waited 6 hours for the UN* tow truck to come. I was chatting with the Masai goatherds, who really just wanted to make jewellery out of my broken metal scrapheap. I’m attaching a photo of the wreck, once turned over.
As the soon-to-be spouse of a UK national, I can’t complain about the NHS** yet. After years of being told to do so, I finally had my head examined when I was in the UK. This was allegedly related to the car crash which was a few days before, and I had some headaches, but I got a good bill of health. When done seeing the emergency-room physician, I asked him where I should pay. He laughed, and said it was free. I laughed too, and said, “Yeah sure, but where do I pay?” It was free. So, my hat’s off to NHS.
*UN = United Nations **NHS = National Health Service
Answer the following questions about the text:
a)What type of text is this?
b)What type of tourism is frequent in Arusha?
c)What event is narrated in the text?
d)Had the person been warned about the chances of a road accident?
e)Why is the author so pleased with the British social security?
- A news article (from
France to hand over mummified Maori head to New Zealand
The mummified, tattooed head of an ancient Maori warrior is to be returned to New Zealand after spending decades in a French museum.Monday's handover of the "toimoko" follows years of campaigning by New Zealand officials and Maori elders.
It has been held at the Museum of Rouen in northern France since 1875. More than 300 such heads have been returned from several countries since New Zealand began requesting their return.French museum officials say they have no idea how the "toimoko" - which is intricately tattooed and has one damaged eye socket - came to be in their possession.Until 1996, it had been on public display alongside the museum's prehistoric collection, said museum director Sebastien Minchin."As was done at the time, they compared the 'savage' from the other side of the world with our local cavemen," he told the Associated Press news agency.It is thought to be one of some 15 similar relics in French possession and one of about 500 around the world.
New Zealand first began requesting their return in the 1980s, but France's laws on cultural artifacts meant it could not give up the Maori heads in its possession.In 2007, Rouen's council voted to send theirs back, but were overruled by the Ministry of Culture, which feared it could set a precedent for countries to reclaim their historical artifacts.A traditional ceremony with incantations will be carried out in Rouen's town hall on Monday to hand the head over to representatives of Wellington's Te Papa museum, who are touring Europe collecting the relics.New Zealand's Dominion Post newspaper reported that the delegation would be bringing home nine heads in total. "The French government have provided Te Papa, on behalf of Maori, the ability to bring these ancestors home," Maori leader Michelle Hippolitesaid. "This momentous occasion is filled with joy but is also a time for reflection on the journeys of these tupuna [ancestors]."
The Maori traditionally kept tribal heads as war trophies, but they later became much sought after by Western explorers.They were in such demand that men were believed to have been killed specifically for their heads and slaves were said to have been tattooed and then killed.Once back in New Zealand, DNA tests will be carried out on the remains where necessary to determine the correct ancestral lands for a proper burial.
Answer the following questions about the text:
a)Why did France have a Maori tattooed head?
b)What is known about this head already?
c)Is the New Zealand government interested in having the head back?
d)What will be done when the head is returned?
- An employment agreement form:
Agreement made between [name of company] , located at [address], City of [city], County of [county] State of [state], herein referred to as "Company", and [name of employee], of [address], City of [city], County of [county], State of [state]herein referred to as "Employee".
Company hereby employs employee to perform such duties atsuch times and in such manner as the company may from timeto time direct.Employee agrees that he will perform those duties assignedto him to the best of his ability, to maintain a currentand complete account of his work and expenses, to remitpromptly to the company any monies paid to him or cominginto his possession which belong to the company, to devotehis full and undivided time to the transaction of companybusiness and to refrain from being engaged in any otherbusiness during the tenure of his employment with thecompany.
In consideration of the foregoing, company agrees to payto employee the amount of [amount] Dollars, ($ ), per[period of time] plus reasonable travel expenses incurredfor the purpose of conducting company business.
This contract shall become effective on [date] and remainin effect until it is terminated by either party. Eitherparty may terminate this agreement by providing the otherparty with [number] day's written notice of his or theirintention. Should this agreement be terminated by eitherparty, employee agrees that the payment in full to thedate of termination shall fully satisfy all claims againstthe company under this agreement.
In witness whereof, the parties have executed thisagreement at [place of execution], on [date]
[Signatures]
Do the following activities:
a)What is the purpose of the text?
b)Identify all the legal terms in the text.
c)Paraphrase each paragraph using your own words.
d)Instantiate the abstract information to fit a particular case of your invention.
- A release of contract letter:
Dear Sir/Madam,
When we entered into our agreement to [specify nature],we assumed that we would have [presupposed condition].Due to the fact that [problem that has arisen]which occurred after our agreement was entered, we areunable to [nature of performance required under terms of contract].
We regret the unfortunate occurrence of these circumstancesand request that you release us from our obligations underthe hereinmentioned contract.
Yours faithfully,
[Signatures]
Do the following activities:
e)What is the purpose of the text?
f)Identify all the legal terms in the text.
g)Paraphrase each paragraph using your own words.
h)Instantiate the abstract information to fit a particular case of your invention.
- A power of attorney:
I, the undersigned(Full legal name) ______(Identity / Social Security number) ______residing at (Address) ______
Appoint(Full legal name) ______(Identity / Social Security number) ______residing at (Address) ______
as my Attorney-in-Fact (Agent) with the power of delegation and substitution.
If my Agent is unable or unwilling to serve for any reason, I designate(Full legal name) ______(Identity / Social Security number) ______residing at (Address)
as substitute Agent.
1. I hereby revoke any and all previous powers of attorney signed by me except for my Power of Attorney for Health Care which shall remain in force.
2. This document shall be construed and interpreted as a general durable power of attorney and my Agent shall have full authority to act on my behalf in relation to all my property and affairs.
OR
2. This document shall be construed and interpreted as a durable power of attorney and my Agent shall have full authority to act on my behalf in relation to my property and affairs, save for the following conditions and restrictions:2.1. ______2.2. ______
3. I furthermore grant my Agent the authority to:
3.1. Make gifts within gift tax limits except to himself. 3.2. Execute, amend or revoke any trust agreement. 3.3. Exercise the right to make a disclaimer on my behalf.
4. I indemnify and hold harmless my Agent from any loss that results from an error made in good faith save for willful misconduct or the willful failure to act in good faith.
5. I indemnify any third party from any claims which may arise against the third party because of reliance on this power of attorney.
6. My Agent shall provide accurate records on a monthly basis of all transactions completed on my behalf and shall provide accounting records on a six-monthly basis.
6.1. If I am unable to review the records and accounting, they must be submitted to:Full legal name) ______(Identity / Social Security number) ______residing at
(Address) ______
7. My Agent shall be entitled to compensation for his services at a rate as set out by law and for reimbursement of all reasonable expenses in his duties as my Agent.
8. This is a Durable Power of Attorney. Even if I should become disabled or incompetent, it shall remain effective until my death. This Power of Attorney may be revoked by me at any time by providing written notice to my Agent and interested third parties.
Executed this ______day of ______20 ____at ______Signature: ______in the presence of the undersigned witnesses:
Witness 1.Name: ______Address: ______Signature: ______
Witness 2.Name: ______Address: ______Signature: ______
Acknowledgement
This document was acknowledged before me on this ______day of ______20__ by ______(Principal's Full legal name)
Signature of Notary Public ______Full legal Name ______My commission expires ______State of ______County of ______
Do the following activities:
a)What is the purpose of the text?
b)Identify all the legal terms in the text.
c)Paraphrase each paragraph using your own words.
d)Instantiate the abstract information to fit a particular case of your invention.