READING Read the text and answer the questions that follow.
I / PEN FRIENDSIf you could write to a pen friend anywhere in the world and learn about a different culture, which country would you choose? Writing to pen friends has been popular for decades, although nowadays, many people write and send their letters by computer.
II / No one really knows when writing to pen friends began, but at the 1964 World’s Fair, the Parker Pen Company used a computer to match pen friends from the United States with people around the world who shared common interests. The programme, which was called “Peace through Understanding through Writing”, was tremendously successful. By August 1965, the programme had matched a million pen friends.
III / The idea of writing to people from other countries continued to be very popular during the late 60s and early 70s. International journalist Geraldine Brooks grew up in Australia during the 1960s, and like many other young Australians, she never had the chance to meet people from other parts of the world. However, writing to pen friends gave her the chance to get to know people from other countries and make new friends with people from around the world.
IV / Since the 1960s, many pen-friend organisations have been created as a meeting place for people from different countries. While some organisations offer only Internet communication, other organisations encourage both e-mail (online) and snail mail (postal) contact. Surprisingly, in today’s world of modern technology and the Internet, many people still prefer to write letters instead of sending e-mails. They enjoy receiving envelopes with colourful stamps, reading letters written in different handwriting and saving the letters as personal history.
V / Maybe that’s why people today, like the young Geraldine Brooks, still get excited about receiving a letter from a pen friend. These letters bring a different piece of the world into their postbox.
1 Choose the correct answer. (4 x 3 = 12 points)
1. The Parker Pen Company matched people who … .
a. shared computers
b. had common interests
c. succeeded at the World’s Fair
2. Writing to pen friends gave Geraldine Brooks a chance to … .
a. visit people in other countries
b. meet young people from Australia
c. make friends with people from other countries
3. The idea of corresponding with pen friends from other countries started … .
a. overseas
b. at the World’s Fair
c. at the beginning of the twentieth century
4. By writing to pen friends, Geraldine Brooks was able to … .
a. get rich
b. learn about other cultures
c. open her eyes
2 Complete the sentences. (4 x 3 = 12 points)
1. In the 1960s, young people in Australia …………………………………………….……………………
2. The purpose of pen-friend organisations is ……………………………………………………………..
3. “Peace through Understanding through Writing” was a ………………………………………………..
4. Many people thought of Australia …………………………………………………………………………
3 Answer the questions. (4 x 4 = 16 points)
1. Why is it surprising that many people still prefer to get letters instead of e-mails?
2. Why do people enjoy getting letters instead of e-mails?
3. What did Geraldine Brooks and many other young Australians have in common?
4. What is surprising about how some pen friends correspond in today’s world?
4 Find words or expressions in the text that mean: (10 x 1 = 10 points)
1. tens of years (paragraph I) ………………………
2. correspond to (paragraph I) ………………………
3. very (paragraph II) ………………………
4. concept (paragraph III) ………………………
5. got attention from people
(paragraph II) ………………………
6. a news person (paragraph III) ………………………
7. opportunity (paragraph III) ………………………
8. developed (paragraph IV) ………………………
9. your individual (paragraph IV) ………………………
10. supply (paragraph IV) ………………………