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4 For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D)
which you think fits best according to the text.
Home had become a routine, and routines make time
40 pass quickly. I was a sitting duck in this predictable
routine: people knew when to call me, they knew when I
would be at my desk. I was in such regular touch it was
like having a job, a mode of life I hated. I was sick of
being called up and importuned, asked for favors, hit up
for money. You stick around too long and people begin
to impose their own deadlines on you.
Everyone always available at any time in the totally
accessible world seemed to me pure horror. It made
me want to fi nd a place that was not accessible at all …
50 no phones, no Internet, not even mail delivery, the
wonderful old world of being out of touch; in short, of
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being far away.
All I had to do was remove myself. I loved not having to
ask permission, and in fact in my domestic life things
had begun to get a little predictable, too – Mr Paul at
home every evening when Mrs Paul came home from
work. ‘I made spaghetti sauce … I seared some tuna …
I’m scrubbing some potatoes …’ The writer in his apron,
perspiring over his béchamel sauce, always within
60 earshot of the telephone. You have to pick it up because
it is ringing in your ear.
A morbid aspect of my departure for Africa was
that people began offering condolences. Say you’re
leaving for a dangerous place and your friends call
sympathetically, as though you’ve caught a serious 5 Work in small groups.
illness that might prove fatal. Yet I found these
messages unexpectedly stimulating, a heartening
preview of what my own demise would be like. Lots of
tears! Lots of mourners! But also, undoubtedly, many
70 people boasting solemnly, ‘I told him not to do it. I was
one of the last people to talk to him.’
From Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux
Unit 11
What did Paul expect from his journey?
" to have a variety of enjoyable experiences
# to see how Africa had changed
$ to meet some old friends
% to see impressive scenery
Forty years ago, how did Paul feel about the future of
the country where he was living?
" Little was likely to change.
# People’s aspirations were too limited.
$ Women would do most of the work.
% Things were likely to improve.
In paragraph 3, what reason does Paul give for wanting
to travel to Africa?
" He wanted people to be unable to contact him.
# He wanted a change of activity.
$ His health was suffering from staying at home.
% He had been waiting to return to Africa for many
years.
Paul says ‘I was a sitting duck’ in paragraph 5 to show
that
" he was bored.
# he was easy to fi nd.
$ he had a fi xed lifestyle.
% he was always lending money.
Paul mentions his cooking activities
" to show he can look after himself.
# to explain why the phone was within earshot.
$ to show how he was a good husband.
% to show why he felt trapped.
In the fi nal paragraph, what is Paul’s reaction to his
friends’ messages?
" sadness about leaving them
# surprise at their excitement
$ pleasure at their concern
% annoyance at their seriousness
Would you be happy to be out of touch on a journey?
What can be the benefi ts/drawbacks of travelling to a
place with a very different culture from your own?
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