Page 143 - Complete First B2 (third edition) Student Book

5 What does the incident with the book reveal about Uncle Leo?
3 What does the writer say about his uncle’s A He dislikes having his nephew in his house.
business in the fourth paragraph? B He has a good sense of humour.
A His printing service is less expensive than C He has financial difficulties.
others. D His main interest in books is commercial.
B The business has a lot of customers who
live nearby. 6 In the text as a whole, the writer regards Venice as
C His businesses is similar to others in the A an unusual but impressive place to live.
district. B a place he couldn’t stay in for a long time.
D The business is one of the oldest printers C an unattractively old-fashioned place.
still operatingin the district. D a place dominated by money.

4 What do we understand about the writer and Work in pairs. Take turns to describe a house which you have
his sister from the fifth paragraph?
A They both enjoy reading. really enjoyed living in or visiting. You should each speak for
B They used to live together in Venice. about one minute.
C They don’t write to each other often. • Before you speak,spend a few minutes planning what you are
goingto say.
D They don’t expect to see each other soon.
• When your partner speaks, listen and think of oneortwo
questions to ask at the end.

new home in Venice, 1733

Uncle Leo gives me a suspicious look 35 The house is almost 200 years old, 1 am 55to describe them in a letter, which may
when 1 call this place the ‘Scacchi Palace . ' told, and built of bricks of a rich dark take a long time to reach you in Spain!
It is really a house, called Ca ’ Scacchi in brown colour. It has elegant arched Venice is like a vast imitation of our old
Venetian. Anywhere else in the world, windows and green-painted shutters to library at home, full of dark corners and
5 this would surely be regarded as a palace, keep out the cruel summer heat. I live on unexpected surprises, some very close
although it is one in need of a little care 40 the third floor, in the third room on the 60 to me. Last night, while searching in the PDF from sachtienganhhanoi.com
and attention. right, with a view over the canal and the jumbled corners of the warehouse cellar, I
Our house is by the side of the little San square. When I lie in bed at night, 1 can found a single copy of Aristotle ’ s Poetics,
Cassian canal and a small square of the hear the chatter and songs of the passing published in the city in 1502. I raced to
tosame name. We have a door which leads gondoliers and the conversations in the Uncle Leo with my discovery and - now
'
onto the street and two entrances from the 45 square nearby. 1 understand why Uncle 65here s a victory - a smile almost appeared
water. One runs under a grand, rounded runs his business here. The prices are not on his face. A find, boy! This ’ ll fetch good
too steep. The location of the house is near money when I sell it down in the market. ’
arch into the ground floor of the house,
which, as is customary in the city, is the city centre and easy for our clients to ‘ May I read a little first, sir?’ I asked, and
is used instead of a cellar for storing things. find. Furthermore, the printing trade has felt some anxiety when 1 made the request.
The second is used for our commercial 50 many roots in this area of Venice, even if 70 Leo has a frightening manner at times.
activities and it is situated in another some of the old publishers from the area no ‘Books are for selling, not reading,’ he
building, which is three storeys high, longer exist. replied immediately. But at least I had it for
attached to the north side, towards the Oh sister! I long for the day when I can the night, since the dealers were by that
aoGrand Canal. show you these things instead of struggling time closed.
Finally, there is yet another exit: a woodei
bridge, with handrails, runs from the first
floor of the house between the two river
entrances straight over the canal and
25 into the square itself. Consequently, 1 can
wander over it in the morning and find
fresh water from the well in the centre of
the square while still rubbing the sleep
from my eyes. Or 1 may call a gondola froi
30 my bedroom window, find it waiting for
me by the time 1 get downstairs and, just
one minute later, be in the middle of the
greatest waterway on Earth: the Grand
Canal of Venice.
Adapted from The Cemetery of Secrets
by David Hewson

House space