READING COMPREHENSION ACTIVITY FOR 11º

READ THE TEXTS AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THEM

JAPAN'S MOST FAMOUS DOG

In front of the enormous Shibuya train station in Tokyo, there is a life-size bronze statue of a dog. Even though the statue is very small when compared to the huge neon signs flashing, it isn't difficult to find. It has been used as a meeting point since 1934 and today you will find hundreds of people waiting there for their friends to arrive.
Hachiko, an Akita dog,was born in 1923 and brought to Tokyo in 1924. His owner, Professor Eisaburo Uyeno and he were inseparable friends right from the start. Each day Hachiko would accompany his owner, a professor at the Imperial University, to Shibuya train station when he left for work. When he came back, the professor would always find the dog patiently waiting for him. Sadly, the professor died suddenly at work in 1925 before he could return home.
Although Hachiko was still a young dog, the bond between him and his owner was very strong and he continued to wait at the station every day. Sometimes, he would stay there for days at a time, though some believe that he kept returning because of the food he was given by street vendors. He became a familiar sight to commuters over time. In 1934, a statue of him was put outside the station. In 1935, Hachiko died at the place he last saw his friend alive.

1 - The statue of Hachiko is small.
a. Right
b. Wrong
c. Doesn't say

2 - The statue is difficult to find because there are so many people there.
a. Right
b. Wrong
c. Doesn't say

3 - The professor worked in a school.
a. Right
b. Wrong
c. Doesn't say

4 - The professor died at work.
a. Right
b. Wrong
c. Doesn't say

5 - The dog waited every day at the station.
a. Right
b. Wrong
c. Doesn't say

6 - Nobody gave the dog any food.
a. Right
b. Wrong
c. Doesn't say

7 - The dog died before the statue was put outside the station.
a. Right
b. Wrong
c. Doesn't say

The Post Office

The colony of Massachusetts established the first post office within the United States in 1639. In 1789 Congress authorized the postal service under the U.S. Constitution. At the time, the nation had 75 local post offices and delivered mail over an area of 1875 mi.
Today, the postal service is an independent agency responsible for postal regulation and delivery. The Postal Services main responsibilities are the collection and delivery of printed material and hard goods. The Postal Service also issues domestic and foreign money orders. In a single year, the Postal Service handles more than 160 billion pieces of mail.

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:

1. What U.S. State is credited with the Invention of the post office?
a. New Hampshire b. Maine
c. Massachusetts d. New Jersey

2. About how long was it between when the first post office was in operation and when the U.S. congress authorized the postal service?
a. 50 years b. 75 years
c. 100 years d. 150 years

3. How can you send and receive money through the post office?
a. with a postal money order b. with postal crazy bucks
c. with a postal check d. with a postal decoder ring

4. The post office handles just over 160 _________ pieces of mail a year.
a. thousand b. million
c. billion d. trillion