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It tells of a real plague that decimated the Continent the year Defoe-was five.

And here I must observe again that this necessity (30) of going out of our houses to buy provisions was in a great measure the ruin of the whole City, for the people catched the distemper on these occasions one of another, and even the provisions themselves were often tainted; at least I have great reason to (35) believe so; and therefore I cannot say with satisfaction what I know is repeated with great assurance, that the market people and such as brought provisions to town were never infected.

lived, and Dr. Heath coming to visit me, and finding that I ventured so often out in the streets, earnestly (5) persuaded me to lock myself up, and my family, and not to suffer any of us to go out of doors; to keep all our windows fast, shutters and .curtains close, and never to open them; but first, to make a very strong smoke in the room where the window or door was to (10) be opened, with rosin and pitch, brimstone or gunpowder, and the like; and we did this for some time; but as I had not

Best known as the author of Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe was a prolific writer.

both for brewing and baking, I went and bought two sacks of meal, and for several weeks, having an oven, we baked all our own bread; also I bought malt, and brewed as much (20) beer as all the casks I had would hold, and which seemed enough to serve my house for five or six weeks; also I laid in a quantity of salt butter and Cheshire cheese; but I had no flesh meat, and the plague raged so violently among the butchers and (25) slaughterhouses on the other side of our street, where they are

brewing and baking, I went and bought two sacks of meal, and for several weeks, having an oven, we baked all our own bread; also I bought malt, and brewed as much (20) beer as all the casks I had would hold, and which seemed enough to serve my house for five or six weeks; also I laid in a quantity of salt butter and Cheshire cheese; but I had no flesh meat, and the plague raged so violently among the butchers and (25) slaughterhouses on the other side of our street, where they are known to dwell

(A) fleet (B) steadfast (C) swift (D) fastened (E) permanent ANSWER: D 3.

By "laid in a store of provision" (line 12), the narrator refers to (A) putting up a supply of food (B) telling a story of salvation (C) preserving the past (D) lying in a bed of flour sacks (E) sleeping in his place of business ANSWER: A 4.