What this lesson covers
1 · How to work a reading test #
اِقْرَأْ مَا يَلِي، ثُمَّ اخْتَرِ الجَوَابَ الصَّحِيحَ — read what follows, then choose the right answer.
The test does not ask you to translate the passage or write it out. It asks whether you understood it. So:
- Read the whole passage through once, without stopping.
- Read it again, slowly, and stop on each word you do not know.
- Read it a third time until the story is clear in your mind.
- Then take the questions one at a time, and find each answer in the passage.
Some answers are written in the passage almost word for word (question 6). Others are not said directly — you work them out from what is said (questions 2, 3 and 7). Both kinds test the same thing: did you understand the passage?
2 · Passage 1 — a husband describes his working wife (p. 92) #
My wife goes out every day in the morning and does not come back until five o'clock in the evening — this is my problem with her. We eat our meals outside the house, because my wife finds no time to prepare food. I wash my clothes and our son's clothes by myself, and I clean the house sometimes. I find no time to talk with her about the affairs of the house and the family, because when she comes back she is tired; then I go out to the hospital a second time, half an hour after she arrives. As for the weekend, she likes to visit family and friends, or go to the market, or prepare the next week's lessons.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| مُشْكِلَة | problem. هٰذِهِ مُشْكِلَتِي مَعَهَا — this is my problem with her |
| إِعْدَاد | preparing. لِإِعْدَادِ الطَّعَامِ — to prepare food |
| وَحْدِي | by myself, I alone |
| أَحْيَانًا | sometimes |
| بَعْدَ نِصْفِ سَاعَةٍ مِنْ حُضُورِهَا | half an hour after her arrival |
| الصَّدِيقَات | (female) friends |
| السُّوق | the market |
| تُحَضِّرُ | she prepares — تُحَضِّرُ دُرُوسَ الأُسْبُوعِ — she prepares the week's lessons |
| القَادِم | coming, next — the same as المُقْبِل. الأُسْبُوعُ القَادِمُ = الأُسْبُوعُ المُقْبِلُ |
You met this situation from the other side in Lesson 14: تَكُونُ مُتْعَبَةً (she is tired) and لَا تَجِدُ وَقْتًا (she finds no time) both come from that passage on the family then and now.
3 · Questions 1–10 #
Question 1 — her work #
١- تَعْمَلُ هٰذِهِ الزَّوْجَةُ …… — أ- مُوَظَّفَةً · ب- مُدَرِّسَةً · ج- مُمَرِّضَةً
مُوَظَّفَة is an employee, مُدَرِّسَة a teacher, مُمَرِّضَة a nurse.
Answer: ب — مُدَرِّسَةً. The clue is the last line: تُحَضِّرُ دُرُوسَ الأُسْبُوعِ القَادِمِ — she prepares next week's lessons. Preparing lessons is a teacher's work.
Question 2 — his work #
٢- يَعْمَلُ هٰذَا الزَّوْجُ …… — أ- طَبِيبًا · ب- طَيَّارًا · ج- مُدَرِّسًا
Answer: أ — طَبِيبًا, a doctor. The passage never says I am a doctor. It says أَخْرُجُ لِلْمُسْتَشْفَى مَرَّةً ثَانِيَةً — I go out to the hospital a second time. A man whose work is at the hospital is the طَبِيب; a pilot (طَيَّار) and a teacher (مُدَرِّس) do not fit.
Question 3 — when he works #
٣- يَعْمَلُ الزَّوْجُ فِي …… — أ- الصَّبَاحِ · ب- المَسَاءِ · ج- الصَّبَاحِ وَالمَسَاءِ
Answer: ج — الصَّبَاحِ وَالمَسَاءِ. He goes to the hospital مَرَّةً ثَانِيَةً, a second time, in the evening. A second time means there was a first time — in the morning. Again, the passage does not say it directly; you work it out.
Question 4 — when she comes home #
٤- تَعُودُ الزَّوْجَةُ إِلَى البَيْتِ …… — أ- بَعْدَ العَصْرِ · ب- بَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ · ج- بَعْدَ المَغْرِبِ
The passage's clue is فِي السَّاعَةِ الخَامِسَةِ مَسَاءً — at five o'clock in the evening. The class's answer to question 4 was not recorded.
Question 5 — why the family eats out #
٥- لَا تَتَنَاوَلُ الأُسْرَةُ الوَجَبَاتِ فِي البَيْتِ؛ لِأَنَّ …… — أ- الطَّعَامَ جَيِّدٌ فِي الخَارِجِ · ب- الزَّوْجَةَ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ إِعْدَادَ الطَّعَامِ · ج- الزَّوْجَةَ مَشْغُولَةٌ
Answer: ج — الزَّوْجَةَ مَشْغُولَةٌ, the wife is busy.
Option ب is the trap. It uses the passage's own word إِعْدَاد, so it looks right. But read what it says:
| Meaning | In the passage? | |
|---|---|---|
| لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ إِعْدَادَ الطَّعَامِ | she cannot prepare food — she is unable | No |
| لَا تَجِدُ وَقْتًا لِإِعْدَادِ الطَّعَامِ | she finds no time to prepare food | Yes |
She is able to cook; she has no time. Having no time is being مَشْغُولَة, busy.
Question 6 — how often he cleans #
٦- يُنَظِّفُ الزَّوْجُ البَيْتَ …… — أ- أَحْيَانًا · ب- دَائِمًا · ج- كُلَّ يَوْمٍ
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| أَحْيَانًا | sometimes |
| دَائِمًا | always |
| كُلَّ يَوْمٍ | every day |
Answer: أ — أَحْيَانًا. The passage says it in so many words: وَأُنَظِّفُ البَيْتَ أَحْيَانًا — and I clean the house sometimes.
Question 7 — when he goes back to work #
٧- يَرْجِعُ الزَّوْجُ إِلَى عَمَلِهِ السَّاعَةَ …… — أ- الرَّابِعَةَ وَالنِّصْفَ · ب- الخَامِسَةَ · ج- الخَامِسَةَ وَالنِّصْفَ
Read the question carefully: إِلَى عَمَلِهِ — to his work, not from it.
Answer: ج — الخَامِسَةَ وَالنِّصْفَ, half past five. Two facts from the passage give it:
- The wife comes home at الخَامِسَة, five.
- He goes out بَعْدَ نِصْفِ سَاعَةٍ مِنْ حُضُورِهَا — half an hour after she arrives.
Five plus half an hour is half past five.
Question 8 — what the wife does not do #
٨- مَا الشَّيْءُ الَّذِي لَا تَفْعَلُهُ الزَّوْجَةُ؟ — أ- إِعْدَادُ الطَّعَامِ · ب- زِيَارَةُ الأَهْلِ · ج- الخُرُوجُ مِنَ البَيْتِ
Answer: أ — إِعْدَادُ الطَّعَامِ. She goes out of the house every day, and at the weekend she visits her family. What does not happen is the cooking — the family eats outside.
Question 9 — what the husband does not do #
٩- مَا الشَّيْءُ الَّذِي لَا يَفْعَلُهُ الزَّوْجُ؟ — أ- تَنَاوُلُ الوَجَبَاتِ خَارِجَ البَيْتِ · ب- نَظَافَةُ البَيْتِ · ج- الحَدِيثُ مَعَ زَوْجَتِهِ
Take the options one at a time:
- تَنَاوُلُ الوَجَبَاتِ خَارِجَ البَيْتِ — eating outside: he does, نَحْنُ نَتَنَاوَلُ الوَجَبَاتِ خَارِجَ البَيْتِ.
- نَظَافَةُ البَيْتِ — cleaning: he does, sometimes, أُنَظِّفُ البَيْتَ أَحْيَانًا.
- الحَدِيثُ مَعَ زَوْجَتِهِ — talking with his wife: he does not, لَا أَجِدُ وَقْتًا لِلْحَدِيثِ مَعَهَا.
Answer: ج — الحَدِيثُ مَعَ زَوْجَتِهِ.
Question 10 — who is in the family #
١٠- تَتَكَوَّنُ هٰذِهِ الأُسْرَةُ مِنْ …… — أ- زَوْجٍ وَزَوْجَةٍ فَقَطْ · ب- زَوْجٍ وَزَوْجَةٍ وَابْنَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ · ج- زَوْجٍ وَزَوْجَةٍ وَابْنٍ وَاحِدٍ
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| تَتَكَوَّنُ مِنْ | consists of — تَتَكَوَّنُ هٰذِهِ الأُسْرَةُ مِنْ … — this family consists of … |
| فَقَطْ | only |
Answer: ج — زَوْجٍ وَزَوْجَةٍ وَابْنٍ وَاحِدٍ, a husband, a wife and one son. The clue is one word: وَمَلَابِسَ ابْنِنَا — and our son's clothes.
| Meaning | |
|---|---|
| ابْنِنَا | our son — this is what the passage says |
| ابْنَتِنَا | our daughter — this is not |
One letter, ة, separates the two. Read every letter.
4 · Passage 2 — the problems of big cities (p. 93) #
The problems of big cities increase every day. People wake up and sleep in these cities while they face the problems of pollution and crowding, and a rising rate of crime and drugs. Factories, companies and schools are many in these cities; therefore the number of these cities' inhabitants increases, and the people of the countryside migrate to them for work and study.
Most of the class's word-by-word explanation of this passage was not recorded; these are the glosses that were:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| يُوَاجِهُونَ | they face — from وَاجَهَ – يُوَاجِهُ, to face |
| ازْدِيَادُ نِسْبَةِ الجَرِيمَةِ | the rise in the rate of crime |
| المُخَدِّرَات | drugs |
| لِهٰذَا | because of this — therefore |
| يُهَاجِرُونَ | they migrate. Why? لِلْعَمَلِ وَالدِّرَاسَةِ — for work and study |
Most of this passage is built from words you already have. Lesson 17 gave you الرِّيف (the countryside), يُهَاجِرُ and the city's growth with يَزْدَادُ, and اِزْدَادَ against زَادَ; Lesson 19 gave you تُوَاجِهُ … مُشْكِلَاتٍ and the problems themselves — الاِزْدِحَام · التَّلَوُّث · الجَرِيمَة · المُخَدِّرَات.
5 · Question 11 — قَلِقُونَ مِنْ #
١١- النَّاسُ فِي المُدُنِ قَلِقُونَ مِنْ …… — أ- الجَرِيمَةِ وَالتَّلَوُّثِ · ب- المُخَدِّرَاتِ وَالمَصَانِعِ · ج- الهِجْرَةِ وَالاِزْدِحَامِ
قَلِق is one who is anxious, troubled; قَلِقُونَ is its plural. You met it in Lesson 11: أَنْتَ قَلِقٌ يَا وَلَدِي — you are troubled, my son. Here مِنْ gives the cause: قَلِقُونَ مِنْ … — anxious because of …
Each wrong option pairs one real problem with something that is not a problem for city people:
| Option | The real problem | The other half |
|---|---|---|
| ب | المُخَدِّرَات — one of the problems | المَصَانِع, factories — they bring work; for city people they are a benefit, not a worry |
| ج | الاِزْدِحَام — one of the problems | الهِجْرَة, migration — people move to the city because of the benefit there |
Answer: أ — الجَرِيمَةِ وَالتَّلَوُّثِ. Both halves are among the problems the passage names.
6 · Questions 12–15 — worked in Part 2 #
The rest of the questions on the second passage are worked in Part 2. Here they are, to read ahead:
- ١٢- مَا الشَّيْءُ الَّذِي لَا يُوجَدُ فِي المُدُنِ؟ — أ- التَّلَوُّثُ · ب- الهُدُوءُ · ج- الاِزْدِحَامُ
- ١٣- مُشْكِلَاتُ المُدُنِ …… — أ- تَزْدَادُ · ب- تَنْقُصُ · ج- قَلِيلَةٌ
- ١٤- لَا يُهَاجِرُ أَهْلُ الرِّيفِ إِلَى المَدِينَةِ لِـ …… — أ- العَمَلِ · ب- الدِّرَاسَةِ · ج- العُطْلَةِ
- ١٥- مَوْضُوعُ هٰذِهِ الفِقْرَةِ هُوَ …… — أ- مُشْكِلَاتُ المُدُنِ · ب- الجَرِيمَةُ وَالمُخَدِّرَاتُ · ج- النَّاسُ وَالاِزْدِحَامُ
The method #
Read the passage through → read again for the words → read until the story is clear → answer each question from the passage. Some answers are stated; some you work out (questions 2, 3, 7).
Passage 1 — words #
| مُشْكِلَة | problem |
| إِعْدَادُ الطَّعَامِ | preparing food |
| وَحْدِي | by myself |
| أَحْيَانًا · دَائِمًا · كُلَّ يَوْمٍ | sometimes · always · every day |
| بَعْدَ نِصْفِ سَاعَةٍ مِنْ حُضُورِهَا | half an hour after she arrives |
| الصَّدِيقَات · السُّوق | (female) friends · the market |
| تُحَضِّرُ دُرُوسَ الأُسْبُوعِ القَادِمِ | she prepares next week's lessons |
| القَادِم = المُقْبِل | coming, next |
| تَتَكَوَّنُ مِنْ · فَقَطْ | consists of · only |
Passage 1 — answers and their clues #
| Q | Answer | Clue in the passage |
|---|---|---|
| ١ her work | مُدَرِّسَةً | تُحَضِّرُ دُرُوسَ الأُسْبُوعِ القَادِمِ |
| ٢ his work | طَبِيبًا | أَخْرُجُ لِلْمُسْتَشْفَى |
| ٣ when he works | الصَّبَاحِ وَالمَسَاءِ | مَرَّةً ثَانِيَةً — so there was a first time |
| ٥ why they eat out | الزَّوْجَةَ مَشْغُولَةٌ | لَا تَجِدُ وَقْتًا — not لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ |
| ٦ how often he cleans | أَحْيَانًا | وَأُنَظِّفُ البَيْتَ أَحْيَانًا |
| ٧ back to work at | الخَامِسَةَ وَالنِّصْفَ | five + نِصْفُ سَاعَةٍ |
| ٨ she does not | إِعْدَادُ الطَّعَامِ | the family eats outside |
| ٩ he does not | الحَدِيثُ مَعَ زَوْجَتِهِ | لَا أَجِدُ وَقْتًا لِلْحَدِيثِ مَعَهَا |
| ١٠ the family | زَوْجٌ وَزَوْجَةٌ وَابْنٌ وَاحِدٌ | ابْنِنَا (our son), not ابْنَتِنَا (our daughter) |
Two traps #
| لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ | she cannot — she is unable |
| لَا تَجِدُ وَقْتًا | she finds no time — she is busy |
| إِلَى عَمَلِهِ | to his work |
| مِنْ عَمَلِهِ | from his work |
Passage 2 — words #
| يُوَاجِهُونَ | they face (وَاجَهَ – يُوَاجِهُ) |
| ازْدِيَادُ نِسْبَةِ الجَرِيمَةِ | the rising crime rate |
| المُخَدِّرَات | drugs |
| لِهٰذَا | therefore |
| يُهَاجِرُونَ لِلْعَمَلِ وَالدِّرَاسَةِ | they migrate for work and study |
| قَلِق · قَلِقُونَ مِنْ | anxious · anxious because of |
Question 11 #
النَّاسُ فِي المُدُنِ قَلِقُونَ مِنْ → الجَرِيمَةِ وَالتَّلَوُّثِ. Not المَصَانِع (they bring work — a benefit) and not الهِجْرَة (people come for the benefit).