English (Listening Comprehension) Annual Examinations - Junior Lyceum, 2008 (Page 2 of 19) in pdf

The New Glasses

1. I t a l l s t a r t e d a f t e r Ca r me n ’ s n i n t h b i r thda y . A t f i r s t , C a r me n w a s n ’ t r e a l l y

s u r e w h a t w a s h a p p e n i n g . I n c l a s s , s h e h a d t o s q u i n t t o s e e t h e w h i t e b o a r d

c l e a r l y . Sh e c o u l d h a r d l y r e a d s t r e e t s ig n s , o r s e e a f i l m. A s her eyesight got

w o r s e , s he b e c a me v e r y w o r r i e d .

Soo n C arme n f ound her se lf sq uinting all the time, but she didn’t want

a n y o n e t o k n o w t h a t s h e w a s h a v i n g a p ro b l e m s e e i n g . I n t h e c l a s s r o o m, s h e

asked for a desk that was closer to the whiteboard. One day, her teacher

s a i d , ‘ C a r me n , I ’ v e n o t i c e d y o u s q u i nting a lot. Are you having trouble

seeing the board? ’

C a r me n s h o o k h e r h e a d . ‘ I ’ m f i n e , M r s . C r u z , ’ s h e s a i d , b u t s h e k n e w s h e

c o u l d n ’ t p r e t e n d muc h l o n g e r .

A t h o me , h e r mot h e r n o t i c e d h e r s q u i nting as she watched her favourite TV

s h o w s , " T o mo r r o w I ’ m g o i n g t o c a l l t h e e y e d o c t o r t o s et up a n a p p oi n t me n t

f o r y o u , " s h e s a i d fi r ml y . C a r me n p r o t e s t e d , b u t h e r mot h e r ’ s mi n d w a s

ma d e u p .

T h r e e d a y s l a t e r , Ca r me n h a d n e w g l a ss e s a n d i n s t r u c t i o n s f r o m t h e d o c t o r

t o w e a r t he m a l l t h e t i me . C a r me n fro w n e d i n t h e c a r t h e w h o l e w a y h o me .

‘ A l l o f t he c h i l dr e n a t s c h o ol w i l l t hi nk I l o o k r i d i c u l o u s ," s h e t h o u gh t .

T h e n e x t d a y , C a r m e n k e p t t h e g l a s s e s i n h e r p o c k e t a s s h e w a l k e d i n t o t h e

s c h o o l y a r d . S h e a v o i d e d h e r f r i e n d s a nd sto od alone , fe eli n g mi s e r a b l e .

S u d d e n l y , s h e h e a r d h e r f r i e n d , T h e r e s a , s h o u t . C a r me n r a n o v e r t o t h e o t h e r

g i r l s . ‘ Wh a t ’ s w r o n g ? ’ s h e a s k e d .

‘ M y s i l v e r r i n g i s g o n e ! ’ T h e r e s a c r i e d . ‘ I t ’ s v e r y s p e c i al . I c a n ’ t l os e i t ! ’

C a r me n c o u l d t e l l t h a t T h e r e s a w a s v er y u p s e t . T h e y a l l l o o k e d f o r t h e r i n g

i n t h e g r a s s y a r e a o f t h e p l a y g r o u n d . C a r me n r e a l i s e d t h a t s h e c o u l d s e a r c h

b e t t e r i f s h e c o u l d s e e b e t t e r s o s h e t o o k t h e g l a s s e s o u t o f h e r p o c k e t a n d

p u t t h e m o n . S u d d e n l y e v e r y t h i n g l o o k e d so different! So clear! She looked

d o w n a t t h e g r o u n d a n d a g l i m m e r o f s i l ve r c a u g h t h e r e y e . I t w a s t h e r i n g .

‘ I ’ v e f o u nd i t ! ’ s h e s h o u t e d . S h e h a n d e d i t t o T he r e s a , a n d T h e r e s a sl i p p e d

t h e r i n g b a c k o n h e r f i n g e r .

10.

‘ T h a n k s C a r me n , ’ s h e s a i d . ‘ I n e v e r tho ugh t we’d fin d it … Hey , I did n’t

know you wore glasses. They look great!’

11.

C a r me n h a d f o r g o t t e n t h a t s h e w a s w e a r i n g t h e n e w g l a s s e s . " T h a n k s , " s h e

rep li ed sh yl y. A s t hey wa l ke d ba ck t o wa r d t h e s c h o o l b u i l d i n g , t w o m o r e

g i r l s f r o m h e r c l a s s c o mpl i me n t e d h e r g l a s s e s . C a r me n s mi l e d . ‘ M a y b e

w e a r i n g g l a s s e s w o n ’ t b e s o b a d a f t e r a l l , ’ s h e t h o u g h t .

(Adapted from It’s All Clear Now by Jean Lawler)

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