Reading passages

189- We can understand from the passage that no city in the eighteenth century Japan ................ .

A) had as large a population as that of Tokyo

B) could compete with Tokyo’s cultural life
C) had as many tea-houses as Tokyo had
D) had established as many centres of entertainment as Tokyo had
E) consumed as much tea as Tokyo did


The novelist Davidson is best known for mixing fiction with historical fact, by placing his stories within the framework of public events. In fact, by integrating the front-page news of 20th century Germany with the lives of his characters, Davidson gives readers the “feel” of an era, combining the unusual and the commonplace. His latest novel, The Wall, shows how the events of the turbulent 1940s helped mould the sensibilities of his young protagonist.


190- It is explained in the passage that Davidson’s novel The Wall ............... .

A) is actually a full historical account of the great changes that happened in the 1940s

B) describes the demanding effects of the turbulnt 1940s on the sensitive young protagonist
C) demonstrates how the thoughts and feelings of the main character are shaped by the period in which we lived
D) illustrates his theories concerning the relationship between man and his society
E) fails to give his reader a “ feel” of the 1940s in Germany
191- From the text we learn that a blend of fiction and history ............... .

A) is deliberately avoided by Davidson in his most recent novel

B) has not always been Davidson’s primary concern
C) cannot be found in the traditional novel
D) is a striking feature of Davidson’s writing
E) is commonly used by contemporary German writers, including Davidson himself


192- We see in the passage that Davidson’s purpose in bringing the usual and the extraordinary together in his novels