From the Diary of Anne Frank

Reading Comprehension 1

WRITING in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because I’ve never written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I feel like writing, and I have an even greater need to get all kinds of things off my chest.

‘Paper has more patience than people.’ I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was sitting at home with my chin in my hands, bored and listless, wondering whether to stay in or go out. I finally stayed where I was, brooding: Yes, paper does have more patience, and since I’m not planning to let anyone else read this stiff-backed notebook grandly referred to as a ‘diary’, unless I should ever find a real friend, it probably won’t make a bit of difference.

1. Why does the author find writing in a diary strange?

a) Because they have never written anything before

b) Because they don't have a diary

c) Because they don't know how to write

d) Because they prefer talking to people

2. What does the author think about the future interest in their diary?

a) Everyone will be interested in it

b) Only their friends will be interested in it

c) No one, including the author, will be interested in it

d) It will be published

3. What does the author mean by "Paper has more patience than people"?

a) Paper can wait longer than people

b) Paper doesn't complain or judge

c) People are more understanding than paper

d) Paper is not alive

4. What was the author contemplating while feeling bored and listless?

a) Whether to write a diary or not

b) Whether to stay in or go out

c) Whether to call a friend

d) Whether to read a book

5. What does the author imply about their diary being read by others?

a) They plan to publish it

b) They don't want anyone else to read it

c) They will read it to their friends

d) They will read it to their family

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Reading Comprehension 2

Now I’m back to the point that prompted me to keep a diary in the first place: I don’t have a friend.

Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a thirteen-year-old girl is completely alone in the world. And I’m not. I have loving parents and a sixteen-year-old sister, and there are about thirty people I can call friends. I have a family, loving aunts and a good home. No, on the surface I seem to have everything, except my one true friend. All I think about when I’m with friends is having a good time. I can’t bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things. We don’t seem to be able to get any closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t confide in each other. In any case, that’s just how things are, and unfortunately they’re not liable to change. This is why I’ve started the diary.

To enhance the image of this long-awaited friend in my imagination, I don’t want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would do, but I want the diary to be my friend, and I’m going to call this friend ‘Kitty’.

Since no one would understand a word of my stories to Kitty if I were to plunge right in, I’d better provide a brief sketch of my life, much as I dislike doing so.

1. What is the main reason the author started keeping a diary?

a) To improve their writing skills

b) To have a place to confide their thoughts

c) To document daily events

d) To entertain themselves

2. What does the author say about their social life?

a) They have no friends at all

b) They have many acquaintances but no true friend

c) They prefer being alone

d) They have one true friend

3. How does the author feel about the conversations with their friends?

a) They are deep and meaningful

b) They are always exciting

c) They are only about ordinary everyday things

d) They are non-existent

4. What does the author decide to call their diary?

a) Diary

b) Friend

c) Kitty

d) Journal

5. Why does the author feel the need to provide a sketch of their life in the diary?

a) To follow the usual diary format

b) To help readers understand their stories

c) To impress others

d) To practice writing

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Reading Comprehension 3

My father, the most adorable father I’ve ever seen, didn’t marry my mother until he was thirty-six and she was twenty-five. My sister, Margot, was born in Frankfurt in Germany in 1926. I was born on 12 June 1929. I lived in Frankfurt until I was four. My father emigrated to Holland in 1933. My mother, Edith Hollander Frank, went with him to Holland in September, while Margot and I were sent to Aachen to stay with our grandmother. Margot went to Holland in December, and I followed in February, when I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.

I started right away at the Montessori nursery school. I stayed there until I was six, at which time

I started in the first form. In the sixth form my teacher was Mrs Kuperus, the headmistress. At the end of the year we were both in tears as we said a heartbreaking farewell.

In the summer of 1941 Grandma fell ill and had to have an operation, so my birthday passed with little celebration.

Grandma died in January 1942. No one knows how often I think of her and still love her. This birthday celebration in 1942 was intended to make up for the other, and Grandma’s candle was lit along with the rest.

The four of us are still doing well, and that brings me to the present date of 20 June 1942, and the solemn dedication of my diary.

1. When did the author's father marry their mother?

a) When he was 25 and she was 36

b) When he was 36 and she was 25

c) When he was 30 and she was 20

d) When he was 40 and she was 30

2. Where was the author born?

a) Aachen, Germany

b) Frankfurt, Germany

c) Amsterdam, Netherlands

d) Rotterdam, Netherlands

3. When did the author's father emigrate to Holland?

a) 1926

b) 1929

c) 1933

d) 1941

4. Why was the author's birthday in 1941 passed with little celebration?

a) The family was in financial difficulty

b) The author was ill

c) The grandmother was ill and had to have an operation

d) They had just moved to a new country

5. When was the solemn dedication of the author's diary?

a) 12 June 1929

b) 20 June 1942

c) January 1942

d) December 1941

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Reading Comprehension 4

Dearest Kitty, Our entire class is quaking in its boots. The reason, of course, is the forthcoming meeting in which the teachers decide who’ll move up to the next form and who’ll be kept back. Half the class is making bets. G.N. and I laugh ourselves silly at the two boys behind us, C.N. and Jacques, who have staked their entire holiday savings on their bet. From morning to night, it’s “You’re going to pass”, “No, I’m not”, “Yes, you are”, “No, I’m not”. Even G.’s pleading glances and my angry outbursts can’t calm them down. If you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a quarter of the class should be kept back, but teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth.

I’m not so worried about my girlfriends and myself. We’ll make it. The only subject I’m not sure about is maths. Anyway, all we can do is wait. Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart.

1. Why is the entire class quaking in its boots?

a) Because of an upcoming exam

b) Because of the forthcoming meeting where teachers decide who moves up

c) Because of a surprise test

d) Because of a holiday announcement

2. What are C.N. and Jacques betting on?

a) Who will be the class topper

b) Who will win the next sports competition

c) Who will pass to the next form

d) Who will fail the maths exam

3. How does the author feel about their own chances of moving up to the next form?

a) Confident, except for in maths

b) Extremely worried

c) Completely unconcerned

d) Nervous about all subjects

4. What does the author suggest about the number of students who should be kept back?

a) None of them

b) Half the class

c) About a quarter of the class

d) All the boys in the class

5. What do G.N. and the author do about C.N. and Jacques' betting behaviour?

a) They ignore it

b) They join in on the betting

c) They laugh at it

d) They report it to the teacher

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Reading Comprehension 5

I get along pretty well with all my teachers. There are nine of them, seven men and two women. Mr Keesing, the old fogey who teaches maths, was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much. After several warnings, he assigned me extra homework. An essay on the subject, ‘A Chatterbox’. A chatterbox — what can you write about that? I’d worry about that later, I decided. I jotted down the title in my notebook, tucked it in my bag and tried to keep quiet.

That evening, after I’d finished the rest of my homework, the note about the essay caught my eye. I began thinking about the subject while chewing the tip of my fountain pen. Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking. I thought and thought, and suddenly I had an idea. I wrote the three pages Mr Keesing had assigned me and was satisfied. I argued that talking is a student’s trait and that I would do my best to keep it under control, but that I would never be able to cure myself of the habit since my mother talked as much as I did if not more, and that there’s not much you can do about inherited traits.

1. How many teachers does the author have?

a) Seven

b) Nine

c) Two

d) Ten

2. Why was Mr. Keesing annoyed with the author?

a) For not completing homework

b) For talking too much

c) For failing a test

d) For being late to class

3. What extra homework did Mr. Keesing assign to the author?

a) An essay on 'A Chatterbox'

b) A math problem set

c) A book report

d) A science project

4. What approach did the author take to write the essay on 'A Chatterbox'?

a) She left big spaces between the words

b) She rambled on without focus

c) She provided convincing arguments for the necessity of talking

d) She copied from a book

5. What reason did the author give for her talking habit in the essay?

a) It was a trait she inherited from her mother

b) It was a way to make friends

c) It helped her learn better

d) It was a sign of intelligence

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Reading Comprehension 6

Mr Keesing had a good laugh at my arguments, but when I proceeded to talk my way through the next lesson, he assigned me a second essay. This time it was supposed to be on ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’. I handed it in, and Mr Keesing had nothing to complain about for two whole lessons. However, during the third lesson he’d finally had enough. “Anne Frank, as punishment for talking in class, write an essay entitled — ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox’.”

The class roared. I had to laugh too, though I’d nearly exhausted my ingenuity on the topic of chatterboxes. It was time to come up with something else, something original. My friend, Sanne, who’s good at poetry, offered to help me write the essay from beginning to end in verse and I jumped for joy. Mr Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make sure the joke was on him.

I finished my poem, and it was beautiful! It was about a mother duck and a father swan with three baby ducklings who were bitten to death by the father because they quacked too much. Luckily, Mr Keesing took the joke the right way. He read the poem to the class, adding his own comments, and to several other classes as well. Since then I’ve been allowed to talk and haven’t been assigned any extra homework. On the contrary, Mr Keesing’s always making jokes these days.

Here are five multiple-choice questions based on the latest text provided, along with the answers:

1. What was the title of the second essay Mr. Keesing assigned to the author?

a) 'A Chatterbox'

b) 'An Incorrigible Chatterbox'

c) 'Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox'

d) 'The Importance of Silence'

2. What was the topic of the third essay Mr. Keesing assigned to the author?

a) 'A Chatterbox'

b) 'An Incorrigible Chatterbox'

c) 'Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox'

d) 'The Importance of Silence'

3. Who helped the author with the third essay?

a) Mr. Keesing

b) Her mother

c) Her friend Sanne

d) Her sister Margot

4. What was the theme of the poem for the third essay?

a) A chattering student

b) A mother duck and a father swan with three baby ducklings

c) A quiet classroom

d) A noisy playground

5. How did Mr. Keesing react to the poem?

a) He was angry

b) He ignored it

c) He laughed and shared it with other classes

d) He assigned more homework

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