The Midnight Visitor - Reading Comprehension Passages

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The Midnight Visitor - Reading Comprehension Passages

Reading Comprehension 1

AUSABLE did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read. Following him down the musty corridor of the gloomy French hotel where Ausable had a room, Fowler felt let down. It was a small room, on the sixth and top floor, and scarcely a setting for a romantic adventure.

     Ausable was, for one thing, fat. Very fat. And then there was his accent. Though he spoke French and German passably, he had never altogether lost the American accent he had brought to Paris from Boston twenty years ago.

     “You are disappointed,” Ausable said wheezily over his shoulder. “You were told that I was a secret agent, a spy, dealing in espionage and danger. You wished to meet me because you are a writer, young and romantic. You envisioned mysterious figures in the night, the crack

of pistols, drugs in the wine.”

     “Instead, you have spent a dull evening in a French music hall with a sloppy fat man who, instead of having messages slipped into his hand by dark-eyed beauties, gets only a prosaic telephone call making an appointment in his room. You have been bored!” The fat man chuckled to himself as he unlocked the door of his room and stood aside to let his frustrated guest enter.

1. What was Fowler's initial impression of Ausable?

   a) He was impressed by Ausable's appearance and demeanor.

   b) He was disappointed by Ausable's appearance and surroundings.

   c) He was intrigued by Ausable's mysterious aura.

   d) He was excited to meet Ausable, expecting adventure.

2. What physical characteristic of Ausable is emphasized in the excerpt?

   a) His tall stature

   b) His slim figure

   c) His fatness

   d) His muscular build

3. Why does Ausable mention Fowler's disappointment?

   a) To mock Fowler's expectations

   b) To apologize for the inconvenience

   c) To explain his unusual appearance

   d) To justify his secretive nature

4. What contrasting image does Ausable present to Fowler's expectations?

   a) A glamorous spy with dark-eyed beauties

   b) A dull evening in a French music hall

   c) A romantic adventure with crackling pistols

   d) A secretive rendezvous with dangerous figures

Reading Comprehension 2

 “You are disillusioned,” Ausable told him. “But take cheer, my young friend. Presently you will see a paper, a quite important paper for which several men and women have risked their lives, come to me. Some day soon that paper may well affect the course of history. In that thought is drama, is there not?”

     As he spoke, Ausable closed the door behind him. Then he switched on the light.

     And as the light came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day. For halfway across the room, a small automatic pistol in his hand, stood a man.

     Ausable blinked a few times.

     “Max,” he wheezed, “you gave me quite a start. I thought you were in Berlin. What are you doing here in my room?”

 

     Max was slender, a little less than tall, with features that suggested slightly the crafty, pointed countenance of a fox. There was about him — aside from the gun — nothing especially menacing.

     “The report,” he murmured. “The report that is being brought to you tonight concerning some new missiles. I thought I would take it from you. It will be safer in my hands than in yours.”

 

1. What does Ausable promise Fowler despite his disappointment?

   a) A thrilling adventure

   b) A dangerous mission

   c) An important document

   d) A secret rendezvous

2. How does Ausable describe the significance of the paper?

   a) It will make history

   b) It will bring drama

   c) It will affect the course of history

   d) It will create suspense

3. What does Ausable do after speaking to Fowler?

   a) He leaves the room

   b) He switches on the light

   c) He opens the window

   d) He sits down on the chair

4. Who does Ausable find standing in his room?

   a) Max

   b) Fowler

   c) Henry

   d) A stranger

Reading Comprehension 3

Ausable moved to an armchair and sat down heavily. “I’m going to raise the devil with the management this time, and you can bet on it,” he said grimly. “This is the second time in a month that somebody has got into my room through that nuisance of a balcony!” Fowler’s eyes went to the single window of the room. It was an ordinary window, against which now the night was pressing blackly.

     “Balcony?” Max said, with a rising inflection. “No, a passkey. I did not know about the balcony. It might have saved me some trouble had I known.”

     “It’s not my balcony,” Ausable said with extreme irritation. “It belongs to the next apartment.” He glanced explanatorily at Fowler. “You see,” he said, “this room used to be part of a large unit, and the next room — through that door there — used to be the living room. It had the balcony, which extends under my window now. You can get onto it from the empty room two doors down — and somebody did, last month. The management promised to block it off. But they haven’t.”

1. What does Ausable plan to do regarding the management?

   a) Complain to them

   b) Threaten them

   c) Ignore them

   d) Avoid them

2. What has been the cause of Ausable's frustration with the management?

   a) The lack of cleanliness in the hotel

   b) The presence of a balcony in his room

   c) The noise from the neighboring apartment

   d) The frequent break-ins through the window

3. What misconception does Max have about the means of entry into Ausable's room?

   a) He thinks someone used a passkey to enter.

   b) He believes there is a balcony below the window.

   c) He assumes the door was left unlocked.

   d) He thinks someone broke the window to enter.

4. How does Ausable explain the presence of the balcony?

   a) It was added to the room recently.

   b) It used to be part of the neighboring apartment.

   c) It was originally part of Ausable's room.

   d) It was built for Ausable's convenience.

Reading Comprehension 4     

Max glanced at Fowler, who was standing stiffly not far from Ausable, and waved the gun with a commanding gesture. “Please sit down,” he said. “We have a wait of half an hour, I think.”

     “Thirty-one minutes,” Ausable said moodily. “The appointment was for twelve-thirty. I wish I knew how you learned about the report, Max.” The little spy smiled evilly. “And we wish we knew how your people got the report. But no harm has been done. I will get it back tonight. What is that? Who is at the door?”

 

     The little spy smiled evilly. “And we wish we knew how your people got the report. But no harm has been done. I will get it back tonight. What is that? Who is at the door?”

     Fowler jumped at the sudden knocking at the door. Ausable just smiled. “That will be the police,” he said. “I thought that such an important paper as the one we are waiting for should have a little extra protection. I told them to check on me to make sure everything was all right.”

     Max bit his lip nervously. The knocking was repeated.

     “What will you do now, Max?” Ausable asked. “If I do not answer the door, they will enter anyway. The door is unlocked. And they will not hesitate to shoot.”

1. What gesture does Max make with the gun?

    a) He points it at Fowler

    b) He waves it around casually

    c) He holds it close to his chest

    d) He raises it in a commanding manner

2. How does Ausable react to the knocking at the door?

    a) He panics and hides

    b) He pretends it's nothing to worry about

    c) He tells Max to answer it

    d) He claims it's the police checking on them

3. Why does Ausable claim to have informed the police about their situation?

    a) To impress Max with his connections

    b) To ensure they provide extra protection

    c) To create a diversion for Max

    d) To have an excuse to leave the room

4. How does Max react to Ausable's statement about the police?

    a) He becomes nervous and panics

    b) He becomes angry and confrontational

    c) He laughs it off as a joke

    d) He agrees with Ausable and suggests they comply

Reading Comprehension 5    

Max’s face was black with anger as he backed swiftly towards the window. He swung a leg over the sill. “Send them away!” he warned. “I will wait on the balcony. Send them away or I’ll shoot and take my chances!”

     The knocking at the door became louder and a voice was raised. “Mr Ausable! Mr Ausable!”

 

     Keeping his body twisted so that his gun still covered the fat man and his guest, the man at the window grasped the frame with his free hand to support himself. Then he swung his other leg up and over the window-sill.

     The doorknob turned. Swiftly Max pushed with his left hand to free himself from the sill and drop to the balcony. And then, as he dropped, he screamed once, shrilly.

 1. Why does Max become angry and back towards the window?

    a) Because he hears a loud noise outside

    b) Because he sees the police approaching

    c) Because he believes the knocking is from the police

    d) Because he is frustrated with Ausable's behavior

2. What does Max threaten to do if Ausable doesn't send the visitors away?

    a) Shoot Ausable and Fowler

    b) Jump out of the window

    c) Call the police himself

    d) Lock Ausable and Fowler in the room

3. What does Max do to escape from the room?

    a) Opens the door and runs out

    b) Climbs out of the window onto the balcony

    c) Hides under the bed

    d) Pretends to surrender to the police

4. What happens to Max as he drops to the balcony?

    a) He loses his balance and falls

    b) He is shot by the police

    c) He realizes there is no balcony and falls to the ground

    d) He successfully escapes and runs away

Answer: c) He realizes there is no balcony and falls to the ground

Reading Comprehension 6

The door opened and a waiter stood there with a tray, a bottle and two glasses. “Here is the drink you ordered for when you returned,” he said, and set the tray on the table, deftly uncorked the bottle, and left the room.

     White-faced, Fowler stared after him. “But...” he stammered, “the police...”

     “There were no police.” Ausable sighed. “Only Henry, whom I was expecting.”

     “But won’t that man out on the balcony...?” Fowler began.

 

     “No,” said Ausable, “he won’t return. You see, my young friend, there is no balcony.”

1. Who enters the room after the knocking on the door?

    a) The police

    b) Max

    c) A waiter

    d) Ausable

2. What does the waiter bring into the room?

    a) A tray, a bottle, and two glasses

    b) A newspaper

    c) A message for Ausable

    d) A gun

3. Why does Fowler become white-faced?

    a) Because he sees the police

    b) Because he is surprised by the waiter's sudden appearance

    c) Because he realizes he left something important behind

    d) Because he is angry at Ausable

4. Who does Ausable reveal was at the door instead of the police?

    a) A friend named Henry

    b) Another secret agent

    c) Max

    d) A delivery person