Text 14 — Classwork
Line number
1. William Caxton was the first English printer. He was born in Kent in 1422. His
2. father was a farmer. William did not want to become a farmer like his father. So
3. his father sent him to London. He worked in an office which traded with different
4. countries. William liked to read new books which were printed in Europe.
5. At the age of thirty William Caxton started his own business in Belgium. Later
6. he left his business and began to translate French books into English. He became
7. interested in printing and at last he learnt to print. But what William Caxton wanted
8. very much was to have his own press one day and he did.
9. He brought his printing-press to London. Printing was something new at that time
10. and some people thought it was the work of the devil. Some of the people wanted
11. to break his press. Caxton printed his first book in 1477. It was the first book
12. printed in the English language. The book was Caxton’s translation of the French
13. “Tales of Troy”.
14. William Caxton printed about eighty books. He translated thirty-one books from
15. French. Caxton died in 1491.
Exercises
1. William Caxton was sent to London as
a) he didn’t like his father
b) he was interested in trade
c) he wanted to work in an office
d) he refused to become a farmer
2. The word printed in line 11 means
a) drew
b) painted
c) translated
d) published
3. According to Paragraph 2, lines 5–8, Caxton was eager.
a) to leave for Belgium
b) to have his own press
c) to print French books
d) to translate English books into French
4. The English translation of “Tales of Troy” was
a) the first book printed in 1477
b) the only book printed by Caxton
c) thought to be the work of the devil
d) not allowed to be printed
5. According to the text, Caxton
a) translated eighty books
b) printed his first book in French
c) printed thirty-one books in French
d) translated a series of books from French
Text 15 — Homework
Line number
1. William Hogarth, whose name is one of the most brilliant in the history of
2. British painting was born in 1697 in London. At an early age, he showed a talent
3. for drawing. But painting was only for the rich in those days.
4. When William was a young boy he started working for a man from whom he
5. learnt the art of engraving. William engraved visiting cards for him. But he also
6. worked at illustrations of books.
7. Later he began to study at the Art Academy of Sir James Thornhill and helped
8. him to paint some of his pictures. Soon he fell in love with Thornhill’s daughter, but
9. the father did not allow her to marry him. So the two lovers decided to run away.
10. At the age of 30, Hogarth painted his first pictures in oil paint. He became quite
11. successful as a portrait painter. But his real success came when he turned to subjects
12. that ordinary people understood and liked.
13. In his pictures, Hogarth was “getting at” the rich of his day who were living off
14. the backs of the people. He hoped that by his pictures he was helping to change
15. people for the better and make them less cruel. Politicians were afraid of him
16. because he sometimes put them into his pictures.
Exercises
1. According to Paragraph 1, lines 1–3, William Hogarth
a) was very rich
b) was interested in history
c) took up painting at an early age
d) was the most talented painter in 1697
2. Hogarth learnt the art of engraving from
a) Sir James Thornhill
b) Thornhill’s daughter
c) a man who worked for him
d) the man he worked for
3. According to the text,
a) Hogarth painted portraits of ordinary people
b) ordinary people appreciated Hogarth’s paintings
c) at the age of 30 Hogarth painted his first pictures
d) Sir James Thornhill helped Hogarth to paint some of his pictures
4. The word brilliant in line 1 is closest in meaning to
a) bright
b) talented
c) intelligent
d) extraordinary
5. According to Paragraph 5, lines 13–16, Hogarth
a) changed the rich for the better
b) criticized the rich of his day
c) appreciated the rich of his day
d) got money from politicians
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