People's tastes in recreation differ widely. at a recent festival of pop-music in the isle of wight, crowds of teenagers flocked to listen to their favourite singers and musicians. they went with single railway tickets and slept in the open, a very risky thing to do in the climate of britain, even in august. they were packed together like sardines for four days. there were innumerable thieves, a gang of roughs tried several times to break things up, and police were everywhere. at the end of the festival many young fans found themselves broke and they had difficulty in getting back home. most people would consider these conditions a nightmare of discomfort: the fans appeared to enjoy it all enormously.
even in the overcrowded united kingdom there are large tracts of open unspoilt country, where people with more traditional tastes can go for quiet, and for the sense of freedom they derive from contact with nature. in the national parks especially, modern development of housing and industry is strictly controlled. visitors may walk for miles through landscape of the greatest beauty and wildness, and often of considerable historic or scientific interest. along the coasts of some of the maritime counties, public pathways have been created; these paths stretch for many miles along cliffs that look out on the atlantic ocean or the channel. another path, lying inland, goes along the range of mountains in the north of england. it is called the pennine way. here, the long-distance walker and the nature-lover can find much to enjoy, without feeling hemmed in by large numbers of their fellows.
yet few people make full use of the national parks established for everyone's benefit. the commonest thing nowadays is for family groups to motor out to a beautiful spot and park their cars in a lay-by. a picnic basket is produced, along with a folding table and chairs, a kettle and a portable stove. they then settle down to a picnic in the lay-by beside the car. apparently their idea of enjoyment is to get into the fresh air and amongst the country sights and sounds without having to walk a yard. they seem almost to like to hear and to smell the traffic. to the keen walker or naturalist, this is very strange. he knows that the best of the country, its wild life, its shy birds and animals and plants, lie mostly away from the roads. but he is quite content to leave the car-bound families to their sedentary pleasures, while he strides off up hills and mountains, or deep into the woods or along the river banks, in peace and solitude.
once, seeking solitude, i had an unfortunate experience. in the month of february, before the tourist season began, i was sightseeing in peterborough cathedral. at first i was pleased to believe that i was completely alone in the vast edifice. but i discovered that there was also a solitary lady sightseer, a poor cripple, who had to drag her leg about laboriously. as it happened, i had strained a muscle in my back the previous day, so i was dragging my leg too. we shared the empty spaces of the cathedral, toiling round in unintended parody of each other. but i feared that she would think i was imitating her on purpose, and

choose the best answer:
people…
a) differ widely.
c) recreate with wide differences.
b) enjoy widely different halls.
d) have great differences of taste in recreation.
in britain it is very risky to…
a) go with a single railway ticket.
c) sleep in the open.
b) listen to pop-music at festivals.
d) pack together in crowds.
at the end of the festival, many young fans…
a) were dealt with by the police.
c) broke themselves.
b) had spent all their money.
d) were sleeping out.
most people would think that this way of living…
a) was very comfortable nevertheless.
c) considered a nightmare.
b) hated it considerably.
d) was like a bad dream.
even in the overcrowded united kingdom there are large…
a) tracks through the open country.
c) areas of countryside not built on.
b) areas of country without soil.
d) expanses of land where nobody works.
the pennine way…
a) has been lying inland.
c) goes for miles along the cliffs.
b) follows the length of the mountains.
d) is hemmed in by the mountains.
family groups nowadays like to…
a) have meals out of doors by the road-side.
c) drive out past the beautiful places.
b) go for a walk away from the car.
d) hear and smell the animals.
the crippled lady and i parodied each other…
a) in the empty edifice of the cathedral.
c) as laboriously as we could.
b) on purpose.
d) without desiring to do so.
people can go to the country for the sense of freedom, which they from contact with nature.
a) love
c) engage
b) enjoy
d) get
“hemmed in” (printed in bold type) means…
a) threatened
c) sneezed on
b) trapped among crowds
d) stopped from going on
“sedentary” (printed in bold type) means…
a) strange
c) sitting-down
b) lonely
d) motoring
i feared that the crippled lady would think i was … her on purpose.
a) behaving
c) copying
b) annoying
d) watching