Investigating optimal spacing schedules for incidental acquisition of L2 collocations

Layla at university

Layla was a beautiful lady. She studied a degree in art at Cambridge. Her house was very close to the university, just a short walk away. She lived with her husband and their four children. She was happy with her studies and wanted to become a famous designer.

She was very interested in art and her dream came true when she joined the School of Arts at Cambridge. She had always kept this dream from her family and friends. Whenever someone asked her about the university she would like to join, there was often a dead silence on her part. As she was a natural leader, she made good relationships at the university, always helping students whose native tongue was not English or those who were getting a short notice to leave their homes because they didn’t pay their rent. She also helped on special health days such as the ‘No Soft Drink’ day and the ‘Cancer Awareness’ Day.

Layla at home

Layla was a perfect mother. She cared a lot about her family and children. Her husband was from Italy and his native tongue was Italian. But he was not supportive. He always said that he would change, but this never happened. He was a soft drink addict, spending most of their money on it. They were in serious debt and were given short notice to pay the money back before the end of the month. Whenever she started a conversation on these issues, he replied with a dead silence and couldn’t look her in the eyes. She seriously thought of leaving him as she couldn’t stand the situation anymore. She was a natural leader and kept telling herself that she should now leave him, but she couldn’t take this step in their relationship.

She said that she had always dreamt of a quiet life but after spending so many years with this man, she was losing her mind. She was certain that they would not be able to break the dead silence in their relationship. She finally gave him short notice of one month either to change or to get divorced. She was happy to see him finally changing. He was more careful about their money and stopped drinking that type of soft drink which he had wasted so much money on.

Layla at work

When Layla finished university, she started working as a designer in a big company. She really loved her job. Because she was a natural leader and could speak many languages in addition to her native tongue, she was given a managerial position in the company.

But the company soon faced serious problems and the owner was thinking of firing some employees. She was given a short notice period of one month to leave the company as, they said, they did not like her work! She couldn’t believe it. There was a dead silence of a minute or two on her last visit to the company. She could not understand many of the owner’s words as his native tongue was not English. Finally, she decided to accept that her days in the company were coming to an end. Because of her emotional pain, she had a large amount of her favourite soft drink. She tried not to give up. She kept telling herself that she was a natural leader and could easily find a better job.

Layla’s death

After losing her job, Layla got cancer. Her voice said a lot about what she had been going through. She couldn’t even enjoy her favourite soft drink anymore. She went to the hospital to have a brain scan.

Her treatment soon started. Since she was a natural leader, she kept on fighting and gave the others in the hospital hope. But the cancer had actually spread throughout her body and was now at an advanced stage, the doctor said. It took Layla’s family some time to understand what the doctor said as his native tongue was not English. Their understanding was followed by a dead silence as they were given very short notice of the operation. Finally, after months of suffering, Layla died in the hospital.

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

1. The story is mainly about _______.

   1. Layla’s different jobs

   2. Layla and her life story

   3. Layla’s children and their problems

   4. Layla’s travels around the world

2. Which one of the following points is true according to the story?

   1. Layla has always dreamed of studying medicine.

   2. Layla and her husband have always lived a wonderful life.

   3. Layla studied at Cambridge and lived there.

   4. Layla’s husband was very careful with their money.

3. According to the story, Layla _______.

   1. worked in a big hospital

   2. was a teacher

   3. didn’t have children

   4. could speak many languages

4. How did Layla feel about losing her job?

   1. She was angry and shouted at her boss.

   2. She was sad and could not overcome the pain.

   3. She did not really care as she had another job.

   4. She was happy because she did not like it.

5. Layla died of ______.

   1. lung infection

   2. cancer

   3. heart disease

   4. AIDS

Incidental spaced

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

Layla at university

Layla was a beautiful lady. She studied fine art at Cambridge. Her house was very close to the university, just a 5 min easy walk. She lived with her husband and their four children. She was happy with her studies and wanted to become a famous designer.

She had a very strong interest in art and her dream came true when she joined the School of Arts at Cambridge. She had always kept this dream from her family and friends as a dark secret. Whenever someone asked her about the university she would like to join, she did not say a word. She made good relationships at the university, always helping international students who didn’t understand English well or who had to leave their homes because they didn’t pay their rent. She also helped on special health days such as the ‘Cancer Awareness’ Day.

Layla at home

Layla was a perfect mother. She cared a lot about her family and children. Her husband was Italian but the sad fact was that he spent their money carelessly and was not supportive. He always said that he would change, but she was really fed up with his broken promises which were never kept. He spent all of their money on drinks. They were in serious debt and had to pay the money back to the bank before the end of the month. Whenever she asked him for a little chat to discuss these issues, he gave her a blank expression and then there was often a dead silence. She seriously thought of leaving him as she couldn’t stand the situation anymore, but she couldn’t take this step in their relationship.

She said that she had always dreamt of a loving home but after spending so many years with this man, she was losing her mind and had a low opinion of herself. Any conversation with her husband became a difficult task that only pushed them further apart. She told him that this was the final leg in their relationship and that he either had to change or she would file for divorce. She was happy to see him finally changing after taking a hard line with him.

Layla at work

When Layla finished university, she started working as a designer in a big company. She really loved her job. Because she was a natural leader and could speak many languages in addition to English, she was given a managerial position in the company.

But the company soon faced serious problems and the owner was thinking of firing some employees. She was given a short notice period of a month to leave the company as, they said, her designs were in poor taste! She couldn’t believe it and thought it was a sick joke. The owner’s nice words as she was leaving the company gave her nothing but a small comfort. She could not understand many of the owner’s words as his native tongue was not English. Finally, she decided to accept that her days in the company were coming to an end. Because of her emotional pain, she soon became a heavy smoker having more than 20 cigarettes a day. She tried not to give up, telling herself she could easily find a better job.

Layla’s death

After Layla lost her job, she got cancer. Her voice said a lot about what she had been going through. She couldn’t even enjoy her favourite soft drink anymore. Today, she went to the hospital which was open to the general public, to have a brain scan.

Her treatment started soon. She kept on fighting, but the cancer spread throughout her body and was now at an advanced stage, the doctor said. It took Layla’s family some time to understand what the doctor had said as his English was not very clear. When they understood him, there was nothing to say. They felt that the disease was eating away at Layla even faster now. Because of her great pain, she could only go to sleep in the white noise of the air conditioner. Finally, her disease led to a painful death, but her soul can now rest in peace.

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

1. The story is mainly about _______.

   1. Layla’s different jobs

   2. Layla and her life story

   3. Layla’s children and their problems

   4. Layla’s travels around the world

2. Which one of the following points is true according to the story?

   1. Layla has always dreamed of studying medicine.

   2. Layla and her husband have always lived a wonderful life.

   3. Layla studied at Cambridge and lived there.

   4. Layla’s husband was very careful with their money.

3. According to the story, Layla _______.

   1. worked in a big hospital

   2. was a teacher

   3. didn’t have children

   4. could speak many languages

4. How did Layla feel about losing her job?

   1. She was angry and shouted at her boss.

   2. She was sad and could not overcome the pain.

   3. She did not really care as she had another job.

   4. She was happy because she did not like it.

5. Layla died of ______.

   1. lung infection

   2. cancer

   3. heart disease

   4. AIDS

Ali: the child

Ali did not have a happy childhood. His parents argued a lot and then stopped talking to each other. Whenever he tried to get them to sit together for a little chat, they would turn to him with a blank expression on their faces and tell him that there was nothing to say as they were seriously thinking of getting divorced. They were both fed up with their lives. They couldn’t provide a loving home for their son. As a child, he always imagined that he lived inside a drama that was in poor taste. He wanted to get out of this helpless situation.

Ali’s parents told him that nothing was going to change in his life if they left each other. He looked at them with a blank expression on his face. He was very jealous of families in the general public who lived happily in a loving home. He had given up and stopped asking his parents to sit and have a little chat. He was depressed and felt he couldn’t talk to anyone about this.

The teenager Ali

Ali’s parents decided to open up to each other in order to deal with all the problems. When they promised him that they would live with no arguments, he couldn’t believe it. There was a blank expression on his face that was difficult to explain.

To his surprise, they changed completely. Every day they went for a walk in the neighborhood and had a little chat over different topics. His father was actually a good manager and was trying to use this in managing their relationship. It was always possible to step back to find a solution instead of divorce and Ali couldn’t believe that he lived in the loving home he had dreamed of. The drama he thought they were living was not in poor taste anymore. He started thinking of forming a community on Facebook to speak to the general public about how couples could live happily without daily arguments.

Ali in his 30’s

Ali met a very nice lady, Noor, at the office. It was difficult for her to talk with people as she could not speak English well. She was what the general public would call ‘shy’. Ali helped Noor in her early days at the office and soon became attracted to her. Every day they spent the lunch break together and had a little chat. He was afraid of any relationship because of what he experienced as a child, but he finally decided to marry her. When his mother saw her, she had a blank expression on her face. She thought Ali had poor taste as Noor was not very beautiful.

He ignored what his mother said about Noor, and they got married. Their life was amazing and they made a loving home. They were both interested in history, so they started visiting different countries to see various museums. Some of them were very special and not even open to the general public. He spent all of their money on old paintings that, in Noor’s view, were in poor taste. They had not paid the house rent for months now. The house owner told them to pay the rent or leave the house. Ali eventually managed to stop himself from buying more paintings.

Ali in old age

Now, Ali and Noor are both over 65. His health is not very good as he loves drinking Pepsi and smokes a lot. As for Noor, she has difficulty sleeping. She can only sleep while watching TV shows (which are in poor taste in Ali’s view) or after a little chat with Ali in which they talk about their memories.

They now live a happy life. Their children and grandchildren visit them every week and always find a loving home open to them. Noor often has dark thoughts about dying in pain, but being a counselor, she knows that these concerns were shared by many people in the general public. One day, Ali was sitting in the garden with a blank expression on his face. He thought about his life as a child and how it completely changed.

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

1. The story is mainly about _______.

   1. Ali’s disease that led to his death

   2. The various stages of Ali’s life

   3. Ali’s job as an engineer

   4. Ali’s grandchildren

2. According to the story, when Ali was a child, ______.

   1. he had a happy, wonderful life

   2. he lived with his uncle and aunt

   3. his parents always argued

   4. he was a noisy, difficult child

3. Ali and Noor met at the _______.

   1. shopping mall

   2. office

   3. hospital

   4. library

4. Which one of the following points is true according to the story?

   1. Ali’s mother loved his wife (Noor).

   2. Ali created a WhatsApp group for his family.

   3. Ali and Noor were both scientists.

   4. Ali and Noor visited different countries.

5. How did Noor feel about death?

   1. She was not thinking of it at all.

   2. She thought it will come peacefully.

   3. She was really scared of it.

   4. She hoped that she would die very soon.

Incidental spaced

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

Ali: the child

Ali did not have a happy childhood. His parents argued a lot and then reached a level of dead silence. Whenever he tried to get them to sit together for a little chat, they would look at him sadly and tell him that there was nothing to say as they were seriously thinking of getting divorced. They were both fed up with all the broken promises. Ali didn’t feel loved at home. As a child, he always imagined that he lived inside a drama. He wanted to get out of this miserable situation.

Ali’s parents told him that nothing was going to change in his life if they left each other, but that only gave him a small comfort. He looked at them very sadly. He was very jealous of other families who lived happily around them. The sad fact was that he started losing hope. He felt that his great pain couldn’t be explained in words.

The teenager Ali

Ali’s parents decided to open up to each other in order to deal with all the problems. When they promised him that they would live with no arguments, he thought this was just a sick joke and didn’t believe it. There was a blank expression on his face that was difficult to explain.

To his surprise, they changed completely. Every day they went for an easy walk in the neighborhood and chatted over different topics. His father was actually a natural leader and was trying to use this in managing their relationship. It was always possible to step back and find solutions to problems before they jumped into the final leg of their marriage. Ali was extremely happy. The drama he always thought they were living was over. He started thinking of forming a community on Facebook to speak about how couples could live happily without daily arguments.

Ali in his 30’s

Ali met a very nice lady, Noor, at the office. It was difficult for her to talk with people as her native tongue was not English. She was what you would call ‘shy’. Ali helped Noor in her early days at the office and soon became attracted to her. Every day they spent their lunch break together chatting. He was always afraid of any relationship because of what he experienced as a child. He kept his relationship with Noor a dark secret, but he finally decided to marry her. When his mother saw her, she thought Ali had poor taste as Noor was not very beautiful.

He ignored his mother’s low opinion of Noor, and they got married. Their life was amazing and they made a beautiful home. They both had a strong interest in history, so they started visiting different countries to see various forms of fine art. Some of the museums they visited were very special and not even open to the general public. He spent all of their money on old paintings that Noor didn’t particularly like. They had not paid the house rent for months. The house owner gave them short notice to pay the rent or leave the house. Ali eventually managed to stop himself from acquiring more paintings.

Ali in old age

Now, Ali and Noor are both over 65. His health is not very good as he loves drinking the soft drink Pepsi and has also become a heavy smoker. As for Noor, she has difficulty sleeping now and can only get to sleep in the white noise of the TV (watching a show that Ali doesn’t like) or after she talks to Ali about their memories.

They now live a happy life. Their children and grandchildren visit them every week and always find a loving home open to them. Noor often has dark thoughts of a painful death, but being a counselor, she knows that these concerns are very common to many people of her age. One day, Ali was sitting in the garden staring at the sky. He thought about his life as a child and laughed at how it completely changed as he took the hard line and decided how he wants his life to go.

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

1. The story is mainly about _______.

   1. Ali’s disease that led to his death

   2. The various stages of Ali’s life

   3. Ali’s job as an engineer

   4. Ali’s grandchildren

2. According to the story, when Ali was a child, ______.

   1. he had a happy, wonderful life

   2. he lived with his uncle and aunt

   3. his parents always argued

   4. he was a noisy, difficult child

3. Ali and Noor met at the _______.

   1. shopping mall

   2. office

   3. hospital

   4. library

4. Which one of the following points is true according to the story?

   1. Ali’s mother loved his wife (Noor).

   2. Ali created a WhatsApp group for his family.

   3. Ali and Noor were both scientists.

   4. Ali and Noor visited different countries.

5. How did Noor feel about death?

   1. She was not thinking of it at all.

   2. She thought it will come peacefully.

   3. She was really scared of it.

   4. She hoped that she would die very soon.

The family and the neighborhood

Ahmad and Rami were brothers. Ahmad was only one year older than Rami. They lived with their parents and a dog. Sadly, they were going to leave London taking their final leg to Brighton. They had always promised that they were not going to leave, so their neighbors were very sad about the family’s broken promises. The neighbors felt miserable and had a great pain that could not be explained in words.

Their father decided to move to another city in order to expand his business. He took the hard line and started a new IT company. They told the house owner a month before that they started the final leg of the move. Their house was huge, so they found an Indian maid, Aysha. She would often walk to the nearby shop for the food. Many years later, she got ill and died a painful death, surrounded by their love and care.

At college

As Ahmad had missed one whole year in school because of an illness, Ahmad and Rami completed their final leg of school in the same year and went to college together. They joined the local College of Building Design. They loved buildings and believed that their city needed a lot of work. People in the city agreed the buildings in their city were in a bad state. Everyone was fed up with all the government’s broken promises to fix them all. Ahmad and Rami decided to take the hard line and try to improve the situation when they graduated.

At college, both Ahmad and Rami were very popular, but Rami was friendlier. He loved helping his friends whenever it was possible. He liked to give advice on what people can do in a given situation. For example, once he helped a friend who was going through a slow, painful death to get him through an operation. People always wanted to work with Rami. Ahmad was very shy. Rami always pushed Ahmad to open up to people, but he got tired of all his broken promises. Ahmad was not willing to take the hard line and try something different. Even up to graduation, he had great pain in his stomach when faced with a new situation.

After college

Both Ahmad and Rami worked in a company that designed buildings. In the first general meeting for designers, they did not know what to say. Ahmad never had self-confidence, which always stopped him from going forward. However, Rami took the hard line and pushed himself forward to become the manager within three months.

A few months later, the company asked Ahmad to leave. He could not believe it and thought: “This can’t be true”. As he was leaving the company, Rami promised Ahmad that he would try to find him a better job soon, but this didn’t help Ahmad much. He was very depressed and soon started smoking 40 cigarettes a day. He still remembered all of Rami’s broken promises that weren’t kept. He had great pain and could only sleep three to 4 h a day. Even when his mother was suffering a painful death and wanted to see him, he did not visit her.

Last day

Ahmad’s health started worsening. He had great pain in his chest and got fat because he drank lots of Pepsi. He had a serious lung disease. He started thinking of the final leg in his hopeless life. Every night, he had a terrible nightmare where he saw himself experiencing a painful death. Ahmad did not want anyone to feel bad for him, so he took the hard line and decided not to tell anyone about his illness, including his family.

Four months later, he decided to tell his family as he was scared of the idea that he might suffer a painful death alone. He called Rami who came immediately. They didn’t speak for a minute or two. His great pain prevented him even from smiling at his brother’s face. He died the next day. This was Ahmad’s final leg of his life. Rami now regrets all the broken promises which had kept them apart for years.

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

1. The story is mainly about _______.

   1. How a mother saved her two sons

   2. Two sisters fighting all the time

   3. Two brothers and their life story

   4. A father who drinks alcohol all the time

2. The buildings in the city ______.

   1. were nice and beautiful

   2. were in good condition

   3. were very modern

   4. had many problems

3. Which one of the following points is true about Ahmad and Rami according to the story?

   1. Both of them were shy in college.

   2. They were both doctors.

   3. Only one of them died.

   4. They joined college in different years.

4. According to the story, Ahmad got depressed because _______.

   1. he lost his job

   2. his wife died

   3. his father was ill

   4. he didn’t have children

5. How did Rami feel when he saw Ahmad in hospital?

   1. He was happy to see Ahmad in good shape.

   2. He could not believe how ill Ahmad was.

   3. He was angry that nobody took care of Ahmad.

   4. He was sure Ahmad would be fine.

Incidental spaced

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

The family and the neighborhood

Ahmad and Rami were brothers. Ahmad was only one year older than Rami. They lived in a loving home with their parents and a dog. The sad fact was that they were going to leave London to live in Brighton. They had always promised that they were not going to leave, so their neighbours could not believe that it was going to happen. The neighbors were sad and it was hard to explain the pain they felt.

Their father decided to move to another city in order to expand his business and start a new IT company. They gave the house owner short notice of a month before they moved. Their house was big, so they found a maid, Aysha, whose native tongue was Indian. She often went on an easy walk to the nearby shop for the food. Many years later, she got ill and died, surrounded by their love and care.

At college

As Ahmad had missed one whole year in school because of an illness, Ahmad and Rami completed school in the same year and went to college together. They joined the local College of Fine Art and Design. They both had a strong interest in buildings and believed that their city needed a lot of work. The general public in the city agreed that buildings were in poor taste. The buildings were also in a bad state. Everyone was fed up with all the government’s broken promises to fix all of these buildings. Ahmad and Rami decided to improve this situation when they graduated.

At college, both Ahmad and Rami were very popular, but Rami was friendlier. He loved helping his friends whenever it was possible. He was always ready for any little chat with a friend to explain what they should do in a given situation. For example, once he helped a friend who was dying and needed an operation. Rami was actually a natural leader and people always wanted to work with him. Ahmad was very shy. Rami always pushed Ahmad to open up to people, but he got tired. Even up to graduation he had a strange feeling in his stomach when faced with a new situation.

After college

Both Ahmad and Rami worked in a company that designed buildings. In the first general meeting for designers, there was a blank expression on their faces as they did not know what to say. Ahmad’s low opinion of his abilities always stopped him from going forward. However, Rami took the hard line and pushed himself forward to become the manager within three months.

A few months later, the company decided to ask Ahmad to leave. He could not believe it and thought: “This must be a sick joke”. As he was leaving the company, Rami promised Ahmad that he would try to find him a better job soon, but this only gave Ahmad a small comfort. He was very depressed and soon became a heavy smoker (having 40 cigarettes a day). He was sad and could only sleep in the white noise of the air conditioning. Even when his mother was very sick and wanted to see him, he did not visit her.

Last day

Ahmad’s health started worsening. He had great pain in his chest and got fat because he drank lots of his favorite soft drink. He had a serious lung disease. He started thinking seriously of the final leg in his hopeless life. Every night, he had a terrible nightmare where he saw himself dying in pain. Ahmad did not want anyone to feel bad for him, so he kept his illness a dark secret from everyone including his family.

Four months later, he decided to tell his family, as he was scared of the idea that he might suffer a painful death alone. He called Rami who came immediately. There was a dead silence of a minute or two. Ahmad could not even smile at his brother’s face because of the pain. He died the next day. This was Ahmad’s last day. Rami now can’t believe that he allowed small things to keep them apart for years.

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

1. The story is mainly about _______.

   1. How a mother saved her two sons

   2. Two sisters fighting all the time

   3. Two brothers and their life story

   4. A father who drinks alcohol all the time

2. The buildings in the city ______.

   1. were nice and beautiful

   2. were in good condition

   3. were very modern

   4. had many problems

3. Which one of the following points is true about Ahmad and Rami according to the story?

   1. Both of them were shy in college.

   2. They were both doctors.

   3. Only one of them died.

   4. They joined college in different years.

4. According to the story, Ahmad got depressed because _______.

   1. he lost his job

   2. his wife died

   3. his father was ill

   4. he didn’t have children

5. How did Rami feel when he saw Ahmad in hospital?

   1. He was happy to see Ahmad in good shape.

   2. He could not believe how ill Ahmad was.

   3. He was angry that nobody took care of Ahmad.

   4. He was sure Ahmad would be fine.

Alia’s problem

Alia was Lebanese and lived in London. She was fat for many years. Since childhood she was eating a lot of hamburgers and drinking Pepsi. Sadly, she was also a heavy smoker and couldn’t go an hour without a cigarette. This was the dark secret that she kept from her family.

Her grandfather was also a heavy smoker and died painfully of cancer. Only her grandmother knew about the cancer. This was their dark secret for years. Alia had a low opinion of herself and was spending all her money on her food and cigarettes, but one day she decided to change her unhealthy lifestyle.

She stopped smoking and started going to the gym which was open 24 h a day. Her friend gave her some information about healthy eating. Alia thought it was a sick joke, but seeing her grandfather suffer gave her a strong interest in getting healthier.

Alia’s study

When Alia lost weight, she decided to go to university to study arts. She had always had a strong interest in arts, but the university costs increased like some kind of a sick joke. Her parents helped her and she started studying at London University.

Alia’s best friend is Mary, who speaks French. Mary has a dark secret, she suffers from depression. She also has weight problems and a low opinion of herself. She feels good when she talks to Alia because Alia was in a similar situation. Mary is alone in London, she doesn’t have a lot of money and it is sad that she can’t visit her family more often. She misses her parents and her home. She also has two younger brothers, and one of them is a heavy smoker.

Alia’s job

Alia and Mary live together. They walk to the university and the gym. Because they both have a strong interest in swimming, they need to save money to go to on holiday. They saw jobs advertised in a coffee shop. During the interviews, the girls had a low opinion of the manager because he wasn’t very friendly and made a sick joke about Mary’s weight. However, he still had a strong interest in employing them because they could speak another language so both girls got a job.

The manager is not nice and he doesn’t want to improve the coffee shop. He gets angry if Alia and Mary talk to the customers. He reduces employees’ salary if they arrive late or calls them into his office and tells them they have to leave within a week. People first think it is a sick joke but he is serious. He is also a heavy smoker and is one of those people who has more than one dark secret. When Alia and Mary finish at night, they close the shop, sit down and just listen to the cars and buses passing by.

Alia’s husband

The manager is like Alia’s ex-husband, who was a heavy smoker as well. He had a strong interest in cars, so he opened his own business. At the beginning, he was so nice to her. But then he started acting very strange. One day, he told her he was leaving her. She first thought it was some kind of a sick joke, but soon realised he was serious. She was sad and cried so much. She remembered all his promises and how they were going to live happily. She had a low opinion of herself and thought she was not good enough for him.

That evening, while she was watching TV, she heard a message tone. She quickly realised her husband had left his phone. She read the message which said: “Hello darling! When am I going to see you again? I really miss you!”. Her husband was seeing another girl and had kept this dark secret for a long time. Alia decided to forget about her past and return home to Lebanon. She travelled for 15 h and made the last part of her trip by bus, then walked to her parents’ house. She thought they would have a low opinion of her, but they were very happy to see her.

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

1. The story is mainly about _______.

   1. Alia and her son.

   2. The problems that Alia faced in her life.

   3. How Mary helped Alia to buy a factory.

   4. Why Alia and Mary hated each other.

2. Which one of the following points is true about Alia and Mary according to the story?

   1. Mary had a serious liver disease.

   2. Mary was Alia’s best friend.

   3. Mary and Alia worked in a library.

   4. Both Alia and Mary were very thin.

3. What did Alia and Mary think of the coffee shop manager?

   1. They loved his personality.

   2. They did not like him.

   3. They hated his appearance.

   4. They thought he was attractive.

4. According to the story, Alia’s ex-husband ______.

   1. worked as a doctor in a hospital

   2. was seeing another girl

   3. was very old and ill

   4. loved playing football all the time

5. Alia’s parents house was in _______.

   1. Mexico

   2. England

   3. Egypt

   4. Lebanon

Incidental spaced

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

Alia’s problem

Alia was Lebanese and lived in London. She was fat for many years. Since childhood she was eating a lot of hamburgers and drinking Pepsi, her favourite soft drink. Sadly, she was also a heavy smoker and couldn’t go an hour without a cigarette. She hid this from her family.

Her grandfather also smoked a lot and died of cancer, it was a painful death. Only her grandmother knew about the cancer for years and didn’t tell anybody about this. Alia wasn’t confident and was spending all her money on her food and cigarettes, but one day she decided to change her unhealthy lifestyle.

She stopped smoking and started going to the gym that was open 24 h a day to the general public. Her friend gave her some information about healthy eating. Alia thought her friend was joking, but seeing her grandfather suffer made her want to get healthier.

Alia’s study

When Alia lost weight, she decided to study fine art at university. She had always had a strong interest in arts but the university was very expensive. Her parents helped her and she started studying at London University.

Alia’s best friend is Mary, whose native tongue is French. She has weight problems and suffers from depression. Because of that, she has a very low opinion of herself. She feels good when she talks to Alia because it gives her a small comfort to know that somebody else had been in a similar situation. Mary is alone in London, she doesn’t have a lot of money and the sad fact is that she can’t visit her family often. She misses her parents and her loving home. She has two younger brothers, and one of them smokes a lot.

Alia’s job

Alia and Mary live together. They have an easy walk to the university and the gym. Because they both love swimming, they need to save money to go to on holiday. They saw jobs advertised at a coffee shop. During the interviews, the manager had a blank expression on his face and wasn’t very friendly. However, he was still very interested in employing them because they could speak another language so both girls got the job.

The manager is not a nice man and he doesn’t want to improve the coffee shop. The furniture is old and in poor taste. He gets angry if Alia and Mary talk to the customers. The manager takes a hard line with employees who arrive late and reduces their salary. Or he calls them into his office for a little chat and tells them they have to leave within a week. It is such short notice that people can’t believe he does it; you would not describe him as a natural leader. When Alia and Mary finish at night, they close the shop, sit down in the dead silence and just listen to the white noise of the cars and buses passing by.

Alia’s husband

The manager is like Alia’s ex-husband, who also smoked a lot. He loved cars, so he opened his own business. At the beginning, he was so nice to her. But then he started acting very strange. One day, he told her he was leaving her. She first thought it was some kind of sick joke, but soon realised he was serious. She was in a great pain and cried so much. She remembered all his broken promises: that they were going to live happily. She had such low confidence that she thought she was not good enough for him.

That evening, while she was watching TV, she heard a message tone. She quickly realised her husband had left his phone. She read the message which said: “Hello darling! When am I going to see you again? I really miss you!” Alia couldn’t believe it. Her husband was seeing another girl and had kept this dark secret for a long time. Alia decided to forget about her past and return home to Lebanon. She travelled for 15 h and made the final leg of her trip by bus, then walked to her parents’ house, who were very happy to see her.

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

1. The story is mainly about _______.

   1. Alia and her son.

   2. The problems that Alia faced in her life.

   3. How Mary helped Alia to buy a factory.

   4. Why Alia and Mary hated each other.

2. Which one of the following points is true about Alia and Mary according to the story?

   1. Mary had a serious liver disease.

   2. Mary was Alia’s best friend.

   3. Mary and Alia worked in a library.

   4. Both Alia and Mary were very thin.

3. What did Alia and Mary think of the coffee shop manager?

   1. They loved his personality.

   2. They did not like him.

   3. They hated his appearance.

   4. They thought he was attractive.

4. According to the story, Alia’s ex-husband ______.

   1. worked as a doctor in a hospital

   2. was seeing another girl

   3. was very old and ill

   4. loved playing football all the time

5. Alia’s parents house was in _______.

   1. Mexico

   2. England

   3. Egypt

   4. Lebanon

Mitsuko as a child

Mitsuko is from Japan. He has a father and one brother. His mother smoked a lot and passed away. When Mitsuko was 10 years old, his family moved to New York. Although Mitsuko’s first language was Japanese, the sad fact is that he didn’t speak it well because his family spoke English at home.

They lived in a tiny house and took small comfort in the fact that the house was within an easy walk of a big park and next to the Museum of Art. The park was beautiful, like a piece of fine art. Sometimes Mitsuko just liked to sit on the grass listening to the white noise of the wind moving the trees gently. Mitsuko and his friends loved playing in the park and visiting the museum that was open to everybody. They liked to observe paintings silently and to listen to the white noise of the people walking by.

Mitsuko and Tom

Tom was Mitsuko’s best friend. Although Tom’s family was wealthy and had a huge house that was also within an easy walk from the park, they were not happy. Tom’s father had a giant company that sold Pepsi. But the sad fact was that he loved to spend his money on luxurious cars and pieces of fine art instead of his family. Mitsuko’s dream was to make enough money to buy his father a better house and a car, but the sad fact was that he always thought he couldn’t do it and that it would be nearly impossible to be wealthy.

Tom liked to make jokes. One day, he asked Mitsuko and his brother to come to his house urgently. When they arrived, Tom showed them a dead cat that he had put in his mother’s freezer for her to find. When Mitsuko saw the cat, he was shocked. He didn’t say anything and the only sound that could be heard was the white noise coming from the freezer. Mitsuko told Tom he thought his joke wasn’t funny. When Tom’s mother found the cat, she was upset and punished him by not letting him play football with his friends for a month. Tom, however, took a small comfort in the fact that he made his mother so angry.

Mitsuko and art

Mitsuko was interested in fine art, and he lived within an easy walk from the Museum of Art. On his last visit to the museum, he saw a painting of a renowned artist with a big face and a cigarette in his mouth; the sad fact was that the artist had a drinking problem until his death in 1970. Mitsuko was very interested in the artist and took small comfort in the fact that the artist had also moved from one country to another when he was 10.

Mitsuko was working at the local gym to save money for a degree in fine art. His customers were unfit and he really enjoyed working with them. He took a small comfort in knowing he was improving their quality of life. Mitsuko loved working in the gym and the white noise of the fitness machines helped him relax after the exercise. After work, he would take an easy walk back home.

Mitsuko, Lena and the race

One of his customers, Lena, also had a degree in fine art. After a bitter divorce, the sad fact was that she gained weight and promised to herself too many times to get healthy again. She talked to Mitsuko and he entered her into a race. She was going to change her old habits completely.

On the day of the race, there were many people and Mitsuko and Lena were excited. The sound of the crowd was like white noise which made them run even faster. As they entered the last part of the race Mitsuko felt a pain in his left leg. When they crossed the finish line, Mitsuko slowed to an easy walk. They found a first aid area, and Mitsuko entered to have his leg examined. They gave him some pain relief, which was of small comfort to the agonizing pain in his leg.

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

1. The story is mainly about _______.

   1. Mitsuko’s new computer company

   2. A girl who speaks Japanese only

   3. The life of a Japanese boy

   4. A doctor in New York

2. Which one of the following points is true according to the story?

   1. Mitsuko can speak Japanese very well.

   2. Mitsuko’s father was a famous dentist.

   3. Mitsuko spent most of his life in Mexico.

   4. Mitsuko loved playing in the park with his friends.

3. According to the story, Tom (Mitsuko’s friend) _______.

   1. loved making jokes

   2. had 10 brothers and sisters

   3. had many health problems

   4. loved travelling around the world

4. How did Mitsuko feel about his job in the gym?

   1. He did not like it at all.

   2. He thought it was boring.

   3. He loved it very much.

   4. He hated working with customers.

5. In the race that Mitsuko and Lena entered, ______.

   1. Lena died suddenly

   2. someone hit Lena on the face

   3. Mitsuko hurt his leg.

   4. Mitsuko’s wife was watching

Incidental spaced

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

Mitsuko as a child

Mitsuko is from Japan. He has a father and one brother. His mother was a heavy smoker and after many years of smoking, died a painful death. When Mitsuko was 10 years old, his family moved to New York. Although Mitsuko’s native tongue was Japanese, the problem was that he didn’t speak it well because his family spoke English at home.

They lived in a small house that was within an easy walk of a big park and next to the Museum of Art. The park was beautiful, like a magical place. Sometimes Mitsuko just liked to sit on the grass listening to the wind moving the trees gently. Mitsuko and his friends loved playing in the park and visiting the museum which was open to the general public. They liked to observe paintings in dead silence and to listen to other people walking by.

Mitsuko and Tom

Tom was Mitsuko’s best friend. Although Tom’s family was very rich and had a huge house, which was also very close to the park, it wasn’t a loving home. Tom’s father had a giant soft drink company that sold Pepsi. But the sad fact was that he loved to spend his money on expensive cars and pieces of fine art instead of family. Mitsuko’s dream was to make enough money to buy his father a better house and a car but he always had a low opinion of himself and thought it would be impossible for him to become as wealthy as Tom’s father.

Tom liked to make jokes. One day, he asked Mitsuko and his brother to come to his house on very short notice. When they arrived, Tom showed them a dead cat that he had put in his mother’s freezer for her to find. When Mitsuko saw the cat, he was shocked. He didn’t say anything and the only sound that could be heard was coming from the freezer. Mitsuko told Tom that he thought his joke was in poor taste. When Tom’s mother found the cat, she was very angry, and punished him for such a sick joke by not letting him play football with his friends for a month. Tom, however, was happy with the fact that he made his mother so angry.

Mitsuko and art

Mitsuko was interested in paintings, and he often walked to the Museum of Art from his house. On his last visit to the museum, he saw a painting of a famous artist with a blank expression on his face and a cigarette in his mouth who had hidden the dark secret of his drinking problem until his death in 1970. Mitsuko had a strong interest in this artist because the artist had also moved from one country to another when he was 10.

Mitsuko was working in the local gym to save money to study art. He was a natural leader who listened well to and motivated their customers. They were unfit and he really enjoyed working with them. He felt happy that he was improving their quality of life. Mitsuko loved working in the gym and the sound of the fitness machines helped him relax after the exercise. After work, he would slowly walk back home.

Mitsuko, Lena and the race

One of his customers, Lena, also liked painting. Unfortunately, she gained weight after a divorce and made too many broken promises to herself to get healthy again. She and Mitsuko had a little chat, and he decided to take the hard line with her; he entered her into a race. She was going to change her old habits completely.

On the day of the race, there were many people and Mitsuko and Lena were excited. The sound of the crowd was like white noise which made them run faster. As they entered the final leg of the race Mitsuko felt a great pain in his left leg. When they crossed the finish line, Mitsuko started walking slowly. They found a first aid area, and Mitsuko entered to have his leg examined. They gave him some pain relief, which was of small comfort to the agonizing pain in his leg.

Name: _______________________ ID: ______________

1. The story is mainly about _______.

   1. Mitsuko’s new computer company

   2. A girl who speaks Japanese only

   3. The life of a Japanese boy

   4. A doctor in New York

2. Which one of the following points is true according to the story?

   1. Mitsuko can speak Japanese very well.

   2. Mitsuko’s father was a famous dentist.

   3. Mitsuko spent most of his life in Mexico.

   4. Mitsuko loved playing in the park with his friends.

3. According to the story, Tom (Mitsuko’s friend) _______.

   1. loved making jokes

   2. had 10 brothers and sisters

   3. had many health problems

   4. loved travelling around the world

4. How did Mitsuko feel about his job in the gym?

   1. He did not like it at all.

   2. He thought it was boring.

   3. He loved it very much.

   4. He hated working with customers.

5. In the race that Mitsuko and Lena entered, ______.

   1. Lena died suddenly

   2. someone hit Lena on the face

   3. Mitsuko hurt his leg.

   4. Mitsuko’s wife was watching