8 UNIT TEST
Optional Reading
Name
Mark
Read the text and answer the questions that follow.
The Impact of Unicorns
I
Confucius, a philosopher in ancient China, lived at a time when unicorns were omens of imminent
events, both good and bad. Shortly before Confucius’ birth, his mother met a unicorn, which she
interpreted as a sign of good luck. Years later, when this unicorn died, it was brought to Confucius.
Seeing it, he knew that his own death was near.
II
When the Macedonian king and conqueror Alexander the Great was a boy, he was the only person to
succeed in taming Bucephalus, a vicious horse. Alexander later rode into many battles on Bucephalus.
In some writings and pictures, Bucephalus was depicted as a unicorn, not a horse.
III
In the early 13th century, just before the warrior Genghis Khan was about to invade India, a unicorn
appeared in front of him. Khan took this as a warning against invading India and turned his army back.
IV
The unicorn, of course, is a mythical creature, and these stories are legends. But for centuries, people in
various cultures believed that unicorns existed. There were also written accounts of unicorn sightings by
people as diverse as an ancient Greek traveller, the Roman general Julius Caesar and the Italian explorer
Marco Polo. In addition, as late as the 1600s, unicorns were often included in books about animals.
Today, scholars assume that all of these descriptions were of other, real animals.
V
Many myths developed about unicorns. One was that their horns had curative powers. Unicorn horn was
sold as medicine well into the Middle Ages, but it was really the horn of another animal, often of the
narwhal, an Arctic whale.
VI
The unicorn also symbolised strength and royal power, which is why it, along with a lion, is on the
Royal Coat of Arms of both the United Kingdom and Scotland.
VII
Unicorns still capture our imagination: in 2013, the website Craigslist carried an advert for a pair of
unicorns available for nearly $2 million. The seller, claiming to be a unicorn breeder, also offered
unicorn eggs. Isn’t that silly? Everyone knows that real unicorns don’t lay eggs!
1
Choose the correct answer. (1 x 2 = 2 points)
When he was a child, Alexander the Great ...... .
a. began riding into battle on Bucephalus
b. tamed an aggressive horse
c. used violence to tame Bucephalus
d. became the king of Macedonia
2
Answer the questions. (3 x 3 = 9 points)
1. Why didn’t Genghis Khan invade India?
.............................................................................................................. .
2. What is implied by the fact that unicorns were included in books about animals?
.............................................................................................................. .
3. What did people believe unicorn horn had the ability to do?
.............................................................................................................. .
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8 UNIT TEST
3
Complete the sentences. (3 x 3 = 9 points)
1. Confucius’ mother believed ....................................................................
.............................................................................................................. .
2. Many people, including Julius Caesar, ...................................................
.............................................................................................................. .
3. The unicorn appears on the UK’s Royal Coat of Arms because it is ......
.............................................................................................................. .
4
Find words in the text that mean: (5 x 1 = 5 points)
1. prophetic events or signs (paragraph I)
.................................................................
2. brutal (paragraph II)
..................................................................
3. shown or represented by drawing (paragraph II)
.................................................................
4. noble (paragraph VI)
.................................................................
5. ridiculous (paragraph VII)
.................................................................
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