Character

One of the great pleasures of reading fiction is getting acquainted with new people. We can meet in fiction a wider range and variety of people than we could ever know in life, and often the characters in fiction are more interesting than the people we meet in life. They are more interesting because we can know them better. Fiction, for two (1) ..... , allows us to see more deeply into the inner nature of a character than we usually can in life. First, it (2) ..... its characters in crucial situations, which test them and expose their nature more clearly than would ordinary situations. Second, the author can, when he wishes, take us inside a character and let us (3) ..... at first-hand inner thoughts and feelings which in life we could only (4) ..... at from outward actions. Of course, fictional characters are imaginary people and have only imaginary existence. Yet if their author has drawn them (5) ..... , we can, by understanding them, gain a better appreciation of real people. Indeed, we may come to understand (6) .....

better by reading about characters who are like us in certain ways.

If fiction is to give us these benefits, however, it must be written by an author who is

deeply interested in (7) ..... nature. Not all fiction is. Some writers are (8) ..... to engage our momentary interest in following the adventures of a brave, resourceful hero or in sharing the good fortune of a beautiful heroine. Such a writer is likely to present us with (9) ..... characters who have none of the complexity of real people. To be believable, a character cannot be either all good or all bad; we know that real people are not like that. Also, a character must be consistent in his actions: he must not (10) ..... one way on one occasion and an entirely different way on another. In addition, his actions should be clearly (11) ..... : that is, we should be able to understand the reasons for his acting as he does. If a character changes during the course of the (12) ..... , we should be able to understand why he changes. Sudden changes of heart for no apparent reason are more commonly found in third-rate than in first-rate fiction.

III. WRITING

Write a short article (35–45 words) to the school newspaper about the popular place or sight in your area. Use the prompts given below:

• its location;

• features that attract visitors to that place;

• your feelings about it.

EXAMINATION CARD № 30

II. USE OF ENGLISH

You are going to read the first part of a newspaper article. Some words are missing from the text. Choose the most appropriate word from the list (A-O) for each gap (1-12) in the text. There are two extra words that you do not need to use.