Тест 10. Чтение. ЕГЭ по английскому языку

1) Установите соответствие между заголовками 1 — 8 и текстами A — G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Simple pleasures
2. Historical visits
3. Hiking trips
4. Lap of luxury
5. The high seas
6. Down the slopes
7. Going downstream
8. Frozen wonders

A. A holiday is many things to many people. Some like to be active, while others like to just sit back and relax. A fun family trip that everyone can enjoy is river rafting. This is where you and your whole family sink into an inflatable craft on a slow flowing river and just lie back and watch nature as it passes you by.

B. Most people put a lot of focus on a holidays specific destination. Others have something else in mind. They want five-star hotels, fine dining and other niceties at their fingertips. You have to admit, it’s not a bad idea. Who needs to go sightseeing when you can just get a deep massage, swim in a heated pool or have chocolate-covered strawberries delivered to your table?

C. It’s hard to believe someone would want to stay in an ice hotel, but believe it or not, such a thing exists. There’s one in the most northern regions of Sweden which operates during winter. Its not as cold as one would think, as long as you don’t touch the walls! As for day trips, its a snowy winter wonderland as far as the eye can see.

D. Seeing nature is definitely a good choice for a holiday adventure. One idea is to visit a canyon. Often, you can walk through the centre of the canyon and see towering cliffs and fascinating rock formations. It’s a great way to get a bit of exercise as well. Just make sure you’ve got a sturdy pair of boots on for the rough terrain.

E. Summer isn’t the only time you can go on a fulfilling holiday. Many winter destinations have much to keep you entertained. Take skiing trips, for example. A gorgeous drive to the mountains is enough to take your stress away. Few things are more thrilling than gliding over snow at speed. Even if you’re afraid of skiing, there’s always the beginner runs. Even little kids give those a try!

F. Imagine visiting ten different cities in just two weeks. This is the type of holiday you can have on a cruise ship. Each time the ship pulls into a new port, you get to hop off and explore a new, exotic locale. And in between stops, you can admire the amazing waters of the world. You may love the water so much, you never want to return to land!

G. Some people’s idea of a holiday is very straightforward. All they want is to lie undisturbed on a golden beach surrounded by crystal blue waters, with an umbrella to shield them from the bright rays. It may be the typical holiday setting, but you have to admit, it’s very popular for a reason. Just make sure you pack extra sun cream and a large hat!

A	B	C	D	E	F	G

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2) Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A — F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1 — 7. Одна из частей в списке 1—7 лишняя.

The Thames Barrier Flooding has become a grave concern for many areas of the UK. Possibly due to global warming, it seems that the UK is getting wetter and wetter as each year passes. Recent rains have ruined thousands of peoples homes ___ (A).

The UK is no stranger to floods. For centuries citizens in London suffered from tidal surges that would creep up the river Thames and flood the city. For this reason, the British government decided to build a barrier, known as the Thames Barrier, ___ (B).

Built in the late 1970s, the barrier has saved the country billions of pounds in building repairs. It has saved lives also; the 1928 Thames flood killed 14 people, and 307 people died in the North Sea flood of 1953. After this, the importance of building ___ (C).

The barrier, constructed in southeast London, is a marvel to look at. The concrete barrier supports are topped with huge domes of polished steel that look very futuristic. The barrier works by tilting large platforms, ___ (D), upwardly into a vertical position in order to block the flow of water. Since its construction, the floodgates have been closed over 160 times.

The barrier was built with the future in mind, and designed to withstand devastating flood conditions. At some point, however, it will have to be fortified, as estimates predict that it will lose ___ (E). More will need to be done to extend its usefulness.

The barrier has been successful for London, but it was designed specifically to protect the capital city. In other regions of the UK, it will take more ___ (F).

1. to protect the country’s wide expanses of rural farmland from flooding
2. a barrier was thrust to the forefront of government policy
3. and left many of them homeless for months
4. which have saved numerous lives in the decades since being built
5. a great deal of its protection powers after the year 2070
6. which lie flat on the river bed during normal sea and weather conditions
7. to keep the floodwater from spilling over into the streets

A	B	C	D	E	F

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3) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

Road trip The second week of Sarahs road trip proved to be problematic. Even though she had voiced concerns about her boyfriends 'great idea’ of buying a used van to travel around in, she wasn’t about to say ‘I told you so’ when it broke down halfway across Kentucky.

She did, however, sigh when Josh asked if she would chip in for repairs. ‘I’m going to have to call my parents for this, you know,’ she said in a patient yet admonishing tone.

So the pair of them, accompanied by Sarah’s sister, Michelle, and a friend, Shane, were stranded for the next couple of days in Bardstown, population 11,700. They scrabbled to find something to do to entertain themselves while they waited for the engine part to arrive. They’d made sleeping arrangements at a quaint bed and breakfast near the historic district. It was either that or the row of bog standard, characterless motels out on the interstate highway that Sarah had convinced the others to avoid. ‘The mechanic said we should check out Bardstown. It might be pretty dull, but how bad can it be?’ she urged the group, not fully convinced they’d find something better. Michelle, who usually argued for the sake of it, was for once on board. The guys agreed.

Once the accommodation was taken care of, they set out for the bit of sightseeing that Bardstown had to offer. They perused the main road, with its dozen or so buildings that had survived from the town’s days as an early trading post. Each one had its own version of a knick-knack shop. They were charming, and contrary to Sarah’s gut feeling from before, there were much worse places to be stranded in.

They decided to enter one of the shops. Although more spacious than the others, it was still jam-packed with stuff. ‘Howdy, folks,’ the shop owner said as they entered, which was not so much ‘Welcome to Bardstown as ‘You break it, you buy it.’ Sarah suspected it was an age-appropriate comment, as they didn’t look like the most responsible bunch, despite the opposite being true in her case.

The shop was filled with the typical antique shop items: odd, mismatched china sets, silverware, wooden furniture, lampshades. The walls had dozens of old paintings only the painter could love and more stuffed birds than Sarah cared to see. The shop was void of people, eerily quiet, and even though she and Michelle found humour in the items, they kept their comments to themselves. The guys admired the old hunting rifles. ‘I hope there aren’t any bullets left in those,’ Michelle quipped, the words jarring the silence.

Less interested in gazing at objects, Sarah decided to strike up a conversation with the owner. ‘Have you lived here all your life?’ Sarah asked, imagining the answer to be ‘Yes.’

‘My parents were even born here. In fact, there might be more people in town I’m related to than not,’ the owner said, straight-faced. Sarah didn’t know what to make of that comment, but she politely laughed. ‘Where are you guys from?’ he asked. ‘Certainly not from around these parts.’

‘We’re from New Hampshire. On a road trip across America. We’re going to California,’ she said, wondering if she offered too much information, little as it was.

‘Oh, too many earthquakes out there for me,’ he said. ‘I’ll stay put.’

‘We were wondering where we should get something to eat. Any recommendations?’ she asked genuinely, but also because she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

‘Everything’s safe to eat around here, except the burger joint out on the highway, next to the mechanic. Worst place to eat around. Worst mechanic in town, too.’

How did Sarah feel about calling her parents for help?
1) Eager.
2) Put out.
3) Enraged.
4) Disinterested.

🔗

4) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

Road trip The second week of Sarahs road trip proved to be problematic. Even though she had voiced concerns about her boyfriends 'great idea’ of buying a used van to travel around in, she wasn’t about to say ‘I told you so’ when it broke down halfway across Kentucky.

She did, however, sigh when Josh asked if she would chip in for repairs. ‘I’m going to have to call my parents for this, you know,’ she said in a patient yet admonishing tone.

So the pair of them, accompanied by Sarah’s sister, Michelle, and a friend, Shane, were stranded for the next couple of days in Bardstown, population 11,700. They scrabbled to find something to do to entertain themselves while they waited for the engine part to arrive. They’d made sleeping arrangements at a quaint bed and breakfast near the historic district. It was either that or the row of bog standard, characterless motels out on the interstate highway that Sarah had convinced the others to avoid. ‘The mechanic said we should check out Bardstown. It might be pretty dull, but how bad can it be?’ she urged the group, not fully convinced they’d find something better. Michelle, who usually argued for the sake of it, was for once on board. The guys agreed.

Once the accommodation was taken care of, they set out for the bit of sightseeing that Bardstown had to offer. They perused the main road, with its dozen or so buildings that had survived from the town’s days as an early trading post. Each one had its own version of a knick-knack shop. They were charming, and contrary to Sarah’s gut feeling from before, there were much worse places to be stranded in.

They decided to enter one of the shops. Although more spacious than the others, it was still jam-packed with stuff. ‘Howdy, folks,’ the shop owner said as they entered, which was not so much ‘Welcome to Bardstown as ‘You break it, you buy it.’ Sarah suspected it was an age-appropriate comment, as they didn’t look like the most responsible bunch, despite the opposite being true in her case.

The shop was filled with the typical antique shop items: odd, mismatched china sets, silverware, wooden furniture, lampshades. The walls had dozens of old paintings only the painter could love and more stuffed birds than Sarah cared to see. The shop was void of people, eerily quiet, and even though she and Michelle found humour in the items, they kept their comments to themselves. The guys admired the old hunting rifles. ‘I hope there aren’t any bullets left in those,’ Michelle quipped, the words jarring the silence.

Less interested in gazing at objects, Sarah decided to strike up a conversation with the owner. ‘Have you lived here all your life?’ Sarah asked, imagining the answer to be ‘Yes.’

‘My parents were even born here. In fact, there might be more people in town I’m related to than not,’ the owner said, straight-faced. Sarah didn’t know what to make of that comment, but she politely laughed. ‘Where are you guys from?’ he asked. ‘Certainly not from around these parts.’

‘We’re from New Hampshire. On a road trip across America. We’re going to California,’ she said, wondering if she offered too much information, little as it was.

‘Oh, too many earthquakes out there for me,’ he said. ‘I’ll stay put.’

‘We were wondering where we should get something to eat. Any recommendations?’ she asked genuinely, but also because she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

‘Everything’s safe to eat around here, except the burger joint out on the highway, next to the mechanic. Worst place to eat around. Worst mechanic in town, too.’

Regarding accommodation, Sarah was sure...
1) there was something better than on the highway.
2) that Bardstown would be entertaining.
3) the mechanic knew was he was talking about.
4) she didn’t want to stay on the highway.

🔗

5) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

Road trip The second week of Sarahs road trip proved to be problematic. Even though she had voiced concerns about her boyfriends 'great idea’ of buying a used van to travel around in, she wasn’t about to say ‘I told you so’ when it broke down halfway across Kentucky.

She did, however, sigh when Josh asked if she would chip in for repairs. ‘I’m going to have to call my parents for this, you know,’ she said in a patient yet admonishing tone.

So the pair of them, accompanied by Sarah’s sister, Michelle, and a friend, Shane, were stranded for the next couple of days in Bardstown, population 11,700. They scrabbled to find something to do to entertain themselves while they waited for the engine part to arrive. They’d made sleeping arrangements at a quaint bed and breakfast near the historic district. It was either that or the row of bog standard, characterless motels out on the interstate highway that Sarah had convinced the others to avoid. ‘The mechanic said we should check out Bardstown. It might be pretty dull, but how bad can it be?’ she urged the group, not fully convinced they’d find something better. Michelle, who usually argued for the sake of it, was for once on board. The guys agreed.

Once the accommodation was taken care of, they set out for the bit of sightseeing that Bardstown had to offer. They perused the main road, with its dozen or so buildings that had survived from the town’s days as an early trading post. Each one had its own version of a knick-knack shop. They were charming, and contrary to Sarah’s gut feeling from before, there were much worse places to be stranded in.

They decided to enter one of the shops. Although more spacious than the others, it was still jam-packed with stuff. ‘Howdy, folks,’ the shop owner said as they entered, which was not so much ‘Welcome to Bardstown as ‘You break it, you buy it.’ Sarah suspected it was an age-appropriate comment, as they didn’t look like the most responsible bunch, despite the opposite being true in her case.

The shop was filled with the typical antique shop items: odd, mismatched china sets, silverware, wooden furniture, lampshades. The walls had dozens of old paintings only the painter could love and more stuffed birds than Sarah cared to see. The shop was void of people, eerily quiet, and even though she and Michelle found humour in the items, they kept their comments to themselves. The guys admired the old hunting rifles. ‘I hope there aren’t any bullets left in those,’ Michelle quipped, the words jarring the silence.

Less interested in gazing at objects, Sarah decided to strike up a conversation with the owner. ‘Have you lived here all your life?’ Sarah asked, imagining the answer to be ‘Yes.’

‘My parents were even born here. In fact, there might be more people in town I’m related to than not,’ the owner said, straight-faced. Sarah didn’t know what to make of that comment, but she politely laughed. ‘Where are you guys from?’ he asked. ‘Certainly not from around these parts.’

‘We’re from New Hampshire. On a road trip across America. We’re going to California,’ she said, wondering if she offered too much information, little as it was.

‘Oh, too many earthquakes out there for me,’ he said. ‘I’ll stay put.’

‘We were wondering where we should get something to eat. Any recommendations?’ she asked genuinely, but also because she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

‘Everything’s safe to eat around here, except the burger joint out on the highway, next to the mechanic. Worst place to eat around. Worst mechanic in town, too.’

What does the phrase ‘gut feeling’ in the fourth paragraph mean?
1) A moment of confusion.
2) Discomfort in the stomach.
3) A feeling of certainty.
4) An initial attitude or belief.

🔗

6) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

Road trip The second week of Sarahs road trip proved to be problematic. Even though she had voiced concerns about her boyfriends 'great idea’ of buying a used van to travel around in, she wasn’t about to say ‘I told you so’ when it broke down halfway across Kentucky.

She did, however, sigh when Josh asked if she would chip in for repairs. ‘I’m going to have to call my parents for this, you know,’ she said in a patient yet admonishing tone.

So the pair of them, accompanied by Sarah’s sister, Michelle, and a friend, Shane, were stranded for the next couple of days in Bardstown, population 11,700. They scrabbled to find something to do to entertain themselves while they waited for the engine part to arrive. They’d made sleeping arrangements at a quaint bed and breakfast near the historic district. It was either that or the row of bog standard, characterless motels out on the interstate highway that Sarah had convinced the others to avoid. ‘The mechanic said we should check out Bardstown. It might be pretty dull, but how bad can it be?’ she urged the group, not fully convinced they’d find something better. Michelle, who usually argued for the sake of it, was for once on board. The guys agreed.

Once the accommodation was taken care of, they set out for the bit of sightseeing that Bardstown had to offer. They perused the main road, with its dozen or so buildings that had survived from the town’s days as an early trading post. Each one had its own version of a knick-knack shop. They were charming, and contrary to Sarah’s gut feeling from before, there were much worse places to be stranded in.

They decided to enter one of the shops. Although more spacious than the others, it was still jam-packed with stuff. ‘Howdy, folks,’ the shop owner said as they entered, which was not so much ‘Welcome to Bardstown as ‘You break it, you buy it.’ Sarah suspected it was an age-appropriate comment, as they didn’t look like the most responsible bunch, despite the opposite being true in her case.

The shop was filled with the typical antique shop items: odd, mismatched china sets, silverware, wooden furniture, lampshades. The walls had dozens of old paintings only the painter could love and more stuffed birds than Sarah cared to see. The shop was void of people, eerily quiet, and even though she and Michelle found humour in the items, they kept their comments to themselves. The guys admired the old hunting rifles. ‘I hope there aren’t any bullets left in those,’ Michelle quipped, the words jarring the silence.

Less interested in gazing at objects, Sarah decided to strike up a conversation with the owner. ‘Have you lived here all your life?’ Sarah asked, imagining the answer to be ‘Yes.’

‘My parents were even born here. In fact, there might be more people in town I’m related to than not,’ the owner said, straight-faced. Sarah didn’t know what to make of that comment, but she politely laughed. ‘Where are you guys from?’ he asked. ‘Certainly not from around these parts.’

‘We’re from New Hampshire. On a road trip across America. We’re going to California,’ she said, wondering if she offered too much information, little as it was.

‘Oh, too many earthquakes out there for me,’ he said. ‘I’ll stay put.’

‘We were wondering where we should get something to eat. Any recommendations?’ she asked genuinely, but also because she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

‘Everything’s safe to eat around here, except the burger joint out on the highway, next to the mechanic. Worst place to eat around. Worst mechanic in town, too.’

The shop owner greeted the group with...
1) a humorous tone.
2) genuine kindness.
3) suspicion.
4) a salesman-like attitude.

🔗

7) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

Road trip The second week of Sarahs road trip proved to be problematic. Even though she had voiced concerns about her boyfriends 'great idea’ of buying a used van to travel around in, she wasn’t about to say ‘I told you so’ when it broke down halfway across Kentucky.

She did, however, sigh when Josh asked if she would chip in for repairs. ‘I’m going to have to call my parents for this, you know,’ she said in a patient yet admonishing tone.

So the pair of them, accompanied by Sarah’s sister, Michelle, and a friend, Shane, were stranded for the next couple of days in Bardstown, population 11,700. They scrabbled to find something to do to entertain themselves while they waited for the engine part to arrive. They’d made sleeping arrangements at a quaint bed and breakfast near the historic district. It was either that or the row of bog standard, characterless motels out on the interstate highway that Sarah had convinced the others to avoid. ‘The mechanic said we should check out Bardstown. It might be pretty dull, but how bad can it be?’ she urged the group, not fully convinced they’d find something better. Michelle, who usually argued for the sake of it, was for once on board. The guys agreed.

Once the accommodation was taken care of, they set out for the bit of sightseeing that Bardstown had to offer. They perused the main road, with its dozen or so buildings that had survived from the town’s days as an early trading post. Each one had its own version of a knick-knack shop. They were charming, and contrary to Sarah’s gut feeling from before, there were much worse places to be stranded in.

They decided to enter one of the shops. Although more spacious than the others, it was still jam-packed with stuff. ‘Howdy, folks,’ the shop owner said as they entered, which was not so much ‘Welcome to Bardstown as ‘You break it, you buy it.’ Sarah suspected it was an age-appropriate comment, as they didn’t look like the most responsible bunch, despite the opposite being true in her case.

The shop was filled with the typical antique shop items: odd, mismatched china sets, silverware, wooden furniture, lampshades. The walls had dozens of old paintings only the painter could love and more stuffed birds than Sarah cared to see. The shop was void of people, eerily quiet, and even though she and Michelle found humour in the items, they kept their comments to themselves. The guys admired the old hunting rifles. ‘I hope there aren’t any bullets left in those,’ Michelle quipped, the words jarring the silence.

Less interested in gazing at objects, Sarah decided to strike up a conversation with the owner. ‘Have you lived here all your life?’ Sarah asked, imagining the answer to be ‘Yes.’

‘My parents were even born here. In fact, there might be more people in town I’m related to than not,’ the owner said, straight-faced. Sarah didn’t know what to make of that comment, but she politely laughed. ‘Where are you guys from?’ he asked. ‘Certainly not from around these parts.’

‘We’re from New Hampshire. On a road trip across America. We’re going to California,’ she said, wondering if she offered too much information, little as it was.

‘Oh, too many earthquakes out there for me,’ he said. ‘I’ll stay put.’

‘We were wondering where we should get something to eat. Any recommendations?’ she asked genuinely, but also because she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

‘Everything’s safe to eat around here, except the burger joint out on the highway, next to the mechanic. Worst place to eat around. Worst mechanic in town, too.’

Sarah thought that the paintings in the shop were...
1) attractive.
2) all very similar.
3) all by the same artist.
4) ugly.

🔗

8) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

Road trip The second week of Sarahs road trip proved to be problematic. Even though she had voiced concerns about her boyfriends 'great idea’ of buying a used van to travel around in, she wasn’t about to say ‘I told you so’ when it broke down halfway across Kentucky.

She did, however, sigh when Josh asked if she would chip in for repairs. ‘I’m going to have to call my parents for this, you know,’ she said in a patient yet admonishing tone.

So the pair of them, accompanied by Sarah’s sister, Michelle, and a friend, Shane, were stranded for the next couple of days in Bardstown, population 11,700. They scrabbled to find something to do to entertain themselves while they waited for the engine part to arrive. They’d made sleeping arrangements at a quaint bed and breakfast near the historic district. It was either that or the row of bog standard, characterless motels out on the interstate highway that Sarah had convinced the others to avoid. ‘The mechanic said we should check out Bardstown. It might be pretty dull, but how bad can it be?’ she urged the group, not fully convinced they’d find something better. Michelle, who usually argued for the sake of it, was for once on board. The guys agreed.

Once the accommodation was taken care of, they set out for the bit of sightseeing that Bardstown had to offer. They perused the main road, with its dozen or so buildings that had survived from the town’s days as an early trading post. Each one had its own version of a knick-knack shop. They were charming, and contrary to Sarah’s gut feeling from before, there were much worse places to be stranded in.

They decided to enter one of the shops. Although more spacious than the others, it was still jam-packed with stuff. ‘Howdy, folks,’ the shop owner said as they entered, which was not so much ‘Welcome to Bardstown as ‘You break it, you buy it.’ Sarah suspected it was an age-appropriate comment, as they didn’t look like the most responsible bunch, despite the opposite being true in her case.

The shop was filled with the typical antique shop items: odd, mismatched china sets, silverware, wooden furniture, lampshades. The walls had dozens of old paintings only the painter could love and more stuffed birds than Sarah cared to see. The shop was void of people, eerily quiet, and even though she and Michelle found humour in the items, they kept their comments to themselves. The guys admired the old hunting rifles. ‘I hope there aren’t any bullets left in those,’ Michelle quipped, the words jarring the silence.

Less interested in gazing at objects, Sarah decided to strike up a conversation with the owner. ‘Have you lived here all your life?’ Sarah asked, imagining the answer to be ‘Yes.’

‘My parents were even born here. In fact, there might be more people in town I’m related to than not,’ the owner said, straight-faced. Sarah didn’t know what to make of that comment, but she politely laughed. ‘Where are you guys from?’ he asked. ‘Certainly not from around these parts.’

‘We’re from New Hampshire. On a road trip across America. We’re going to California,’ she said, wondering if she offered too much information, little as it was.

‘Oh, too many earthquakes out there for me,’ he said. ‘I’ll stay put.’

‘We were wondering where we should get something to eat. Any recommendations?’ she asked genuinely, but also because she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

‘Everything’s safe to eat around here, except the burger joint out on the highway, next to the mechanic. Worst place to eat around. Worst mechanic in town, too.’

Sarah laughed at what the shop owner said because she...
1) found it to be funny.
2) felt a bit nervous.
3) assumed he was joking.
4) thought of something funny.

🔗

9) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

Road trip The second week of Sarahs road trip proved to be problematic. Even though she had voiced concerns about her boyfriends 'great idea’ of buying a used van to travel around in, she wasn’t about to say ‘I told you so’ when it broke down halfway across Kentucky.

She did, however, sigh when Josh asked if she would chip in for repairs. ‘I’m going to have to call my parents for this, you know,’ she said in a patient yet admonishing tone.

So the pair of them, accompanied by Sarah’s sister, Michelle, and a friend, Shane, were stranded for the next couple of days in Bardstown, population 11,700. They scrabbled to find something to do to entertain themselves while they waited for the engine part to arrive. They’d made sleeping arrangements at a quaint bed and breakfast near the historic district. It was either that or the row of bog standard, characterless motels out on the interstate highway that Sarah had convinced the others to avoid. ‘The mechanic said we should check out Bardstown. It might be pretty dull, but how bad can it be?’ she urged the group, not fully convinced they’d find something better. Michelle, who usually argued for the sake of it, was for once on board. The guys agreed.

Once the accommodation was taken care of, they set out for the bit of sightseeing that Bardstown had to offer. They perused the main road, with its dozen or so buildings that had survived from the town’s days as an early trading post. Each one had its own version of a knick-knack shop. They were charming, and contrary to Sarah’s gut feeling from before, there were much worse places to be stranded in.

They decided to enter one of the shops. Although more spacious than the others, it was still jam-packed with stuff. ‘Howdy, folks,’ the shop owner said as they entered, which was not so much ‘Welcome to Bardstown as ‘You break it, you buy it.’ Sarah suspected it was an age-appropriate comment, as they didn’t look like the most responsible bunch, despite the opposite being true in her case.

The shop was filled with the typical antique shop items: odd, mismatched china sets, silverware, wooden furniture, lampshades. The walls had dozens of old paintings only the painter could love and more stuffed birds than Sarah cared to see. The shop was void of people, eerily quiet, and even though she and Michelle found humour in the items, they kept their comments to themselves. The guys admired the old hunting rifles. ‘I hope there aren’t any bullets left in those,’ Michelle quipped, the words jarring the silence.

Less interested in gazing at objects, Sarah decided to strike up a conversation with the owner. ‘Have you lived here all your life?’ Sarah asked, imagining the answer to be ‘Yes.’

‘My parents were even born here. In fact, there might be more people in town I’m related to than not,’ the owner said, straight-faced. Sarah didn’t know what to make of that comment, but she politely laughed. ‘Where are you guys from?’ he asked. ‘Certainly not from around these parts.’

‘We’re from New Hampshire. On a road trip across America. We’re going to California,’ she said, wondering if she offered too much information, little as it was.

‘Oh, too many earthquakes out there for me,’ he said. ‘I’ll stay put.’

‘We were wondering where we should get something to eat. Any recommendations?’ she asked genuinely, but also because she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

‘Everything’s safe to eat around here, except the burger joint out on the highway, next to the mechanic. Worst place to eat around. Worst mechanic in town, too.’

How was Sarah likely to feel at the end of the last paragraph?
1) Relieved.
2) Concerned.
3) Amused.
4) Confident.

🔗