1.

Why was reading aloud common before the nineteenth century?

A.     Silent reading had not been discovered.
B.     There were few places available for private reading.
C.     Few people could read for themselves.
D.     People relied on reading for entertainment.

2.

The development of silent reading during the nineteenth century indicated...

A.     a change in the status of literate people.
B.     a change in the nature of reading.
C.     an increase in the number of books.
D.     an increase in the average age of readers.

3.

Educationalists are still arguing about...

A.     the importance of silent reading.
B.     the amount of information yielded by books and newspapers.
C.     the effects of reading on health.
D.     the value of different types of reading material.

4.

The emergence of the mass media and of specialised periodicals showed that...

A.     standards of literacy had declined.
B.     readers' interests had diversified.
C.     printing techniques had improved.
D.     educationalists' attitudes had changed.

5.

What is the writer of this passage attempting to do?