Reading Comprehension Task on the opening of the short story
“The Black Madonna” by Muriel Spark
(From the very beginning to “[…] it will be the thing to live in a council flat.”)
Tick the correct box and, for the ‘true’ and ‘false’ options, give the page and line number of the
respective reference plus the first and last word of the quote in question. Rely on this passage
only.
True False Not in
the text Pages / lines
01. The procession looked very
festive.
02. The Roman Catholics of Witney
Clay had been there for centuries.
03. There were religious conflicts
between Roman Catholics and
others.
04. A new Roman Catholic donated
the statue of the Black Madonna.
05. In Ireland, the sculptor had been
looking for suitable material for a
Black Madonna.
06. The sculptor wanted the statue to
look modern.
07. One person liked the statue of the
Immaculate Conception at
Lourdes more.
08. The statue became a bit of a
tourist attraction.
09. The new town had already wholly
destroyed the old town.
10. The Town Planning Committee
was completely free to do what it
intended.
11. Much of the new town’s layout
was pretty geometrical.
12. Sir Stafford Cripps was the
architect of the house Raymond
and Lou lived in.
13. Raymond and Lou married when
she was 37.
14. The Town Council wanted at least
five Catholic families to live in the
house.
15. Raymond and Lou were thought
to be happy.
16. The Parkers liked going to
galleries.
17. Lou supported one of her sisters.
