Język angielski - Matura 2012 - Czytanie

4.1. - B. THE HISTORIC SENTENCE

One day in 1929, when J. R. R. Tolkien was marking examination papers at Oxford University, he saw that a student had left an empty page. On it, Tolkien wrote the words, 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.' Right there, a book, a bestseller, and a legend were born.

4.2. - F. THE FIRST EDITION

Readers could finally buy The Hobbit in 1937. The book was illustrated with black and white drawings by Tolkien, who also designed the book cover. Thanks to enthusiastic reviews, the first 1,500 copies sold out very quickly.

4.3. - D. WHAT IT IS ABOUT

Bilbo Baggins, the main character of the book, lives a peaceful life in his comfortable hole at Bag End. Bilbo is a hobbit – one of a race of small people. One day the old wizard Gandalf arrives and persuades Bilbo to go on an adventure with a group of thirteen dwarves. So begins their long and difficult search for the treasure hidden by the evil dragon Smaug.

4.4. - A. WHAT READERS WISHED FOR

In December 1937, The Hobbit's publisher asked Tolkien to continue the story. In reply, Tolkien offered the first version of another story, but the editors did not accept it. The public wanted 'more about hobbits'. Tolkien began work on The New Hobbit, which later became The Lord of the Rings.

4.5. - H. SUCCESSFUL ADAPTATIONS

The Hobbit has been on the market since 1937. After the book came a version for the theatre, then the radio, and different games. Some of these new products have received excellent reviews, including a video game that won the Golden Joystick Award.

4.6. - G. WHY SO EXPENSIVE

The Hobbit is now being made into a film. The film's final cost could be about twice as much as the whole of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The film's budget has increased because of years of delays which were caused by legal problems. The good news is that the first part of The Hobbit will be in cinemas in December 2012.

4.7. - C. A MONEY-MAKING LOCATION

The two-part movie based on The Hobbit has been filmed in New Zealand. Making the films in this country provided work for thousands of New Zealanders. Probably, like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit will promote the country and bring profits for the tourist industry. Hundreds of local people protested against the possibility of moving The Hobbit elsewhere.

Dodatkowy, niepasujący nagłówek: E. THE TREASURE FOUND AT LAST

Adapted from www.en.wikipedia.org