Corporación Universitaria del Caribe

“CECAR”
ENGLISH VI
Topic: Reported Speech

READING AND WRITING TEST

1. READING:

Read the interview

AN ITALIAN WOMAN GIVES HER PERCEPTION OF LIFE DURING THE
CORONAVIRUS SPREAD
Martina Sergi, 29, is an Italian yogi and author who teaches yoga. Since March 9, Martina has
been living under quarantine in Milan. Here, Martina shares her experience.
Interviewer: What is the situation in your city now?
Martina: I live near the city center of Milan. Italy is one of the epicenters of the pandemic. We
have one of the highest COVID-19 death rates in the world.
I: Why do you think that is?
M: It is not because we have poor healthcare, but because there are too many cases for the
hospitals to handle. Consider that most of the people who die are over 70, and in Italy, we have a
high percentage of elderly citizens.
I: When did the president order a quarantine?
M: On March 9th, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ordered a nationwide quarantine, requiring
people to stay home and avoid nonessential travel.
I: Do you take precautions when you go outside?
M: When I return home from the supermarket, I leave my shoes outside. I wear the same pair of
sneakers every time I go out. After opening the door to my apartment, I clean my hands, keys,
and phone with alcohol, then remove my plastic gloves and face mask.
I: What do you do with the used gloves and face masks?
M: I throw the gloves away, but I use each mask more than once because there’s a shortage.
I: When do you wash your hands?
M: After I take off the gloves, I wash my hands
I: What do you do when you take your dog outside?
M: If my dog, Dobby, and I are returning from a walk, I clean his paws.
I: Are you scared to go outside?
 Corporación Universitaria del Caribe
“CECAR”
ENGLISH VI
Topic: Reported Speech

M: I’m not scared when I go outside because I know I’m careful. I’m mostly scared of other
things, like when this is going to end. It’s okay to do this for a month, but what if this lasts for
three months? How long is it going to be?

2. WRITING

 Write a 150 – word text that includes:

a. A summary of the interview with reported sentences of the interviewer’s questions and the
woman’s answers.
b. Your opinion about the interview or the topic using passive voice.