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READING COMPREHENSION: TASK 2
Read this text carefully and answer the questions according to the text.
AGATHA CHRISTIE, THE QUEEN OF CRIME
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller, later known as Agatha Christie,
was born in 1890, in Torquay, England. She was the youngest of
three children in a conservative, well-to-do family. As a child,
she was educated at home by her mother, who encouraged her
to write from a very early age. At sixteen she was sent to school
in Paris where she studied singing and piano. Although she was
talented, she was too nervous to perform in public.
In 1914 she married Archie Christie, a World War I fighter pilot. During the war, Agatha worked
as a nurse and later in the hospital dispensary, where she learnt all about poisons. This experience
gave her ideas for some of her murder methods.
In 1920, at the end of the war, Christie published her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles; the
story focused on the murder of a rich heiress* and introduced readers to one of her most famous
characters—Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, known for his eccentricities, waxy** moustache and
quick mind. She wrote her first book partly in response to a challenge from her sister Madge and
partly to pass the time while working at the hospital dispensary.
In 1926, Agatha discovered that Archie was seeing another woman. One night, Agatha disappeared.
The police found her two weeks later suffering from amnesia. Eventually, Archie and Agatha
divorced.
Christie slowly rebuilt her life. In 1930 she visited Baghdad. There she discovered romance and
adventure with archaeologist Max Mallowan, whom she married soon after they met. Much of
Christie’s knowledge of the Middle East and archaeology stems*** from her relationship and travels
with her husband. They went together on many archaeological digs**** to the Middle East which
became the setting for many of her novels. That year she created Miss Marple, an elderly single
lady inspired by her maternal grandmother, who lived in an English village, and who solved crimes
through her powers of observation.
In 1971, Christie became a Dame of the British Empire. In 1974, she made her last public appearance
for the opening night of the play version of Murder on the Orient Express. Christie died two years
later.
In her lifetime, Christie wrote more than 70 detective novels as well as short fiction, plays and a
series of romance novels. Her books have been translated into 103 languages and have also been
adapted for theatre, television and radio.
GLOSSARY:
* heiress: a woman who will receive a lot of money, property, or a title from another person, when that person dies.
En català vol dir “hereva”.
** waxy: made or covered with wax. En català vol dir “cerós, cobert amb cera”.
*** to stem: originate in. En català vol dir “originar-se, tenir l’origen en”.
**** dig: the process of carefully removing soil and objects from an area of historical interest. En català vol dir “excavació”.
avaluació educació secundària obligatòria 7