The passage discusses the journey of Norman and Yamashita tracking down the steps of the famous Japanese poet Basho. It describes some of the places Basho visited during his travels, including Matsushima, which has lost natural beauty due to excessive construction. It also discusses Basho's poems, which reflected the spirit of Japan and contained comic elements in addition to spiritual hints for travelers. The comprehension questions that follow test the reader's understanding of details and inferences about Basho, his travels, and the passage.

1. RE4 U1A Comprehension Questions
ON THE POET’S TRAIL
1. What does the passage mainly talk about?
a. The travels of Basho himself.
b. The journey of Norman and Yamashita tracking down Basho’s steps.
c. The diary of Norman, who travels the world with Basho the poet.
d. Travel tips for people who want to visit Japan.
2. The writer would agree with all of the statements below about Basho the poet EXCEPT………….
a. His poems lack aesthetic quality.
b. His poems also contain comic elements.
c. He includes spiritual hints for people who travel to the places in those poems .
d. Description of his journeys.
3. The word “they” in line 92 refers to……
a. the horses
b. cliffs
c. officials
d. the woman and her child
4. The word “he” in line 34 refers to……..
a. Mr. Ichihara
b. Basho
c. Howard Norman
d. Michael Yamashita
5. In line 60, when the guide says “too much concrete” what does he mean?
a. The city is more spectacular than the past.
b. Matsushima has enough buildings to accomodate its residents.
c. The city lost its natural beauty due to the excessive number of constructions.
d. Matsushima is his and Basho’s faviourite city in the country.
6. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
a. The poems of Basho are regarded as great because they reflect the spirit of Japan.
b. The poet was named after a banana tree that grows near his gravestone.
c. “Komo Gaeshi” means “send back your horses.”
d. The ferries sailing past Niwo Island are indeed submarines.
7. The word “resulted in” in line 6 can best be replaced by …….
a. resulted from
b. is caused by
c. led to
d. occured
8. According to the passage, which of the following statements is INCORRECT?
a. In Otsu City some people live on fishing.
b. Basho’s grave was the first stop of these two travellers.
c. Today, many people follow the footsteps of Basho and visit the places he did.
d. According to Mr. Ichihara in Tokyo, Basho went through a transformation due to his journeys.
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2. RE4 U1A Comprehension Questions
Answer Key:
1. b
2. a (b: line 128-129, c: 131-132, d: 130)
3. d
4. a
5. c.
6. d (a: 8-9, b: 112-115, c: 82-85)
7. c
8. b – it’s the last stop (a: 96-103, c: 10-13, d: 37-41)
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