RECOUNT TEXTS

Text 1 - Read the passage and answer the following questions.

On Wednesday, my students and I went to Yogyakarta. We stayed at Dirgahayu Hotel which

is not far from Malioboro.

On Thursday, we visited the temples in Prambanan. There are three big temples, the
Brahmana, Syiwa and Wisnu temples. They are really amazing. We visited only Brahmana and Syiwa
temples, because Wisnu temple is being renovated.

On Friday morning we went to Yogya Kraton. We spent about two hours there. We were
lucky because we were led by a smart and friendly guide. Then we continued our journey to
Borobudur. We arrived there at four p.m. At 5 p.m. we heard the announcement that Borobudur
gate would be closed. In the evening we left for Jakarta by bus tour.

1. The text above mainly discusses about ………

a. the writer’s trip to Yogyakarta
b. the writer’s first visit to Prambanan
c. the writer’s impression about the guide
d. the writer’s experience at Yogya Kraton
2. The text is written in the form of a……...
a. recount
b. narrative
c. report
d. descriptive
3. The purpose of the text is to………
A. tell past events
B. entertain readers
C. describe the smugglers
D. inform readers about events of the day
4. What are the big temples in Prambanan?
A. paria, brahmana, and temples
B. brahmana, syiwa, and wisnu temples
C. wisnu, syiwa, and borobudur temples
D. borobudur, syiwa, and brahmana temples
5. When did they go home?
A. On Saturday morning
B. On Friday evening
C. On Thursday evening
D. On Friday afternoon
6. Why did they only visit Brahmana and Syiwa temples?
A. because there was no wisnu temple
B. because wisnu temple was amazing
 C. because wisnu temple was too small
D. because wisnu temple was being repaired
Text 2 - Read the passage and answer the following questions.

Yesterday my family and I went to the zoo to see the elephant. When we got to the zoo,
we went to the shop to buy some food to give to the animals.
After getting the food, we went to the nocturnal house where we saw birds and reptiles
which only come out at night.
Before having lunch, we went for a ride on the elephant. It was a thrill to ride it. Dad fell
off when he let go off the rope, but he was ok.
During the lunch we fed some birds in the park. In the afternoon we saw the animals
being fed. When we returned home, we were very tired but happy. It was because we had
so much fun activities at many places at the zoo.

7. What happened to the writer’s dad when he rode an elephant?

A. He felt a thrill
B. He felt fun
C. He fell off
D. He failed
8. Why did the writer and his family feel very tired after having a trip to the zoo?
A. They had to visit many places in the zoo
B. They took a long time to reach the zoo area
C. They had to feed a lot of animals in the zoo
D. They had no time to take a rest in the zoo
9. … our family felt tired after visiting the zoo, we were still happy.
A. Since
B. Because
C. Although
D. Nevertheless

Text 3 - Read the passage and answer the following questions.

Last weekend my classmates and I went to the countryside to have a picnic. Before
leaving, we made some sandwiches for lunch. We left quite early to avoid the traffic jam.
After driving for two hours, we arrived at a very nice place. It was near a river with
some big trees around it. The driver parked the car under the tree. Seeing the clear a cool
water of the river, my friends and I decided to swim. After having lunch together, we went
around the area to enjoy the scenery. We saw some beautiful birds and butterflies.
After walking for about an hour, we decided to return to the car and go home.
Unfortunately, we cloud not start up the car. Finally, after some time, we cloud make the
car start up by pushing it. We were happy although we felt a bit tired when we got home.
10. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
A. The writer made sandwiches for lunch
B. The writer did some fun activities during their picnic
C. After doing some activities, the writer went home by car
D. Last weekend the writer prepared to have a picnic in the countryside
11. Why did the writer and his friends decide to swim in the river?
A. They felt hot after having lunch
B. They felt tired after having a walk
C. The water was cool and clear
D. It was a tiring day
12. Because of the trouble they had at the end of their picnic, they probably ….
A. Got home a bit late
B. Decided to swim again
C. Had to spend the night there
D. Decided not to have a picnic again

Text 4 – Read the passage and answer the following questions.

Last April, David took a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas is a popular destination
in the western portion of the United States. The town is most popular for its casinos,
hotels, and exciting nightlife.
In downtown Las Vegas, David spent a lot of time on The Strip, which is a 2.5 mile
stretch of shopping, entertainment venues, luxury hotels, and fine dining experiences.
This is probably the most commonly visited tourist area in the city. The Strip at night
looks especially beautiful.
All of the buildings light up with bright, neon, eye-catching signs to attract visitor
attention. A stay in Las Vegas can feel similar to a visit to many popular cities worldwide.
Many of the hotels have miniature versions of important international sites and
monuments.
These famous landmarks include the Eiffel Tower, Venice, and even ancient Rome.
One day, David took a side trip outside of the city to visit the Grand Canyon, one of the
Seven Wonders of the Natural World. The canyon offers a breath-taking view of
Nevada’s ridges and natural landscape.
David especially liked the canyon because it was removed from all of the noise and
movement in downtown Las Vegas.
David had a great time during his trip to Las Vegas. He did not win a lot of money in
the casinos. However, he managed to see a lot of amazing sites during his visit to this
city that never sleeps.
13. When did David travel to Las Vegas?
A. Last weekend
B. Last summer
C. Last spring
D. Yesterday
14. What is an activity that a tourist cannot do on The Strip?
A. Eat
B. Visit the Grand Canyon
C. Stay overnight
D. Shop
15. Which best describes the purpose of the Las Vegas Strip?
A. It is a 2.5-mile stretch.
B. It keeps tourists safe.
C. It offers a lot of activities for tourists.
D. There are too many neon lights.
16. Explain why David liked his visit to the Grand Canyon.
A. The setting was very different from downtown Las Vegas.
B. David does not enjoy spending time in cities.
C. The Grand Canyon offers a breath-taking view.
D. It is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
17. What does it mean that Las Vegas is a “city that never sleeps?”
A. A lot of people here have sleep disorders.
B. There is too much noise here for people to sleep.
C. The neon lights keep people awake at night.
D. Las Vegas offers exciting activities at all hours.

Text 5 – Read the passage and answer the following questions.

When Claire visited the Statue of Liberty for the first time, she instantly admired it’s
as a symbol of freedom. Claire made sure to make reservations before her visit because only
240 people are permitted to climb the staircase to the top of the statue every day.
After climbing almost 400 stairs, Claire received spectacular views of the city from
the statue’s crown. During her visit, Claire learned that the Statue of Liberty was not always
the color that it is now. She found out that because the statue’s exterior is made of copper,
the statue oxidized over time, giving it the greenish appearance, it has in present day. When
it was first constructed, the statue was the same color as a shiny penny!
After touring the Statue of Liberty, Claire spent the rest of the day in New York City
visiting other important monuments and historic landmarks. Claire left New York hoping to
have had the time to explore more sites, but she can’t wait to return to the city in the
future.
18. How many people are permitted to climb the statue’s stairs per day?
A. 150
B. 400
C. 240
D. 100
19. From which part of the statue did Claire receive spectacular views of the city?
A. The mouth
 B. The crown
C. The eyes
D. The nose
20. Why has the Statue of Liberty changed color over time?
A. It was painted green during restorations.
B. New York’s poor air quality has eroded the statue.
C. Its copper exterior oxidized.
D. The statue is poorly maintained by the city.

Text 6 – Read the passage and answer the following questions.

Hendra and I camped in the mountain last weekend. It was very beautiful and very
quiet there. The air wash fresh. The location of our camp site was on the top of a hill, so we
could see the scenery around us. It was amazing, It was green everywhere. It was also easy
to get water as it was near a small river. You see the water is as clear as a crystal. We
brought a lot of food from home. There were some noodles, cans of sardines, soft drink, and
biscuits. Hendra brought cooking utensils for cooking noodle.

On the first day, we spent our time setting up tent and exploring the surrounding
area. I was happy to find that there were many campers there. At night, after we had
dinner, we met other campers. We chatted and played guitar. It was fun meeting people
who had the same hobby. It was not frightening at all at night in the forest as it was very
noisy that night. We laughed and sang, and some campers even danced. We went to bed
almost dawn. No wonder we got up late the following day. We hiked with others campers
until afternoon. We did not realize that it was almost 5 in the afternoon and we had to go
back home soon. It was really nice. I planned to go there again on the next long holiday. I
would ask other friends to join.
21. What was amazing according to the writer of the text?
A. The location of the campsite
B. The fresh air of the mountain
C. The scenery around the campsite
D. The small river in the mountain
22. What did the writer do on the second day of their camping activity?
A. They chatted and played guitar
B. They had a greet and meet activity
C. They hiked with the other campers
D. They laughed and sang songs together
23. “…we spent our time setting up the tent and exploring the surrounding
are.”(paragraph2) What does the word “exploring” mean?
A. Traveling through to learn about it
B. Going backward and forward to watch something
 C. Observing carefully to examine something
D. Looking for something in surrounding area

Text 7 Recount text

Last year I joined the Chicago Marathon, my first marathon contest. I had to run 26,2
miles to complete it. It was hard.
At first, I just wanted to get the experience of joining a marathon. I thought it would
be one life time experience. After finishing it, I changed my mind. I wanted to join another
one. I was interested to complete at least one more marathon and improve my time. I also
experienced a good feeling between participants and the spectators that made me happy. It
was a very wonderful thing for me. So, I decided that I had to join another marathon the
following year.
24. What is the text about?
A. The writer’s activities of watching Chicago marathon contest.
B. The writer’s wonderful feeling after watching marathon.
C. The writer’s good achievement in marathon.
D. The changing of the writer’s feeling after joining the marathon.
25. To improve his achievement, the writer …
A. Asked for advice how to run well
B. Practiced hard with other participants
C. Planned to join another marathon
D. Ran faster and faster
26. What was the writer’s intention when he decided to join his first marathon?
A. He would get the winner
B. He just wanted to get an experience
C. He planned to join another marathon
D. He wanted to complete 26,2 miles run
27. “… I change my mind.” (Paragraph 2) The word “mind” is closest in meaning to …
A. Decision
B. Ambition
C. Thought
D. Suggestion

Text 8 – Recount Text

Last Friday, a friend of mine asked me to accompany him to buy a new shirt at a
department store. We left home at 03.00 p.m. by motorcycle. As soon as we arrived there,
we went to the clothes section. I let him choose one. An hour later, I got bored watching
him confused in choosing a shirt. So, I left him and went to the cassette counter. Thirty
minutes later, I went back to the clothes section but I couldn’t find him there.
My cell phone was broken so I couldn’t call him. I went to the parking area. I saw his
motorcycle was there but I couldn’t find him. I waited for him for a few moments then
finally I gave up and decided to go home.
 When I arrived home, my mother told me that my friend called. She said that he was
in the department store looking for me. My mother asked me to come back to the
department store. Reluctantly, I walked to the department store and you know what? When
I arrived there his motorcycle was not in the parking area. He just went home. I was very
tired. There was no other choice, I had to walk home again. When I arrived home, I was so
tired. I was very angry but when I saw my friend’s broad smile greet me in front of the door,
I just could not help laughing.
28. The text above is about ….
A. An embarrassing day
B. Shopping with mother
C. The writer and his friend
D. My friend and his motorcycle
29. The writer couldn’t contact his friend because ….
A. He went home alone
B. His cell phone was broken
C. He was in the parking area
D. His friend was still choosing a shirt
30. From the story above we can conclude that there was a problem because ….
A. The writer couldn’t contact his friend
B. The writer’s friend was in the clothes section
C. The writer and his friend couldn’t ride the motorcycle
D. The writer and his friend decided to go to the department store
 Past tense vs Past Continuous tense
A. Choose the correct options.
1. I listened / was listening to the radio when I heard / was hearing this fantastic song.
2. When the teacher said / was saying ‘Stop!’, I still tried / was still trying to finish the last
question.
3. I feel really silly! While I danced / was dancing, I fell / was falling and broke / was
breaking my elbow.
4. Tim played / was playing a computer game when his mum called / was calling him for
lunch.
5. I looked / was looking for a file on my memory stick when I noticed / was noticing there
was a virus.
6. Ron found / was finding a really interesting website about dance music while he surfed /
was surfing the internet.
7. My mum had / was having breakfast near the computer when she spilled / was spilling
her cup of coffee on the keyboard.
8. When you saw / were seeing me yesterday, I didn’t go / wasn’t going to school, I went /
was going to the doctor’s – I felt terrible.
9. How many pictures did you take / were you taking while you travelled / were travelling
around Ireland?
10. Why did you chat / were you chatting to Philip while I tried / was trying to tell you
something really important?

B. Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past continuous form of the verbs in
brackets.
1. I ____________________(switch off ) the computer because
it_________________(make) a strange noise.
2. My dad___________________ (listen) to classical music when I_________________
(arrive) home from school.
3. We ___________________ (play) video games when my mum ,_______________(say)
‘Turn the volume down!’
4. My cousin __________________ (meet) his wife, Bianca, while he __________________
(live) in Italy.
5. My little sister ____________________ (draw) a picture while I ____________________
(study) for my French exam.
6. While they _____________________ (try) to fix the computer, all the lights
_________________ (go out).
7. When we _________________ (leave) school yesterday, it ________________ (pour)
with rain.
8. When you _______________(see) Paul, he _________________ (wear) a black jacket?
9. I _________________(try) to log on when the WiFi __________________(stop) working.
10. While Dad ___________________(print) an article, the printer ____________________
(run out) of paper.