2i reading

A. When asked about Abraham Lincoln, the 16th American president, most people think about
his assassination or his role in the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. Fewer people know
about the tragedies in his private life or his love of Shakespeare. This was one of the topics
at the prestigious Wooden O Symposium hosted by Southern Utah University, where scholars
annually present their scientific work on Shakespeare. The term Wooden O is a direct
reference to Shakespeare’s theatre, The Globe, which was a round wooden structure. Most
of the content presented at the conference, attracting participants not only from the US,
is devoted to the playwright.

B. One of the speakers showed that Lincoln’s lifelong admiration for Shakespeare helped him
cope with the strain of the turbulent years of his presidency and gave him consolation after
his son passed away. The president memorized many lines from Shakespeare’s works, was
a keen theatregoer and became acquainted with actors, for example James Hackett, who
appeared in a production of Henry IV. Lincoln’s letter to Hackett testifies to his love of
Shakespeare. In the letter, he challenged the standing of the highly acclaimed Hamlet
monologue To be or not to be, arguing it was surpassed by O, my offence is rank delivered
by Claudius. Hackett was indiscreet and had the letter printed, thus exposing Lincoln to
public ridicule because of his literary judgement.

C. This story about Lincoln, alongside other titbits and serious scholarly findings, can be found
in the Journal of the Wooden O, an annual publication featuring articles on Shakespeare and
containing selected research papers from the symposium at Southern Utah University.
Submitted articles must be peer-reviewed. Sometimes they also undergo a second review
process. This approach means that the publication is a valuable source of accurate
information for both scholars and non-academics who derive great pleasure from
the playwright’s dramas.

In which paragraph does the author mention
4.1. mockery directed at Lincoln for questioning a popular view?
4.2. a venue which inspired the name of an event?
4.3. a procedure to ensure the high quality of texts on Shakespeare’s work?
4.4. comfort brought by the appreciation of Shakespeare’s plays?


Wpisz w każdą lukę (5.1.–5.4.)
literę, którą oznaczono brakujący fragment (A–E), tak aby otrzymać spójny i logiczny
tekst. Uwaga: jeden fragment został podany dodatkowo i nie pasuje do żadnej luki.

HUGH LANE PAINTING ROBBERY
Hugh Lane, a successful Irish art dealer, decided that after his death his collection of paintings
would belong to Ireland. After some time, he changed his mind and left everything to London’s
prestigious Tate Gallery instead. However, shortly before he died in 1915, he made yet another
will which indicated that a gallery in Dublin should own his collection. As nobody had
witnessed the signing of the last will, the English court refused to recognize it as a legal
document, and the paintings remained in England. 5.1. _____ Yet, it was all in vain.
In 1956, two Irish citizens decided to do something about it. On April 12th, they stole
an Impressionist painting, Summer’s Day, from the Hugh Lane collection in the Tate Gallery.
5.2. _____ The former was a frequent visitor to the gallery, so he was a familiar figure. While
he pretended to be making a copy of the painting on a sketchpad, his accomplice lifted it off
the wall and put it inside a large portfolio they had brought with them. Next, they left the gallery
using the front door. The whole point of the robbery was to get publicity for the cause. They
even arranged for a press photographer to be on the spot and take a photo of them leaving
the gallery. As a result of their ingenious scheme, the photo and the news of the robbery made
the headlines the following day. 5.3. _____ The entire plan proved effective. Three years later,
an agreement was reached between Ireland and the UK that the collection would be shared
between the two countries, and in 1999, over 30 paintings returned to Dublin for good.
The theft of the painting from the Tate Gallery was worrying for art lovers because it showed
that there was a complete lack of security in a place where many masterpieces were kept.
5.4. _____ Fortunately, this did not happen.

A. To make the authorities start negotiations, after a few days Summer’s Day was anonymously
delivered to the Irish embassy.
B. The British were also concerned that the publicity given to the case would lead to
the students being perceived as heroes fighting for the Irish cause, which could strain
British–Irish relations.
C. The ease with which the culprits committed this deed is still shocking. The thieves were
Paul Hogan, who was studying at the Dublin College of Art, and Bill Fogarty, a veterinary
student.
D. It proves that the caretaker on duty could have prevented the robbery, but he was outsmarted.
E. In the following decades, the Irish arts community and government made numerous
attempts to claim the canvases back.