Passage 2 Directions: Listen to a short passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, listen for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, fill in the blanks with the exact words you hear. When the passage is read for the third time, check what you have written. In the spring of 1812, Napoleon (1) ________ an army of 600,000 men on the borders of Russia. The soldiers were well trained, ( 2 ) ________ , and well equipped. This ( 3 ) ________ force was called the Grand Army. Napoleon, ( 4 ) ________ of a quick victory, predicted the ( 5 ) ________ of Russia in five weeks. Shortly afterwards, Napoleon’s army crossed the Neman River into Russia. The quick, ( 6 ) ________ victory that Napoleon expected never happened. To his surprise, the Russians refused to stand and fight. Instead, they ( 7 ) ________ eastward, burning their crops and homes as they went. The Grand Army followed, but its ( 8 ) ________ march soon became ( 9 ) ________ down by slow-moving supply lines. In August, the French and Russian armies engaged at Smolensk, in a battle that left over ten thousand dead on each side. Yet, the Russians were again able to retreat farther into Russian ( 10 ) ________ .