VOLUME 1 - TEST 5 - PASSAGE 1:The life of Beatrix Potter

Born to a comfortable middle-class family in London in 1866, Potter spent much of her early life in her own company. She was educated in her parents' house by a governess and rarely saw her brother Bertram, who was sent to boarding school. Having little social contact with children of her own age, Potter began to be drawn into her own world of writing. When Beatrix was 15, she began to keep a diary written in a secret code of her own invention. Even Beatrix herself, when she read back over it in later life, found it difficult to understand. It was not until 15 years after her death that the code was cracked. To the outside world Beatrix appeared a shy and reserved person, but in her diary she was able to express herself openly, and she was critical of the paintings of a number of artists of the day. 

Potter was a naturally gifted artist, and with the aid of some art lessons she also learnt the technical side of drawing. During her childhood, she looked after many animals, such as rabbits, frogs, and even bats. She drew these animals throughout her childhood, gradually improving the standard of her work by sketching in museums. She was also interested in natural history. She would spend many hours drawing wildlife such as fungi and flowers, and at one time she had an ambition to develop this scientific interest. An uncle tried to help her become a student at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London, but she was rejected because of her gender. Nevertheless, she achieved a measure of respect from the scientific establishment for her illustrations and contribution to mycology, the study of fungi.