Book 11
Text 324
There is not enough petrol in the world for everybody now, and each year there is less, so what are we going to do when it finishes? Perhaps we will go back to horses and carriages and bicycles.
In the Second World War, some people did not use petrol in their cars. They made gas from wood and plants instead, and then they put it in big bags on top of their cars. The cars did not go fast, but it was better than nothing. But we cannot cut down all our trees to make gas; we need them for other things too.
Besides gas, we can also use electricity for our cars, but first we must make the electricity! Some countries have coal, and they make electricity with that, but we will not always have coal. Other countries have big, strong rivers, and these turn turbines and make electricity more easily and cheaply.
We are also able to get power from the tides. We put turbines in the mouth of a river. Then, when the tide comes up, it turns the turbines, and when it runs back towards the sea, it turns them again. And we know that the waves of the sea can also turn turbines when they go up and down.
Which of all these things will make our electricity in the year
2000?
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1 When will we perhaps have to go back to horses and carriages?
2 What did some people carry in big bags in the last war?
3 Why did they do this?
4 Why can't we cut down all our trees to make gas?
5 Which makes electricity more cheaply, coal or the water in rivers?
6 How can tides make electricity?
7 When does a tide turn a turbine?
8 How do waves turn turbines?
9.
10.
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Text 325
Sally was nineteen years old. She had always lived with her parents, but now the time had come for her to go to university in another part of the country to study to be a doctor. Her mother was very sad about this, and she was also afraid, because she loved her daughter very much, and she thought,
"My little girl will be alone for the first time in her life. She won't know anybody. There will be nobody to look after her, and perhaps she will have trouble, or she will be very sad because she isn't with us."
Sally said goodbye to her father and to her cat, and promised to telephone every week. Then her mother took her to the university by train. When they said goodbye, her mother cried, and on the way back home she cried again.
Then every week Sally kept her promise and telephoned. They talked for several minutes, and Sally was always very happy and never said that she missed her parents. Her mother was not glad about this. She thought, "Perhaps she's finding the university nicer than her home."
But then some holidays were getting near. That week, when Sally telephoned her parents, she said, "The students who live here were talking yesterday evening, and they said, 'We're very happy that we're going to return home again soon for a few days.'
Sally's mother was very glad that the students had said this.
"She must really miss us," she thought. Then she said, "And did you say that too?"
"Oh, yes!" Sally answered. "We all said that it's easy to speak to our parents on the telephone every week when we're away, but we really miss our pets!"
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
Sally went away from her (home/country) for the (first/second)
time when she was nineteen. Her mother (knew/thought) that
Sally was going to be (happy/unhappy) because she was not
going to have her (cat/parents) with her. Sally's mother went to
the (station/university) with her, and when they said goodbye,
(Sally/Sally's mother) cried. Sally (forgot/remembered) to telephone
every week. She (did not like/liked) the university very much,
and her mother was (happy/unhappy), because she thought that
Sally (did not miss/missed) her parents. Then it was time for some
holidays, and the students were happy because (their
parents/they) were going to return home. Sally's mother thought
that the (parents/students) must miss their (parents/students), but
really they missed their pets.
Text 326
Derek was a little boy. He lived with his parents in a small house in a town. They did not have a big garden.
Derek liked animals very much. One day he said to his father, "I've got a little money, Daddy. Can I buy a pony, please?"
But his father answered, "No, Derek, we can't have a pony in the garden, because it's too small and we haven't got a field. People who keep ponies in small gardens without a field are unkind. Ponies need a lot of space."
Derek did not want to be unkind to a pony, so he did not ask his father again.
But then his father got a job in another place, and he and his family left their small house in the town and went and lived in a bigger house in the country. It had a nice garden and a field, and Derek was very happy.
There was a farm near their new house, and there were horses, cows and a few sheep there. Derek went to see them every day. He was five years old now, and he began to think of a pony again.
"My birthday is next month," he thought. "Perhaps Daddy will buy me a pony then." After a little time, he began to talk about ponies to his parents again.
Then his birthday came. His parents gave him a few nice presents but there was no pony. Derek was sad.
But then suddenly his Uncle Tom arrived. He was a farmer —and he had a big pony with him.
"Hello, Derek," Uncle Tom said, "Happy birthday. This is your birthday present from me and Aunt Mary."
Derek was a little afraid, because the pony was very big. He looked at it for a few minutes and then he said to his uncle, "Is he for me, or am I for him?"
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
Derek lived with his (father/father and mother/mother) in a town.
He wanted to have (a pony/some animals) in his garden, but the
garden was not (big/small) enough, and it did not have a
(field/small house) for an animal, so Derek's (father/mother) did
not let him buy one. Then Derek's (family/uncle) went to
another place. It was in (another/the) country, and it was
(big/small) enough for a pony, (but it did not have/because it had)
a field. There were a lot of (animals/farmers) near Derek's
house, and he often (helped/visited) them. When his birthday
came, he (asked for/hoped to get) a pony, (and/but) his parents (did
not givelgave) him one. Then his uncle came and brought him
(alanother) pony. Derek was (afraid/sad), because the pony was
(not for him/very big).
Text 327
When Mr Holland was a young man, he played a lot of football, and he had always been thin and very strong. But then he worked in an office for many years, and he drove to work in a car, so when he was forty, he was fat and very soft, and he did not wish to get fatter and softer every year.
One day one of his friends said to him, "Would you like to be thinner, Fred?"
"Of course I would," Mr Holland answered.
"Well," his friend said, "stop going to your office by car, and
get a bicycle."
Mr Holland had not ridden a bicycle for many years. "It's very hard to learn to ride a bicycle again at your age," his wife said.
But it was not too hard for Mr Holland to do. He usually sat in his living room and read the newspaper in the evening, but he bought a bicycle for his birthday and practised riding that every evening instead. He hoped that it would help him to get thinner, and he got a lot of pleasure from it.
He found little roads which were not really very narrow, but were too narrow for cars, and there he got away from the nasty noises of the city, which were becoming too much for him. They were not really very loud, but they were too loud for Mr Holland.
Then he began to go to his office on his bicycle. Sometimes all the cars stopped at a red light, and he went past them to the front, because his bicycle was narrow. Then he was very happy.
Yesterday he stopped at a red light, and a man came up behind him on another bicycle. He stopped too and said to Mr Holland, "Have the police taken your driving licence away too?"
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1 Was Mr Holland fat or thin when he was young?
2.Was he fat, or thin, when he was forty?
3.Who told him to get a bicycle?
4.Was it hard for him to learn to ride a bicycle again?
5.When did he practise?
6.Did he enjoy riding his bicycle?
7.Why did he like narrow roads?
8. Why could he pass cars at red lights?
9.Had the police taken Mr Holland's driving licence away?
10.Had they taken the other man's away?
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Exercise 2
Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
Mr Holland (was/was not) fat when he was young. Then he be-
came (fat/thin) and (soft/strong) because he (did not sit down
enough/sat too much). He wanted to get (fatter/thinner), and a
friend (asked/ordered/told) him not to use his car, but to go by
bicycle (as well/instead). Mr Holland's wife thought that it was
too (easy/hard), (and/but) it (was/was not). Mr Holland learnt
quickly, (and/but) he (did not likelenjoyed) riding in quiet places.
He began to (drivelride) to his office (on/with) his bicycle, but
(another man/his wife) thought that he did this because the police
had (not given him a driving licence/taken his driving licence away).
Text 328
Mary Williams was a clever young lady. She lived alone and had a very important business job in a big company. She worked very hard in it. She was never absent, she always ar- rived at her office early and left late, and she often took reports home with her to read. At weekends she seldom went anywhere, and she was always working then too.
Jill Thomas was a friend of Mary's. In fact, she was Mary's
best friend. They had gone to the same school, and both of them were clever women, but Jill was married, and she did not want to get a job. "I'm quite happy at home with Len," she always said. "I don't want to be too busy to have fun."
Jill and Len liked walking very much, and nearly every weekend they went to the mountains and walked there. They also liked dancing very much, and they often went out in the evening and danced till the early hours of the next morning. And when they had their holidays, they climbed all the mountains one by one and swam and sailed on a lake and danced nearly all the time.
One year Jill said to Mary, "Would you like to have a holiday with us this year, Mary?" Mary was very happy, so Jill and Mary and Len had two weeks together. Mary enjoyed her hol- iday, but she was very tired after they had climbed all the mountains and swum every day and danced every night.
The next summer, Jill offered to take Mary on their holiday
again.
"Thank you very much," answered Mary, "but I'm going to be quite honest with you: I'm sorry that I can't come, because I've worked a lot this year and I'm tired. But I don't need a holiday: I need a rest!"
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1.Was Mary a good worker?
2.Was Jill clever too?
3.Why didn't she want to get a job?
4.What did Jill and Len like best?
5.What did they do when they had holidays?
6.What did Jill do one year?
7.Did Mary accept?
8.How was Mary at the end of the holiday?
9. What did Jill ask Mary the next summer?
10. Did Mary accept this time?
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Exercise 2
Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
Mary Williams (had/worked for) a big company, and she worked
(less/more) than most people. She (never/sometimes) worked on
Saturdays and Sundays as well. She had an old (school/school
friend) whose name was (Jill/Len), and who (had a job in the same
office/did not have a job), so she was (free/too busy) to have fun
when she liked. Jill and her husband often walked in the moun-
tains (in the evening/on Saturdays and Sundays), and they often
danced for (six/twenty-four) hours. When they had their
holidays, they also used to swim and to (sell things/sail) on a
lake. Then one year Mary had a holiday with (her husband/Jill
and her husband). Mary (climbed and swam and danced/did not climb
or swim or dance), (and/because) she became tired. The next year,
Jill (did not want/wanted)Mary to come again, (and/but) Mary did
not want to, because she needed a (holiday/rest).
Text 329
Mr Robinson died, and after that only Mrs Robinson lived in their small house. She was very old.
Her son John lived with his wife and child in another street, and he often said to his mother, "You must come and live with us," but she always answered, "No, I'm very happy in my little house, and I don't want to leave it."
At eight o'clock one morning the old woman telephoned her son and said, "Please come to my house." Then she put the phone down.
John's wife said, "Who was that?"
"It was Mother," he answered.
"What did she want?"
"She wants me. Perhaps she's ill. I'll take the car and go to work from her house." He took his car out and drove to his mother's house quickly.
When the old woman opened the door, her son said, "What's the matter, Mother?"
"Come in," she answered. "There's a thief in one of my cupboards."
"A thief in one of your cupboards?" said John. "When did you find him?"
"I heard noises in a cupboard yesterday evening,” she answered.
"Which one?" John asked quietly. They were in the dining-room now.
"That one," the old woman answered.
"Why didn't you telephone me then?" John asked.
"Because it was late, and I didn't want to trouble you," she answered.
"But the thief hasn't stayed in the cupboard all night, has he?" asked John.
"Oh, yes, he has," the old woman answered. "I nailed the door up, and then I went to bed."
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1 Did Mrs Robinson live with Mr Robinson before he died?
2.Did she live with her son and his wife and child after that?
3.Where did her son live?
4 Did Mrs Robinson like her house?
5.Who telephoned Mrs Robinson's son?
6.Why did she telephone him?
7. Where was the cupboard?
8.How did Mrs Robinson find the thief?
9.Why didn't she telephone her son earlier?
10 Why did the thief stay in the cupboard all night?
Exercise 2
Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
Mrs Robinson (did not have/had) a husband. Then (he/she) died.
Mrs Robinson had (a sonla wife and a child). She. (did not
want/wanted) to live with (him/them), because she (liked/did not
like) her little house. One morning (her son's wife/Mrs Robinson)
telephoned (her/her son/him). She wanted to see (her/him) at
(her/his) house. Mrs Robinson's son went there quickly
(after/before) his work. He spoke to his mother quietly, because
(he heard noises/there was a thief) in one of her cupboards. The
thief had stayed in the cupboard all night because (Mrs Robin-
son nailed the door uplit was late).
Text 330
While Bill was still at school, he used to earn some money by delivering newspapers, but when he left school, he was ready to get himself a proper job. "I'll work in a bank," he said to himself, "because my uncle has always worked in one."
He went to his aunt and said, "I think that the work is easy. Uncle Bob can do it, so I can." His aunt smiled, but did not say anything.
When Bill's uncle came home that evening, his wife told him that Bill wanted to work in a bank, and his uncle said, "That's a good idea, but there are no jobs in my bank just now."
So Bill went to several other banks and asked for a job, and in the end he got one. "You may work here for a month," the manager said, "and if you're good enough, you can stay after that. You'll work with Mr Unwin for the first month. He'll take you round and train you, and report to me about you."
Mr Unwin was one of the other clerks in the bank, and he had been there for many years. He took Bill round the bank, and Bill learned a lot of things from him. Some of these lessons were not easy.
Then one day Mr Unwin gave Bill some one pound notes.
"Count these," he ordered him. "There ought to be one hundred there. If there aren't, tell me. And try not to make any
mistakes."
Bill sat down by Mr Unwin and began to count the notes. But he was lazy, and when he had counted half of them, he became tired. "Fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-three," he said, and then he stopped, looked at Mr Unwin and pointed at the notes.
"Well," he said, "if they're correct up to here, they'll all be
correct, won't they?"
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1 Did Bill do any work before he left school?
2.Who in his family worked in a bank?
3.Did Bill get a job in the same bank?
4.Why?
5 For how much time did he have to work before he could
stay?
6 Who had to train him?
7 What other things did Mr Unwin have to do?
8 How did Bill find the things which he had to learn?
9 Why did he have to count some one pound notes one day?
10 Was he right when he said, "If they're correct up to here,
they'll all be correct."?
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Exercise 2
Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
Bill (did not want/wanted) to be a newspaper boy all his life, be-
cause it was (not really/really) a proper job. He chose to work
in a bank, because he (had/had had) an uncle who (worked/had
worked) in one. He thought that the work was (hard/not hard),
because his uncle was (not very/very) clever. His uncle thought
that Bill was (right/wrong) when he wanted to work in a bank
(because/but) he (could/could not) get a job in his uncle's bank.
Then Bill got a job (in another bank/there), but only for (one/the
first) month. If he was good enough, he could (continue/stop)
after that. Mr Unwin (learned a lot from him/taught him a lot). One
of Bill's jobs was to count some (coins/money/pieces of paper), but
he soon (became/made him) tired and he stopped.
Text 331
Joe Biggs was a butcher. His shop was in a village in one of the most beautiful parts of the south of England, and he worked in it for many years while his father was there. Then, when his father reached the age of 65, he stopped working in the shop, and Joe was alone in it, so he had to work harder.
Joe worked five and a half days a week. His shop shut at one o'clock on Thursdays, and it was shut the whole of Sunday. Saturdays were the busiest days.
Most of Joe's meat came to his shop from the nearest town, but sometimes he got up earlier than usual in the morning and drove into the city to choose meat. It was cheaper there.
Joe had a big refrigerator in his shop, but he tried not to buy too much meat at a time, and to sell it before he bought more.
One Thursday a woman came into the shop at five minutes to one. "I'm sorry I'm late," she said, "but some people have just telephoned to say that they are going to come to dinner tonight, and I need some more meat.'
Joe only had one piece of good meat in the shop. He had sold all the others earlier in the day. He took the piece out and said to the woman, "This is £6.50."
"That piece is too small," the woman answered. "Haven't
you got anything bigger?"
Joe went into the room behind his shop, opened the refrigerator, put the piece of meat into it, took it out again and shut the door of the refrigerator with a lot of noise. Then he brought the piece of meat back to the woman and said, "This piece is bigger and more expensive. It's £8.75."
"Good," the woman answered with a smile. "Give me both
of them, please."
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1.Had Joe always worked alone in the shop?
2.When did he have to begin to work alone in it?
3.Did Joe sell meat in his shop on Thursday afternoons?
4.How did he get most of his meat?
5.Why did a woman want meat at 12.55 on a Thursday?
6.Why did Joe only have one piece of good meat?
7. Why did the woman not want that piece of meat?
8.Did Joe bring her a different piece?
9.What did the woman want to buy then?
10. Why did Joe not give her both pieces?
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Exercise 2
Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
Joe worked in his father's shop (after/before) he worked alone.
His father stopped working when (he became old/the work became
harder). Joe sold more in his shop on (Saturdays/Sundays) than
on other days. He did not bring (all/any) of his meat to his shop
himself, because he was too busy. He (always had too/did not
keep) much meat in his refrigerator, because he (could not/tried
to) sell it quickly. One Thursday a woman came to his shop
very (early/late) because she needed some meat for some visitors
(that/the next) evening. The woman wanted a (bigger/smaller)
piece than the (only good onelones) that Joe had, (but he did not
say/and he said) that he had not got one. He put the piece in the
refrigerator and then took (another one/it) out. He said that it
was (bigger/smaller) and (cheaper/dearer) than the first one, but
it was really (a bigger/a smaller/the same) piece. The woman said
that she (did not want it/wanted both pieces).
Text 332
Joan's mother loved her very much, so she was not happy when she married an army officer when she was twenty-one years old and went to live in another country with her husband.
"When am I going to see Joan again?" she thought. "And how is she going to live abroad among strangers without her mother near her?"
Joan wrote to her parents every Sunday, and then a year later, she had a baby. It was a girl, and she and her husband gave it the name Kate and thought that she was the cleverest and most beautiful child in the world.
After that, Joan's parents received plenty of letters and post-cards every week about Kate and all the wonderful things she had done. There were also lots of colour photographs of the baby, but there was never any news about Joan herself.
Joan's mother knew that parents always thought that their own children were special, and better than any others, and she also knew that they photographed them all the time, so she did not find all this news about Kate and all the photographs of her very interesting. She wished that Joan's letters had more news about herself and what she was doing in them. When she replied to Joan's letters, she always asked about her. She wrote two or three times: "Are you tired after the baby? Are you resting enough? Is Fred (he was Joan's husband) helping you? Does anyone come in to clean your house for you? When are you going to come home? Do you need anything? Does the baby keep you awake at night?" and other things like that. But Joan's replies were always about Kate, and there was never any news about herself.
In the end Joan's mother was rather angry, so she wrote to Joan that she was very glad that Joan had a very clever child, because she herself had never had one.
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1 Was Joan's mother glad or sad when Joan married?
2.Why?
3. Did Joan's mother think that her daughter needed her?
4. Who was Kate's grandmother?
5. Why did Joan write a lot about Kate?
6. Did Joan's mother find the news about Kate interesting?
7. Who did Joan's mother want to read about?
8. What did Joan's mother do then?
9. Did Joan write the things which her mother wanted then?
10. What did her mother write then?
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Exercise 2
Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
(Joan/Joan's mother) married an army officer who worked
(abroad/with her husband). (Joan/Joan's mother) was sad, because
she wanted her (daughter/mother) to be near her, and because
she was afraid that life was going to be hard for Joan without
a
(her/strangers). Then (Joan/Joan's mother) became
(baby/grandmother). Joan often wrote to her parents about (her-
self/her baby). Joan's mother did not want to read about
(Joan/Kate). She wanted to read about her (daughter/letters). She
always asked a lot of questions about (Joan/the baby) in her let-
ters, (and/but) Joan (gave/never gave) her the answers which she
wanted, so after some time, Joan's mother wrote to Joan that
she was (a clever child/not clever).
Text 333
Mr Anderson lives in a big city in America, and last year he came to England to visit the small town which his father had come from.
There was a big, square garden in this town, and one day, while Mr Anderson was walking past, he stopped outside it and looked in. There was beautiful grass in the middle of the garden. It was green and short and soft.
A gardener was watering it, and Mr Anderson said to him, "Good morning. Is this your garden?"
"No," answered the gardener, "it isn't mine, but I work here."
"How do people get such beautiful lawns?" Mr Anderson asked. "Ours are never as good as this."
The gardener stopped his work and looked at Mr Anderson. Then he said, "You come from America, don't you?"
Mr Anderson answered, "Yes, but my father came from this
town."
"Well," the gardener said, "it's easy to grow lawns like this."
He asked Mr Anderson to come in, and said, "Let me tell you
about it."
Mr Anderson went into the garden. "My name's Anderson," he said to the gardener, "Joe Anderson. What's yours?"
"My name's Gray," the gardener answered, "Pete Gray. Now about the lawns. First we sow our seeds; then when the grass appears, we pull all the weeds out; after that, we cut the grass every week, we water it every day when the weather is very dry during the summer season, and we sometimes roll it."
"Oh," Mr Anderson answered, "that's very interesting, Pete. And how long does it take before the lawn becomes like this?"
The gardener thought for a few moments and then answered, "Oh, about four hundred years."
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
beautiful (lawn/square) in a garden. There (was a gardener/were
some people) in it. Mr Anderson asked (him/them) about the
grass, and (he/they) invited Mr Anderson in. (A/The) gardener
said that it was (hard/not hard) to grow beautiful grass: first you
(see/sow) the seeds, and then you pull the (grass/weeds) out. You
often cut the grass (off/short), and you put water (in/on) it when
it (dries/needs) it. And sometimes you roll (it/on it). Then after
(a few moments/about four hundred years) it is ready.
Text 334
Ted had not seen his old friend Sam since they were at school together. Then Ted saw Sam at a business meeting which both men were at in a big hotel, and he went over and spoke to him.
"Hi, Sam!" Ted said happily. "How are you?"
"I'm very well, thank you, Ted," Sam answered, "and how are you?"
"Not too bad, thank you," Ted said, They sat down side by side and began to talk.
"I've got a wife and two children now," Sam began.
"Well," Ted answered, "I've got a wife and three children
myself."
After half an hour, Sam said, "I must go and buy myself a toothbrush now. I left mine at home. Let's have dinner together this evening and then we can talk more."
"All right," Ted answered.
They met in the restaurant of the hotel, and they both began to talk about television.
Ted said, "I think it's very bad for people. When I was a we didn't just watch young man, we did things ourselves other people. In the evenings, we sang songs or played music or cards with each other, or we read the newspaper or found ourselves something useful to do."
Sam nodded. "Yes," he said, "that's true, and perhaps once a week, or once a month, we went into the town specially to see a film in the cinema, and maybe to buy ourselves an ice cream."
"And now," Ted went on, "my children watch silly films on television almost every evening, and they don't do the work that their teachers give them. What will they do with themselves when they leave school?"
"Yes, it's very bad, isn't it?" Sam said. "But what can we do about it?"
"Well," Ted answered, "I've promised myself one thing: I'm going to sell our television set as soon as the football season finishes at the end of this month."
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1. Had Ted and Sam met often since they left school?
2. Why did they meet in a big hotel?
3. Which of them has a wife now?
4. Why did they want to have dinner together?
5. Did they like television?
6. Why?
7. Did Ted and Sam watch television when they were young?
8. Why was television bad for Ted's and Sam's children?
9. What was Ted going to do about it?
10. Why was he going to wait until the football season
finished?
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Sam and Ted went to (different schools/the same school). Then they
did not meet for (a year/some years). They were both (business-
men/hotel workers) then. They were (glad/not glad) to see each
other again, and they had dinner (together/with their wives and
children). They talked about television. (Both/Neither) of them
liked it. They thought that it made people (do things them-
selves/lazy): they (did not watch/just watched) other people doing
things. When Ted and Sam had been (bad/young) people, they
had learnt a lot, because they had (done things themselves/watched
other people). The only things which they had watched (every
day/sometimes) were (cinemas/films). But Sam's and Ted's chil-
dren (did not work/worked) at home, they (watched television/went
to films in the cinema) instead. But Ted (also/never) watched
television. He (watched/went to) football matches.
Text 335
Bobby was six years old, and he went to school. There were nineteen other little boys and girls who were in his class, and they were all friends, so they often went to parties together.
When one of the children had a birthday, he or she invited all the other children to come to a party, and at Christmas all the mothers gave parties for all the children.
Bobby liked parties very much. He liked the games they played there-but he liked the nice food more. His favourites were cakes.
Before a party, Bobby's mother always asked him not to eat too many cakes, and Bobby always answered, "Yes, Mummy," but he always ate all the cakes he was offered and more if he could get them and sometimes he was ill.
Christmas came again, and again there were a lot of parties. Bobby went to all of them. The last one was on January 6th. It was two days before school began.
One evening before this party, Bobby's mother met the lady who had invited him and his friends, and she said to her,"Bobby always eats too many cakes at parties."
"Oh, that's all right," the lady answered. She told Bobby's mother not to be afraid, because at her parties, a child could only have three cakes-and the cakes were small!
"Oh, good!" Bobby's mother answered happily.
On January 6th, she took Bobby to the party and left him there.
When the children began to eat, there were enough cakes for every child to have three, but Bobby took four and began to eat them.
"You can only have three cakes, Bobby!" said the lady. She asked him to put the fourth one back on the plate.
"I can't," answered Bobby. "I ate that one first."
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1 Were the other children in Bobby's class boys or girls?
2.Were any of the children Bobby's friends?
3.When did the children usually have parties?
4. Which did Bobby like more, the games at parties, or the
food?
5Which kinds of food did he like most?
6.Why did his mother ask him not too eat too many cakes?
7. What did Bobby's mother say to another lady one evening?
8. What did the lady do to stop Bobby?
9. What did Bobby do then?
10. Why couldn't he put the fourth cake back?
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Exercise 2
Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
The children in Bobby's class were often at parties (with/without)
him. Every year, (all/one of) the children invited the others to
a birthday party; and every Christmas, the children went to
(one Christmas party/twenty Christmas parties). Bobby liked (food
more than games/games more than food), (and he liked/but he did not
like) cakes very much. His mother (did not want/wanted) him to
eat (many/no) cakes at parties, and Bobby always
(promised/remembered) to do this, (and/but) he always ate too
(few/many) cakes, and then he was (always/sometimes) ill. One
day, Bobby's mother (asked/told) another lady about this, and
the lady said that (every/no) child at her party got three cakes,
so Bobby's mother was (happy/sad). But at the lady's party,
Bobby took (four/three) cakes, and when the lady said, "Put the
(first/last) one back," he answered that he (couldn't/needn't) be-
cause he had (already/not) eaten it.
Text 336
Mr Harris used to work in Dover, but then he changed his job, and he and his wife moved to another town. They did not have many friends there, but they soon met a lot of interesting people, and after a few weeks they often went to dinner or to parties at other people's houses.
Then Mrs Harris said to her husband, "We've been to a lot of other people's houses, and now we must invite them to our house, mustn't we?"
"Yes, certainly," answered her husband. "A big party will be the easiest, won't it? Then we can start to invite people to dinner in small numbers next month."
So Mrs Harris said, "Yes, I'll invite all our friends here to a big
party on 5th December."
"How many will that be?" Mr Harris asked. "Don't invite too many."
Mrs Harris was beginning to write the invitations when her husband saw that she was writing, "Party: 6.30 to 8.30 p.m."
"That isn't very nice, is it?" he said. "You're telling our guests that they must go at 8.30." So Mrs Harris just wrote, "Party: 6.30 p.m."
A lot of guests came, and they all had a good time, so they did not go home at 8.30. In fact, they were still there at midnight when the door bell rang and a policeman arrived. He said, "You must stop making a noise, because someone has complained."
Mr Harris said he did not want to quarrel with the policeman, so everyone went home. They were sorry to have to go.
When Mr and Mrs Harris were alone again, she said to him, "That was a surprise, wasn't it? Who complained about the noise?"
"I did," Mr Harris answered in a tired voice.
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1 When did Mr and Mrs Harris not have many friends?
2.Did people invite them to their homes after that?
3.Why did Mrs Harris want to invite people to her house?
4. Why did Mr Harris want to give a big party?
5. What did Mr Harris not want his wife to do?
6.Did Mrs Harris change the invitations then?
7.Did Mr and Mrs Harris's guests have a good time?
8.Did they go home at 8.30?
9.Why did they go home?
10.Mr Harris quarrelled with a policeman.
11. Who had complained to the police?
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Exercise 2
Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
Mr Harris (usually worked in Dover/worked in Dover first), but (he
and his wife lived/then he worked) in another town. First they (did
not know many/knew a lot of) people, but then a lot of people
(invited them to meals and parties/went to dinner or to parties without
them), so Mrs Harris (did not want/wanted) to invite them to her
40
house, (and/but) her husband (said that she had to/wanted to invite
them too). Mr Harris wanted to have (a few guests at a timelone
big party) first, (and/but) his wife (accepted/did not accept) this.
She began to write the invitations, but then her husband
stopped her and (asked her to change them/wrote them himself),
because he (did not want/wanted) to tell the guests to (come/go
home) at 8.30. The guests were very (happy/unhappy) at the
party, but a policeman came and (sent/took) them (home/to the
police station).
Text 337
Peter was ten years old and he went to the City School. He was very good at football, so he was in his school team. He always played very well and bravely in practice games and in matches, and he scored plenty of goals.
Peter's grandfather and grandmother usually came to see him when there was a match, and they were always happy when other people said, "Your grandson plays very well, doesn't he?"
Then one day Peter said to his grandmother, "We're practising for our big match next Saturday. Our school's going to play against the Garden School. They have the best team in our city, so perhaps they'll beat us. Can you come and see the match?".
"Oh, yes," his grandmother answered, "your grandfather and I will be there and I'm certain that you'll beat the Garden School."
"Well, I hope we will," Peter answered.
The match was in the park, and it began at half past two on Saturday. The Garden School team wore orange shirts, light blue shorts and orange socks, and Peter's team wore dark blue and white shirts, white shorts and dark blue socks.
In the first two minutes of the match, the Garden School boys came very close to the City School's goal, but then the goal- keeper kicked the ball to Peter in the middle of the field, and Peter ran with it and kicked it straight into the goal. All the City School boys as well as their families were very happy to see it.
After he had scored once, Peter scored twice again before half time. Then in the second half of the match he nearly scored another goal, but he hardly touched the ball with his foot, and the goalkeeper caught it easily and threw it out again.
After the match, Peter's grandfather said to him, "You missed a good chance to score a fourth goal then, Peter. If you'd kicked the ball hard, you'd have got a goal easily. Why did you kick it weakly?”
"Because there were tears in the goalkeeper's eyes," Peter answered.
Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:
1 Why was Peter in the school team?
2. Who were people talking about when they said, "Your grandson plays very well."?
3.Who was Peter's big match against?
4.Which was the best school team in Peter's city?
5.Did Peter's grandmother think that the Garden School team was going to win?
6.Did both teams wear shorts of the same colour?
7.Which team nearly scored the first goal?
8.And who scored the first goal?
9.How many goals did Peter score in the match?
10.Why didn't he score another goal?
B) Which words in the story mean the opposite of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
and
his
Peter (had a very good football/was a very good footballer). His
grandfather
grandmother usually watched
(matches/practice games). The City School's (practice/big) match
was against the Garden School. The Garden School (beat/could
beat) them. Peter's grandmother (hoped/promised) to watch the
match. The Garden School boys (nearly scored/scored) in the first
1 Why was Peter in the school team?
a) Because he played football very well.
went to the City School.
b) Because he
2 Who were people talking about when they said, "Your
grandson plays very well."?
a) Peter. b) Peter's grandfather.
Who was Peter's big match against?
3
a) The City School team. b) The Garden School team.
Which was the best school team in Peter's city?
4
5
a) The City School team. b) The Garden School team.
Did Peter's grandmother think that the Garden School
team was going to win?
a) No, she did not. b) Yes, she did.
6
Did both teams wear shorts of the same colour?
7
a) No, they did not. b) Yes, they did.
Which team nearly scored the first goal?
a) Peter's team. b) The other team.
And who scored the first goal?
a) Peter. b) The goalkeeper.
8
9
How many goals did Peter score in the match?
a)Two. b) Three.
10
Why didn't he score another goal?
a) Because he was tired and weak.
sorry when the Garden School goalkeeper cried.
b) Because he was
Exercise 2
Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
Peter (had a very good football/was a very good footballer). His
grandfather
grandmother usually
and
watched
his
(matches/practice games). The City School's (practice/big) match
was against the Garden School. The Garden School (beat/could
beat) them. Peter's grandmother (hoped/promised) to watch the
match. The Garden School boys (nearly scored/scored) in the first
two minutes of the match, and after that the (City/Garden)
School goalkeeper kicked the ball (badly/well), and Peter got it
(and kicked it/but it went) straight into the (City/Garden) School
goal. Peter scored (all/most of) his goals in the (first/second) half
of the match. In the second half, he almost scored again, but
(he only touched the ball with the goalkeeper caught) his foot,
because the goalkeeper was (crying/very weak).