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. What problem with petrol does the passage mention?
  2. What might people use instead of cars if petrol runs out?
  3. What did some people use for fuel during the Second World War?
  4. Why were cars using wood gas not very fast?
  5. Why can’t we cut down all the trees for fuel?
  6. What is another energy source mentioned besides gas?
  7. What must be done before electricity can be used in cars?
  8. How do rivers help produce electricity?
  9. How does the tide help generate power?
  10. What question does the passage leave us with at the end?

B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:

  1. Enough — __________
  2. More — __________
  3. Less — __________
  4. Fast — __________
  5. Better — __________
  6. Easy — __________
  7. Strong — __________
  8. Cheap — __________
  9. Up — __________
  10. Come — __________


C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?


  1. There is unlimited petrol in the world.
  2. Petrol supplies are increasing every year.
  3. People may return to horses and bicycles in the future.
  4. Cars in World War II used electricity from batteries only.
  5. Wood and plants were used to make gas during the war.
  6. Cutting down trees is a good long-term solution.
  7. Electricity can be produced from coal in some countries.
  8. Rivers cannot be used to generate electricity.
  9. Tides and waves have no effect on turbines.
  10. Coal will always be available in unlimited amounts.






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. How old was Sally?
  2. Where was Sally going to study?
  3. What did she want to become in the future?
  4. Why was Sally’s mother sad and afraid?
  5. What promise did Sally make before leaving?
  6. How did Sally’s mother feel when she said goodbye?
  7. How often did Sally call her parents?
  8. What did Sally’s mother think about Sally’s happiness at university?
  9. What did the students say they were happy about?
  10. Why was Sally’s final answer surprising?

B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:



  1. Old — __________
  2. Sad — __________
  3. Happy — __________
  4. Alone — __________
  5. Near — __________
  6. Begin — __________
  7. Cry — __________
  8. Remember — __________
  9. Always — __________
  10. Easy — __________


C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?


  1. Sally was fifteen years old.
  2. She went to study music at university.
  3. Sally stayed at home with her parents.
  4. Her mother was very happy about her leaving.
  5. Sally promised to call every month.
  6. Sally never called her parents.
  7. Her father went with her to university.
  8. Sally said she missed only her parents.
  9. The students said they did not want to return home.
  10. Sally said she missed her pets more than her parents.



D) 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. Where did Derek live with his parents?
  2. What animal did Derek want to buy?
  3. Why did Derek’s father say they could not have a pony?
  4. What did Derek learn about being kind to ponies?
  5. Where did Derek’s family move later?
  6. What was special about their new house?
  7. What animals did Derek see near his new home?
  8. What did Derek hope to get for his birthday?
  9. Who brought Derek a pony as a gift?
  10. Why was Derek unsure about the pony at the end ?

B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:

  1. Little — __________
  2. Big — __________
  3. Small — __________
  4. Kind — __________
  5. Happy — __________
  6. Sad — __________
  7. Near — __________
  8. Old — __________
  9. Give — __________
  10. Afraid — __________



C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?


  1. Derek lived in a large city with a big garden.
  2. Derek wanted to buy a cat.
  3. His father said ponies need very little space.
  4. Derek ignored his father’s advice.
  5. The family moved to a smaller house in the town.
  6. There were no animals near their new home.
  7. Derek was six years old when he moved.
  8. Derek’s birthday was next month.
  9. His parents gave him a pony for his birthday.
  10. Uncle Tom brought a pony as a birthday present.

D) 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. What sport did Mr Holland play when he was young?
  2. How did Mr Holland change physically after many years?
  3. What advice did his friend give him?
  4. Why did his wife think learning to ride a bicycle would be difficult?
  5. What did Mr Holland buy for his birthday?
  6. When did he practise riding his bicycle?
  7. Why did he choose small roads to ride on?
  8. How did cycling affect Mr Holland’s mood?
  9. How did he travel to work after some time?
  10. What did the man say to Mr Holland at the traffic light?
B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:

  1. Young — __________
  2. Strong — __________
  3. Thin — __________
  4. Fat — __________
  5. Easy — __________
  6. Hard — __________
  7. Happy — __________
  8. Narrow — __________
  9. Fast — __________
  10. Stop — __________


C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?

  1. Mr Holland played tennis when he was young.
  2. He worked in a factory all his life.
  3. He remained thin and strong at age forty.
  4. He always walked to work.
  5. His wife encouraged him to drive more.
  6. He stopped exercising completely.
  7. He bought a bicycle and never used it.
  8. He disliked riding in the countryside.
  9. He was unhappy when he cycled past cars.
  10. A man joked with him at a traffic light.


D) 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. What kind of job did Mary Williams have?
  2. How did Mary behave at work every day?
  3. What did Mary often take home from the office?
  4. Did Mary usually go out at weekends?
  5. Who was Jill Thomas?
  6. What was Jill’s attitude toward having a job?
  7. What activities did Jill and Len enjoy?
  8. What did Mary do during the holiday with Jill and Len?
  9. How did Mary feel after the holiday?
  10. Why did Mary refuse Jill’s second holiday invitation?

B)  Which words in the story  mean 
the opposite of:



10 Opposite Words

  1. Clever — __________
  2. Hard — __________
  3. Early — __________
  4. Late — __________
  5. Busy — __________
  6. Seldom — __________
  7. Happy — __________
  8. Tired — __________
  9. Together — __________
  10. Always — __________


C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?


  1. Mary Williams was a lazy student.
  2. Mary worked in a small shop.
  3. She often arrived late at work.
  4. She never took work home.
  5. Jill Thomas was her colleague at the office.
  6. Jill did not like staying at home.
  7. Jill and Len preferred watching TV all day.
  8. Mary never went on holiday with them.
  9. Mary enjoyed the holiday but felt very tired.
  10. Mary said she needed rest, not a holiday.

D) 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. What happened to Mr Robinson?
  2. Who lived alone after Mr Robinson died?
  3. Where did John live with his family?
  4. What did John often ask his mother to do?
  5. What did Mrs Robinson say about her house?
  6. Why did Mrs Robinson telephone John one morning?
  7. What did John think when he received the call?
  8. What did Mrs Robinson say was in the cupboard?
  9. What did she do after hearing noises in the cupboard?
  10. Why is the ending of the story surprising or humorous?

B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:

  1. Old — __________
  2. Dead — __________
  3. Happy — __________
  4. Leave — __________
  5. Come — __________
  6. Early — __________
  7. Quiet — __________
  8. Safe — __________
  9. Open — __________
  10. Trouble — __________


C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?


  1. Mr Robinson was still alive.
  2. Mrs Robinson lived with her son John.
  3. John lived in the same house as his mother.
  4. Mrs Robinson wanted to move to a hotel.
  5. John refused to help his mother.
  6. Mrs Robinson called her daughter.
  7. There was a cat in the cupboard.
  8. John ignored her phone call.
  9. The cupboard door was left open all night.
  10. Mrs Robinson nailed the cupboard door shut and went to bed.

D) 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. What did Bill do while he was still at school?
  2. What kind of job did Bill want after leaving school?
  3. Why did Bill think working in a bank would be easy?
  4. How did Bill’s aunt react to his idea?
  5. What did Bill’s uncle tell him about jobs in his bank?
  6. Where did Bill finally get a job?
  7. What was Bill’s probation period at the bank?
  8. Who was Bill supposed to work with at first?
  9. What task did Mr Unwin give Bill?
  10. How did Bill behave while counting the money?

B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:


  1. Old — __________
  2. Easy — __________
  3. Good — __________
  4. Lazy — __________
  5. Hard — __________
  6. First — __________
  7. Begin — __________
  8. Tired — __________
  9. Correct — __________
  10. Many — __________


C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?


  1. Bill worked in a factory after school.
  2. Bill wanted to become a doctor.
  3. Bill’s uncle worked in a school.
  4. Bill was immediately hired by his uncle’s bank.
  5. The bank manager refused to hire Bill at all.
  6. Bill worked alone on his first day.
  7. Mr Unwin trained Bill in the bank.
  8. Bill carefully counted all the money.
  9. Bill finished his counting without stopping.
  10. Bill stopped counting halfway and made a careless assumption.

D) 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. What was Joe Biggs’ job?
  2. Where was Joe’s shop located?
  3. What happened when Joe’s father turned 65?
  4. How many days a week did Joe work?
  5. When did Joe’s shop close early?
  6. Why did Joe sometimes go to the city to buy meat?
  7. What did Joe try to avoid in his shop?
  8. Why did the woman come to the shop just before closing time?
  9. What problem did Joe have when the woman arrived?
  10. How did Joe manage to sell the meat in the end?

B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:

  1. Old — __________
  2. Busy — __________
  3. Early — __________
  4. Cheap — __________
  5. Bigger — __________
  6. Same — __________
  7. Open — __________
  8. Sell — __________
  9. Come — __________
  10. Good — __________


C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?



  1. Joe Biggs was a baker.
  2. His shop was in London city center.
  3. Joe worked only three days a week.
  4. His shop was closed on Saturdays.
  5. Joe always bought meat from faraway countries.
  6. He did not have a refrigerator.
  7. Joe had no meat left except one piece.
  8. The woman came early in the morning.
  9. Joe refused to sell any meat to the woman.
  10. The woman bought both pieces of meat in the end.

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. Comprehension Questions (Intermediate Level)

  1. Why was Joan’s mother unhappy when Joan got married?
  1. Where did Joan go after her marriage?
  1. How often did Joan write to her parents?
  1. What was the name of Joan’s baby?
  1. What did Joan and her husband think about Kate?
  1. What did Joan’s parents receive every week?
  1. Why did Joan’s mother not find the photographs very interesting?
  1. What kinds of questions did Joan’s mother ask in her letters?
  1. Why did Joan’s mother become angry in the end?
  1. What did Joan’s mother mean in the last sentence of the story?


B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:



  1. happy × __________________
  2. married × __________________
  3. clever × __________________
  4. beautiful × __________________
  5. special × __________________
  6. abroad × __________________
  7. near × __________________
  8. wonderful × __________________
  9. angry × __________________
  10. always × __________________




C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?

  1. Joan married an army officer. __________
  2. Joan’s mother was pleased that Joan moved abroad. __________
  3. Joan wrote letters to her parents every day. __________
  4. Joan and her husband had a baby boy named Fred. __________
  5. Joan’s parents received many photographs of Kate. __________
  6. Joan’s mother thought all babies were more beautiful than Kate. __________
  7. Joan often described her own life and feelings in detail. __________
  8. Joan’s mother asked whether Fred helped with the housework. __________
  9. Joan’s mother was satisfied with all the news about Kate. __________
  10. In the end, Joan’s mother wrote a sarcastic letter to Joan.


Exercise D) 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:



  1. Why did Mr Anderson come to England?
  1. What did Mr Anderson notice about the garden in the town?
  1. What was the gardener doing when Mr Anderson spoke to him?
  1. Why was Mr Anderson interested in the lawn?
  1. How did the gardener know that Mr Anderson was from America?
  1. What did the gardener invite Mr Anderson to do?
  1. What steps did the gardener describe for growing a good lawn?
  1. When did the gardener say the grass should be watered?
  1. Why was Mr Anderson surprised at the gardener’s final answer?
  1. What does the gardener’s joke about “four hundred years” mean?

B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:

  1. beautiful × __________________________
  2. big × __________________________
  3. soft × __________________________
  4. dry × __________________________
  5. easy × __________________________
  6. appear × __________________________
  7. interesting × __________________________
  8. short × __________________________
  9. summer × __________________________
  10. inside × ________________________


C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?


  1. Mr Anderson lived in a small village in America. __________
  2. Mr Anderson visited the town where his grandfather was born. __________
  3. The garden had long yellow grass. __________
  4. The gardener said that the garden belonged to him. __________
  5. Mr Anderson thought American lawns were better than English lawns. __________
  6. The gardener immediately knew that Mr Anderson came from Canada. __________
  7. The gardener explained that lawns need no care at all. __________
  8. The grass was watered only in winter. __________
  9. The gardener said it takes four months to grow a lawn like that. __________
  10. The gardener’s final answer was meant as a joke. __________






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. Where did Ted meet his old friend Sam again?
  1. How long had it been since Ted and Sam had seen each other?
  1. What did Sam forget to bring with him to the hotel?
  1. Why did the two men decide to have dinner together?
  1. What kinds of activities did Ted say people did in the evenings when he was young?
  1. How often did people usually go to the cinema in the past?
  1. What problem did Ted mention about modern children?
  1. Why was Ted worried about his children’s future?
  1. What solution did Ted suggest for the television problem?
  1. Why is the ending of the story funny?


B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:

  1. old × __________________________
  2. happily × __________________________
  3. together × __________________________
  4. useful × __________________________
  5. bad × __________________________
  6. finish × __________________________
  7. buy × __________________________
  8. young × __________________________
  9. leave × __________________________
  10. evening × _______________________


C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?


  1. Ted and Sam met at a school reunion. __________
  2. Sam had three children. __________
  3. Ted had no children. __________
  4. Sam wanted to buy a suitcase. __________
  5. The two men talked about sports during dinner. __________
  6. Ted said that young people did more activities in the past. __________
  7. Sam believed television was always educational. __________
  8. Ted said his children always finished their homework. __________
  9. Ted planned to sell the television immediately. __________
  10. Ted wanted to keep the television until the football season ended. __________







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. How old was Bobby, and where did he go every day?
  1. Why did the children often go to parties together?
  1. What kind of food did Bobby like the most at parties?
  1. What did Bobby’s mother usually tell him before parties?
  1. Why did Bobby sometimes become ill after parties?
  1. When was the last Christmas party held?
  1. What did the lady tell Bobby’s mother about the cakes at her party?
  1. Why was Bobby’s mother happy after speaking to the lady?
  1. What did Bobby do when the children started eating cakes?
  1. Why is Bobby’s final answer funny?


B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:

  1. little × __________________________
  2. together × __________________________
  3. always × __________________________
  4. happily × __________________________
  5. enough × __________________________
  6. before × __________________________
  7. began × __________________________
  8. more × __________________________
  9. good × __________________________
  10. invited × __________________________


C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?


  1. Bobby was eight years old. __________
  2. There were nineteen children in Bobby’s class besides him. __________
  3. Bobby liked games more than food at parties. __________
  4. Bobby’s favourite party food was ice cream. __________
  5. Bobby’s mother never warned him about eating too many cakes. __________
  6. The last party was held after school started again. __________
  7. The lady allowed each child to have five cakes. __________
  8. Bobby obeyed the lady immediately and returned the fourth cake. __________
  9. Bobby ate the fourth cake before the lady spoke to him. __________
  10. Bobby’s answer at the end of the story was humorous. __________







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. Why did Mr and Mrs Harris move to another town?
  1. How did they meet new people in their new town?
  1. Why did Mrs Harris think they should invite people to their house?
  1. Why did Mr Harris think a big party would be easier?
  1. What time did Mrs Harris first write on the invitations?
  1. Why did Mr Harris dislike the words “to 8.30 p.m.” on the invitation?
  1. Why were the guests still at the house at midnight?
  1. What did the policeman say when he arrived?
  1. Why did the guests leave the party?
  1. Why is the ending of the story surprising and funny?
B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:



  1. interesting × __________________________
  2. big × __________________________
  3. easy × __________________________
  4. invite × __________________________
  5. arrived × __________________________
  6. noisy × __________________________
  7. alone × __________________________
  8. good × __________________________
  9. start × __________________________
  10. tired × __________________________


C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?


  1. Mr Harris used to work in London. __________
  2. Mr and Mrs Harris had many friends immediately after moving. __________
  3. Mrs Harris wanted to invite people to a big party. __________
  4. Mr Harris thought small dinners would be easier than a big party. __________
  5. Mrs Harris first wrote that the party would finish at 8.30 p.m. __________
  6. The guests left the party at exactly 8.30 p.m. __________
  7. A firefighter came to the house at midnight. __________
  8. The policeman said that the neighbours had praised the party. __________
  9. The guests were happy to leave the party early. __________
  10. Mr Harris himself complained about the noise. __________









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 a member of the school football team?
  1. How did Peter usually play during matches and practice games?
  1. Why did Peter think the match against the Garden School would be difficult?
  1. What did Peter ask his grandparents to do on Saturday?
  1. What colours did the Garden School team wear during the match?
  1. How did Peter score the first goal of the match?
  1. What was the score contribution made by Peter before half time?
  1. Why did Peter fail to score the fourth goal in the second half?
  1. What did Peter’s grandfather say after the match?
  1. What does Peter’s final answer show about his character?

B)  Which words in the story  mean the opposite of:

  1. bravely × __________________________
  2. happy × __________________________
  3. best × __________________________
  4. close × __________________________
  5. strong × __________________________
  6. easily × __________________________
  7. straight × __________________________
  8. weakly × __________________________
  9. first × __________________________
  10. certain × __________________________




C) Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)?

  1. Peter was twelve years old. __________
  2. Peter played basketball for his school team. __________
  3. Peter’s grandparents often watched his matches. __________
  4. Peter believed the Garden School had a weak team. __________
  5. The match started at half past three. __________
  6. Peter scored one goal before half time. __________
  7. The goalkeeper caught Peter’s weak kick easily. __________
  8. Peter’s grandfather praised him for missing the fourth goal. __________
  9. Peter kicked the ball weakly because he was tired. __________
  10. Peter felt sorry for the goalkeeper. __________































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