Text 458

Some villagers were going to celebrate an important wine festival in a few days' time, so they borrowed a huge barrel from the nearest town, put it in the village square, and determined that each of them should empty a bottle of the best wine he had into it, so that there should be plenty at the feast.

One of the villagers thought he would be very clever. 'If I pour a bottle of water in, instead of wine, no one will notice it,' he said to himself, because there will be so much excellent wine in the barrel that the water will be lost in it.'

The night of the feast arrived. Everybody gathered in the village square with their jugs and their glasses for the wine. The tap on the barrel was opened-but what came out was pure water. Everyone in the village had had the same idea.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1.Why did the villagers borrow a huge barrel from the nearest town?

2.What was each villager supposed to pour into the barrel?

3.Why did one villager decide to pour water instead of wine?

4.What did the villager believe would happen if he added water?

5.When was the barrel opened?

6.What came out of the barrel when the tap was opened?

7.Why was the barrel filled with pure water instead of wine?

8.What does this story teach about individual responsibility?

9.How might the outcome have been different if only one person had poured water?

10.Can you think of a real-life situation where people behave like the villagers in the story? Explain.

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

1.Important

2.Borrow

3.Huge

4.Best

5.Clever

6.Night

7.Open

8Empty

9.Pure

10.Together

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

1. The villagers borrowed a small bucket for the festival.

2.They planned to fill the barrel with water.

3.The festival was canceled before it began.

4.Only one villager brought a bottle to the square.

5.The barrel was placed inside someone’s house.

6.The villagers were told to pour milk into the barrel.

7.One villager proudly told everyone he added water.

8.The feast took place in the morning.

9.The barrel was already full of wine from the town.

10.When the tap was opened, delicious red wine came out.

Text 459

Can you think of a sentence in which the word 'and' appears five times, without any words in between? There is one at the end of this story.

There was once an inn which was called 'The Horse and Cart'. It had a sign outside it which had a picture of a horse and cart on it, but the sign was getting very old, so the owner of the inn decided to have a new one made. He went to a painter and asked him to paint one, and to write 'The Horse and Cart' on it in large letters.

A few days later, he went to see how the painter was getting on. He liked the picture of the horse and cart very much, but he did not like the writing at all. He said to the painter, 'No, no! There's too much space between HORSE and AND and AND and CART!'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1.What was the name of the inn?
2.What picture was on the old sign?
3.Why did the owner decide to get a new sign made?
4.Who did the owner ask to paint the new sign?
5.What words did the owner want written on the sign?
6.How did the owner feel about the picture on the new sign?
7.Why did he dislike the writing on the sign?
8.What problem did he notice about the spacing of the words?
9.Which word appears five times in a row at the end of the story?
10.Why is the last sentence funny?

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

1.Old

2.Outside

3.Large

4.Much

5.Like

6.Before

7.Early

8.Go

9.Near

10.Begin

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

1.The inn was called “The Dog and Cart.”

2.The sign outside the inn was brand new.

3.The owner painted the new sign himself.

4.The picture on the sign showed a cow and a cart.

5.The owner asked the painter to write the name in small letters.

6.The painter finished the sign on the same day.

7.The owner disliked both the picture and the writing.

8.There was too little space between the words on the sign.

9.The word “and” appeared only once in the last sentence.

10.The story ends with the owner praising the painter’s work.

Text 460

A young man was called up for army service and had to go to be medically examined. The doctor was sitting at a desk when he went in. He said to the man, 'Take your coat and shirt off, loosen your belt and sit on that chair.'

The young man did so. The doctor looked at him for amoment without getting up from his chair and then said, 'All right. Put your clothes on again.'

' But you haven't examined me at all!' the young man said

in a troubled voice.

' It isn't necessary,' the doctor said gently. 'When I told you to take your coat and shirt off, you heard me all right, so you aren't deaf. You saw the chair I pointed to, so your eyesight's good enough for the army. You managed to take your clothes off and to sit on the chair, so your body must be healthy, and you understood what I told you to do and did it without a mistake, so you must possess enough intelligence for the

army.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1.Why did the young man go to the doctor’s office?

2.What did the doctor ask the young man to do when he entered the room?

3.How did the doctor check if the young man could hear properly?

4.How did the doctor assess the young man’s eyesight?

5.What did the young man do that showed he was physically healthy?

6.How did the doctor evaluate the young man’s intelligence?

7.Why did the doctor say a formal examination wasn’t necessary?

8.What does this story suggest about judging someone’s abilities through observation?

9.Could the doctor’s method fail to detect any real health problems? Explain.

10.What is the humorous element in the doctor’s approach?

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

1.Young

2.Called up

3.Take off

4.Loosen

5.Sit

6.All right

7.Without

8.Healthy

9.Good

10.Understood

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

The young man went to the doctor for a dental check-up.
The doctor asked him to run around the room before examining him.
The young man ignored the doctor’s instructions.
The doctor used a stethoscope to check the young man’s heart.
The young man was found to be deaf during the examination.
The doctor made the young man lift heavy weights.
The young man failed to sit on the chair when asked.
The doctor conducted a full blood test and X-ray.
The young man was found to have poor eyesight.
The doctor yelled at the young man for not understanding the instructions.

Text 461

A man had to go to court, and he asked his lawyer which judge would be hearing his case. His lawyer told him and then

said, 'Do you know him?'

The man answered, 'No, but I wanted to know his name so that I could send him a dozen bottles of good wine.'

The lawyer was terribly shocked. 'You can't do that,' he said. 'You would be breaking the law very seriously, and you would be sure to lose the case.'

Some weeks later the case was heard, and the man won it. As he was leaving the court, he said to his lawyer, 'My present to the judge was quite successful, wasn't it?'

The lawyer was even more shocked than before, and said,

'What? Did you really send him that wine after what I told you?'

'Yes, certainly,' answered the man. 'But I put my opponent's name on the card which I sent with the wine.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1.Why was the young man called up?

2.Where did he go for examination?

3.Where was the doctor sitting when the young man entered?

4.What did the doctor tell the young man to do?

5.How long did the doctor look at the young man?

6.Why was the young man surprised at the end of the examination?

7.What did the doctor say about the young man’s hearing?

8.How did the doctor know the young man’s eyesight was good?

9.What did the doctor’s instructions show about the young man’s intelligence?

10.Do you think the doctor’s method of examination was serious or humorous? Why?

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

1.Young

2.Go

3.Sit

4.Off

5.Open

6.Good

7.Healthy

8.Deaf

9.Gently

10.Necessary

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

1.The young man volunteered for the army.

2.The examination took place in a hospital ward full of patients.

3.The doctor stood up and carefully checked the young man’s heart and lungs.

4.The doctor told the young man to keep his coat and shirt on.

5.The young man refused to follow the doctor’s instructions.

6The doctor examined the young man for over an hour.

7.The young man was calm and confident during the examination.

8.The doctor said the young man was deaf.

9.The doctor found that the young man was too weak for the army.

10.In the end, the doctor declared that the young man was unfit for service.

Text 462

A man was telling one of his friends the secret of his contented married life. 'My wife makes all the small decisions,' he explained, and I make all the big ones, so we never interfere in each other's business and never get annoyed with each other. We have no complaints and no arguments.'

'That sounds reasonable,' answered his friend sympathetically. 'And what sort of decisions does your wife make?'

'Well,' answered the man, 'she decides what jobs I apply for, what sort of house we live in, what furniture we have, where we go for our holidays, and things like that.'

His friend was surprised. 'Oh?' he said. 'And what do you

consider important decisions then?”

'Well,' answered the man, 'I decide who should be Prime Minister, whether we should increase our help to poor coun-tries, what we should do about the atom bomb, and things like that.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

What was the man explaining to his friend?
Why did the man say that he and his wife never argued?
According to the man, who made the small decisions?
What was the first example of a decision that the wife made?
Name two other decisions that the wife made.
Why was the man's friend surprised?
What question did the friend ask after hearing about the wife's decisions?
What was the first example of a "big decision" that the man mentioned?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?
What does this story suggest about the man's role in his marriage?

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

contented → ______________________
small → ______________________
annoyed → ______________________
reasonable → ______________________
surprised → ______________________
important → ______________________
increase → ______________________
poor → ______________________
together → ______________________
never → ______________________

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

______ The man said that he and his wife argued every day.
______ The wife decided what food they ate for breakfast every morning.
______ The husband chose the house where they lived.
______ The wife decided where they went on holiday.
______ The husband made all the decisions about furniture.
______ The friend thought the man's system sounded unreasonable.
______ The husband said he decided which school the children attended.
______ The husband said he made decisions about buying a new car.
______ The wife asked her husband to make every decision in the family.
______ The husband said he decided who should be Prime Minister.

Text 463

John was the only son of a wealthy American businessman. Usually he was taken to school by the chauffeur in his father's beautiful car, before the chauffeur took John's father to his office. One evening his father told him that he had to go to the airport early the next day, so he would need the car at the time that John had to go to school. He said that John's mother, who possessed another car, would still be in bed at

the time he had to leave the house.

'Well, how will I get to school if you need your car and Mummy is still in bed?' John asked. His father thought this was a good opportunity to teach him a lesson about how hard life was for the less fortunate people of the world, so he answered, 'You'll go in the same way as every other child in the world goes-in a taxi.'

Exercises:
A) Answer these questions:

Who was John?
How did John usually travel to school?
Why did John's father need the car early the next morning?
Why couldn't John's mother take John to school?
What question did John ask his father?
Why did John's father think this was a good opportunity to teach John something?
What lesson did John's father want John to learn?
What answer did John's father give about going to school?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?
What does the story suggest about John's family?

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

wealthy → ______________________
beautiful → ______________________
early → ______________________
leave → ______________________
same → ______________________
hard → ______________________
fortunate → ______________________
usually → ______________________
remember → ______________________
before → ______________________

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

______ John had two brothers.
______ John usually walked to school.
______ John's father had to travel to the airport early the next morning.
______ John's mother was going to drive John to school before going to work.
______ John's father wanted John to stay at home for the day.
______ John's father said that children around the world usually went to school by train.
______ John argued with his father about the decision.
______ John's father wanted to teach John that life could be difficult for other people.
______ The chauffeur refused to drive John's father to the airport.
______ John's father told John to go to school in a taxi.

Text 464

At the entrance to a big office in London there was a book which all employees had to sign when they arrived each morning. At nine o'clock, the manager's secretary, who lived in a small flat above the office, had to draw a red line under the last name in the book, and anyone who came after that had to explain why he was late.

Whenever there was a thick fog in the city, the first person to arrive late usually wrote 'Delayed by fog' under the red line in the book, and then everybody else who came after that just put 'ditto' underneath.

But one foggy morning, the first man to arrive late wrote 'My wife had a baby early this morning' instead of 'Delayed by fog' under the red line in the book. Twenty or thirty people who came after him put 'ditto' underneath this as usual.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Where was the attendance book kept?
Why did the employees have to sign the book every morning?
What did the manager's secretary do at nine o'clock?
What happened if an employee arrived after the red line was drawn?
What was the usual reason employees gave for being late on foggy mornings?
What does the word "ditto" mean in this story?
What unusual reason did the first late employee write one morning?
Why did the other employees write "ditto" underneath his message?
Why is the ending of the story funny?
What lesson can employees learn from this story?

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

entrance → ______________________
big → ______________________
early → ______________________
late → ______________________
above → ______________________
first → ______________________
thick → ______________________
arrive → ______________________
morning → ______________________
underneath → ______________________

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

______ The office was located in New York.
______ Employees signed the attendance book every evening.
______ The secretary drew a blue line at nine o'clock.
______ Employees who arrived after the red line had to explain why they were late.
______ On foggy mornings, employees usually wrote "Missed the bus."
______ The first late employee wrote that his car had broken down.
______ The word "ditto" means that the same statement is repeated.
______ Only two employees wrote "ditto" that morning.
______ The manager wrote the excuses in the attendance book.
______ The first late employee wrote that his wife had a baby early that morning.

Text 465

A policeman returned to his police station one evening and reported to the sergeant that he had found an old car with no number plates.

'Where was it?' asked the sergeant.

'In Ecclesiastes Street, beyond the bridge,' answered the policeman.

The sergeant opened the report book and began to write. When he reached the name of the street, he began to spell aloud: 'E-c-l'. He looked at this for a few seconds, then crossed it out and wrote 'E-c-k'. Then he became annoyed, decided that he was already too busy with other jobs, and said to the policeman, 'Write the report yourself.'

The policeman had a try too, but after a minute, he put his helmet on and began to go out slowly.

'Where are you going?' the sergeant asked.

'Back to Ecclesiastes Street,' answered the policeman. 'I'm going to push the car round the corner into Green Street.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

What did the policeman report to the sergeant?
What was unusual about the car?
Where did the policeman find the car?
What did the sergeant do after hearing the report?
Why did the sergeant stop writing the report?
What did the sergeant ask the policeman to do?
What problem did the policeman have when writing the report?
Where did the policeman decide to go?
Why did the policeman want to move the car?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

old → ______________________
beyond → ______________________
open → ______________________
busy → ______________________
slowly → ______________________
found → ______________________
return → ______________________
begin → ______________________
out → ______________________
corner → ______________________

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

______ The policeman found a new car with number plates.
______ The car was in Green Street when it was discovered.
______ The sergeant had no difficulty spelling the street name.
______ The sergeant finished writing the report without any problems.
______ The sergeant asked another officer to write the report.
______ The policeman found it easy to spell "Ecclesiastes Street."
______ The policeman decided to leave the car where it was.
______ The policeman planned to push the car into a different street.
______ The sergeant went with the policeman to move the car.
______ The policeman wanted to move the car to Green Street because that street name was easier to write.

Text 466

The leader of a band was finding it extremely difficult to prepare for an important performance, because the members of the band were never all present at any one of the rehears-als. Then the last rehearsal before the show came, and again some of the members were not there. At the end of the rehearsal, the leader said to all the members of the band who

were present, 'I have been making a note of those who have been absent from our various rehearsals. Here it is.' He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and looked at it. 'I see that the only man who has been hard-working and faithful enough to be present every time is the drummer.'

The drummer went very red, stood up and answered, 'Well, I thought it was the only right thing to do, as I won't be able to come to the show tomorrow.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Why was the band leader having difficulty preparing for the performance?
What problem did the band members have during rehearsals?
When was the final rehearsal held?
Who was present at the final rehearsal?
What did the band leader say he had been recording?
Who did the leader say was the most faithful member of the band?
How did the drummer react when he was praised?
Why did the drummer say he had attended every rehearsal?
Why is the ending of the story surprising?
What lesson can be learned from this story?

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

difficult → ______________________
important → ______________________
present → ______________________
last → ______________________
absent → ______________________
faithful → ______________________
hard-working → ______________________
right → ______________________
tomorrow → ______________________
come → ______________________

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

______ The band leader was preparing for a small meeting.
______ All the band members attended every rehearsal.
______ The final rehearsal happened before the important performance.
______ The leader kept a record of members who were absent.
______ The singer was the only person who attended every rehearsal.
______ The drummer felt embarrassed when the leader praised him.
______ The drummer planned to perform at the show the next day.
______ The drummer attended rehearsals because he wanted to help the band leader.
______ The band leader was happy that everyone was always present.
______ The drummer explained that he would not be able to come to the show.

Text 467

A man was tired of living in his old house in the country and wanted to sell it and buy a better one. He attempted to sell it for a long time, but was not successful, so at last he decided to solve the problem by using an estate agent.

The agent promptly advertised the house, and a few days later, the owner saw a very attractive photograph of it, with a wonderful description of its gardens, in an expensive magazine.

After the house owner had read the advertisement through, he hastened to telephone the estate agent and said to him, 'I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, but I've decided not to sell my house after all. After reading your advertisement in that magazine, I can see that it's just the kind of house I've wanted to live in all my life.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Why did the man want to sell his old house?
Where was the man's house located?
Why did the man decide to use an estate agent?
What did the estate agent do to help sell the house?
Where did the owner see the advertisement for his house?
How was the house described in the advertisement?
Why did the owner telephone the estate agent?
What decision did the owner make after reading the advertisement?
Why did the owner change his mind about selling the house?
What is the humorous idea behind the story?

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

old → ______________________
better → ______________________
sell → ______________________
long → ______________________
successful → ______________________
attractive → ______________________
expensive → ______________________
wonderful → ______________________
decided → ______________________
wanted → ______________________

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

______ The man was happy living in his old house.
______ The man tried to sell his house for a long time.
______ The estate agent refused to advertise the house.
______ The advertisement included a photograph of the house.
______ The owner disliked the description of his gardens.
______ The owner found the advertisement in a cheap newspaper.
______ The advertisement made the house look very attractive.
______ The owner decided to sell the house immediately after reading the advertisement.
______ The man realized that his own house was the kind of place he wanted.
______ The estate agent successfully changed the owner's opinion about the house.

Text 468

In 1861 a Civil War started in the United States between the Northern and the Southern States. The war continued with great bitterness until 1865, when the Northerners were victorious. However, even today, many Southerners have not forgotten their defeat, or forgiven the Northerners.

A few years ago, a party of American tourists were going round one of the battlefields of the Civil War with a guide who came from one of the Southern States. At each place, the guide told the tourists stirring stories about how a few Southern soldiers had conquered powerful forces of Northerners there.

At last, one of the tourists, a lady who came from the North, stopped the guide and said to him, 'But surely the Northern army must have won at least one victory in the Civil War?'

'Not as long as I'm the guide here, madam,' answered the

Southern guide.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

When did the Civil War in the United States begin?
How long did the Civil War continue?
Which side won the Civil War?
Why do some Southerners still remember the Civil War?
Where were the tourists visiting?
Who was the guide, and where did he come from?
What kind of stories did the guide tell the tourists?
Why did the Northern lady ask the guide a question?
What was the guide's answer to the lady's question?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

1. war → ______________________
2. east → ______________________
3. southern → ______________________
4. victory → ______________________
5. powerful → ______________________
6. forgotten → ______________________
7. defeat → ______________________
8. bitter → ______________________
9. stopped → ______________________
10. few → ___________________

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

______ The American Civil War began in 1861.
______ The war was fought between the Northern and Southern States.
______ The Southern States won the war in 1865.
______ Many Southerners still remembered their defeat.
______ The tourists were visiting a battlefield from the Civil War.
______ The guide came from a Northern State.
______ The guide told the tourists many stories about Southern successes.
______ The lady from the North wanted to know if the North had ever won a battle.
______ The guide happily described Northern victories.
______ The guide was unwilling to talk about a Northern victory while he was guiding the group.

Text 469

Jean was a very beautiful young girl, so she was quite used to some men showing their admiration for her, and to others being confused and shy when they saw her.

One summer, when Jean was travelling abroad, she went into a café in a small town, sat down and waited to be served.

The young waiter was talking to someone at the bar when she came in, and at first he did not pay any attention to her, because he had not looked at her properly. Then he turned round and saw how beautiful she was. His face went bright red, and he hurried over to take her order.

'I'd like coffee without cream, please,' Jean said.

The waiter hurried out, and came back a few minutes later without the coffee.

'I'm very sorry,' he said, 'but we haven't got any cream. Would you like your coffee without milk?'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Why was Jean used to receiving attention from men?
Where was Jean travelling during the summer?
Where did Jean go when she wanted a drink?
Why did the waiter not notice Jean at first?
What happened when the waiter finally saw Jean?
How did the waiter feel when he saw Jean?
What did Jean order?
Why did the waiter come back without the coffee?
What mistake did the waiter make at the end of the story?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

beautiful → ______________________
young → ______________________
used → ______________________
small → ______________________
abroad → ______________________
first → ______________________
properly → ______________________
bright → ______________________
hurried → ______________________
without → ______________________

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

______ Jean was an old woman who disliked attention.
______ Jean was travelling in another country during the summer.
______ Jean entered a café in a small town.
______ The waiter noticed Jean immediately when she arrived.
______ The waiter became shy after seeing Jean.
______ Jean ordered tea with sugar.
______ The waiter returned with the coffee after a few minutes.
______ The café had no cream available.
______ The waiter asked if Jean wanted coffee without milk.
______ The waiter understood exactly what Jean meant by her order

Text 470

Carol and Susan were great friends. They were in the same class at school, and they often visited each other's homes at weekends.

When they were both eight years old, Carol's mother had a baby. Carol was overjoyed to have a little sister and was always talking about her to Susan, who had no brothers or sisters.

At first Susan was very interested in the new baby, but after some time she began to get rather discontented with Carol's continual talking about it. She also felt a little jealous.

One morning when the two girls were in the school playground, Carol said to Susan cheerfully, 'Do you know, Sue, my baby sister gained nearly two hundred grams in weight this week.'

'That's not very much,' answered Susan. 'I know a baby that gains five kilograms a day.'

'Oh, that can't be true!' answered Carol scornfully. 'Whose baby is it?'

'An elephant's,' said Susan.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

How were Carol and Susan connected?
Where did Carol and Susan spend time together?
How old were the girls when Carol's mother had a baby?
How did Carol feel about having a little sister?
Why did Susan become less interested in the baby?
Why did Susan feel jealous?
What did Carol tell Susan about her baby sister?
How much weight did Carol say the baby gained?
Why did Susan say that another baby gained five kilograms a day?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

great → ______________________
same → ______________________
often → ______________________
new → ______________________
interested → ______________________
happy → ______________________
little → ______________________
true → ______________________
gained → ______________________
cheerful → ______________________

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

______ Carol and Susan were sisters.
______ The girls were in the same class at school.
______ Susan had several brothers and sisters.
______ Carol was happy when her little sister was born.
______ Susan became tired of hearing about the baby all the time.
______ Carol said her baby sister gained nearly two hundred grams in a week.
______ Susan said that a human baby gained five kilograms every day.
______ Carol believed Susan's story about the baby immediately.
______ The baby Susan mentioned belonged to an elephant.
______ Susan's answer was a joke to show that elephant babies grow differently.

Text 471

A priest who was walking through a small town saw a blackboard outside the front door of a school. It had been washed and put out to dry in the open air.

There was a piece of chalk at the foot of the blackboard, so the priest took it and wrote in large letters, 'I'm a priest and I pray for you all.'

A lawyer happened to pass next and when he saw what the priest had written, he added under it, 'I'm a lawyer and I defend you all.'

Then a doctor came by, took the piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard, 'I'm a doctor and I cure you all.'

Finally an ordinary citizen stopped, looked at what the others had written, thought for a few seconds and then added, 'I am an ordinary citizen and I pay for you all.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Where did the priest see the blackboard?
Why had the blackboard been placed outside?
What did the priest write on the blackboard?
Who came by after the priest?
What did the lawyer add to the blackboard?
What message did the doctor write?
Who was the last person to stop at the blackboard?
Why did the ordinary citizen think for a few seconds before writing?
What did the ordinary citizen write?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

small → ______________________
outside → ______________________
front → ______________________
black → ______________________
large → ______________________
defend → ______________________
ordinary → ______________________
cure → ______________________
next → ______________________
finally → ______________________

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

______ The priest found the blackboard inside a church.
______ The blackboard had been washed and left outside to dry.
______ The priest wrote that he prayed for everyone.
______ A teacher wrote the second message on the blackboard.
______ The lawyer wrote that he defended everyone.
______ The doctor wrote that he taught everyone.
______ The last person was an ordinary citizen.
______ The ordinary citizen immediately wrote his message without thinking.
______ The ordinary citizen wrote that he paid for everyone.
______ The story ends with a humorous comment about who pays for public services.

Text 472

George was a quiet, serious young man. He had been studying particularly hard one year, and when he passed his examinations, his friend Jim went to give him his congratulations and then had an earnest conversation with him.

'You've never been to a dance, George,' he said. 'It's boring always studying and never enjoying oneself. Come out with me this evening.'

'Perhaps you're right, Jim,' replied George after a moment's hesitation.

So they went to a dance and had an enjoyable time. But George drank more than he was used to, and by midnight Jim had become worried about him, so he said, 'Now we'll walk home in the cool air.'

On their way home, they came to a bridge, and George looked down at the river below attentively. The stars were reflected in its smooth surface.

'What are those lights down there?' George inquired.

'They're the stars, George,' Jim replied.

'The stars?' George said. 'Well, then, how did I get up here?'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

What kind of person was George?
Why had George been studying so hard?
Why did Jim visit George after the examinations?
What did Jim encourage George to do?
Why did George finally agree to go with Jim?
What happened to George at the dance?
Why did Jim decide to walk home instead of staying longer?
What did George see when he looked into the river?
What question did George ask after Jim explained what the lights were?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

quiet → ______________________
serious → ______________________
hard → ______________________
passed → ______________________
enjoyable → ______________________
worried → ______________________
cool → ______________________
below → ______________________
smooth → ______________________
attentively → ______________________

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

______ George was a noisy and careless student.
______ George had been studying hard for his examinations.
______ Jim invited George to a dance.
______ George refused to go out with Jim.
______ George drank more than he usually did.
______ Jim suggested walking home in the cool air.
______ George looked down into the river from a bridge.
______ George thought the lights in the water were boats.
______ Jim explained that the lights were reflections of the stars.
______ George wondered how he had got up above the stars.

Text 473

One year Miss Wyatt decided to have a holiday in Italy. She did not speak much Italian, but wherever she went, she was fortunate enough to find people who knew enough English to be able to understand what she wanted, until one day she decided to have lunch in a charming little restaurant in a village in the south of Italy.

She had seen some nice mushrooms in the market of another village near there and thought they would taste very good, so when the waiter came to take her order for lunch, she inquired whether she could have some mushrooms for her meal, but she had great difficulty in explaining to him, because she did not know the Italian word for mushrooms.

At last she took out a pencil and drew a picture of a mushroom. The waiter's face brightened at once, and he hastened out to the kitchen. A minute later he returned, carrying an umbrella.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Where did Miss Wyatt decide to spend her holiday?
Why did she usually have no problems communicating with people?
Where did she decide to have lunch one day?
What food did Miss Wyatt want to eat?
Why was it difficult for her to order the mushrooms?
How did Miss Wyatt try to explain what she wanted?
How did the waiter react after seeing her drawing?
What did the waiter bring back from the kitchen?
Why did the waiter misunderstand Miss Wyatt?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

fortunate → ______________________
little → ______________________
south → ______________________
charming → ______________________
near → ______________________
difficult → ______________________
brightened → ______________________
returned → ______________________
good → ______________________
last → ______________________

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

______ Miss Wyatt spent her holiday in France.
______ She spoke Italian fluently.
______ She usually found people who understood some English.
______ She wanted to order mushrooms for lunch.
______ She knew the Italian word for mushrooms.
______ Miss Wyatt drew a picture to explain what she wanted.
______ The waiter immediately understood that she wanted mushrooms to eat.
______ The waiter brought her an umbrella.
______ The waiter misunderstood the drawing because a mushroom looks similar to an umbrella.
______ The story ends with a funny misunderstanding.

Text 474

Tom saw an advertisement in a newspaper for a beautiful, modern bicycle which cost £54.99, so he went to the shop which had put the advertisement in and asked to see one of their wonderful bicycles.

The shopkeeper was very happy to show one to Tom, who

examined it carefully and then turned to the shopkeeper, saying, "There isn't a lamp on this bicycle, but there was one on the bicycle in your advertisement.'

'Yes, sir,' answered the shopkeeper, but the lamp isn't included in the price of the bicycle. It's an extra.'

'Not included in the price of the bicycle?" Tom said angrily. 'But that's not honest. If the lamp's in the advertisement, it should have been included in the price you gave there.'

'Well, sir,' answered the shopkeeper calmly, 'there's also a girl on the bicycle in our advertisement, but we don't supply one of them with the bicycle either.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Part 1. Comprehension Questions (Intermediate)

What did Tom see in the newspaper?
How much did the bicycle cost?
Why did Tom go to the bicycle shop?
What did Tom notice about the bicycle in the shop?
What did the shopkeeper say about the lamp?
Why did Tom think the advertisement was dishonest?
How did the shopkeeper explain that the lamp was not included?
What other item did the shopkeeper mention from the advertisement?
Why did the shopkeeper mention the girl in the advertisement?
What makes the ending of the story funny?

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

beautiful → ______________________
modern → ______________________
carefully → ______________________
included → ______________________
extra → ______________________
honest → ______________________
angrily → ______________________
calm → ______________________
buy → ______________________
wonderful → ______________________

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

______ Tom saw an advertisement for a new bicycle in a newspaper.
______ The bicycle cost £45.99.
______ Tom went to the shop to examine the bicycle.
______ The bicycle in the shop had a lamp on it.
______ The shopkeeper explained that the lamp cost extra.
______ Tom believed the lamp should have been included in the advertised price.
______ The advertisement showed only the bicycle.
______ The shopkeeper said the girl in the advertisement was also included with the bicycle.
______ The shopkeeper used the girl in the advertisement as an example to answer Tom's complaint.
______ The shopkeeper's final reply is meant to be humorous.

Text 475

In the United States, gifts by a company or a person to a charity which is approved by the government can be used to reduce the company's or the person's tax. (This is, of course, to encourage people to give money to charities.) One day the secretary of a world-famous charity had a telephone call from a tax officer, who said, 'A certain gentleman who says that his name is Howard Vine claims to have given your society $15,000 in gifts last year. I am telephoning to find out whether he did in fact do so.'

'Howard Vine, did you say?' answered the secretary of the charity cautiously. 'Wait a moment, please. I'll have a look in our records.'

After half a minute, the tax officer heard the secretary's voice again. 'Mr. Howard Vine hasn't given us $15,000 yet,' the secretary said delightedly, but he's going to now!'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Why can people and companies give money to approved charities in the United States?
What is the purpose of this tax rule?
Who telephoned the secretary of the charity?
What information did the tax officer want to check?
What name did the tax officer mention?
Why did the secretary look at the charity's records?
What did the secretary discover?
Why did the secretary sound delighted at the end of the conversation?
What will probably happen after the telephone call?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

approved → ______________________
reduce → ______________________
encourage → ______________________
give → ______________________
famous → ______________________
cautious → ______________________
delighted → ______________________
last → ______________________
certain → ______________________
answer → ______________________

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

______ The story takes place in the United States.
______ Donations to approved charities can help reduce taxes.
______ The tax officer called to ask about a donation made by Howard Vine.
______ The secretary immediately confirmed that the charity had received $15,000.
______ The secretary checked the charity's records before answering.
______ Howard Vine had already donated $15,000 to the charity.
______ The tax officer was calling to ask for a donation.
______ The secretary believed Howard Vine would now have to make the donation.
______ The charity asked the tax officer to send the money.
______ The humor comes from the secretary's clever response to the tax officer's question.

Text 476

David was a young man who worked in an office in a big city. His hobby was fishing, but he did not often get a chance to practise it.

Then one summer he decided to have a holiday in a beautiful place in the mountains where there were a lot of streams.

'I ought to be able to have some good fishing there,' he said

to himself.

The first morning after he arrived, he walked to the nearest stream with his fishing-rod. He saw an old man standing beside the water, so he asked him whether it was a private stream. The old man answered that it was not, so David then said to him, 'Well, then it won't be a crime if I catch some fish here, will it?'

'Oh, no,' answered the old man, 'it won't be a crime, but it

will certainly be a miracle.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Part 1. Comprehension Questions (Intermediate)

What was David's job?
What was David's hobby?
Why did David not often practise his hobby?
Where did David decide to spend his holiday?
Why did David think the place was good for fishing?
Who did David meet beside the stream?
What did David ask the old man about the stream?
What did David think might be a problem with fishing there?
What did the old man mean by saying catching fish would be a miracle?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

young →
big →
often →
beautiful →
nearest →
old →
private →
good →
crime →
catch →

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

David worked in a small village office.
Fishing was David's favourite hobby.
David often went fishing every weekend.
David chose a mountain area for his holiday.
There were many streams in the place he visited.
David brought his fishing-rod to the stream.
The old man told David that the stream was private.
David asked if fishing there would be a crime.
The old man said catching fish would be easy.
The old man's answer suggests that there were probably no fish in the stream.

Text 477

A young man had a new girl-friend, whom he wanted to impress, so he invited her to go to a world-famous restaurant with him one evening. They dined wonderfully and had numerous drinks; they danced until midnight, and there was a polished musical entertainment. The girl enjoyed the entire evening, and was suitably impressed by everything she saw, including several film stars.

Then the waiter brought the bill at the end of the evening, and when the young man saw how much he had to pay, he was so shocked by the total that he went as white as a sheet.

The helpful waiter, who was watching his face, thought he might be going to faint, so he quickly poured out a glass of ice-cold water and emptied it over the young man's head.Then he took the bill back and added to it: 'Iced water: 50 p'.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Why did the young man invite his new girlfriend to a famous restaurant?
What did they do during the evening?
How did the girl feel about the evening?
Who else did the girl see at the restaurant?
What happened when the waiter brought the bill?
Why did the young man become very pale?
What did the waiter think was happening to the young man?
What did the waiter do to help him?
What extra item did the waiter add to the bill?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

young →
new →
famous →
wonderful →
numerous →
enjoyed →
impressed →
shocked →
quickly →
added →

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

The young man wanted to impress his new girlfriend.
They went to a small restaurant near their home.
They enjoyed food, drinks, dancing, and music.
The girl disliked the restaurant and wanted to leave early.
They saw several film stars during the evening.
The young man was surprised when he saw the bill.
The waiter thought the young man might faint.
The waiter gave the young man a glass of water to drink.
The waiter added the cost of the iced water to the bill.
The young man was happy because the bill was cheaper than expected.

Text 478

Jack had gone to the university to study history, but at the end of his first year, his history professor failed him in his examinations, and he was told that he would have to leave the university. However, his father decided that he would go to see the professor to urge him to let Jack continue his studies the following year.

'He's a good boy,' said Jack's father, and if you let him pass this time, I'm sure he'll improve a lot next year and pass the examinations at the end of it really well.'

'No, no, that's quite impossible!' replied the professor immediately. 'Do you know, last month I asked him when Napoleon had died, and he didn't know!'

'Please, sir, give him another chance,' said Jack's father. 'You see, I'm afraid we don't take any newspapers in our house, so none of us even knew that Napoleon was ill.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Part 1. Comprehension Questions (Intermediate)

What subject was Jack studying at the university?
What happened to Jack at the end of his first year?
Why did Jack's father visit the professor?
What did Jack's father say about him?
Why did the professor refuse to let Jack continue his studies?
What question did the professor ask Jack about Napoleon?
Why did Jack not know the answer according to his father?
What did Jack's father misunderstand about Napoleon?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?
What does the story show about Jack's knowledge of history?

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

first → ______________________
failed → ______________________
leave → ______________________
good → ______________________
improve → ______________________
impossible → ______________________
old → ______________________
knew → ______________________
continue → ______________________
ill → ______________________

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

______ Jack studied history at university.
______ Jack passed all his examinations in his first year.
______ Jack's father wanted the professor to give him another chance.
______ The professor thought Jack was a very talented history student.
______ The professor asked Jack about Napoleon's death.
______ Jack knew exactly when Napoleon died.
______ Jack's father said that his family did not read newspapers.
______ Jack's father thought Napoleon's death was recent news.
______ The professor agreed immediately to let Jack stay.
______ The joke is based on Jack's father misunderstanding a historical event.

Text 479

Mr. Briggs got a job with an insurance company after he left school and went around visiting people in their homes to sell them life insurance.

One day, after he had been working for the company for about a year, the insurance manager sent for him and said, 'Mr. Briggs, I have been looking at your record as a salesman with our company, and there is one thing that surprises me about it. Why have you been selling insurance only to people over 95 years old, and why have you been giving them such generous conditions? You'll ruin our company if you go on

like that.'

'Oh, no sir,' answered Mr. Briggs at once. 'Before I started work, I looked at the figures for deaths in this country during the past ten years, and I can tell you that extremely few people die at the age of 95 or above each year.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Part 1. Comprehension Questions (Intermediate)

What job did Mr. Briggs get after leaving school?
What did Mr. Briggs do in his job?
How long had Mr. Briggs worked for the company before the manager spoke to him?
Why did the insurance manager call Mr. Briggs?
What surprised the manager about Mr. Briggs's sales record?
Why did the manager think Mr. Briggs would ruin the company?
Who did Mr. Briggs sell insurance to?
How did Mr. Briggs choose his customers?
Why did Mr. Briggs think his plan was a good idea?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

left →
after →
visiting →
old →
generous →
ruin →
few →
die →
above →
started →

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

______ Mr. Briggs worked for an insurance company.
______ His job was to sell life insurance to people.
______ The manager was pleased because Mr. Briggs sold insurance to young people.
______ Mr. Briggs had worked for the company for about a year.
______ The manager was worried about the conditions Mr. Briggs offered.
______ Mr. Briggs sold insurance only to people under 50 years old.
______ Mr. Briggs studied death statistics before starting his job.
______ Mr. Briggs believed very few people died at the age of 95 or older.
______ The manager thought Mr. Briggs's method was good for the company.
______ Mr. Briggs believed his unusual customers were a safe choice.

Text 480

For a long time Dr. Jackson had wanted to get a permanent job in a certain big modern hospital, and at last he was successful. He was appointed to the particular position which he wanted, and he and his wife moved to the house which they were now to live in. The next day some beautiful flowers were delivered to them, with a note which said, 'Deepest sympathy'.

Naturally, Dr. Jackson was annoyed to receive such an extraordinary note, and telephoned the shop which had sent the flowers to find out what the note meant.

When the owner of the shop heard what had happened, he apologized to Dr. Jackson for having made the mistake.

'But what really worries me much more,' he added, 'is that the flowers which ought to have gone to you were sent to a funeral, with a card which said, "Congratulations on your new position"."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

What job had Dr. Jackson wanted for a long time?
Was Dr. Jackson successful in getting the job?
Why did Dr. Jackson and his wife move to a new house?
What did Dr. Jackson receive the next day?
What message was written on the note with the flowers?
Why was Dr. Jackson annoyed?
What did Dr. Jackson do after receiving the flowers?
Why did the flower shop owner apologize?
Where were Dr. Jackson's flowers supposed to go?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

long → ______________________
permanent → ______________________
successful → ______________________
modern → ______________________
beautiful → ______________________
deepest → ______________________
annoyed → ______________________
mistake → ______________________
new → ______________________
congratulations → ______________________

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

______ Dr. Jackson wanted to work in a large modern hospital.
______ Dr. Jackson failed to get the job he wanted.
______ Dr. Jackson and his wife moved into a new house.
______ The flowers arrived with a message of congratulations.
______ Dr. Jackson was pleased by the note he received.
______ Dr. Jackson called the flower shop to ask about the message.
______ The flower shop owner admitted that a mistake had been made.
______ The flowers meant for Dr. Jackson were sent to a funeral.
______ The funeral received flowers with a message saying "Deepest sympathy."
______ The mistake involved two cards being sent to the wrong places.

Text 481

During the Second World War, Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister. One day he had to go to the British Broadcasting Corporation (the BBC) to make an important speech to the nation.

An hour before the time of this speech, he stopped a taxi in the street and asked the driver to take him to the BBC; but the taxi-driver, who did not recognize him, said he could not take him anywhere just then, because he wanted to go back to his home at the other end of London to hear Churchill make a speech on the radio.

Churchill was so pleased when he heard this answer that he gave the man a pound, which was worth quite a lot in those days.

' All right, get in,' said the driver happily, opening the door of the taxi. 'I'll take you, and to hell with Churchill and his speech!'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Who was Winston Churchill during the Second World War?
Why did Churchill go to the BBC?
When did Churchill stop the taxi?
Why did the taxi driver refuse to take Churchill at first?
Why did the taxi driver want to go home?
Did the taxi driver recognize Churchill?
How did Churchill react when he heard the driver's answer?
What did Churchill give the taxi driver?
Why did the driver change his mind and agree to take Churchill?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

important → ______________________
before → ______________________
stop → ______________________
recognized → ______________________
take → ______________________
pleased → ______________________
happy → ______________________
open → ______________________
first → ______________________
worth → ______________________

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

______ Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister during the Second World War.
______ Churchill went to the BBC to make a speech.
______ The taxi driver immediately recognized Churchill.
______ The taxi driver wanted to go home to listen to Churchill's speech.
______ Churchill became angry with the taxi driver.
______ Churchill gave the driver a pound.
______ The taxi driver changed his mind after receiving the money.
______ The driver said he would rather take Churchill than listen to the speech.
______ The taxi driver knew who Churchill was from the beginning.
______ The humor comes from the driver not knowing that his passenger was Churchill.

Text 482

A poor farmer who had always lived in the country and had never visited a big town won a lot of money, so he decided that he could now afford a holiday in an excellent hotel by the sea.

When lunch-time came on his first day there, he decided to go and eat in the restaurant of the hotel. The head waiter showed him to his table, took his order and went away. When he looked at the farmer again, he had a surprise! The farmer had tied his table napkin round his neck.

The head waiter was very annoyed at this and immediately told one of the other waiters in the restaurant to go to the man and inform him, without being in any way insulting, that people did not do such a thing in restaurants of that quality.

The waiter went to the farmer and said in a friendly voice,

'Good morning, sir. Would you like a shave, or a haircut?'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Where had the farmer always lived?
Why could the farmer afford to stay in an excellent hotel?
Where was the hotel located?
What did the farmer decide to do at lunchtime?
What did the head waiter do when the farmer entered the restaurant?
What unusual thing did the farmer do with his table napkin?
Why was the head waiter annoyed?
How did the head waiter want the waiter to speak to the farmer?
What did the waiter ask the farmer?
Why is the waiter's question humorous?

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

poor →
country →
big →
excellent →
first →
away →
annoyed →
friendly →
quality →
other →

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

______ The farmer had lived in a big city all his life.
______ The farmer won a large amount of money.
______ The farmer decided to spend his holiday in a hotel by the sea.
______ The farmer ate lunch in a restaurant at the hotel.
______ The farmer used his napkin correctly like all the other guests.
______ The head waiter was surprised when he saw the farmer.
______ The head waiter wanted to insult the farmer.
______ The waiter spoke to the farmer politely.
______ The waiter asked if the farmer wanted a shave or a haircut.
______ The joke is based on the waiter misunderstanding the farmer's napkin.

Text 483

A man and his wife had arranged to have a holiday at the seaside. They were waiting at the railway station for their train when the man saw a weighing-machine near the bench on which they were sitting. It was one of those weighing- machines that give cards on which one's fortune is printed as well as one's weight.

The man decided to weigh himself, so he went to the machine, got on it, put a penny in, and a card came out. The man took it back to his wife, and she read it out to him, because he had not got his glasses.

On the card was written, 'You are a leader of men and have a masterly character. You have great intelligence and are

attractive to women.'

After she had read this out, the man's wife turned the card over, looked at the back for a moment and then remarked,

'It's got your weight wrong too.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Where were the man and his wife going for their holiday?
Where were they waiting before their journey?
What did the man see near the bench?
What did the weighing-machine provide besides weight?
Why did the man decide to use the machine?
Why did his wife read the card for him?
What did the card say about the man's character?
What did the card say about the man's intelligence and attractiveness?
What did the wife notice when she looked at the back of the card?
Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

holiday → ______________________
near → ______________________
sitting → ______________________
decided → ______________________
back → ______________________
leader → ______________________
great → ______________________
intelligent → ______________________
attractive → ______________________
wrong → ______________________

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

______ The couple were waiting at a railway station.
______ They were travelling to the mountains for their holiday.
______ The man found a weighing-machine near the bench.
______ The machine only showed the person's weight.
______ The man used a penny to operate the machine.
______ The man could not read the card because he did not have his glasses.
______ The card said that the man was unintelligent and unpopular.
______ The wife read the card aloud to her husband.
______ The wife discovered that the machine had also given the wrong weight.
______ The humor comes from the machine's flattering message being unreliable.

Text 484

A man went to see his doctor one day because he was suffering from pains in his stomach. After the doctor had examined him carefully, he said to him, 'Well, there's nothing really wrong with you, I'm glad to say. Your only trouble is that you worry too much. Do you know, I had a man with the same trouble as you in here a few weeks ago, and I gave him the same advice as I'm going to give you. He was worried because he couldn't pay his tailor's bills. I told him not to worry his head about the bills any more. He followed my advice, and when he came to see me again two days ago, he told me that he now feels quite all right again.'

'Yes, I know all about that,' answered the patient sadly.

'You see, I'm that man's tailor.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Why did the man go to see his doctor?

2. What did the doctor say about the man's health?

3. What advice had the doctor given to a previous patient?

4. Who was the previous patient?

5. What were the results of the doctor's advice to him?

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. The man's stomach pains were imaginary.

2. The man's stomach pains were caused by too much worry.

3. The doctor told him about a man who had come to him with

different pains.

4. The doctor told him about another patient who had come to

him with stomach pains.

5. The earlier patient had made some clothes for the new one.

6. The new patient had made some clothes for the earlier one.

7. The earlier patient hadn't paid his tailor, because his doctor

had advised him not to.

8. The earlier patient hadn't paid his tailor because he was worried.

9. The earlier patient had paid his tailor, and then he had felt quite

all right again.

10. The tailor was worried because the earlier patient hadn't paid

him.

Text 485

Mary wanted to be a nurse when she left school, but in the meantime, she joined the Red Cross and had some limited training.

She was taught that, in case of an accident-and they were plentiful in her town-she should give first aid at once and then send for a doctor.

One day, there was an accident in a busy street, and when Mary arrived soon after, she saw a man bending over a woman who had been accidentally knocked down by a car and was lying motionless in the street.

Mary ran up, pushed the man away, informed the crowd that she was a Red Cross nurse and began to help the wounded woman.

After a few minutes, the man who had been bending over the woman when Mary arrived touched her on the shoulder and said, 'When you reach the part about sending for a doctor, don't worry. I'm here already.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

What did Mary want to become after she left school?

Why did Mary join the Red Cross?

What kind of training did Mary receive?

What was Mary taught to do when an accident happened?

Why were accidents common in Mary’s town?

What did Mary see when she arrived at the accident scene?

How did Mary react when she saw the injured woman?

Why did Mary push the man away?

What did Mary tell the crowd about herself?

Why did the man say, “Don’t worry. I’m here already”?

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

limited → ______________________
accident → ______________________
busy → ______________________
arrived → ______________________
push → ______________________
wounded → ______________________
motionless → ______________________
first → ______________________
help → ______________________
crowded → ______________________

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

Mary wanted to become a doctor when she left school.

Mary received some training from the Red Cross.

Mary learned how to give first aid during accidents.

Accidents rarely happened in Mary’s town.

A woman was knocked down by a car in a busy street.

Mary ignored the injured woman and walked away.

Mary told the crowd that she was a Red Cross nurse.

The man near the woman was trying to stop Mary from helping.

Mary thought the injured woman needed medical help.

The man who spoke to Mary was actually a doctor.

Text 486

A tourist was standing outside a very big church in Germany when a wedding party got out of some cars and went into the church. Everybody was very well dressed, and there were a lot of photographers, so the tourist thought,'The people getting married must be famous.' He turned to a man who was standing beside him and said, 'What is the name of the man who is getting married?'

The man answered, 'Ich spreche kein Englisch.'The tourist thanked him and went into the church. As he was coming out of another door, a coffin was carried out. There had been a funeral service in one of the side

chapels of the church.

The tourist turned to one of the people in the church and said, 'Whose funeral was that?"

The man answered, 'Ich spreche kein Englisch.'

'Well,' said the tourist, 'his marriage didn't last long.'

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Where was the tourist standing at the beginning of the story?

In which country did the story happen?

Why did the tourist think the wedding party was famous?

What did the tourist ask the man standing beside him?

What did the man answer to the tourist’s question?

Why did the tourist go into the church?

What did the tourist see when he came out of another door?

Where had the funeral service taken place?

What question did the tourist ask about the funeral?

Why did the tourist make a joke at the end of the story?

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

outside →
big →
famous →
married →
entered →
many →
standing →
long →
answer →
dressed →

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

The tourist was visiting a church in Germany.
The tourist saw a wedding party entering the church.
The people at the wedding were wearing old and dirty clothes.
The tourist thought the couple might be famous.
The man beside the tourist spoke English very well.
The tourist later saw a coffin being carried out of the church.
The funeral service happened in one of the church’s side chapels.
The tourist understood immediately that there was both a wedding and a funeral.
The man answered the tourist’s questions with the same German sentence.
The tourist joked that the marriage was very short.

Text 487

A priest had to take services in several churches every Sunday, and one of them was in the centre of a big city where there were lots of offices, but very few people lived, so hardly anyone ever went to this church on a Sunday. The priest used to go there in a taxi, and one Sunday he arrived as usual and told the taxi-driver to wait while he read the service. When he entered the church, he found that there was only one man there, so he inquired whether he would be willing to have a shortened service.

'No,' replied the man firmly and without any hesitation, 'I'd like to have the full service, without omitting anything.'

When the priest said the last prayer and left, he discovered that the man in the church had been his taxi-driver, whose meter had been adding up the pence throughout the service.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

Why did the priest have to visit several churches every Sunday?

Where was one of the churches located?

Why did very few people go to that church on Sundays?

How did the priest usually travel to the church?

What did the priest ask the taxi-driver to do when they arrived?

How many people were in the church when the priest entered?

Why did the priest ask the man about having a shortened service?

What did the man say about the service?

What was the taxi-driver doing during the service?

Why did the taxi-driver want the full service?

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

several →
big →
centre →
few →
arrived →
entered →
shortened →
full →
last →
willing →

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

The priest worked in only one church every Sunday.

One of the churches was in the centre of a large city.

Many people lived near the church.

The priest usually travelled to the church by taxi.

The priest asked the taxi-driver to wait for him.

There were many people attending the service that Sunday.

The man in the church wanted a complete service.

The man refused to listen to the final prayer.

The man was actually the priest’s taxi-driver.

The taxi meter was increasing during the service.

Book 15

Text 458

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 459

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 460

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 461

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 462

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 463

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 464

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 465

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 466

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 467

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 468

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 469

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 470

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 471

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 472

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

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

Text 473

Exercises: