Book 10

Text 294

       Jim walked into a store which had a sign outside: "Second-hand

clothes bought and sold." He was carrying an old pair of pants and asked the owner of the store, "How much will you give me for these?" The man looked at them and then said rudely, "Two

dollars."

      "What!" said Jim. "I had guessed they were worth at least

five."

       "No," said the man, "they aren't worth a penny more than

two dollars."

       "Are you sure?" asked Jim.

       "Very sure," said the man.

       "Well," said Jim, taking two dollars out of his pocket, "here's

your money. These pants were hanging outside your store with a price tag that said $6.50, but I thought that was too much money, so I wanted to make sure how much they were really worth."

        Then he walked out of the store with the pair of pants and

disappeared before the surprised store owner could think of

anything to say.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. What kind of store did Jim walk into?
2. What sign was hanging outside the store?
3. What was Jim carrying with him?
4. How much did the shop owner offer for the pants?
5. What price did Jim think the pants were worth?
6. How did the shop owner respond to Jim’s guess?
7. What question did Jim ask to confirm the price?
8. How much money did Jim give to the shop owner in the end?
9. What was written on the price tag of the pants?
10. Why was the shop owner surprised at the end of the story?

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

1. new

2. appeared

3. little

4. not certain

5. politely

6. bought

7. give 

8. worthless

9. inside

10.  without 

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

1. Jim went into a store to buy new clothes. 
2. The sign outside said “New clothes only.” 
3. Jim was carrying an old shirt. 
4. Jim used the owner’s low estimate to buy the pants cheaply. 
5. The shop owner politely offered a high price. 
6. Jim agreed that the pants were worth two dollars. 
7. The pants originally had a price tag of $2. 
8. Jim sold the pants to the shop owner. 
9. The shop owner realized the trick immediately. 
10. Jim stayed in the store to argue longer. 

 

Text 295

       Mrs. Green was the manager of a large company, and she frequently had to have meetings with other business people in a

room in her building. She did not smoke at all, but many of the other people at the meetings did, so she often found the air during the meetings terrible. One day, after an hour, her throat and eyes were sore and she was coughing a lot, so she called a big air-conditioning company and asked them to work out how much it would cost to keep the air of the meeting room in her building really clean.

      After a few days the air-conditioning company sent in two

estimates for Mrs. Green to choose from. One estimate was for

$5,000 to put in new air-conditioning, and the other was for

$5.00 for a sign which said, NO SMOKING.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Who was Mrs. Green?
2. Where did she usually have meetings?
3. Did Mrs. Green smoke?
4. Why was the air in the meeting room often unpleasant?
5. How did Mrs. Green feel after one long meeting?
6. Which company did she contact for help?
7. What did she ask the company to do?
8. How many estimates did the company send her?
9. What was the cost of installing new air-conditioning?
10. What was written on the cheaper solution suggested by the company?

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

1. Clean 
2. Sore 
3. Big 
4. Hot
5. New
6. Long 
7. Loud 
8. Expensive 
9. Open 
10. Inside 

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

1. Mrs. Green worked in a small shop as a cashier. 
2. She loved smoking during meetings. 
3. The meetings were always held outside the building. 
4. She never had any problems with the air in the room. 
5. The air in the meeting room made her throat and eyes sore.
6. Mrs. Green contacted an air-conditioning company for help. 
7. The company refused to send any solutions to her. 
8. They only suggested painting the room walls. 
9. The expensive solution cost $50,000. 
10. The cheaper solution was a sign saying “NO SMOKING.” 

                        

Text 296

       A lot of boys and girls in Western countries are wearing the same kinds of clothes, and many of them have long hair, so it is often difficult to tell whether they are boys or girls.

      One day, an old gentleman went for a walk in a park in Washington, and when he was tired he sat down on a bench. A

young person was standing on the other side of the pond.

    "My goodness!" the old man said to the person who was sitting next to him on the bench. "Do you see that person with the loose pants and long hair? Is it a boy or a girl?"

    "A girl," said his neighbor. "She's my daughter."

    "Oh!" the old gentleman said quickly. "Please forgive me, I

didn't know that you were her mother."

    "I'm not," said the other person, "I'm her father."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Where did the old gentleman go for a walk?
2. Why did the old man sit down on the bench?
3. What was on the other side of the pond?
4. Why was the old man confused about the young person?
5. What did the young person have that made it difficult to tell if they were a boy or a girl?
6. What question did the old gentleman ask his neighbor?
7. Who was the young person standing by the pond?
8. Why did the old gentleman apologize to the neighbor?
9. What did the old man wrongly assume about the neighbor?
10. What surprising fact did the neighbor reveal at the end of the story?

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

1. Big 
2. Hot 
3. Happy 
4. Fast 
5. Light 
6. Rich 
7. Young 
8. Open 
9. Strong 
10. Early 

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

1. The old gentleman was walking in a park in New York.

2. The young person had short hair and wore a school uniform.

3. The old man immediately knew whether the person was a boy or a girl.

4. The neighbor on the bench said the young person was his son.

5. The old gentleman thought the neighbor was the girl’s mother. 

6. The story happened inside a restaurant near a lake.

7. The father became very angry and shouted at the old man.

8. The young girl was sitting beside her father on the bench.

9. The old gentleman left the park without speaking to anyone.

10. The father told the old man that the person was his sister.

Text 297

       A young boy was playing with a ball in the street. He kicked it too hard, and it broke the window of a house and fell inside. A lady came to the window with the ball and shouted at the young boy, so he ran away, but he still wanted his ball back. A few minutes later he returned and knocked at the door of the house, and when the lady answered it, he said, "My father's going to come and fix your window very soon."

       After a few more minutes a man came to the door with tools

in his hand, so the lady let the boy take his ball away.

      When the man finished fixing the window, he said to the lady,

"That will cost you exactly ten dollars."

     "But aren't you the father of that young boy?" the woman

asked, looking surprised. "No," he answered, equally surprised. "Aren't you his mother?"

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. What was the boy doing in the street at the beginning of the story?
2. What happened when the boy kicked the ball too hard?
3. Where did the ball go after breaking the window?
4. How did the lady react when she saw the broken window?
5. Why did the boy run away at first?
6. What did the boy say when he returned to the house?
7. Who came to the house with tools in his hand?
8. What did the man do when he arrived?
9. How much did the repair cost according to the man?
10. What misunderstanding happened between the lady and the man at the end?

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

1. Happy 
2. Hot 
3. Fast 
4. Big 
5. Light 
6. Young 
7. Open 
8. Strong
9. Near 
10. High 

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

1. The boy accidentally broke the lady’s television with his ball.
2. The woman invited the boy inside the house for tea.
3. The repairman already knew the woman before fixing the window.
4. The boy stayed in the street and waited for his father.
5. The lady refused to open the door when the man arrived.
6. The repairman charged the woman five dollars for the repair.
7. The story took place in a crowded shopping mall.
8. The boy apologized and paid for the broken window himself.
9. The man who repaired the window thought the woman was the boy’s mother. 
10. The woman called the police after the window was fixed.

Text 298

       Mr. and Mrs. Scott moved to a small town, and they made arrangements at the local bank to open an account in both their

names. But Mr. Scott was a businessman and always worked during the times that the bank was open, so his wife was the one who usually went there when they needed money.

       Then one day Mr. Scott had a vacation, so he went to the

bank, but the bank teller didn't know him, and wasn't willing to give him any money until she was sure that he was really Mr. Scott. She said politely, "I know Mrs. Scott, but I don't know you yet. Could you please show me something to prove that you are Mr. Scott?"

         Mr. Scott looked in his wallet and found some photographs of his wife. He showed them to the teller, and she was satisfied and gave him his money.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Where did Mr. and Mrs. Scott move?
2. What did they open at the local bank?
3. Why did Mrs. Scott usually go to the bank instead of her husband?
4. What was Mr. Scott’s job?
5. What did Mr. Scott do when he had a vacation?
6. Why didn’t the bank teller recognize Mr. Scott?
7. What did the bank teller ask Mr. Scott to prove?
8. What did Mr. Scott find in his wallet?
9. How did the bank teller react after seeing the photographs?
10. What did the teller give Mr. Scott at the end?

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

1. Tall 
2. Rich 
3. Fast 
4. Happy
5. Hot 
6. Light
7. Near 
8. Open 
9. Strong 
10. Early 

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

1. Mr. and Mrs. Scott moved to a large city near the sea.
2. Mr. Scott visited the bank every week to take money out.
3. The bank teller immediately recognized Mr. Scott when he arrived.
4. Mrs. Scott never went to the bank alone.
5. The teller asked Mr. Scott to bring his passport the next day.
6. Mr. Scott showed the teller photographs of his children.
7. The Scotts opened separate bank accounts.
8. The bank was usually closed during Mr. Scott’s working hours. 
9. The teller refused to give Mr. Scott any money forever.
10. Mr. Scott lost his wallet before entering the bank.

                                

Text 299

         Johnny was nine years old, and he was a very bad boy, but his mother always hoped that he would behave better. Then one day, after he had come home from school, Johnny's teacher

called his mother on the phone and said, "Did you know, Mrs. Perkins, that Johnny saved another boy when he fell into the river while we were out for a walk this morning?"

        Mrs. Perkins was very happy when she heard this. She  thought, "Johnny's becoming a good boy." Then she turned to him and said, "That was your teacher. Why didn't you tell me

you had been such a brave boy and saved one of your friends when he fell into the river this morning?"

       But Johnny did not look very happy when he heard this. His face became very red, and he said, "Well, I really had to pull him out, because I pushed him in."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. How old was Johnny in the story?

2. What kind of boy was Johnny usually?

3. Who called Mrs. Perkins on the phone?

4. What happened to the other boy during the walk?

5. Why was Mrs. Perkins happy after speaking with the teacher?

6. Why did Johnny’s face become red?

7. What did Johnny do after the boy fell into the river?

8. Why did Johnny say he had to pull the boy out of the river?

9. How did Johnny’s mother feel before she learned the full truth?

10. What lesson can readers learn from this story?

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

1. Good 

2. Happy 

3. Brave

4. Young 

5. Inside 

6. Early 

7. Big 

8. Strong 

9. Laugh

10. Push 

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

1. Johnny was twelve years old and studied at college.

2. Johnny’s teacher wrote a letter to his mother about the accident.

3. Mrs. Perkins was angry when she first heard the news.

4. The children were swimming in the river during the lesson.

5. Johnny looked proud when his mother praised him.

6. The boy fell into a lake near his house.

7. Johnny saved the boy because the teacher told him to do it.

8. Johnny admitted that he had pushed the other boy into the river. 

9. Mrs. Perkins punished Johnny immediately after hearing the truth.

10. The story happened while the children were playing football at school.

                              

Text 300

       A young boy did not live too far from school, so he used to walk

there and back everyday. On his way to school he passed a play-ground which used to get very wet when it rained. One day the

boy came home very wet. His mother became angry and said,

"Don't play in the water on your way home from school."

       The next day he came home very wet again, and his mother

became even angrier. "I'll tell your father if you come home wet

again," she said, "and then he'll punish you."

        The next day the young boy was dry when he came home from

school. "You were a good boy today," his mother said. "You didn't

play in the water." "No," he answered sadly, "there were so many

older boys in the water when I got there this afternoon that there

wasn't any room for me at all."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Why did the boy walk to school every day?

2. What place did the boy pass on his way to school?

3. What happened to the playground when it rained?

4. Why did the boy’s mother become angry the first day?

5. What warning did the mother give the boy?

6. Why was the boy dry on the third day?

7. How did the boy feel when he explained why he was dry?

8. Who was already playing in the water that afternoon?

9. What does this story tell us about the boy’s behavior?

10. Do you think the boy learned his lesson? Why or why not?

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

1. Big — __________

2. Hot — __________

3. Happy — __________

4. Fast — __________

5. Clean — __________

6. Open — __________

7. Strong — __________

8. Early — __________

9. Light — __________

10. Rich — __________

 

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

1. The boy traveled to school by bus every morning.

2. The playground became dusty and dry after the rain.

3. The boy’s father warned him not to play in the water.

4. The boy came home clean and dry on the first day.

5. The mother promised to buy the boy a new toy if he stayed dry.

6. The boy stayed dry on the third day because there was no rain.

7. The older boys stopped the young boy from entering the playground.

8. The boy usually passed a wet playground on his way home from school. 

9. The story took place during the summer holidays.

10. The boy was happy because he could not play in the water.

                               

Text 301

        Mr. Jones moved to another town, and soon he needed a new

doctor, so he went to see one. He sat down in the waiting room and looked around. The doctor's degrees were on the wall. Suddenly Mr. Jones remembered: there had been a student with the same name in his class at school, and he had become a doctor!

        He went in to see the doctor, remembering a young, handsome student, and was sad to see how old and heavy and grey this man looked. However, he said to him, "Good morning, Doctor. Did you go to Middletown High School?"

        The doctor answered, "Yes, I did."

       "Were you there from 1942 to 1946?" Mr. Jones asked.

       "Yes, I was," the doctor answered. "How did you know?"

       Mr. Jones laughed and said, "You were in my class!"

      "Oh?" the doctor said, looking at him carefully for a few

moments. "What were you teaching?"

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Why did Mr. Jones need to find a new doctor?

2. What did Mr. Jones see on the wall in the waiting room?

3. What memory came to Mr. Jones’s mind while he was waiting?

4. How did the doctor look compared to the young student Mr. Jones remembered?

5. Which school did Mr. Jones ask the doctor about?

6. During which years did the doctor study at the school?

7. Why did Mr. Jones laugh during the conversation?

8. What did Mr. Jones mean when he said, “You were in my class”?

9. Why did the doctor ask, “What were you teaching?”

10. What makes the ending of the story humorous?

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

1. Difficult — __________

2. Empty — __________

3. Brave — __________

4. Quiet — __________

5. Tall — __________

6. Smooth — __________

7. Cheap — __________

8. Weak — __________

9. Deep — __________

10. Polite — __________

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

1. 1. Mr. Jones stayed in the same town all his life.

   2. The doctor’s office was empty when Mr. Jones arrived.

   3. Mr. Jones saw photographs on the wall instead of degrees.

   4. The doctor had been Mr. Jones’s neighbor at school.

   5. Mr. Jones remembered the doctor as short and weak.

   6. The doctor said he studied at Riverside High School.

   7. The doctor studied there from 1950 to 1954.

   8. Mr. Jones told the doctor that they worked together in a hospital.

   9. The doctor immediately recognized Mr. Jones.

   10. The doctor thought Mr. Jones had been a teacher at the school.

                           

Text 302

      The college had a very good football team, and its best player was

a student who always had trouble in school. Then one year the dean of the college said that the player would have to leave because he had cheated on an exam. The football coach immediately went to the dean to try to persuade him to let the student stay in school. The dean showed him two answer papers. "This one is Susan's paper. She's the best student in the class," he said. "And this one's your football player's. They're exactly the same. The football player sat at the next desk, and just copied from her."

    "But maybe she copied from him," the coach said. "You can't

prove it was the other way."

    "Look at this," the dean said. "Susan didn't know the answer to this question, so she wrote, 'I don't know.' And your football player wrote, 'Neither do I.""

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Why was the football player important to the college team?

2. What problem did the student often have in school?

3. Why did the dean want the football player to leave the college?

4. Who went to speak with the dean about the student?

5. What did the dean show to the football coach?

6. Who was Susan in the story?

7. Where was the football player sitting during the exam?

8. What argument did the coach use to defend the player?

9. What did Susan write for the question she could not answer?

10. Why did the dean believe the football player had cheated?

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

1. Honest — __________

2. Narrow — __________

3. Ancient — __________

4. Generous — __________

5. Lazy — __________

6. Noisy — __________

7. Bitter — __________

8. Dangerous — __________

9. Success — __________

10. Arrival — __________

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

1. The college had a very weak football team.

2. The football player was the best student in the class.

3. The dean decided to reward the student for cheating.

4. The coach supported the dean’s decision immediately.

5. Susan was the worst student in the class.

6. The football player sat far away from Susan during the exam.

7. The dean showed three different answer papers.

8. The coach agreed that Susan copied from the football player.

9. Susan wrote “I don’t know” and the football player wrote the same answer.

10. The football player copied Susan’s answer during the exam.

                            

Text 303

       Mr. Young owned his own business and worked very hard. His wife was afraid that he would get sick if he continued like that,  so she often tried to get him to take a vacation. At last she

managed to persuade him to do this, but she was afraid that he might not be able to enjoy his vacation quietly, so before they left, Mrs. Young went to see her husband's secretary. She said

to her, "My husband needs a vacation very much, so whatever happens, please don't bother him with telegrams and letters about business problems while we're away. Just wait till we get

back."

       After Mr. and Mrs. Young had been away about a week, Mr. Young received a letter from his secretary which said, "Something terrible has happened to your business, but I'm not going

to bother you with it now while you're enjoying your vacation."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Why was Mrs. Young worried about her husband?

2. What kind of work did Mr. Young do?

3. What did Mrs. Young try to convince her husband to do?

4. Why did Mrs. Young go to see the secretary before their trip?

5. What instruction did she give to the secretary?

6. How long had Mr. and Mrs. Young been on vacation when he received the letter?

7. What did the secretary write in the letter?

8. Why did the secretary say she was not giving full details in the letter?

9. How did the secretary try to follow Mrs. Young’s instructions?

10. What is the humorous part of this story?

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

1. Begin — __________

2. End — __________

3. Inside — __________

4. Outside — __________

5. Young — __________

6. Old — __________

7. Easy — __________

8. Difficult — __________

9. Early — __________

10. Late — __________

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

1. Mr. Young worked very little and never cared about his business.

2. Mrs. Young was worried that her husband might become ill.

3. The couple decided to go on vacation together.

4. Mrs. Young told the secretary to send all business letters immediately.

5. The secretary was told not to contact Mr. Young during the vacation.

6. Mr. Young went on vacation alone without his wife.

7. The business was doing very well during their vacation.

8. The secretary forgot to write any letter to Mr. Young.

9. Mrs. Young asked the secretary to stop all communication about work.

10. Mr. Young received a cheerful holiday greeting from his secretary.

                           

Text 304

      A small town had a city dump where people could leave their own garbage. A lot of people used to load their garbage cans into the backs of their cars and take them to the dump to get rid of them, instead of waiting for them to be collected from their homes or offices.

      One evening the owner of a store in this town put his garbage

cans in his van and drove to the dump. He had just left his garbage there, when a young man arrived in a very old, beat-up car,

turned around, drove backwards down the hill where the gar-

bage was piled and unloaded his.

      While he was doing this, the engine of his car died. He tried to

start it again several times, but he wasn't successful, so he

finally said to the driver of the van, "Could you please give my

car a push?"

     "Which way?" the man answered.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. What was the purpose of the city dump in the town?

2. How did people usually dispose of their garbage?

3. How did the store owner transport his garbage to the dump?

4. What kind of car did the young man drive?

5. Why did the young man drive backwards down the hill?

6. What problem happened to the young man’s car at the dump?

7. What did the young man try to do after his engine stopped?

8. Who did the young man ask for help, and what did he say?

9. Why was the young man unable to leave the dump easily?

10. What makes the ending of the story humorous?

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

1. Full — __________

2. Empty — __________

3. High — __________

4. Low — __________

5. Heavy — __________

6. Light — __________

7. Near — __________

8. Far — __________

9. Wide — __________

10. Narrow — __________

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

1. The town had a city dump where people could leave their garbage.

2. People were not allowed to throw away their own garbage.

3. The store owner took his garbage to the dump in his van.

4. The young man arrived in a new and expensive car.

5. The young man drove forwards down the hill to unload his garbage.

6. The engine of the young man’s car stopped working.

7. The young man was able to start his car easily.

8. The young man asked the store owner for help pushing his car.

9. The store owner immediately helped the young man without asking questions.

10. The store owner asked “Which way?” when the young man requested help.

Text 305

       Mr. Harris had never married, and he lived in a small house by himself. He was always very careful about what he ate and drank, and he never went out when the weather was cold. He was always afraid that he was getting some terrible disease, so he often went to see his doctor, and the doctor was getting very tired of his patient's imagined illnesses, because he had more important work to do.

        Then one day Mr. Harris hurried into the doctor's office and told him he was sure he had a certain terrible disease which he had read about in the newspaper. He showed the doctor the article. The doctor read it carefully and then said, "But, Mr. Harris, people don't know when they have this disease! There are no symptoms, and they feel very good."

         "Oh, my goodness!" said Mr. Harris. "I thought so. That's just

how I feel!"

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Why did Mr. Harris live alone in a small house?

2. What was Mr. Harris always worried about?

3. Why did Mr. Harris often visit his doctor?

4. How did the doctor feel about Mr. Harris’s repeated visits?

5. Where did Mr. Harris read about the disease?

6. What did Mr. Harris believe after reading the newspaper article?

7. How did the doctor describe the disease to Mr. Harris?

8. Why did the doctor say people do not know when they have the disease?

9. What did Mr. Harris say after hearing the doctor’s explanation?

10. What makes the ending of the story humorous?

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

1. Healthy — __________

2. Sick — __________

3. Safe — __________

4. Dangerous — __________

5. Rich — __________

6. Poor — __________

7. Strong — __________

8. Weak — __________

9. True — __________

10. False — __________

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

1. Mr. Harris was never worried about his health and never visited a doctor.

2. Mr. Harris lived with a large family in a busy house.

3. The doctor was happy to see Mr. Harris every day for fun conversations.

4. Mr. Harris always ignored anything he read in newspapers.

5. Mr. Harris believed he had a disease after reading a newspaper article.

6. The doctor told Mr. Harris that the disease had clear symptoms like fever and cough.

7. Mr. Harris went to the doctor only once in his life.

8. The doctor confirmed immediately that Mr. Harris was seriously ill.

9. Mr. Harris felt very sick after leaving the doctor’s office.

10. Mr. Harris often worried that he had a terrible disease even when he was healthy.

 

                           

Text 306

      Fred had just become the captain of a small ship which carried things from one port to another along the coast. One day he had to take the ship up a river into a small port. He knew that the river had plenty of channels, and that some of them were very shallow and dangerous, so he decided to wait until he saw a local boat going up the river and then follow it. After half an hour he saw a boat start to go up the river, so he began to follow it. He followed it through various channels until both of the boats hit sand under the water and stopped.

      Then the captain of the local boat came to the side and shouted to the captain of the boat that had followed him, "We came here to get a load of sand. What did you come to get?"

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Why did Fred decide to wait before entering the river?

2. What kind of work did Fred’s ship do?

3. What danger did Fred know about in the river?

4. How did Fred choose the route he would follow?

5. What did Fred do when he saw a local boat?

6. What happened to both boats in the river channels?

7. Why did both ships stop moving?

8. How did the captain of the local boat explain their situation?

9. What question did the local captain ask Fred at the end?

10. What is the humorous lesson in this story?

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

1. Begin — __________

2. Finish — __________

3. Win — __________

4. Lose — __________

5. Friend — __________

6. Enemy — __________

7. Early — __________

8. Late — __________

9. Above — __________

10. Below — __________

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

1. Fred was the captain of a large passenger airplane.

2. Fred was newly appointed as a ship captain.

3. The river had only one deep and safe channel.

4. Fred decided to explore the river alone without any help.

5. Fred followed a local boat to guide his way.

6. The local boat and Fred’s ship sailed safely to the port without problems.

7. Both boats got stuck because of sand under the water.

8. The local boat was carrying passengers to a city celebration.

9. Fred refused to follow any other boats in the river.

10. The local captain joked with Fred after both boats got stuck.

      

                             

Text 307

      A small store sold a lot of nice jewelry, and the owner was always very careful to prevent people from stealing it.

      One day a thief came and tried to steal a beautiful necklace, but the owner of the store caught him immediately and went to the telephone to call the police to come and arrest him.

      "Please don't do that!" the thief said. "I have a wife and three

children at home. And I'll pay for the necklace."

      The owner of the store felt sorry for the man and he didn't

want to have a lot of trouble with the police, so he accepted the man's offer to pay for the necklace and went to prepare a bill for it.

       But when he gave it to the thief, the man looked disturbed and

said, "I wasn't intending to get anything as expensive as that. Do

you have something cheaper?"

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. What kind of items did the store sell?

2. How did the store owner try to prevent theft?

3. What did the thief try to steal?

4. What did the store owner do when he caught the thief?

5. What reason did the thief give for not calling the police?

6. How did the store owner react to the thief’s request?

7. What did the thief agree to do instead of going to jail?

8. What did the store owner prepare for the thief?

9. Why did the thief feel disturbed when he saw the bill?

10. What is the humorous part of the story?

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

1. Hard — __________

2. Soft — __________

3. Sharp — __________

4. Dull — __________

5. Thick — __________

6. Thin — __________

7. Wide — __________

8. Narrow — __________

9. Heavy — __________

10. Light — __________

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

1. The store sold only clothes and shoes.

2. The store owner was careless about security.

3. The thief successfully stole the necklace and escaped.

4. The owner called the police immediately after catching the thief.

5. The thief said he had no family at home.

6. The store owner refused to accept any payment from the thief.

7. The thief offered to pay for the necklace instead of being arrested.

8. The store owner gave the thief a free necklace as a gift.

9. The thief was happy when he saw the price of the necklace.

10. The thief asked for a cheaper item after seeing the bill.

                          

Text 308

       Mr. Smith left his car outside his apartment one night, as usual,

but when he came down the next morning to go to his office, he

discovered that the car wasn't there. He called the police and

told them what had happened, and they said that they would try

to find the car.

      When Mr. Smith came home from his office that evening, the

car was back again in its usual place in front of his house. He

examined it carefully to see whether it had been damaged, and

found two theater tickets on one of the seats and a letter which

said, "We're very sorry. We took your car because of an emer-

gency."

      Mr. and Mrs. Smith went to the theater with the two tickets

the next night and enjoyed themselves very much.

     When they got home, they found that thieves had taken almost everything they had had in their apartment.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Where did Mr. Smith usually leave his car at night?

2. What did Mr. Smith discover the next morning?

3. What did Mr. Smith do after finding his car missing?

4. How did the police respond to Mr. Smith’s report?

5. What did Mr. Smith find in his car when it was returned?

6. What was written in the letter left in the car?

7. What did Mr. and Mrs. Smith do with the theater tickets?

8. How did the Smiths feel after visiting the theater?

9. What did the Smiths find when they returned home?

10. What is the humorous or ironic part of the story?

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

1. Early — __________

2. Late — __________

3. Arrive — __________

4. Leave — __________

5. Happy — __________

6. Sad — __________

7. Win — __________

8. Lose — __________

9. Safe — __________

10. Dangerous — __________

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

1. Mr. Smith parked his car inside his apartment every night.

2. The car was stolen from outside Mr. Smith’s house.

3. The police refused to help Mr. Smith.

4. The car was never returned to Mr. Smith.

5. Mr. Smith found a warning note inside his car.

6. The thieves apologized in a letter and left theater tickets.

7. Mr. and Mrs. Smith sold the theater tickets.

8. The Smiths did not go to the theater at all.

9. The thieves returned and cleaned the apartment for the Smiths.

10. The Smiths went to the theater using the tickets found in the car.

Text 309

     Jimmy was seven years old. He got an allowance from his parents every week, but he wasted a lot of it on things which he saw in the stores and suddenly wanted to buy, although he didn't need them. One day his mother gave him a notebook and said, "Now, Jimmy, whenever you buy anything, I want you to write it down in this book, and write down the price, too. Then you can look at it again when your money's all gone, and you won't waste so much money next time."

     After a week, Jimmy said to his mother, "Do you know, Mommy, before I spend any money now, I really stop and think?"

     His mother was very pleased and thought, "Well, he's learned the value of money now." But she wasn't so happy when he added, "Yes, before I buy anything, I always ask myself, 'Am I going to be able to spell that in my notebook?""

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. How old was Jimmy in the story?

2. What did Jimmy receive from his parents every week?

3. What was Jimmy’s problem with spending money?

4. What did Jimmy’s mother give him to help him?

5. What did his mother ask him to write in the notebook?

6. What was the purpose of the notebook according to his mother?

7. What did Jimmy say he now does before spending money?

8. Why was Jimmy’s mother pleased at first?

9. What unexpected reason did Jimmy give for thinking before buying things?

10. What is the humorous part of the story?

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

1. Buy — __________

2. Sell — __________

3. Spend — __________

4. Save — __________

5. Rich — __________

6. Poor — __________

7. Full — __________

8. Empty — __________

9. Early — __________

10. Late — __________

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

1. Jimmy was ten years old and did not receive any allowance from his parents.

2. Jimmy often saved all his money and never bought anything.

3. Jimmy’s mother gave him a notebook to track his spending.

4. The notebook was used to draw pictures only.

5. Jimmy was asked to write what he bought and its price in the notebook.

6. Jimmy never bought anything from stores.

7. After a week, Jimmy said he never thinks before spending money.

8. Jimmy’s mother was unhappy because he stopped spending money completely.

9. Jimmy said he always checks if he can spell the item before buying it.

10. Jimmy forgot about the notebook immediately after receiving it.

            

Text 310

      Tom had retired and lived by himself a long way from town. He hardly ever left his home, but one day he went into town to buy some things in the market, and after he had bought them, he went into a restaurant and sat down at a table by himself. When he looked around, he saw several old people put eyeglasses on before reading their newspapers, so after lunch he decided to go to a store to buy himself some glasses too. He walked along the road, and soon found a store.

      The man in the store made him try on a lot of glasses, but Tom always said, "No, I can't read with these." 

     The man became more and more puzzled, until finally he said,"Excuse me, but can you read at all?"

    "No, of course I can't!" Tom said angrily. "If I was already able

to read, do you think I would have come here to buy glasses?"

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Where did Tom live after his retirement?

2. Why did Tom go into town one day?

3. Where did Tom go after buying things in the market?

4. What did Tom notice other people doing in the restaurant?

5. Why did Tom decide to visit an optical store?

6. What problem did Tom face when trying on glasses?

7. How did the shopkeeper feel about Tom’s responses?

8. What question did the shopkeeper finally ask Tom?

9. How did Tom react to the shopkeeper’s question?

10. What is the humorous part of the story?

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

1. Old — __________

2. Young — __________

3. Near — __________

4. Far — __________

5. Easy — __________

6. Difficult — __________

7. Rich — __________

8. Poor — __________

9. Clean — __________

10. Dirty — __________

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

1. Tom lived in a busy city apartment near the market.

2. Tom had never retired from his job.

3. Tom went to town to buy some things from the market.

4. Tom visited a hospital instead of a restaurant.

5. Tom noticed young children using eyeglasses to read newspapers.

6. Tom decided to buy eyeglasses after lunch.

7. The shopkeeper refused to let Tom try any glasses.

8. Tom easily read with every pair of glasses he tried.

9. The shopkeeper immediately understood Tom’s problem from the beginning.

10. Tom could not read at all, so he wanted glasses to help him read.

              

Text 311

      John had a new car, but it was in the garage for repairs, so he borrowed his wife's old car one evening. He found that it didn't have much gas in the tank, so he drove to a service station and filled it up. But then the car wouldn't start.

      He thought there was probably something loose in the battery, so he took a small wrench out of his pocket and hit the battery with it. The car started at once.

      Then John saw that one of the lights was not working either.

     "There's something loose there too," he thought. He hit it on the side with his wrench, and it lit up right away.

      The garage man was watching, and then he ran over to John and said, "If you ever want to sell your car, I don't want it, but I'd be very happy to make you an offer for that wrench."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Why did John borrow his wife’s car?

2. What problem did John find with the car at the service station?

3. What did John first think was wrong with the car battery?

4. What did John use to try to fix the battery?

5. What happened after John hit the battery with the wrench?

6. What other problem did John notice in the car?

7. How did John try to fix the car light?

8. Who was watching John while he was fixing the car?

9. What did the garage man say about John’s wrench?

10. What is the humorous part of the story?

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

1. Start — __________

2. Stop — __________

3. Open — __________

4. Close — __________

5. Full — __________

6. Empty — __________

7. Strong — __________

8. Weak — __________

9. Light — __________

10. Heavy — __________

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

1. John drove his own new car to the service station for repairs.

2. John borrowed his wife’s old car because his car was in the garage.

3. The car had a full tank of gas when John checked it.

4. The car started immediately without any problems at the station.

5. John used a screwdriver to fix the car battery.

6. John believed something was loose in the battery.

7. The car light stopped working after John repaired the battery.

8. The garage man was sleeping and did not see what John did.

9. The garage man wanted to buy John’s wrench because it was very expensive.

10. John hit the battery with a wrench and the car started working.

Text 312

       A math teacher had been teaching his class all about fractions for the past week, and now he wanted to find out how much they had been able to remember, so he asked one of the boys in the class, "If I cut a piece of meat into two pieces, what would I get?"

      "Halves," answered the student at once.

      "Good," said the teacher. "And if I cut each piece in half again?"

      "Fourths," answered the next student.

      "And if I cut it again, Robert?" the teacher went on.

      "Eighths," answered Robert.

      "Yes," said the teacher, nodding to the next boy. "And again?"

      "Sixteenths, sir," was the answer.

      "Good," said the teacher. "And once more, Lisa?"

      "Thirty-seconds," answered Lisa after thinking for a few seconds.

      "Yes, that's right. And again?" the teacher continued.

      "Hamburger meat," answered the last student, who thought that all of these questions were becoming a little silly.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Why did the teacher ask questions about cutting meat?
2. What subject had the class been studying for the past week?
3. How did the first student answer the teacher’s question?
4. What fraction did Robert give after the meat was cut again?
5. Why did Lisa think for a few seconds before answering?
6. What pattern were the students following in their answers?
7. Why did the last student think the questions were silly?
8. What was funny about the final answer in the story?
9. How did the teacher react when students answered correctly?
10. What does the story teach us about different ways of thinking?

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

1. Good 
2. Past 
3. Remember 
4. Right 
5. Last 
6. Teacher 
7. Big
8. Silly 
9. Again
10. Quickly

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

1. The teacher was teaching geography.
2. The class had studied fractions for one month.
3. The teacher cut a cake into pieces.
4. Robert answered “fourths.” 
5. Lisa answered immediately without thinking. 
6. The students were learning about animals. 
7. The last student answered “sixty-fourths.”
8. The teacher became angry with the class. 
9. The story happened in a restaurant. 
10. The final student answered “hamburger meat.” 

Text 313

      George worked in San Francisco. He wasn't married, and he usually had his lunch, and occasionally his dinner, in small restaurants.

      One evening he decided to go to an expensive restaurant, and when he got in, he saw a large, heavy man who he had not seen for several years sitting by himself at a table. He thought for a few moments and then remembered the man's name, so he went up to him and said politely, "Hello, Mr. Grey. How's business?"

      "Oh, it's not good at all," the large man answered. George looked at the expensive food and wine on Mr. Grey's table and was surprised. "It certainly doesn't look as if your business is bad," he said.

      "Well," Mr. Grey answered sadly, "I'm afraid you're wrong. A few years ago I was doing very well, and I could afford to bring my wife to this place for dinner too."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Where did George work?
2. What kind of restaurants did George usually visit?
3. Why did George decide to go to an expensive restaurant?
4. Who did George see sitting alone at a table?
5. How did George remember the man’s name?
6. What question did George ask Mr. Grey?
7. Why was George surprised by Mr. Grey’s answer?
8. What was on Mr. Grey’s table at the restaurant?
9. How had Mr. Grey’s life changed after a few years?
10. Why is the ending of the story interesting?

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

1. Expensive — __________
2. Large — __________
3. Heavy — __________
4. Good — __________
5. Married — __________
6. Occasionally — __________
7. Remembered — __________
8. Sadly — __________
9. Alone — __________
10. Polite — __________

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

1. George worked in Chicago.
2. George was married and had children.
3. George usually ate in expensive restaurants.
4. Mr. Grey was eating with his friends.
5. George immediately remembered Mr. Grey’s name.
6. Mr. Grey said his business was excellent.
7. There was no food on the table.
8. George was angry when he spoke to Mr. Grey.
9. Mr. Grey had never visited the restaurant before.
10. Mr. Grey talked about bringing his wife to the restaurant years ago.

Text 314

     Mr. and Mrs. Wilson and their children were going to begin their vacation one day, and they had to be at the airport at eleven- forty A.M. "It'll take us half an hour to get there in the taxi," Mr. Wilson said, "so we all have to be ready by eleven o'clock. Nobody should be late."

     At ten minutes to eleven they were still all running around doing things, except Mrs. Wilson, who was sitting quietly on a chair in the garden enjoying the sun.

     Her husband and children were very surprised that she wasn't in a hurry too, until the taxi arrived and Mrs. Wilson said to them, "Well, I knew that this was going to happen, so before I went to bed last night, I moved all our clocks and watches ahead twenty minutes. So now we can go to the airport quietly without worrying about being late."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Where was the Wilson family going?
2. What time did they need to be at the airport?
3. How long would the taxi ride take?
4. What did Mr. Wilson tell his family about being ready?
5. What were the children doing at ten minutes to eleven?
6. Why were the family members surprised by Mrs. Wilson?
7. Where was Mrs. Wilson sitting?
8. What did Mrs. Wilson do before going to bed?
9. Why did Mrs. Wilson change all the clocks and watches?
10. How did Mrs. Wilson’s plan help the family?

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

1. Begin — __________
2. Early — __________
3. Quietly — __________
4. Hurry — __________
5. Arrived — __________
6. Late — __________
7. Before — __________
8. Inside — __________
9. Last — __________
10. Together — __________

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

1. The Wilson family was going to school.
2. They needed to arrive at the airport in the evening.
3. The taxi ride would take two hours.
4. Mrs. Wilson was running around the house.
5. The children were sleeping at ten minutes to eleven.
6. Mr. Wilson moved the clocks ahead.
7. Mrs. Wilson moved the clocks back twenty minutes.
8. The taxi arrived very late.
9. The family missed their flight.
10. Mrs. Wilson changed the clocks before going to bed.

Text 315

      Miss Rogers taught physics in a New York school. Last month she was explaining to one of her classes about sound, and she I decided to test them to see how successful she had been in her explanation. She said to them, "Now, I have a brother in Los Angeles. If I was calling him on the phone, and at the same time you were 75 feet away, listening to me from the across the street, which of you would hear what I said earlier, my brother or you and for what reason?"

       The smartest student at once answered, "Your brother, Miss Rogers, because electricity travels faster than sound waves.

      "That's very good," Miss Rogers answered; but then one of the girls raised her hand, and Miss Rogers said, "Yes, Debbie?" "I disagree," Debbie said. "Your brother would hear you earlier because when it's eleven o'clock here, it's only eight o'clock in Los Angeles."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. What subject did Miss Rogers teach?
2. In which city did Miss Rogers work?
3. What topic was she explaining to her class?
4. Why did Miss Rogers ask the students a question?
5. Where did Miss Rogers’s brother live?
6. What situation did Miss Rogers describe to the class?
7. How far away were the students supposed to be listening from?
8. What answer did the smartest student give?
9. Why did Debbie disagree with the first student?
10. Why is Debbie’s answer funny?

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

1. Smartest — __________
2. Earlier — __________
3. Faster — __________
4. Across — __________
5. Good — __________
6. Raised — __________
7. Same — __________
8. Near — __________
9. Success — __________
10. Agree — __________

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

1. Miss Rogers taught history in Chicago.

2. The lesson was about light waves.

3. Miss Rogers’s brother lived in New York.

4. The students were standing 25 feet away.

5. The smartest student said sound travels faster than electricity.

6. Debbie agreed with the first student’s answer.

7. Miss Rogers became angry with the class.

8. The class took place in Los Angeles.

9. Debbie said both people would hear the sound at the same time.

10. Debbie mentioned the time difference between New York and Los Angeles.

Text 316

       Mr. Martin went into his usual coffee shop one morning, and sat on one of the seats at the counter. Many other people came in also, but most of them did not stay long.

      After fifteen minutes, a young man and a young woman came in. There were only two empty seats at the counter, one on Mr. Martin's left, and the other on his right. The woman sat on one, and the young man on the other, but Mr. Martin immediately offered to change places with the man so that he and the young woman could be together.

    "Oh, that isn't necessary," the young man said, but Mr. Martin insisted. When the young man and the woman were side by side, the young man said to her, "Well, this kind gentleman wanted us to sit together, so may I introduce myself? My name's Tom. What's yours?"

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Where did Mr. Martin go one morning?
2. Where did Mr. Martin sit in the coffee shop?
3. Did most customers stay in the shop for a long time?
4. Who came into the coffee shop after fifteen minutes?
5. How many empty seats were left at the counter?
6. Where did the young woman sit?
7. Why did Mr. Martin offer to change places with the young man?
8. How did the young man react at first to Mr. Martin’s offer?
9. What did the young man say after sitting beside the woman?
10. Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

1. Young — __________
2. Empty — __________
3. Together — __________
4. Left — __________
5. Long — __________
6. Necessary — __________
7. Kind — __________
8. Morning — __________
9. Usual — __________
10. Sit — __________

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

1. Mr. Martin went to a restaurant at night.
2. He sat near the window.
3. The coffee shop was completely empty.
4. Three young people entered the coffee shop.
5. The young man and woman arrived together.
6. Mr. Martin refused to change seats.
7. The young woman introduced herself first.
8. Tom already knew the young woman.
9. The young couple thanked Mr. Martin and left immediately.
10. The young man introduced himself as Tom.

Text 317

     Peter was a ventriloquist. He worked in theaters and night clubs, but he wasn't very good, and one month he was out of work and hungry. Then he found a dog on the street and took it into a restaurant with him. They sat down at a table, and the dog seemed to order food and talk about it, so the owner of the restaurant, the waiters, and the other guests were very surprised.

      The owner thought that a lot of people would come to his restaurant to listen to the dog speak if it was his, so he offered to buy it, and finally the ventriloquist agreed to sell the dog for a high price.

      When the owner of the restaurant had paid, the dog appeared to say to the ventriloquist, "Well, you sold me, didn't you?"

      "Yes, I did," answered the ventriloquist.

      "Then I refuse to speak ever again."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. What was Peter’s job?
2. Where did Peter usually work?
3. Why was Peter hungry?
4. Where did Peter find the dog?
5. What happened when Peter and the dog sat in the restaurant?
6. Why were the people in the restaurant surprised?
7. What did the restaurant owner want to do?
8. Why did the owner offer a high price for the dog?
9. What did the dog say after it was sold?
10. Why is the ending of the story funny?

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

1. Hungry — __________
2. Good — __________
3. High — __________
4. Buy — __________
5. Agree — __________
6. Speak — __________
7. Inside — __________
8. Sit — __________
9. Work — __________
10. Surprise — __________

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

1. Peter was a famous singer.
2. Peter worked in schools and hospitals.
3. Peter was rich and successful.
4. Peter bought the dog from a pet shop.
5. The dog stayed silent in the restaurant.
6. The restaurant owner wanted to sell the dog.
7. Peter sold the dog for a very low price.
8. The dog thanked Peter for selling him.
9. The dog promised to speak again later.
10. The people in the restaurant were surprised by the dog.

Text 318

     Eddie liked music very much when he was at school, but when he went to the university he decided to study medicine, instead of music. When he passed his examinations and became a doctor, he had to work in a hospital for some time. There he discovered that a lot of the patients were happier and caused less trouble if pleasant music was played to them. When Eddie got an office and began to work for himself, he decided to keep his patients happy by having a tape recorder in his waiting room

play beautiful music for them.

      But soon after the tape recorder had been put in, Eddie's nurse heard a woman, who was sitting in the crowded waiting room one morning, complain, "Here we're all waiting to see the doctor, and he's just playing the violin in his office instead of doing his work!"

 

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. What did Eddie like very much at school?
2. What did Eddie decide to study at the university?
3. Where did Eddie work after becoming a doctor?
4. What did Eddie discover about patients in the hospital?
5. Why did Eddie want to play music in his waiting room?
6. What device did Eddie put in the waiting room?
7. How was the waiting room one morning?
8. What complaint did the woman make?
9. Why did the woman think Eddie was playing the violin?
10. Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

1. Happy — __________
2. Pleasant — __________
3. Beautiful — __________
4. Crowded — __________
5. Trouble — __________
6. Begin — __________
7. Work — __________
8. Inside — __________
9. Like — __________
10. Early — __________

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

1. Eddie studied music at the university.
2. Eddie became a teacher after graduation.
3. Eddie worked in a factory for some time.
4. The patients became angry when music was played.
5. Eddie placed a television in the waiting room.
6. The waiting room was empty that morning.
7. The nurse complained about the music first.
8. The woman believed the doctor was sleeping in his office.
9. Eddie removed the tape recorder immediately.
10. Eddie used music to help keep patients relaxed.

Text 319

     Mr. Marsh was a Senator in the government. One day he was driving to a town to make an important speech when he stopped at a small restaurant to have some coffee. When he saw that the restaurant had some nice fresh rolls, he asked the waitress for one, and she brought it. Then he asked for some butter and jam, and she brought a very small serving of butter and a very small jar of jam.

    "I'd like some more jam, please." Mr. Marsh said.

    "I'm sorry," she answered, "but we only give one serving of butter and one jar of jam with each roll."

     Mr. Marsh began to get annoyed. "Do you know who I am, young lady?" he said. "I'm the state Senator."

     "And do you know who I am?" the waitress asked.

     Mr. Marsh was surprised and said, "No."

    "Well," she answered, "I'm the person who gives out the jars

of jam."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. What was Mr. Marsh’s job?
2. Why was Mr. Marsh traveling to another town?
3. Where did he stop on the way?
4. What did Mr. Marsh order with his coffee?
5. What did the waitress bring with the roll?
6. Why did Mr. Marsh ask for more jam?
7. What rule did the waitress explain to him?
8. How did Mr. Marsh react to the waitress’s answer?
9. What did Mr. Marsh say to show his importance?
10. Why is the waitress’s final answer funny?

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

1. Important — __________
2. Small — __________
3. Fresh — __________
4. More — __________
5. Young — __________
6. Sorry — __________
7. Annoyed — __________
8. Stop — __________
9. Give — __________
10. Nice — __________

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

1. Mr. Marsh was a doctor in the government.
2. He stopped at a hotel for dinner.
3. The restaurant did not have fresh rolls.
4. Mr. Marsh ordered tea instead of coffee.
5. The waitress brought a large jar of jam.
6. Mr. Marsh asked for more butter only.
7. The waitress gave unlimited jam to customers.
8. Mr. Marsh already knew the waitress personally.
9. The waitress became frightened of Mr. Marsh.
10. The waitress said she was the person who gave out the jam.

Text 320

       Mr. Lewis was a dance teacher. He was a nice man and always had a lot of students who used to come to his classes every week. One year he moved to a new town, and was soon teaching a lot of students in the dance school there, but then he decided to move again to a big city where he would have more work.

       When one of the ladies who regularly came to his classes heard that he was going to leave, she said to him, "The teacher who takes your place won't be as good as you are."

        Mr. Lewis was happy when he heard this, but he said, "Oh, no! I'm sure he'll be as good as I am-or even better."

       The lady said, "No. Five teachers have come and gone while I've been here, and each new one was worse than the last."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. What was Mr. Lewis’s job?
2. What kind of man was Mr. Lewis described as?
3. What happened when he moved to a new town?
4. Why did Mr. Lewis decide to move to a big city?
5. Who spoke to Mr. Lewis about his leaving?
6. What did the lady say about the next teacher?
7. How did Mr. Lewis feel when he heard her comment?
8. What did Mr. Lewis believe about the next teacher?
9. How many teachers had the lady seen before?
10. What was the lady’s opinion about the teachers over time?

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

1. Nice — __________
2. New — __________
3. Old — __________
4. Better — __________
5. Worse — __________
6. Big — __________
7. Leave — __________
8. Come — __________
9. Happy — __________
10. Always — __________

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

1. Mr. Lewis was a math teacher.
2. He was a very strict and unfriendly man.
3. He stopped teaching when he moved.
4. He moved to a small village to retire.
5. The lady never attended his classes.
6. The lady said the next teacher would be better than him.
7. Mr. Lewis felt sad after hearing the comment.
8. Only one teacher had replaced Mr. Lewis before.
9. The lady said all teachers were better than the last one.
10. Mr. Lewis planned to move to a big city for more work.

Text 321

      Six people were traveling in a compartment on a train. Five of them were quiet and well behaved, but the sixth was a rude young man who was causing a lot of trouble to the other passengers.

      At last this young man got out at a station with his two heavy bags. None of the other passengers helped him, but one of them waited until the rude young man was very far away, and then opened the window and shouted to him, "You left something behind in the compartment!" Then he closed the window again.

      The young man turned around and hurried back with his two bags. He was very tired when he arrived, but he shouted through the window, "What did I leave behind?"

       As the train began to move again, the passenger who had called him back opened the window and said, "A very bad impression!"

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. How many people were traveling in the train compartment?
2. What was the rude young man doing during the journey?
3. How did the other passengers behave?
4. What did the rude young man do at the station?
5. Did any passenger help him with his bags?
6. What did one passenger shout to the young man?
7. How did the young man react to the shout?
8. What did the young man ask when he came back?
9. What was the final answer given to him?
10. Why is the ending of the story humorous?

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

1. Rude — __________
2. Quiet — __________
3. Well-behaved — __________
4. Heavy — __________
5. Far — __________
6. Back — __________
7. Open — __________
8. Begin — __________
9. Leave — __________
10. Bad — __________

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

1. Five people were traveling in the compartment.
2. All passengers were rude and noisy.
3. The train was traveling by bus.
4. The rude young man was polite to everyone.
5. The passengers helped him carry his bags.
6. The young man left his wallet behind.
7. The passenger called him back immediately.
8. The young man did not return to the train.
9. The passengers apologized to him later.
10. The man was told he left a very bad impression.

Text 322

       Joe had a vacation, so he decided to go to the seashore for a few days. He got on a train one morning, and an hour later he was in a small town by the sea. A few minutes after he left the station, he saw a small hotel and went in. He asked the owner how much it would cost for one night there.

     "Fifteen dollars," the owner answered.

     "That's more than I can really afford to pay," Joe said sadly.

     "All right," the owner answered. "If you make your bed yourself, you can have the room for ten dollars."

      Joe was very happy because he always made his own bed at home. "Okay," he said, "I'll do that."

      The owner went into a room at the back, opened a closet, took some things out and came back to Joe.

      "Here you are," he said, and gave him a hammer and some

nails.

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. Why did Joe decide to travel to the seashore?
2. How did Joe travel to the small town?
3. What did Joe do after leaving the station?
4. How much did the hotel owner first ask for one night?
5. Why did Joe say the price was too high?
6. What offer did the hotel owner make to Joe?
7. Why was Joe happy with the new offer?
8. What did Joe agree to do to get a cheaper room?
9. Where did the hotel owner go after speaking with Joe?
10. What items did the hotel owner give Joe at the end?

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

1. Vacation — __________
2. Small — __________
3. Morning — __________
4. Happy — __________
5. Expensive — __________
6. Cheap — __________
7. Before — __________
8. Come — __________
9. Give — __________
10. Open — __________

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

1. Joe went to the mountains for his vacation.
2. He traveled to the seashore by bus.
3. The hotel cost five dollars per night.
4. Joe was very rich and didn’t care about prices.
5. The owner refused to lower the price.
6. Joe could not make his own bed.
7. The hotel owner gave Joe food and water.
8. Joe stayed in a luxury hotel suite.
9. The owner gave Joe a pillow and blanket.
10. The hotel owner gave Joe a hammer and nails.

Text 323

      A teacher was asking a student a lot of questions, but the student couldn't answer any of them. The teacher then decided to ask him some very easy questions so that he could get a few right.

      " What was Bunker Hill?" she said.

      The student thought for some time and then answered, "An airport?"

     "No, it was a battle," the teacher said. She was getting a little angry now, but she was trying not to show it. Then she asked, "Who was the first President of the United States?"

      The student thought for a long time, but didn't say anything. Then the teacher got very angry and shouted, "George Washington!" The student got up and began to walk towards his seat.

      "Come back!" the teacher said. "I didn't tell you to go."

      "Oh, I'm sorry," the student said. "I thought you called the next student."

Exercises:

A) Answer these questions:

1. What was the teacher doing at the beginning of the lesson?
2. Could the student answer the teacher’s questions?
3. Why did the teacher decide to ask easier questions?
4. What question did the teacher ask about Bunker Hill?
5. What incorrect answer did the student give about Bunker Hill?
6. How did the teacher feel after the student’s answer?
7. What question did the teacher ask about the first President of the United States?
8. What correct answer did the teacher shout?
9. Why did the student start walking back to his seat?
10. What misunderstanding happened at the end of the story?

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

1. Easy — __________
2. Hard — __________
3. Angry — __________
4. Right — __________
5. Wrong — __________
6. Come — __________
7. Go — __________
8. Answer — __________
9. First — __________
10. Last — __________

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

1. The student answered all the questions correctly.
2. The teacher was asking questions about mathematics.
3. The student knew a lot about history.
4. Bunker Hill was an airport.
5. The teacher was happy with every answer.
6. The student immediately knew George Washington was the first president.
7. The teacher never got angry during the lesson.
8. The student left the classroom without permission.
9. The teacher called another student to answer.
10. The student thought the teacher called the next student.