«God bless this woman! I (not/want) a paper in the garden. I (want) it on the train.»
Here somebody (exclaim), «What (be) this?» and (give) him the newspaper. Uncle (open) the bag to put it in, and looking at it, (get) speechless.
«The day before yesterdays!» he (whisper), too angry to shout, throwing the paper on the table, «I (be) late for the train!»
At last, we (find) his newspaper for him usually he (sit) on it. Then he (smile). It was a smile of a man who (know) that he (have) to be surrounded by a band of the hopeless idiots.
«All the time, right in front of your noses -!» He (not/finish) the sentence, proud of his self-control.
Answer the questions:
1. Why did the narrator remember Uncle Podger when he was going to be late for the train?
2. Why was Uncle Podger usually late for his morning train?
3. What made him angry?
4. Where was usually the newspaper?
18. «Three Men on a Bummel» by Jerome K. Jerome
Vocabulary: balloonist воздухоплаватель, bark зд. рявкнуть, hydrogen gas водород.
Tenses to use: Present Simple, Past Simple, Past Continuous, Future Simple.
In my early journalistic days, I (work) in a popular newspaper which (give) advice to people about everything how to marry, how to keep rabbits, how to eat soup.
Once somebody, naming himself «balloonist», (write) to ask us how to produce hydrogen gas. It (be) an easy thing to produce I (see) that after reading up the subject at the British Museum Library. But I (warn) the «Balloonist» to be very careful.
Ten days later, when we (sit) at our tables (work), a red-faced lady (come) to our office, leading by the hand what, she (explain), (be) her son, aged twelve. The boy (have) a strange expression on his face, and when he (come) nearer, I (understand), why. He (have) no eyebrows and no hair.
«This (be) a nice boy last week, with naturally curly hair,» (say) the lady with her voice going up as she (speak).
«What (happen) to him?» (ask) our chief.
«This (be) what (happen) to him,» (bark) the lady. With these words she (take) a copy of our newspaper with my article about hydrogen gas and (give) it to the chief. He (take) it and (look) it through.
«He (be) «Balloonist?» (ask) the chief.
«He (be) «Balloonist,» (answer) the lady, «the poor child, look at him!»
«I (think), the hair (grow),» (say) the chief.
«May be, it (grow),» (agree) the lady, «but I (want) to know what you (do) for him.»
«I really (not/think) it (be) our fault,» (say) the chief, «he (ask) for the information and he (get) it.»
«Dont try to be funny about it,» (say) the lady, «or I (go) to court and you all (have) heads like this!» She (mean) like the boys.
Our chief (settle) the matter with a five-pound note, which (be) a months profit of the paper. The lady (leave), taking her damaged son with her.
Answer the questions:
1. What sort of newspaper did the narrator work in?
2. What question did he have to answer one day?
3. Who came to their office a week later? What did the narrator understand?
4. How did the chief settle the matter?
19. «The Gift of the Magi «by OHenry
Vocabulary: counter прилавок, sign зд. вывеска, comb гребень.
Tenses to use: Present Simple, Past Simple, Past Continuous, Future Simple
One dollar and eighty seven cents. That (be) all. The next day (be) Christmas. Delia (sit) in her room and (cry) because she (not/have) money to buy a present for Jim. At last she (stop) crying, (go) to the window and (look) out. She (have) an idea. She (put) on her coat and (leave) the house.
Delia (walk) along the street when she (see) a sign «Madam Eloise HAIR». She (come) in. A fat woman (sit) at the counter.
«You (buy) my hair?» (ask) Delia.
«I (buy) hair», (say) Madam Eloise. «20 dollars», she (say) when she (touch) beautiful brown hair that (fall) like a coat around Delia.
The next two hours Delia (shop) for Jims present. At 7 oclock the dinner (be) ready and Delia (wait). «Oh, I (hope) he (think) I (be) still beautiful», she (think).
The door (open) and Jim (come) in. She could not understand the look on his face.
«Jim, dont look at me like this!» she (cry). «My hair (grow) very quickly! Look, what a wonderful present I (have) for you!» And Delia (give) Jim a lovely gold chain for his watch. Jim (not/say) a word. He (take) something from his pocket. There (be) the combs the combs for her beautiful hair. But she (not/have) her long hair!
«Delia», Jim (say),» lets keep our presents for a time. I (sell) my watch to buy you the combs. And now lets have dinner».
Answer the questions:
1. Why was Delia sitting in her room crying?
2. What idea did she have suddenly?
3. How did Delia spend two hours after she left Madam Eloise?
4. Why did Jim look at Delia with a strange expression on his face?
5. Why could not Jim and Delia use their presents?
20. «Three Men in a Boat» by Jerome K. Jerome
Vocabulary: tent палатка, quiet little corner зд. тихий уголок
Tenses to use: Past Simple, Future Simple, Future Continuous.
We (decide) to start on Saturday. Harris (say), «I (go) to Kingston in the morning. George (meet) us at Chertsey». The next question (be) where to sleep at night. George and I (not/want) to sleep in hotels.
«How beautiful», we (say). «We (sleep) by the river, with the birds, the flowers, trees around us» I (think) about it
At the end of the day the world (be) peaceful and quiet. Our boat (move) into a little corner of the river. There we (put) up our tent, (cook) and (eat) our simple supper. Then we (sit) and (talk) quietly. Sometimes we (stop) for a moment or two and (listen) to the water. The silver moon (shine) down on us. The sound of the water (send) us to sleep and we (dream)
Then I (imagine) a rainy day
We (be) very wet. There (be) a lot of water in the boat. We (get) out of the boat and (try) (put) up a tent. It (be) difficult to put up the tent in a good weather, but in wet weather it (be) impossible. When at last the tent (be) up, we (carry) the things out of the boat. Supper (be) mostly rainwater rainwater bread, rainwater soup
So, we (decide) to sleep out in tent on fine nights and in hotel in bad weather.
Answer the questions:
1. When did the friends decide to start their journey?
2. What was the next question to discuss?
3. How does the narrator imagine the end of the day on the river in good weather? In bad weather?
4. What did the friends finally decide?
21. «A Scandal in Bohemia» by Arthur Conan Doyle
Vocabulary: expensive дорогой, witness свидетель, blood кровь
Tenses to use: Present Simple, Past Simple, Present Continuous, Past Continuous, Future Simple
1
For Sherlock Holmes, there (be) only one woman in the world. He (not/love) her, but after their meeting he (not/forget) her.
One evening in March I (visit) my friend at his home in Baker Street. We (sit) and (talk) when there (be) a knock at the door. A tall, strong man (come) into the room. He (wear) expensive clothes and a mask over his face.