Uncle Podger (keep) everybody in the house busy when he (do) a job. One day he (come) home with a picture.
«I just (buy) it,» he (say), «where we (put) it? I (do) it myself.»
Then he (take) off his coat and (begin). One of the girls (send) out to buy some nails, and then one of the boys (send) to tell her the size of the nails.
«Now, Bill,» he (shout), «you (go) and (get) my hammer, and Jim (bring) me a ladder, and the light (hold) by Maria.»
Then he (lift) the picture up and he (drop) it. He (try) to catch the glass and he (cut) his finger. So, for a long time he (run) around the house and he (shout) at everybody.
Half an hour later, the finger (tie) up, a new glass (bring), and everything (be) ready. Uncle Podger (try) again. The chair (hold) by two people, a nail (give) by the third, the hammer (pass) by the fourth. He (take) the nail and he (drop) it. Everybody (get) down to look for it. At last, the nail (find), but then the hammer (lose). We (find) the hammer for him, but he (lose) the mark for the picture on the wall. So, it (look) for by each of us, and each of us (find) it on a different place.
Uncle Podger (try) again. This time he (fall) off the chair on the piano. His head and his body (hit) the piano at the same time. The music (be) beautiful, but Uncles words (not/be). Aunt Maria (say) that she (not/want) the children to listen to those terrible words.
«The next time you (put) a picture on the wall, please, tell me,» she (say), «then I (go) and (spend) a week with my mother.»
At midnight the picture (be) on the wall. It (not/be) put very straight, and the wall around it (not/look) well. But Uncle Podger (be) proud. «You see, it (be) gust a little job,» he (say).
Answer the questions:
1. What was the first thing Uncle Podger did when he started to put the picture on the wall?
2. What happened when everything was ready? Why was there a half an hour delay?
3. How were the children arranged before the second attempt? What was the problem this time? What made Aunt Maria angry?
5. How did Uncle Podger feel when the picture was finally on the wall?
34. «Three Men in a Boat» by Jerome K. Jerome
Vocabulary: spin крутиться
Tenses to use: Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Past Simple Passive, Past Perfect Passive, Past Perfect Continuous, Future-in-the-Past Simple.
1
In the evening we (meet) to pack the things for the journey. After we (move) the table to the window, we (put) everything in the middle of the room. I (say) that I (pack). I also (say) that I (be) very good at packing. They (agree). George (light) a pipe and (sit) down in the armchair. Harris (put) his feet on the table and (light) a cigarette.
It (not/be) what I (expect). I (think) I (tell) them what to do, and then I (sit) and (watch). But I (say) nothing, and (start) the packing. It (seem) a longer job than I (think), but in the end it (finish).
After the suitcase (close), Harris (ask), «You (pack) the boots?»
I (look) around and (see) the boots. It (make) me angry. Why Harris (not/say) earlier?
I (open) the suitcase and (put) the boots in it. When I (be) about to close it, I (remember) about my toothbrush. I (not/be) sure if I (pack) it. Of course, I (have) to look for it, and of course, I (find) Georges and Harriss eighteen times, but I (not/find) mine. In the end, I (find) it inside the boot.
When I (finish), George (tell) me) that the soap (not/pack) yet. I (answer) that I (not/care) and (close) the suitcase.
It (be) late in the evening, and the food (not/be) packed yet. Harris (say) that he and George (do) the rest of the packing. I (agree) and (sit) down.
2
They (begin) happily as they (want) to show me how to do it. I (make) no comment. I only (wait). I (know) that it soon (be) very exciting. I (be) right.
They (start) with breaking a cup. Then Harris (pack) the jam on the top of a tomato. After that, they (have) to pick out the tomato with a teaspoon. Then it (be) Georges turn, and he (step) on the butter. I (not/say) anything, but (sit) on the edge of the table and (watch) them. It (make) them worried and excited. They (step) on things, they (pack) pies at the bottom, and (put) heavy things on top. They (upset) salt over everything.
Then they (begin) to pack the butter. As Harris already (step) on it, he (have) to get it off his shoe. After that, they (decide) to put it into the teapot. When the butter (put) inside it, they (have) another idea, (get) it out of the teapot and (put) it down on the chair. Harris (sit) on it, and it (stick) to him. Then they (run) round the room looking for it, (meet) in the center and (look) at each other.
«So mysterious. Where it (be)?» (say) Harris.
In the end, George (get) behind Harris, and he (see) it.
«There it (be)!» he (cry). «It (be) there all the time!»
«Where?» (cry) Harris, spinning around.
«Stand still!» (roar) George, flying after him.
And they (get) the butter off Harris and (pack) it into the pot again.
The packing (finish) at 12 oclock, and we (go) to bed. «Wake us at 6.30, George,» (say) Harris. George (make) no answer, and we (find) out that he (be) asleep for some time already.
Answer the questions:
1. Why was the narrator disappointed when the packing started?
2. What made him angry when he had locked the suitcase?
3. What was the problem with the toothbrush?
4. What proved that George and Harris were not very good at packing?
5. How did they manage to lose the butter? How was it found?
35. «Three Men in a Boat» by Jerome K. Jerome
Vocabulary: maze-лабиринт, give up hope терять надежду.
Tenses to use: Past Simple, Future Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous, Future-in-the-Past Simple, Future Perfect, Past Continuous Passive, Future-in-the-Past Simple Passive.
When we (come) to Hampton Court Palace, Harris (ask) me if I ever (be) to the maze there. He (say) he (be) to there once to show a friend the way. He (study) the map of the maze carefully before he (go) there, so he (be) sure that the way out (find) very quickly. Harris (say) to his friend, «We (go) in and (walk) around for some time. By lunch time we (come) out of the maze.»
Soon after they (go) in, they (meet) some people. Those people (say) that they (be) there for an hour and they (have) enough of it. Harris (tell) them they (bring) out very quickly. More and more people (join) Harris. They (give) up all hopes of seeing their families and friends again.
They (walk) around for some time when they (see) a piece of cake on the ground. Harriss friend (say) that they already (pass) it earlier. Harris (get) angry and (start) again. He now (follow) by about twenty people. Ten minutes later they (find) themselves in the center of the maze.
After that, every time they (try) again, they (arrive) back in the center. In the end, they all (start) to shout, and a keeper (come). He (climb) the ladder, and (call) to them, «Wait there! I (get) you out soon!»
But he (be) a young keeper who (work) in the maze for a very short time, so he (get) lost, too. They (have) to wait for one of the old keepers to let them out
Harris (say) it (be) fine) to get George into the maze on the way back.
Answer the questions:
1. What did Harris tell the people in the maze who couldnt find the way out?