«You (call) this work?»
«Painting the fence? Of course, it (be) work».
«Perhaps, it (be). But I (like) it».
Soon Joe (begin) to get very interested and (say),
«Tom, can I paint a little?»
Some time later, Tom (sit) under the tree (eat) an apple. Joe and other boys who (come) to laugh at Tom (wait) to paint the fence.
In the afternoon Aunt Polly (see) a beautiful white fence. She (be) very pleased. She (take) Tom into the house and (give) him an apple. Tom quickly (take) a second apple and (run) off.
Answer the questions:
1. Why was Tom unhappy when he came out of the house?
2. What did Joe see when he came to the fence?
3. Why did Tom often stop?
4. What did Joe ask Tom some time later?
5. What did Aunt Polly see in the afternoon? How did she feel? What did she do?
Vocabulary: serious – серьезный, fishing-line – удочка, sail – плыть, pick off – стряхивать.
Tenses to use: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple, Past Continuous
It (be) very quiet on the river that evening. We (see) only three men. They (sit) in a boat and they (fish). As we (get) nearer, we (see) that they (be) old. They (be) very serious, because they (watch) their fishing-lines very carefully. The sun (go) down and there (be) a red light on the water. It (be) very beautiful and we (feel) that we (sail) in some strange land.
We (not/sail) in some strange land. We (go) into the boat with the three old men in it. At first we (not/understand) it. But then, from the words that we (hear) we (understand) that we (be) near people. We also (understand) that those people (not/be) happy. They (try) to stand up and they (pick) fish off themselves. As they (work), they (shout) bad words about us.
Harris (shout) to them, «I (be) very unhappy to hear that men of your age (use) these bad words! You (must) be pleased that something interesting (happen) to you!»
But the three old men (not/agree) with Harris.
Answer the questions:
1. What was the river like that evening?
2. What were the three men doing on the river? Why were they very serious?
3. What did the friends feel when the sun was doing down?
4. Did the friends sail into «some strange land»? Where did they sail into?
5. What did Harris shout to the men? Why did he say that they must be pleased?
Vocabulary: wig – парик; painfully – болезненно; terror – ужас; attic – чердак; rag – тряпка; revenge – месть; claw – коготь; thophy – добыча, трофей.
Tenses to use: Past Simple, Past Continuous.
The schoolmaster’s name (be) Mr Dobbins. He (be) a tall, strong middle-aged man who (wear) a wig on his bald and shiny head. There (be) no pupil in the school who (not/be) afraid of him, because he (hit) the boys very painfully. They (spend) their days in terror and (want) a revenge. At last, they (have) a plan that could work.
Holidays (come) closer and closer. The school (prepare) to the most important event – Examination Day.
The great day (come). The schoolmaster (have) something that always (help) him in his work – a good portion of wine. He (turn) his back to the pupils and (begin) to draw a map of America on the blackboard. But the teacher’s hand (shake), so he couldn’t draw the lines rightly. He (hear) that the pupils (laugh) at him quietly, but he couldn’t stop. Mr Dobbins (not/see) what (happen), but all the children (look) at the small attic door above the teacher’s head. The door (open), and somebody’s hand (begin) to get down a rope with a cat tied to it. The cat (have) a rag round its mouth to stop it meowing.
The laughter (get) louder and louder, but Mr Dobbins (see) nothing. The cat (be) several centimetres above the teacher’s head – down, down – and it (put) its claws into the wig. Immediately, the hand (pull) the cat into the attic with the trophy.
The lesson (be) broken. The boys (be) revenged. Holidays (start).
Answer the questions:
1. Why were all the pupils in the school afraid of Mr Dobbins?
2. What was the school preparing to?
3. Why couldn’t Mr Dobbins draw the map properly? Why did the children begin to laugh? What happened when the cat got to the teacher’s head?
Vocabulary: stretch – растянуть (-ся); bundle of wood – вязанка хвороста, wrap – закутать, fall apart – развалиться, sharpen – точить, bubble – зд. бурлить, snore – храпеть, sigh – вздыхать, invisible – зд. невидимка
Tenses to use: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple, Past Continuous.
1
A long time ago, in Salerno there (live) a young woodman called Zerbino. He (have) neither family or friends nor money. He (not/have) anyone to talk to, and he (not/like) to talk, so people (call) him Zerbino the Loner.
