A Lesson to Learn
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. "
Text B
What's Going on Here?
PoLIcEMAN:
What's going
on here?
MAN:
You mean, what's
happening? Well, constable, I'm trying to get out of the window
and Fred here
is helping me.
PoLIcEMAN:
Why are you climbing
through the window and not leaving by the front door?
MAN:
Well , you see
I can't find the key and I'm in a hurry. Come on, Fied, We're
wasting time.
POLICEMAN:
Just a minute
you two. I don't think you're telling me the truth. This isn't
your
house, is it?
MAN:
No, it's my brother's.
I'm staying with him for a while.
PoLIcEMAN:
Is he at home?
MAN:
I'm afraid not.
He's in jail for house-breaking at the moment.
Question
on Text B
7. Read the following passage once.
Underline the key words while reading and retell the story to your partner.
Todd heard all the hammering behind the Marsey's house.
He went to see what was going on. Jeff Marsey was making something from
long pieces of wood.
"What is it?" Todd asked.
"A pair of stilts," Jeff said.
Todd knew that stilts could make you several feet taller.
Jeff was putting blocks of wood on the stilts. These were for his feet
to rest on. Once you got used to them, you could walk anywhere on stilts.
"I'm also making a pair of long pants," Jeff
said. "They'll come all the way down and cover the stilts. I'll look
like a giant. "
As the summer went on, Todd forgot all about the stilts.
One night Todd was watching television. His cousin
came running in the front door. He'd never seen her so excited.
"You'd better call the police , " she said.
"Why?" asked Todd.
"I was walking home," she said. "I looked
up and saw a -a giant. He was following me. He wore big baggy pants. He
was very stiff and straight. Each step was a huge step. I'm going to call
the police. "
"Wait," said Todd. "It wasn't a giant.
You'll be surprised when I tell you who it was!"