Vocabulary and Comprehension Exercises

Exercise 1. (Text 1) Give the correct order of the events.

1. He went to the airport.

2. While he was away, someone took his suitcase.

3. He finished his teaching for the summer term.

4. He left the suitcase near the check-in desk.

5. He packed Rupert, the skeleton, in a suitcase.

6. He went to buy a newspaper.

Exercise 2. (Text 1) Answer the questions.

1. Why was he free to go to Rumania? – Because he had ...

2. Where had he put Rupert?

3. Why did he go to the kiosk?

4. Where did he leave the suitcase?

5. What did he discover when he got back?

Exercise 3. (Text 1) Write a dialogue between the lecturer and an airport

policeman. The policeman wants to know where he left the

suitcase, why, what it looks like, and what was in it.

Lecturer: Officer, someone has ...

Policeman: I see. Where did you leave it?

Exercise 4. (Text 2) Answer each question in the Past Perfect Tense.

e.g. Did the «Titanic» cross the Atlantic in 1913?

– No, it had already sunk in 1913.

1. Did the «Titanic» have enough lifeboats for its passengers?

2. Did the people on the Carpathia see the «Titanic» when they picked up the survivors?

3. Why were the survivors so cold?

4. Why didn’t the Carpathia pick up more passengers when it arrived?

5. Why hadn’t the steamship company prepared for the tragedy?

6. Why were there so few lifeboats?

7. Why didn’t the passengers know where to go?

8. Why were some of the survivors so wet?

9. How did the officers know there was ice on the sea?

10. Was the Titanic traveling carefully?

11. Did the radio officer on the Californian hear the call for help?

Exercise 5. (Text 3) Answer the questions:

1. Was the snowstorm last week a large one?

2. What did it cause?

3. When did the snow start to come down?

4. How long had it been snowing when the author started to drive home?

5. Why had the cars been driving slowly?

6. What had police cars been checking regularly?

7. How long had the author been driving when the accident happened?

8. Why couldn’t the author see well?

9. How often had he been stopping to clean his window?

10. What happened when the author had just started the car again?

11. Why wasn’t the author hurt?

12. Who came to help the author?

Exercise 6. (Dialogue) Answer the questions:

1. What program are Harold and Peter watching on TV?

2. What horse is the favourite?

3. What horse wins the race?

4. What other horses participate in the race?

5. Peter has got a marvelous plan. What has he in mind?

6. What do the fishermen say about the old castle?

7. Does Harold like ghost stories?

8. Why is Father leaving?

9. Mother asks young people to be careful. Why?

Exercise 7. Dictation-translation.

A. В. C.

Как-то несколько лет назад с моим соседом произошел смешной случай. Он – преподаватель в одной из медицинских школ Лондона. Он находился в аэропорту на пути в Румынию. Около стойки регистрации он вспомнил, что забыл купить газету. Когда он вернулся, то обнаружил, что кто-то взял его чемодан. В 1912 году «Титаник» столкнулся с айсбергом во время своего первого плавания через Атлантический океан и затонул через четыре часа. В то время «Титаник» был самым большим кораблем, который когда-либо плавал по морю. «Карпатия» находилась на расстоянии 58 миль, когда «Титаник» запросил о помощи по радио. «Карпатия» подошла через два часа, после того как великий корабль затонул. Она спасла 705 человек. Почему погибло так много людей? Во-первых, никто не был готов к такой трагедии. Никто не верил, что «Титаник» может затонуть. До того, как корабль столкнулся с айсбергом, он получил по радио шесть предупреждений об айсбергах. Тем не менее, корабль не изменил ни скорости, ни направления. Когда айсберг появился в поле зрения, было уже невозможно быстро изменить направление. Снежная буря на прошлой неделе не была сильной, но она спровоцировала много аварий. Снег пошел ближе к вечеру. Он шел уже час, когда я поехал домой. Из-за скользких дорог машины двигались медленно. Мокрый снег замерзал, когда падал на дорогу, Полицейские машины постоянно следили за дорожным движением. Печка в машине не работала, снег замерзал на окнах, поэтому я не мог четко видеть. Машина начала скользить на обочину дороги. К счастью, я был пристегнут ремнем безопасности. Вскоре полиция пришла мне на помощь, и через час я смог добраться домой.

Grammar Exercises

Exercise 1. Put questions of different types to the following sentences.

1. He had lived there all his life.

2. Most of the shops had closed by 6 p.m.

3. By 1960 most of Britain’s old colonies had become independent.

4. He had been smoking for 30 years before he gave up smoking.

5. They had been waiting for 20 minutes before the bus came.

Exercise 2.	Use «after» to make one sentence for each situation.
e.g.	He finished his work. Then he went home. After he had finished his work, he went home.

1. I wrote to my boyfriend. Then I watched television for an hour or so.

2. I posted the letter. Then I felt much better about everything.

3. He bought presents for everyone in his family. Then he bought something for himself as well.

4. He had his supper. Then he went to bed.

5. She heard the news. Then she phoned her mother.

6. They left the house. Then it began to snow.

7. He spoke to the boss. Then he decided to leave.

8. I worked in England for five years. Then I went to Australia.

9. I ate the meat. Then the dog finished the bones.

10. It got dark. Then we made camp.

Exercise 3.	Add sentences to the ones given below using the Past Perfect and the expressions in parentheses.
	e.g. They didn’t introduce me to Edna. (to meet her) They didn’t introduce me to Edna. I had met her before.

1. We didn’t go to the Crimea last summer. (to be there)

2. I went to her concert last night. (to hear her and to like her singing).

3. Ralph was not surprised. (to hear something about it).

4. Miss Black gave the students an easy dictation. (to dictate only difficult words)

5. Frank invited Susan to the theatre. (not to ask her for a date)

6. Gerald came home at three. (never to finish his work so early)

7. I was surprised Mabel agreed with me. (always to disagree)

8. Isabel didn’t want to wait for us. (never to be so impatient)

9. I found the problem in algebra easy. (to do similar problems)

10. Harold didn’t go to the movies with us. (to see the film)

Exercise 4.	Add your own sentences to the ones given below.
e.g.	We went to the movies on Saturday. We went to the movies on Saturday. We hadn’t gone to the movies for a long time.

1. We visited the Carters last week.

2. They had a party on Sunday.

3. Madge had a rest after lunch.

4. Caroline bought flowers that evening.

5. The student wrote a test yesterday.

6. He ate ice-cream for dessert.

7. Mrs. Smith played the piano for us.

8. They played tennis in the afternoon.

9. Tom and Barbara quarreled yesterday.

10. Miss Black gave her students a difficult home assignment.

11. Mr. Connely worked in the garden in the afternoon.

12. Edward drank black coffee in the afternoon.

13. The Browns went to the picture gallery on Saturday.

Exercise 5. Read the story and answer the questions.

On Tuesday afternoon, everyone in my family was very busy – except me. During the afternoon Helen repaired her car; John practised his karate; Kate did some gardening; Stephanie played tennis; Roger swam for half an hour; Pam went horse-riding; Philip painted the ceiling in his room light blue. I spent the afternoon sitting reading.

1. Who had black grease on her hands at tea time? Why? –

Helen, because she had been repairing her car.

2. Who had dirt on her hands and knees? Why?

3. Who was wearing a short white skirt? Why?

4. Who was wearing a white jacket and trousers and a black belt? Why?

5. Who was wearing high boots and a hard hat? Why?

6. Whose hair had light blue streaks in it? Why?

7. Whose hair was all wet? Why?

Exercise 7.	Change the following sentences into the past tense. Use the Past Simple, the Past Continuous or the Past Perfect, whichever is appropriate.
e.g.	Harry has opened his textbook and is writing an exercise. Harry had opened his textbook and was writing an exercise.

1. Roger has done the exercise and is reading the text now.

2. Constance has made tea and is pouring it out.

3. Fred is my best friend. I have known him since our schooldays.

4. Miss Baker is a teacher. She has been a teacher for many years.

5. Douglas speaks German well. He has known German since his childhood.

6. Gwen has bought a new coat. Now she needs a new hat too.

7. Henry has received a bachelor’s degree. He plans to go for a master’s degree.

Exercise 8.

Join these sentences using the words in brackets. Change verbs into the Past Perfect Simple or the Past Perfect Continuous where necessary.

1. The sun set. They were ready to leave. (before)

2. The river was deeper than usual. It rained for weeks on end. (because)

3. They finished breakfast. They went for a swim. (as soon as)

4. We drank our beer. We went back to work. (when)

5. We lived there for only six months. We decided we didn’t like it. (after)

6. It happened ten years before. She could not forget it. (although)

7. I didn’t see Jane for many years. She called to see me last week. (when)

8. She walked for two hours. She saw the house. (when)

Exercise 9. Use the Past Simple, the Past Perfect or the Past Perfect Continuous.

1. He (be) tired because he (work) in the garden all day.

2. First she (open) the parcel, and then she (read) the letter.

3. After she (open) the parcel, she (read) the letter.

4. They (sit) there for more than an hour when the taxi finally (arrive).

5. They (leave) the room as soon as he (finish) speaking.

6. He quickly (forget) all he (learn) at school.

7. When we (come) to Harpole, the Smiths (already live) there for ten years.

8. He (tell) me that he (fish) in the river every weekend for the last two years but that he (never catch) anything.

9. When the doctor (go) the patient (feel) quite defenseless.

10. He (be) a man who (deal) with secret information for many years.

11. After she (put) her baby to bed, she (walk) down into the town.

12. I (know) that they (not see) him since Friday.

13. He (have) no idea in which room he (hear) the noise.

14. He (not know) his wife (think) of a divorce for several months now.

15. When he (go) to London he (already study) English.

Exercise 10.

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct present or past tense.

1. It (rain) for two weeks now.

2. I (not think) I (see) him since the war.

3. – (you go) home)? – No, I (not go) home. I (only go out) to lunch.

4. (James carry) a briefcase when you (see) him yesterday?

5. She usually (drink) nothing stronger than beer.

6. He said he (try) to telephone Sarah for two days now.

7. John (eat) a lot, but he (eat) more since last year.

Exercise 11.

Fill in who, whom, which.

1. That’s the photo ….. he had seen.

2. That’s the artist ….. spoke to me.

3. That’s the woman ….. I met yesterday.

4. That’s the program ….. we saw last night.

5. That’s the girl ….. smiled at me.

6. That’s the fellow ….. I talked about.

7. That’s the astronaut ….. walked on the moon.

8. That’s the language ….. I have learned.

9. ….. steals once is for ever a thief.

10. Here is the money ….. I earned.

11. That’s the door ….. he painted.

12. Here is the bridge ….. was built in the Middle Ages.

Exercise 12. Translate from Russian into English.

1. Я не слушал эту пьесу по радио, потому что слышал ее раньше.

2. Она чувствовала себя усталой, потому что много работала накануне.

3. Они уехали на каникулы после того, как сдали экзамены.

4. Он понял книгу только тогда, когда прочитал ее еще раз.

5. Они ушли домой только после того, как закончили работу.

6. Мистер Браун уехал в Румынию после того, как закончил читать лекции.

7. Он не пришел на концерт, потому что мы его не пригласили.

8. К тому времени, как мы собирались уходить из дома, дождь прекратился.

9. Он стал сильнее после того, как много плавал летом.

10. Он сказал, что не видел своего друга два дня.

SOME MORE PRACTICE

	Task 1.	In a murder investigation, some suspects were asked by police what they had been doing at eight o’clock the previous evening. They all told lies. Write sentences to explain what they told the police they had been doing, and what they had actually been doing.
	NAME	TOLD POLICE HE/SHE HAD BEEN DOING	TRUTH
	Mrs. Oliver Mr. Lucas Mrs. Allen Mr. Nash Alice Pete Aunt Jane Miss Fry Rob	reading watching TV talking on the phone washing clothes playing cards studying chemistry writing letters washing her hair painting his flat	watching neighbours through binoculars stealing cars making a bomb forging £5 notes selling drugs fighting planning a bank robbery out dancing with her sister’s boyfriend playing roulette
e.g.		Mrs. Oliver said she had been reading, but actually she had been watching the neighbours through binoculars.

Task 2. Analyze the tense forms in the following text.

A man and his son had been to a party. They were driving back together. They had had a very good time. It was raining and the road was wet. A cat was crossing the road. The man swerved to avoid the cat. The car crashed into a tree. The man was killed. His son was seriously injured. Someone called for an ambulance. It rushed the son to hospital. He was immediately taken to the operating theatre. The surgeon saw the boy and shouted: “My son! My son! My son!”

Can you explain? (See the answer at the end of the book)

Task 3. Comment on the use of the tenses.

“Alien economy”

(A mini-saga)

The flying saucer landed in Alf's orchard. Alf's mower (газонокосилка) had stopped again. The alien pointed to the apples. Alf pointed to the mower. The alien mended (починил) the mower. Alf gave him some apples. The alien left. Alf's lawn mower gave no more trouble and never used another drop of petrol.

Task 4. What does the Past Perfect tense express?

“ Table talk”

A Joke

He was five years old and had never spoken a word. His parents were sure he was dumb, but one night when he was eating an apple he looked up at his mother and spoke clearly: ''Hey, this apple has got maggots in it.'' The mother was happy and asked her son why he had never spoken before.

''Well,'' said the little fellow, ''the food's been OK up to now.''

Task 5. Look at the picture and say, why the alien is complaining to the farmer. Are there any problems that are common to them both?

Task 6. Could you write a story based on the pictures?

UNIT 12

Grammar: Texts: Dialogue:

The Future Simple Tense Subordinate Clauses of Time and Condition The construction “to be going to” Modal Verbs “may, might” 1. «The Car of the Future» «A Good Job» «Tea» 1. «I Love You»

Text One

«The Car of the Future»