The lady vanishes

I n 1889 an Englishwoman and her daughter, on a visit to the Great Exhibition in Paris, checked into one of the most expensive hotels of the city. Each of them had her own room. The daughter _______ (1) always to see the sights of Paris. That’s why after she ______ (2) her suitcases she went for a walk. But her mother who was very tired after the trip, wanted to sleep and went to bed.

The daughter returned to her mother’s room six hours later, but she found it empty. There was no sign that her mother _______ (3) ever there. The whole room _______ (4)! When she asked the managed he insisted that no one at the hotel _______ (5) her or her mother check in. The mother _______ (6)! The desperate girl _______ (7) for weeks before she finally returned to England. She died several years later in a mental hospital. She _______ (8) “losing” her mother.

So what was the explanation? After the daughter _______ (9) sightseeing, her mother complained to the hotel doctor that she felt ill. It was obvious that she _______ (10) the plague (чума). The local officials instructed the hotel staff not to say a word to anyone about this, in case visitors left the city and the Great Exhibition ended in disaster. The hotel staff quickly redecorated the mother’s room and a new visitor moved in. No one knows what happened to the mother.

76. Open the brackets using the verbs in the Past Indefinite or Past Perfect tense.

A confession

A priest who (work 1) in the parish for 25 years was giving a retirement dinner. People of the parish (ask 2) a leading local politician to make the presentation and to give a little speech at the dinner. He (be 3) late so the priest (decide 4) to say his own few words while they (wait 5).

‘I (get 6) my first impression of the parish from the first confession I (hear 7) here. I (think 8) I (come 9) to a terrible place. The very first person who (enter 10) my confessional (tell 11) me he (steal 12) a television set and, when the police (stop 13) him, he almost (murder 14) the officer. He (say 15) he (steal 16) money from his parents, (embezzle 17) from his place of business, (have 18) an affair with his boss’s wife, (take 19) illegal drugs. I was appalled. But as the days (go 20) on I (know 21) that my people (be 22) not like that and I indeed (come 23) to a fine parish full of good and loving people.’

Just as the priest (finish 24) his talk the politician (arrive 25) full of apologies at being late. He immediately (begin 26) to make the presentation and give his speech.

‘I’ll never forget the first day our parish priest (arrive 27),’ (say 28) the politician. ‘In fact, I (have 29) the honor of being the first one who (go 30) to him in confession.’

77. Fill in each of the gaps with one suitable word.

The star talers

Once _______ (1) a time there lived a little girl. Her father and mother _______ (2) died, and she was very poor. _______ (3) she had sold everything she could, she no longer had a room to live in, or bed to _______ (4) in. And at last she had nothing else but the clothes she _______ (5) wearing and a little bit of bread in her hand which some charitable soul had _______ (6) her. She was good and pious, however. And as the whole world _______ (7) forsaken her, she went forth into the open country, trusting in the good God.

Then a poor man met her, who said, “Ah, I haven’t ______ (8) anything for three days. Give me something, I am so hungry.” She handed _______ (9) the whole of her piece of bread, and said, “May God bless you,” and went onwards.

No _______ (10) had she made ten steps than she met a child who moaned and said, “My head _______ (11) so cold, give me something to cover it with.” So she took _______ (12) her hood and gave it to him. And when she _______ (13) walked a little farther, she met another child who had no jacket and _______ (14) frozen with cold. Then she gave him her own, and a little farther on one begged for a frock, and she gave away that also.

At length she got into a forest and it had _______ (15) become dark, and there came yet another child, and asked for a shirt, and the good little girl thought to herself, “It is a dark night and no one _______ (16) see me, I can very well give my shirt away,” and took it off, and gave away that also.

And hardly had she done it _______ (17) stars began to fall down from heaven, and they were nothing else but hard smooth pieces of money, and although she had just _______ (18) her shirt away, she had a new one which was of the very finest linen. Then she _______ (19) the money into it, and _______ (20) rich all the days of her life.

(after the Grimm brothers)

78. Open the brackets using appropriate past tenses.