The secret agent
It was just before the Second World War. Tom was only 20 at the time and was living with his mother. He was working in a bank and travelling to London every day. One morning, he received a mysterious letter. It was addressed to 'Mr Thomas Parker'. The letter, which was signed, 'A Friend', asked Tom to go to The Crown Inn during his lunch hour. All morning, as he was dealing with customers, Tom was wondering whether he should do this. At lunch time he decided to go to the inn. It was full of people and Tom couldn't recognize anyone. He was just wondering if he should leave, when a stranger introduced himself and said he had known Tom's father, who had died when Tom was a baby. The stranger explained that Tom's father, Bill, was a secret agent in the First World War. Through this meeting, Tom was recruited to be a secret agent, too, and was already working in France when the war began.
F Complete these texts using the Past Simple or the Past Continuous of the verbs in brackets ().
Last Saturday Tom wanted to make two salads. He … (make) the first one in five minutes. He … (make) the second one when his guests … (arrive), and they … (help) him to finish it.
The artist Gaudi …. (design) several houses in Barcelona, Spain. Later he … (start) work on a church. He … (work) on the church when he … (die).
Last month a bank robber … (escape) while the police … (take) him to prison. Later they … (catch) him again, and this time they … (lock) him up without any problem.
Philip's football team were lucky last Saturday. After twenty minutes they … (lose), but in the end they … (win) the game by four goals to two.
John Lennon … (sing) and … (play) on many records with the Beatles. After that he … (record) several songs without the Beatles. He … (prepare) a new record when Mark Chapman … (shoot) him.
The evening was getting darker; the street lights … (come) on. People … (hurry) home after work. I … (stand) in a queue at the bus stop. Suddenly somebody … (grab) my bag.
Future continuous
A The Tibbs family have just come back from a long trip round the world.
Form questions and answers about the family's plans, using the words given.
1 What 1(Sue – do) will Sue be doing for the rest of this year? 2(She – go back) … … … …… to her old school? Yes. 3(She – play) … … …… with her friends again. 4(She – not ride) ………… on camels in Arabia. 2 How about Tim and Tom? I expect 5(they – camp) ………… with the Scouts again, won't they? Oh yes. 6(They – camp) ………… the Scouts. 7(They – not camp) ………… on the plains of Kenya. |
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3 And you and your husband? 8(you – have) ………… another holiday this year? No. 9(We – stay) ………… in Newtown. 10(We – not gaze) ………… at the Taj Mahal by moonlight! 4 And you, yourself? 11(you – come) ……… to the Women's Club this year, won't you? That's right. 12(I – make) ………… jam for the Women's Club. 13(I – not make) ……… birds' nest soup unless it comes out of a tin! |
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5 How about Grandpa Tibbs? I suppose 14(he – have) ………. his daily beer and sausage at the Crown Hotel, again, won't he? Of course. 15(He – eat) ………… good old British food. 16(He – not eat) ……… snails in Paris. 6 And what about Grandma Tibbs? 17(she – stay) ………… in Newtown? No, 18(she – not come back) ………… to Newtown for another two years. She's going round the world again! |
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Means of expressing Future
Be going to
A Look at the pictures below. What do you think is happening in them? Write questions with going to using the words in brackets. Then answer the question according to your own ideas, and give a reason.
E
xample:
(it-rain)
- Is it going to rain? - Yes, it is. There are clouds in the sky.
- No, it isn’t. The clouds are going away.
(monkeys – reach the banana)
(they – find the treasure)
(she – rescue the man in the water)
(building – fall down)
(it – get dark)
(she – get married)
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B Bring any picture and describe what is going to happen.
C Supply be going to or 'll in this dialogue.
Situation: Mr Sims is driving. His wife is sitting beside him.
HE: Where 1(we spend) are we going to spend the night? SHE: Cardiff. I've booked us in at the Angel Hotel. Why do you ask? HE: That's another thirty miles away. We (run)2………. out of petrol before we get there. I (stop)3 ……… at the next filling-station…
SHE: …This road goes on forever.
HE: We (get)4 ……… stuck. The car's stopping. We (have to)5 ……… walk.
SHE: Come on then. Perhaps someone (give)6 ……… us a lift.
HE: Not a filling-station in sight and look at those black clouds. It (rain)7……….
SHE: Look! A car's coming. I (wave)8 ……… to the driver.
HE: Oh good! He's slowing down. He (stop)9 ……….