Зачем им столько времен?

George (look) in his book again and (find) another phrase, «My friend (say) that you (sell) boots here.»

For the first time the man (look) at us. He (begin) to speak getting more and more angry,

«You (think) I (keep) boots to look at them? You (think) I (work) in the shop because I (like) it? What you (think) I (be) – a book collector? You (hear) of a man working in the boot shop and not selling boots? You (think) I (be) an idiot?»

He still (shout) when George (find) the best sentence for the situation and (say),

«I (come) later. Good bye.»

When we (leave) the shop, the man (stand) at the door. He (shout) something that we (not/hear), but people around him (find) it interesting.

Answer the questions:

1. How did George want to use the phrase book?

2. Where did their experiment begin?

3. What made the shopkeeper angry?

4. What was the shopkeeper doing when the friends were leaving the shop?

17. «Three Men on a Bummel» by Jerome K. Jerome

Vocabulary: enemy – враг, irritate – раздражать.

Tenses to use: Present Simple, Past Simple, Past Continuous, Future Simple.

We (get) on the train a minute before it (leave), and I (remember) Uncle Podger. The way from his house to the railway station (take) about eight minutes. My Uncle always (say), «Leave home fifteen minutes before the train, and everything (be) all right.»

What he always (do) (be) to start five minutes before the train and run. I (not/know) why, but it (be) a tradition. Many fat City gentlemen (live) in Ealing in those days and (take) morning trains, and they all (start) late. When we (look) out of the window, they (run) to the station (carry) a black bag and a newspaper in one hand and an umbrella in the other.

My Uncle (not/get) up late. But something always (happen) to him at the last moment.

When he (be) about to leave, he usually (lose) his newspaper.

«I (have) it in my hand a minute ago!» he (exclaim). From his tone you could think that he (be) surrounded by the enemies that (hide) his things just to irritate him.

«You (leave) it in the garden?» my Aunt (ask).

«God bless this woman! I (not/want) a paper in the garden. I (want) it on the train.»

Here somebody (exclaim), «What (be) this?» and (give) him the newspaper. Uncle (open) the bag to put it in, and looking at it, (get) speechless.

«The day before yesterday’s!» he (whisper), too angry to shout, throwing the paper on the table, «I (be) late for the train!»

At last, we (find) his newspaper for him – usually he (sit) on it. Then he (smile). It was a smile of a man who (know) that he (have) to be surrounded by a band of the hopeless idiots.

«All the time, right in front of your noses -!» He (not/finish) the sentence, proud of his self-control.

Answer the questions:

1. Why did the narrator remember Uncle Podger when he was going to be late for the train?

2. Why was Uncle Podger usually late for his morning train?

3. What made him angry?

4. Where was usually the newspaper?

18. «Three Men on a Bummel» by Jerome K. Jerome

Vocabulary: balloonist – воздухоплаватель, bark – зд. рявкнуть, hydrogen gas – водород.

Tenses to use: Present Simple, Past Simple, Past Continuous, Future Simple.

In my early journalistic days, I (work) in a popular newspaper which (give) advice to people about everything – how to marry, how to keep rabbits, how to eat soup.

Once somebody, naming himself «balloonist», (write) to ask us how to produce hydrogen gas. It (be) an easy thing to produce – I (see) that after reading up the subject at the British Museum Library. But I (warn) the «Balloonist» to be very careful.

Ten days later, when we (sit) at our tables (work), a red-faced lady (come) to our office, leading by the hand what, she (explain), (be) her son, aged twelve. The boy (have) a strange expression on his face, and when he (come) nearer, I (understand), why. He (have) no eyebrows and no hair.

«This (be) a nice boy last week, with naturally curly hair,» (say) the lady with her voice going up as she (speak).

«What (happen) to him?» (ask) our chief.

«This (be) what (happen) to him,» (bark) the lady. With these words she (take) a copy of our newspaper with my article about hydrogen gas and (give) it to the chief. He (take) it and (look) it through.

«He (be) «Balloonist?» (ask) the chief.

«He (be) «Balloonist,» (answer) the lady, «the poor child, look at him!»

«I (think), the hair (grow),» (say) the chief.

«May be, it (grow),» (agree) the lady, «but I (want) to know what you (do) for him.»

«I really (not/think) it (be) our fault,» (say) the chief, «he (ask) for the information and he (get) it.»

«Don’t try to be funny about it,» (say) the lady, «or I (go) to court and you all (have) heads like this!» She (mean) like the boy’s.

Our chief (settle) the matter with a five-pound note, which (be) a month’s profit of the paper. The lady (leave), taking her damaged son with her.

Answer the questions:

1. What sort of newspaper did the narrator work in?