It was 10 o'clock at night. The officers of "The Daily News" (buzz) with excitement. The deadline for the paper (be) in half an hour and they (try) to finish the front page. Everyone (work) all evening without a break. Some of the journalists (stay) at the office since early in the morning. They all (try) to get an exclusive story, to find out something that no other journalist (discover). The main story was a big one. The Prime Minister (resign). Everyone knew that his government (have) lots of problems in the last year but his resignation (be) nevertheless a big surprise. Rumours (go) round all day about the real reasons
for the announcement. Some said that he (be involved) in some financial scandal. Others said that he (see) another woman. All the papers (work) all day to get the best story. And they (do) their best to find out what the other papers (say). The whole day (be) very tense. Suddenly the editor (ask) to be quiet. There (be) a telephone call from the Prime Minister's office.
11. Complete the sentences using the Past Indefinite or the Past Continuous, the Past Perfect or the Past Perfect Continuous.
1. I never (lend) a friend a large amount of money, because I always (think) it would almost certainly be the end of the friendship. But one day I (have) a very good reason for borrowing money myself. I (need) an urgent operation.
2. We think of democracy as a modern invention, but in fact the world's most perfect democracy probably (exist) in Ancient Athens in 500 B.C. - if you (be) not a woman or a slave.
3. Two French architects - Frederic Augusta Bartholdi and Alexander Gustave Eiffel (design) and (build) in Paris the Statue of Liberty which has stood on Liberty Island in New York Island since 1886.
4. My brother (work) in a bank for about five years, and actually he wasn't very ambitious or career-minded. Then a new manager (persuade) him to take the job more seriously, so he (start) studying to become a manager himself. For five years he (go) to evening classes to get qualifications he needed... but it was worth it.
5. It (snow) when I (get up) this morning. The children next door (make) a snowman. I quickly (put on) my warm clothes and (race) outside to help them.
6. Ann was worn out. The baby (cough) all night and she (not to get) any sleep.
7. Our team (play) really well. We (win) at half time, but in the end we (lose).
8. Kate was a successful model before she (become) a teacher. She (earn) a lot of money for a few years but then she (give) it all up for the classroom.
9. When my mother (come) downstairs this morning, she couldn't believe her eyes. We (do) all the washing-up and (made) breakfast for her. We (work) for an hour before she (wake up).
10. Imagine my delight when I (do) really well in all my exams! My childhood dream (come) true and I (become) a student of the university.
11. She (live) in Oxford when she (meet) her husband. They (go out) for two years before they (get) married.
12. Long, long ago the people of Egypt (make) paper from the tall grass that (grow) on the banks of the river Nile.
13. In 1812 Charles Babbage, a professor of mathematics at Cambridge University (invent) the first calculating machine which (do) complicated calculations faster than any mathematician.
14. I found a camera you (leave) in hotel room 222 where I (stay) for a week before they offered me a single room.
15. Once I (tell) him the truth, I (feel) better. For many years I (keep) it a secret.
16. It was 1 o'clock and the dog from next door (bark) for two hours. I wondered what (happen) there.
17. My friend was 26 last month. He (start) working for the company when he (be) eighteen. He quickly (climb) the career ladder and not long ago he (become) the youngest managing director the company ever (appoint).
18. She said she (try) to phone me since morning, but nobody was at home.
19. No sooner I (get) home than the telephone (ring). My mother (call).
20. After the students (pass) their exams, they went out to celebrate. Alex (not to go) anywhere because he (fail) his last exam. He said he (have) a lovely time and (not to prepare) for the exam properly.
21. When we arrived at the station, Alex (wait) for us for half an hour already. He (wear) a white suit and (look) very handsome.
22. I heard that Peter (get married). You (know) him quite well, didn't you? - Yes, we (work) for the same company for five years before he (find) another job.
12. Read and retell the following texts.
After the Fire
Firemen had been fighting the forest fire for nearly three weeks before they could get it under control. A short time before great tees covered the countryside for miles around. Now, smoke still rose up from the warm ground over the desolate hills. Winter was coming on and the hills threatened the surrounding villages with destruction, for heavy rain would not only wash away the soil but would cause serious floods as well. When the fire had at last been put out, the forest authorities ordered several tons of a special type of grass-seed which would grow quickly. The seed was sprayed over the ground in huge quantities by aeroplanes. The planes had been planting seed for nearly a month when it began to rain. By then, however, in many places the grass had already taken root. In place of the great trees which had been growing there for centuries, patches of green had begun to appear in the blackened soil.
An Incident Abroad
Oh, yes, something like that happened to me once in Spain actually, in Barcelona. I felt very stupid afterwards.
I'd just arrived in Barcelona on business and after checking into my hotel I decided to go for a walk down the main street just
to get the feel of the place again and as I was window shopping minding my own business, a man came up to me and looked very worried, sounded very worried and said "Oh, excuse me. Do you speak English?" And I said, "Yes, I do". But also realized from his accent that he was a German and so I, having lived in Germany, spoke to him in German and he explained to me that he and his friend had been staying in a hotel in Barcelona and the night before they had had everything stolen from their hotel room, all their money, all their belongings, everything. And all day at the German Consulate they had been trying to get through to Germany in the hope of having some money sent, and by this time it was about 6.30 in the evening and he said the Consulate had been totally unsuccessful and he and his friend had no money. They hadn't eaten all day. They didn't know what they were going to do. They were terribly worried and could I possibly help them by giving them some money and I thought for a moment and I thought, "Well, he seems very genuine. He's well dressed, well spoken, quite friendly". He seemed quite intelligent and I thought, "Well, I'm sure if I gave him some money he'd give it back to me" and I said, "Well, yes, OK", and I opened my purse and I gave him a hundred peseta note. Not being used to the money because I'd only just arrived I thought well a hundred peseta note is really quite a lot of money and I said, "Well if you'd like to give it back I'm living at that hotel down the road". He wrote the name of the hotel down and said, oh yes, you know, he'd bring it back and so on. And we parted and a few minutes later I was sitting in a cafe, having a cup of coffee thinking about the whole event and I began to realize how very stupid I'd been. Not only was 100 pesetas in fact very little money. It was about 70 or 80 p. That made me feel guilty that I'd asked for it back believe it or not but I also realized that the whole thing had just been a confidence trick and I would never see the money again.
Task: Ask all possible questions on the texts above. Work in pairs.
