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A Dangerous Act
I was packing up the things in the attic when I saw a photograph of my brother. Looking at the photograph, I was transported back to the time when I was six years old.
It was a bright and sunny day. I was at home watching television with my sister. We were feeling bored. All of a sudden, I had an idea. “Do you wanna play with matches?” I asked my sister, flashing a mischievous grin. My sister nodded her head eagerly. I quickly went to take the matches and my sister waited for me in the backyard. Soon, we started playing with the matches.
“Stop playing with the matches, Shayanne and Shannon!” my mother instructed from the kitchen. However, we turned a deaf ear to our mother’s instruction and continued to play with the matches. Out of the blue, a fire started. We screamed in horror and my heart almost stopped beating. My sister dashed to the kitchen and told my mother what happened.
My sister was so frightened that she started wailing. I froze in terror as the fire started spreading and got bigger. We rushed out of the house while my mother called the fire department and the police. Soon, we were safe at the void deck near our house and a crowd had also gathered nearby. We heaved a sigh of relief thinking that we had managed to escape in time. Suddenly, my mother gasped in horror and shrieked, “Sammy! Where’s Sammy?” I stood rooted to the ground when I remembered that my brother was still sleeping inside his room! My mother crossed her fingers and hoped that Sammy would be fine.
Soon, the firemen arrived and put out the raging fire. They managed to carry Sammy out of the house but he was burnt partially. The ambulance brought Sammy to the hospital while the police officers took down statements from my sister, my mother and I. My father also rushed back from work when he heard what had happened.
My mother started sobbing uncontrollably when she heard that Sammy could not be saved. She cried her heart out and would sometimes lock herself in the room and cry. My father also reprimanded my sister and I for playing with matches and told us that this was the consequence. We were remorseful and promised not to do it again. From then on, I was afraid of matches as this had cost my dear brother’s life. Our family was never the same since…
“What is taking you so long, Shayanne?” my mother’s voice jolted me back to the present. After that, I saw the matches in one of the boxes and went to throw them away. I would not want to see matches again.
An Interesting Person I Once Met
During the last school holidays I often went out for walks in the evenings and the beach was one of my favourite choices. It was there that I met an interesting person.
He was sitting under a coconut tree where a fishing boat was moored. His gaze was fixed on something far away, something as far, perhaps, as the horizon. He was hardly aware of my approach. But, as I halted my steps, about two metres away from him, he turned and greeted me with a toothless smile. He looked sun-tanned and wrinkled. I guessed he must be in his early 70s'. But he was cheerful and friendly as I talked to him.
During the course of our conversation, he unfolded certain parts of his personal history to me. He had been a fisherman all his life. In fact, he started learning the trade ever since he was a young boy of thirteen when he helped his father to earn a living. It had been a very tough life at sea, getting up as early as two or three in the morning to go out fishing.
Then, with a twinkle in his eyes, he began to relate to me some of his adventures at sea. Once, during a storm, his boat was wrecked and smashed up but he was finally rescued by a passing boat after clinging to a piece of plank for one day and one night. Next, came his encounter with a hungry shark in the rough sea. He had been tossed into the water from his boat but he managed to escape from its jaws when a friend in another fishing boat helped him out of the water in time.
Here was a humble man who had come through life with a smile in spite of its many dangers and hardships.
Vocabulary:
moored = tied
wrecked = very badly damaged
humble = not arrogant
1. Change the words in brackets into nouns: (_ity, _ness, _ment)
1– ‘’Your ……………………… ( ill ) is a direct result of smoking,’’ the doctor told his
patient.
2– There is far too much ……………………… ( sad ) in the world today.
3– There was a full page …………………… (advertise) in today’s newspaper for
the new Jaguar car.
4– He has a …………………… (weak) for cream cakes. He just can’t resist eating them.
5– I don’t think there will ever be true ………………………
(equal) between men and women.
6– She made an …………………… (arrange) to see her bank manager at 11:30 on Friday morning.
7– There was a lot of …………… (active) outside my bedroom window this morning. The noise woke me
up.
8– Do you get free dental ……………………… (treat) in your country, or do you have
to pay for it?
9– We tried to get home before ……………… (dark) fell, as I really hate driving
at night.
10–
His ……………………… (popular)
with television viewers went down enormously after pulling down one of his
assistants’ trousers on a live show.
11–
The more unemployment rises, the less popular the …………………………………… (govern) gets – especially the Prime
Minister
12– She found it hard to hide
her …………………… (disappoint) at not
winning an Oscar, as she was the hot favourite to win it
2. Change the following words into nouns:
1– The ………………………… (high) of the mountain is approximately
2–
The painting looked genuine but the
…………………… (sign) was obviously a
forgery.
3– The ……………………… (deep) of the river at this point is over five metres.
4– The company had made a …………………………… (lose) of 10 million dollars for the first time in its history.
5– Judo requires both skill and ………………………… (strong)
6– Tea or coffee, Pam? You decide. It is your
………………………… (choose)
7– I could never live in the South of Turkey because of the ……………………… (hot).
8–
The workers reacted with ……………………… (angry) and frustration at the news
that the factory was going to be closed.
9– The width of the room is four meters and its
…………………… (long) is seven meters.
10– His sudden ………………… (die) from cancer at the age of 24 came as a great shock to
everyone.
11–
We arrived early at the airport only
to be told that our ……………………… (fly)
had been delayed because of ice on the runway.
12– A ………………………… (know) of at least two foreign
languages, especially French and German is required for this job.
A. Type in the correct relative pronoun.
B. Type in the correct relative pronoun.
C. Choose the correct relative pronoun.
Fill in the correct prepositions.
above – about – according - after – around - at –
beside – between - by - down – for - from - in – of -
on - throughout - to – with
1. The two friends went _____________ the movies by themselves.
2. During the summer I stayed _____________ my grandparents.
3. I’ll wait for you _____________ the bus stop.
4. The milk is _____________ the refrigerator next to the orange juice.
5. She came and sat _____________ her husband.
6. _____________ we saw the television show on bears we drove to the zoo.
7. _____________ the day, the rain came into the window.
8. The phone rang _____________ the middle of the night.
9. Some boys were crawling _____________ under the car.
10. His notebook fell _____________ the floor.
11. The plane flew _____________ the clouds.
12. Peter doesn’t go to work _____________ Fridays.
13. Open your book _____________ page 9.
14. Can you see a yellow house _____________ the left?
15. There was a picture _____________ the wall _____________ the bed.
16. All the latest computers will be shown _____________ the exhibition.
17. He came to see how I was getting _____________.
18. I am very interested _____________ documentaries on TV.
19. I am surprised _____________ how much money they want to pay him.
20. Nobody in the family has heard _____________ the accident.
21. She comes _____________ a poor family.
22. I am quite good _____________ art.
23. Jack came rushing _____________ the stairs.
24. Turn right _____________ the next traffic lights.
25. Her mother is looking forward _____________ going to Australia.
26. The film is based _____________ a novel by John Grisham.
27. John is totally obsessed _____________ football. He thinks of nothing else.
28. I prefer coffee _____________ tea.
29. Let’s divide this money _____________ us.
30. I like travelling _____________ boat in summer.
31. When I was younger I was always afraid _____________ going to the dentist.
32. Mary’s in the kitchen looking _____________ her car keys.
33. Are you really happy _____________ your life here?
34. He was quite pleased _____________ the results.
35. This is a painting _____________ an unknown artist.
36. I am proud _____________ being a teacher.
37. Don’t worry _____________ it. Everything will be fine.
38. My father tells us fascinating stories _____________ his years in the navy.
39. Did you call attention _____________ their mistake?
40. _____________ to the headmaster, both of the boys got involved in the fight.
41. Except _____________ that one, all the sentences were easy.
42. Be careful. They will lose faith _____________ you.
43. The girls worked _____________ their lessons for half an hour.
44. He depends _____________ his sister for help.
45. Miss Wilson is very fond _____________ French food
To copy classwork questions given in class:
down - during - for – from – in - in front of – of - on –
out of - over - to - with
2. You must be _____________ 18 in order to see the film.
3. We are travelling _____________ the road.
4. He is suffering _____________ an unknown illness.
5. I listened to the game _____________ the radio.
6. How are you getting _____________ at school?
7. Don’t be impatient _____________ us. We are trying!
8. Could I speak _____________ Tom please?
9. We didn’t see the whole performance because we left _____________ the last act.
10. There were some beautiful pictures _____________ the walls.
11. The march started in the park. _____________ there we moved to City Hall.
12. Pessimism is bad _____________ your health
13. He asked his mother _____________ money.
14. I bought many things _____________ my stay in New York.
15. My country is famous _____________ historical sights.
16. I’m not _____________ a hurry. I can wait.
17. Have you ever been _____________ the theatre recently?
18. We arrived _____________ the airport _____________ time for the plane.
19. My grandfather died _____________ cancer.
20. The resort lies about 1,500 meters _____________ sea level.
21. His hands are _____________ his face.
22. there’s a chair _____________ my desk
23. The thief jumped _____________ the window.
24. Both o my neighbors can take care _____________ the cat while you are gone.
25. I rarely think _____________ the weather.
Things I Like To Do
| I like to play games out in the garden. When it rains, I stay indoor and play card games and scrabble with my family. Alternatively, I indulge in doing jigsaw puzzles. I have completed several scenes and pictures. I also like to play with my puppy. It chases me round the garden and barks at me. It has learnt how to pick up a stick and bring it back to me each time I throw it far off. Besides this, I like watching my fish and feeding them with worms. They have beautiful colours and I enjoy following their movements in the water. Drawing pictures and painting them is another activity I enjoy doing. Reading story books is my favourite pastime too as there are exciting adventure and mystery stories to keep me engrossed. Lastly, I like watching good television programmes. | ||||||||||||||||||
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hectic
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full of activity, very busy and fast
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to one's hearts'
content
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to one's complete satisfaction
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flit
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ting
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moving about rapidly and lightly
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Une mésaventure
On dit que le temps est toujours imprévisible et capricieux. Une tente était sous les arbres à Pereybere sur le littoral du nord. La mer était calme sous un ciel couvert. Une pirogue était amrarrée tout près de la plage. Tout était tranquille et on entendait des clapotis.
Dans la tente somnolaient trois hardis gamins, trois camarades de classes, Abdool, Jiyi et Rayyan tous agés de treize ans, après avoir pris un bain de mer.
Cependant le temps se gâchait et de gros nuages couvraient le ciel. Un vent violent soufflait du nord et il s’est mis à pleuvoir. La mer devenait houleuse. Une tempête a éclaté et la tente n’est pas épargnée par le vent. Vifs comme l’éclair les trois gamins essayaient de la consolider. Abdool et Jiyi tiraient sur la corde pendant que Rayyan enforçait le piquet à l’aide d’une grosse pierre. En vain ! La tente s’envolait et toutes leurs affaires sont éparpillées. La tempête était si violente que la pirogue était projetée sur la plage.
Finalement, découragés, ils ont décidé de rentrer chez eux. Ils ont ramassé leurs affaires et se sont dirgés tristement sous une pluie battante et contre le vent vers l’arrêt d’autobus. AussitÔt arrivés, ils se sont mis à l’abris sous la varangue d’une boutique.
- C’est ça du camping, dit Jiyi ironiquement.
- Quel temps de chien, remarque Rayaan.
Atchoum ! fait Abdool, assis sur la tente pliée.
Je crois qu’il attrapera une mauvaise grippe.
Conjuguez
les verbes entre parenthèses au présent :
1. Qu’est-ce que tu
_________________ (faire) ce soir ? Moi, je _________________ (sortir) avec
Sylvie.
2. Ils _________________
(s’habiller) très vite le matin.
3. Nous _________________
(appeler) le directeur et nous l’_________________ (inviter) au cocktail.
4. Les spectateurs _________________
(applaudir) quand le pianiste _________________ (arriver) sur scène.
5. Je _________________
(sortir) pour aller au cinéma.
6. Nous _________________
(manger) une baguette par jour et nous _________________ (grossir).
7. Vous _________________
(partir) seul en voyage ?
8. Ils _________________
(dormir) déjà mais moi je ne _________________ (dormir) pas encore.
9. Pourquoi ils ____________________
(finir) le travail demain ? Je _________________ (finir) quand ?
10. (Préférer)_________________
- vous aller au cinéma ou au théâtre ?
11. Patricia ____________________
(se lever) tard le dimanche.
12. Je _____________________
(se promener) dans le parc Monceau.
13. Les professeurs _________________
(vouloir) commencer la classe à huit heures.
14. Arnaud, tu _________________
(mettre) tes chaussures !
15. Il ne _________________
(prendre) pas de café le matin.
16. Je ne _________________
(savoir) pas les réponses. Tu _________________ (pouvoir) répondre pour
moi?
17. Tu _________________
(apprendre) le français en Espagne ?
18. Elles _________________
(voir) deux films par semaine.
19. Alex _________________
(venir) de Marseille, mais il _________________ (partir) aujourd’hui même.
20. Les enfants ne _________________
(aller) pas à l’école le mercredi.
21. Pardon madame,
vous _________________ (avoir) l’heure, s’il vous plaît ?
22. Nous _________________
(voir) nos cousins tous les ans.
23. Je _________________
(aller) chez le dentiste. Tu _________________ (vouloir) y aller avec
moi ?
24. Tu ne _________________
(venir) pas avec nous en vacances ?
25. Je _________________
(être) fatigué mais elle _________________ (être) plus que moi.
26. Il _________________
(avoir) froid mais je _________________ (avoir) chaud.
Un voleur pris en flagrant délit
C'est un
samedi après-midi au
mois de janvier. Après avoir
pris son déjeuner,
Salim et son frère Alain
vont assister à un match
de football. Ils prennent leurs bicyclettes pour arriver plus vite car ils
savent qu'il va y avoir beaucoup de monde. Après quelques minutes, ils arrivent à destination. Il y a une grosse
foule. Tout de suite, les deux frères font la queue devant le
guichet.
Juste derrière Salim se trouve un voleur à la tire. Il attend le moment propice pour voler la bourse
de Salim. Soudain, Salim, qui ne devine pas ce que le voleur a en tête, retire sa main de sa poche.
Sans perdre un instant, le bandit saisit la bourse et prend ses jambes à
son cou.
Immédiatement, Alain se rend compte de
ce qui vient de se passer et se met à la poursuite du voyou. Salim, qui
voit son frère partir
comme une flèche, n'a même pas le temps de lui demander des
explications. Après quelques
instants, Alain réussit à maîtriser le voleur.
Pendant ce
temps, Salim, qui arrive en courant,
aide son frère à conduire le voyou au poste de
police le plus proche. En arrivant là-bas, Salim explique à l'agent de police la situation.
Après avoir écouté Salim, il met le voleur sous les
verrous.
Ensuite, le
policier remercie chaleureusement les deux garçons pour l'avoir aidé à arrêter un voleur notoire.
Vocabulaire:
un voleur à la tire = " pickpocket "
attend le moment propice = attendre
le bon moment
la bourse = l'argent
prendre ses jambes à
son cou = s'enfuir
notoire = fameux