Text 30: Has someone told you this story already?
Lynn was five years old. She had a lot of little friends. They were older, and they were at school. These children told Lynn nice stories about school, so Lynn wanted to go there too.
Then one day her mother said, "You can go to school now, Lynn," and Lynn was very happy.
She was the youngest child in the school, and on the first day, her mother stayed at school with her. But on the second day, Lynn said to her, "You can go home now, Mummy."
Lynn's mother was happy, but she was sad too, because Lynn did not need her all the time now.
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Lynn was very happy at school, and she learnt a lot of things there. Her mother always said, "What have you learnt today, Lynn?" and Lynn told her.
One day, Lynn came back from school and said to her mother, "Miss Richards (she was Lynn's teacher) told us some nice stories today, Mummy. The best was about Ulysses. He fought against the . . . the . . . er . . ."
"The Trojans," her mother said.
"Oh, yes, that's right," Lynn answered. "The Trojans. And then Ulysses went back in his ship with some other men. He went to see his wife . . . er . . . his wife . . ."
"Penelope," Lynn's mother said.
Lynn stopped and looked at her mother. "Mummy," she said, "has someone told you this story already?"
Exercises
I. Look at these questions. Find the right answers:
1. Did Lynn have any friends?
a) No, she did not.
b) Yes, she did.
2. Did they go to school?
a) No, they did not.
b) Yes, they did.
3. Why did Lynn want to go to school too?
a) Because her friends told her nice stories about it,
b) Because her friends were older.
4. Who was the youngest in the school?
a) Lynn's mother was.
b) Lynn was.
5. Did Lynn's mother stay with her?
a) No, she didn't.
b) Yes, she stayed with her for one day.
c) Yes, she stayed with her for two days.
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6. Was Lynn's mother happy or sad then?
a) She was happy.
b) She was happy and sad.
c) She was sad.
7. Who was Lynn's teacher?
a) Lynn's Mummy.
b) Miss Richards.
c) Ulysses.
8. Who fought against the Trojans?
a) Lynn's Mummy.
b) Miss Richards.
c) Ulysses.
9. Who was Ulysses' wife?
a) Miss Richards.
b) Penelope.
10. Did Lynn's mother know the story about Ulysses?
a) No, she did not,
b) Yes, she did.
II. Write this story. Choose the right words each time:
Lynn's friends were (happy/not happy) at school, so Lynn (did not want/wanted) to go there too. Then one day her mother (sent/took) her to school. Her mother (stayed there/went home) on the first day, (and/but) she (stayed there/went home) on the second day. She was (happy/sad) because Lynn (did not need/needed) her at school. Lynn (always/never) told her mother about her lessons. One day she told her (a story/some nice stories) about Ulysses. She did not remember (all the/any) names. She forgot the name of (Penelope's/Ulysses') wife, so her mother (asked/told) her. The story of Ulysses is a very (new/old) one, so her mother (did not know/knew) it.
III. Now retell the story in detail.
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IV. Study the information and put the correct letter, or the correct ending, in the empty places:
Most nouns form their plural just by adding s (e.g. friend, friends). But if a noun ends in a consonant + y, the y becomes its in the plural (e.g. story, stories); and if a noun ends in fe the fe becomes ves (e.g. wife, wives).
There are also some irregular plurals (e.g. child, children; man, men; woman, women).
This becomes these in the plural (e.g. this girl, these girls); and that becomes those (e.g. that bay, those boys).
1. The two teacher. . . told all the child. . . some nice stor. . . .
2. Ulysses and some other m. . .n went home to see their wi. . ..
V. Put that, those, this or these in the empty places:
3. Do you want . , . book?
4. Please bring me . . . books.
5. I like . . . books.
6. Why is , . . book on the floor?