Comprehension

With reference to yesterday's reading passage, Frogman, give short spoken answers to the following quesstions.

1. Where did Mrs Ramsbottom take her dog?
2. Why couldn’t she see what the object was?
3. What did she think it might be?
4. What did it turn out to be?
5. Who did she meet?
6. What seemed a bit strange?
7. Why couldn’t he have been a frogman?
8. Who called on Mrs Ramsbottom?
9. What was the verdict of the coroner’s court?



Answer guide
1. Beside the local canal. 2. It was too far away/some distance away. 3. A bird of some sort. 4. An old man. 5. A man walking his dog. 6. The old man had his jacket on. 7. He wasn’t wearing a helmet. 8. A policewoman. 9. Death by drowning.
  

Reading Pasage: Not a Frogman

Read through and give spoken answers to the questions that follow.

Mrs Joyce Ramsbottom liked to take her dog for a walk beside the local canal. One morning, she and her dog were enjoying their walk when Mrs Ramsbottom noticed something in the canal. As it was some distance away, Mrs Ramsbottom could not be sure what it was. She waited for the object to float nearer so that she could see what it was. She thought it might be a bird of some sort.

After a few minutes’ wait, her patience was rewarded. Mrs Ramsbottom saw that it was not a bird. It was an old man. He had his jacket on, was white-faced, and coughing and spluttering.
 
Mrs Ramsbottom continued to wait until the old man had floated out of sight. Then she went on with her walk. She met a man who was also walking with his dog. They stopped and discussed dogs for a minute or two. Just as she was moving away, Mrs Ramsbottom said:

“As you’re going that way, see if you can spot an old man with grey hair floating about. He passed me just now. I was wondering about it, because he had his jacket on.”
 
The man agreed with her that it was a bit funny for someone to be in the canal with his jacket on.
 
When she got home, Mrs Ramsbottom asked her husband if he thought it was normal for a man to be in the canal with his jacket on. No. He didn’t think it was.
 
“Perhaps he was a frogman,” he suggested.
 
“I don’t think he could have been a frogman,” said Mrs Ramsbottom. “He wasn’t wearing a helmet.”
 
Some time later in the afternoon, a policewoman called on Mrs Ramsbottom. She asked if Mrs Ramsbottom had seen an old man in the canal while walking her dog. Mrs Ramsbottom indeed said that she had done so. The policewoman thanked her and left.
 
The verdict of the coroner’s court upon the man in the canal was death by drowning.
 
Answer
1. Did she take the dog for a run in the park?
2. Why couldn’t she be sure what it was?
3. What happened as she continued to wait?
4. What was rather strange and unlikely?
5. Why couldn’t it have been a frogman?
   



Answer guide 
1.   No. She took it for a walk beside the local canal.   2.   Because it was some distance away.  3. The old man floated out of sight.  4.  It was bit funny for someone to be in the canal with his  jacket on.  5.  He wasn’t wearing a helmet.  

Vocabulary Development

[canal: the Suez canal, the Panama canal; notice: take notice, notice something; distance: a few metres is a short distance, a hundred kilometres is a long distance; float: the opposite of sink; patient: willing to wait]
 

Read through the vocabulary and give spoken answers to the questions that follow.  

canal  
It wasn’t a river; it was a canal. It was man-made.
Barges were used to transport goods on the canal.

notice
If you keep your eyes open, you might notice something.
Don’t pay any attention; don’t take any notice.
Did you notice the funny man with the rolled umbrella and the black hat?

distance
Is it far? Is it a long distance?
No. It’s only a short distance down the street.
Use a map to measure the distance.
What’s the distance from here to Glasgow?

float
Lead sinks: it doesn’t float.
Ships float. Wood floats.
Icebergs float south in the North Atlantic, and threaten shipping.
 
patient
The flight is delayed. We’ll have to wait and be patient.
Don’t lose your temper: be patient.
A mother with young children needs a lot of patience.
 
Answer

1. Should I pay attention?  
2. Is it a long way?  
3. When do icebergs in the North Atlantic threaten shipping?
 4. Why shouldn’t I lose my temper?
   




 Answer guide
1.  No. Don’t take any notice.   2.   No. It’s only a short distance down the street.   3.   When they float south.   4.  Because you should be patient.  

Anecdote: One Way to Slim

Read through the anecdote and give spoken answers to the questions that follow.
 
A man could not stop eating. He ate all day long. He became very fat. At last, he went to his doctor for help.

“Doctor,” he said, “I want to lose weight. I eat too much. What can I do?”

The doctor examined him, and then gave him a big box of very small pills. He told him:

“Here is a box of pills. Do not swallow them. Do not take them internally. They are special pills for fatness. Three times a day, after meals, take the pills into your living room. Pour them all over the carpet. And then pick them up, all of them, one at a time.”

Answer 

1. Did he want to gain weight?
2. Did the doctor give him something?
3. Did the doctor tell him to swallow the pills?





Answer guide
1.  No. He wanted to lose weight.   2.  Yes. He gave him a big box of very small pills.   3.  No. He told him to pick them up one at a time.   

   

Sentence Composition

From the words given, give the full sentences, supplying the necessary structural words and making any necessary changes.


1. they live/village/north/Scotland
2. they/leave home/a visit/daughter
3. /police/arrive/it/1am
4. /animals/stand/stare/snarl/each other
5. /new owners/must/prepare/stay indoors/few days




Answer guide
1. They live in a village in the north of Scotland.   2. They left home to pay a visit to their daughter.   3. The police arrived at 1 am.  4. The animals stood and stared and snarled at each other.    5. The new owners must be prepared to stay indoors for a few days.

  

Dialogue

With reference to the passage, Watchdog, you meet the Macgregors at the village shop. You ask them what happened. What are your questions?

1.Q.
A. We took it in and gave it a few scraps.

2. Q.
A. We went to Inverness.

3. Q.
A. About eleven.

4. Q.
A. It stood and snarled at us.

5. Q.
A. We called the fire brigade.

6. Q.
A. Until four in the morning.




Answer guide
1. What did you do with the dog?   2. Where did you go (that evening)?     3. What time did you get back?   4. What happened when you opened the front door? (Why couldn’t you get into the house?)   5. What did you do?     6. How long did it take (for you) (to get into the house)?

  

Review Test: Watchdog

Read through aloud and complete.  One word is missing in each case.  Intermediate pass level: 75% Aim: 95%


Mr and Mrs Macgregor live (1).................... a village near Inverness (2).................... the north of Scotland. (3).................... morning, they found a dog in their garden, They took the dog (4)...................., give it some scraps of meat, and watched it go (5).................... a corner and go to sleep. They decided to let the animal stay overnight, and to look (6).................... its owner in the morning, Then they left home to pay a visit (7).................... their daughter in Inverness.
 
They came home about eleven. As they opened the front door, they were welcomed by a snarling boxer, standing (8).................... bared teeth. Any attempt to calm the animal met (9).................... furious barking. Soon. all the neighbours were awake, and came (10).................... to offer helpful advice.
 
Then the fire brigade was called. They arrived at midnight. But all their attempts only made the dog more savage. They couldn’t get (11).................... it. The fire brigade gave (12).................... and called the police. When they arrived, it was one in the morning, and nearly all the village was gathered in the Macgregor’s garden. The police thought (13).................... it, They advised that the dog should be shot.
 
However, someone went (14).................... an expert dog handler. This expert arrived at two in the morning with a huge alsatian. He said: “This won’t take long.”
 
But it did. The two animals stood and stared and snarled (15).................... each other. It was a draw.
 
Then a veterinary surgeon was sent for. (16).................... the time he arrived, it was four in the morning. The vet borrowed a rope, made a lasso, and threw it (17).................... the boxer’s head.
He dragged it (18).................... the garden, stuck a needle in it, and put it to sleep. The police removed it.

Mr Macgregor said: “This animal will make a wonderful watchdog. But the new owners must be prepared to stay indoors (19).................... a few days (20).................... the dog gets to know them.”



Answer guide
1. in 2. in 3. One 4. in 5. into 6. for 7. to 8. with 9. with 10. out 11. near 12. up 13. about 14. for 15. at 16. By 17. over 18. into 19. for 20. until