Short Texts from Oz  © copyright Thorold May 1998 All Rights Reserved;  published by The Plain & Fancy Language Company

    go to end; go to Table of Contents 1. Jack Munday is a Soccer Fan / 2. Emily Bell is a Teenager  / 3. Tom Needed a Car in a Hurry  / 4. If I Had Been Born in Australia ...  / 5. Harry is a Slob

    1. Jack Munday is a Soccer Fan.

    pattern: do Vs are doing


    text:

    Jack Munday is a labourer, and also a soccer fan. He gets the paper, "Sports World" every week and always checks the weekend match results.

    At the moment he is in a pub. His copy of "Sports World" is in an old bag at his feet. The barmaid is asking him for a tip on Saturday s game.

    __________________________________________________

    response:

    1. Where is Jack Munday?

    2. What does he do?

    3. What is he doing?

    4. Does he read Sports World?

    5. Is he reading it now?

    6. Where is his copy of Sports World ?

    7. What is the barmaid doing?


    Short Texts from Oz  © copyright Thorold May 1998 All Rights Reserved;  published by The Plain & Fancy Language Company

    go to end; go to top; go to Table of Contents

    2. Emily Bell is a Teenager

    pattern: do Vs doing


    text:

    Emily Bell is a teenager. She is in a large indoor shopping centre with her friends. Emily often goes there. At the moment she is trying to catch the attention of a particular boy. A cigarette is in her right hand, a mischievous smile is on her face, and the boy is offering her a light.

    response:

    Ask some questions about Emily. Use the following words:

    1. Who..

    2. What..

    3. Where..

    4. Does..

    5. Why..

    6. What do you think is important to Emily?

    7. How old is Emily?


    Short Texts from Oz  © copyright Thorold May 1998 All Rights Reserved;  published by The Plain & Fancy Language Company
    go to end; go to top; go to Table of Contents

    3. Tom Needed a Car in a Hurry

    pattern: would have.. if


    text:

    Tim O'Brien moved to Sydney and needed a car in a hurry. The old Ford Cortina he bought looked OK at first. Then he found that the engine had a cracked block. The mechanic also told him the car had been in an accident, so the chassis was twisted. Later he found that the doors were badly rusted under a coat of fresh paint.

    __________________________________________________

    response:

    1. What was a priority for Tim in Sydney.

    2. Make a question about Tim using the words why and buy.

    3. Would he have bought the car after a careful inspection?

    4. What advice would you give someone buying an old car?

    5. Describe the condition of the engine block.

    6. Ask a question about the chassis.

    7. What might Tim say to the old owner if he met him at a party?

    8. How would the doors look if they were not newly painted?

    9. Make a sentence using these words: Tom would have...if..


    Short Texts from Oz  © copyright Thorold May 1998 All Rights Reserved;  published by The Plain & Fancy Language Company
    go to end; go to top; go to Table of Contents

     

    4. If I Had Been Born in Australia ...

    pattern: I would have .. if..


    text:

    If I had been born in Australia I would have ...


    response:

    Complete the text with the ideas below.

    1. learn English as a baby.

    Example: If I had been born in Australia, I would have learned English as a baby.

    2. get a driving licence at 17.

    3. own a house.

    4. a good job.

    5. not understand Chinese/Vietnamese/Russian etc.

    6. marry a different person.

    7. eat different food.

    8. maybe have a different religion.


    Short Texts from Oz  © copyright Thorold May 1998 All Rights Reserved;  published by The Plain & Fancy Language Company
    go to end; go to top; go to Table of Contents

    5. Harry is a slob

    pattern: "do" Questions


    text:

    Usually Harry Evans doesn't mow the lawn, but his wife has gone on strike. He loves to watch TV, but she says he is a slob. She says she won't cook his dinner until he does something useful around the house. Now Harry can't get the mower to start, and he is swearing under his breath.


    response:

    1. What does Harry's wife think of him?

    2. What does Harry usually avoid doing?

    3. Make a question using these words: why and dinner.

    4. What is Harry trying to do?

    5. What is Harry doing?

    6. What does Harry love to do?

    7. What has Harry's wife done?

    8. What does she want Harry to do?


    Short Texts from Oz  © copyright Thorold May 1998 All Rights Reserved;  published by The Plain & Fancy Language Company
    go to top; go to Table of Contents