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  / 23. The Pick Up  / 24. Connie Finds Voluntary Work (With Refugees)  / 25. Old Yank And The Snow Fish  / 26. Bushfire  / 27. Street Party

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23. The Pick Up

pattern: pick up x; pick x up; pick-me-up; pick up a girl

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text:

Hilda picked up the mail every Wednesday in the pick-up truck. She called it a ute, but the kids watched American TV an said it was a pick-up truck. Anyway, it was a long drive from the farm into town. She would always arrive hot and dusty, dying for a pick-me-up. A cool beer usually went down very nicely, but last time a drunken farmhand had tried to pick her up. She downed him with a quick left hook, and when he picked himself up off the floor, all his bravado had gone. The kids were grouchy that day, but her adventure really picked up their spirits. They also decided not to give her any cheek for a while.

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response:

1. What does Hilda do every Wednesday?

2. Make a question using the words how far and the farm.

3. How would Hilda feel after driving into town?

4. What is her usual pick-me-up?

5. Why do you think the farmhand propositioned her?

6. How did she cool down the farmhand?

7. How did the kids react to her adventure?

8. What extra precaution did the kids decide to take that day?

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dialogue:

Hilda: What's wrong with you kids anyway?

Brett: Are you all right mum?

Hilda: Of course I m all right. Don't I look all right?

Anny: You really laid that fella out mum.

Hilda: What?! You brats were supposed to be in MacDonalds. What did you
           see?

Brett: Jeez mum, we get sick of MacDonalds. Why can't we come into the
          pub?

Anny: We saw you through the window mum. I bet he won t give you any
          more trouble.

Hilda: You kids see too much for your own good. Don't you say a word
           about this to your father.

Brett & Anny: No mum!

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reconstruction

a) .. read the story aloud using the vowel-less words as a cue

Hld pckd p th ml vry Wdnsdy n th pck-p trck. Sh clld t t, bt th kds wtchd mrcn TV n sd t ws pck-p trck. nywy, t ws lng drv frm th frm nt twn. Sh wld lwys rrv ht nd dsty, dyng fr pck-m-p. cl br slly wnt dwn vry ncly, bt lst tm drnkn frmhnd hd trd t pck hr p. Sh dwnd hm wth qck lft hk, nd whn h pckd hmslf p ff th flr, ll hs brvd hd gn. Th kds wr grchy tht dy, bt hr dvntr rlly pckd p thr sprts. Thy ls dcdd nt t gv hr ny chk fr whl.

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reconstruction

b) ..read the dialogue aloud using the vowel-less words as a cue

Hilda: Wht s wrng wth y kds nywy?

Brett: r y ll rght mm?

Hilda: f crs m ll rght. Dn t lk ll rght?

Anny: Y rlly ld tht fll t mm.

Hilda: Wht?! Y brts wr sppsd t b n McDnlds. Wht dd y s?

Brett: Jz mm, w gt sck f McDnlds. Why cn t w cm nt th pb?

Anny: W sw y thrgh th wndw mm. bt h wn t gv y ny mr trbl.

Hilda: Y kds s t mch fr yr wn gd. Dn t y sy wrd bt ths t yr fthr.

Brett & Anny: N mm.

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24. Connie Finds Voluntary Work with Refugees

[extract adapted from a real life transcript]

pattern: when I x; I was thinking x; I thought x

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text:

When I gave up work, I was mainly thinking of going into the Spastics because my daughter teaches psychiatric nursing. But then I thought, "they get so much help". They have the Miss Australia competition. I thought I should get into some smaller organization that really needs help. A friend of mine said she knew someone in the Red Cross Shop, so I went over there, but it s so boring. I mean I can't talk to those old dears. Well we got mail over there for here and I brought it over to Alma. I got talking to Alma and here I am, working with refugees.

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response:
 

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Live speech versus classroom talk

Live speech often contains many unfinished sentences, broken grammar and unclear ideas. Try saying the following in the way the original speaker, Mrs Connie Hume (a 55 year old Australian woman) might have spoken it:
 

• "I was mainly thinking of going into the Spastics []
• cause like with the daughter teaches psychiatric []
• but then I thought `they get+ so much help : there's this the Miss Australia competition []
• and this is the []
• you know []
• different organ []
• I thought []
• if I get into something some smaller organization that really needs help*. I mean []
• a friend of mine suggested []
• oh []
• she knew someone in it or something so I went over there []
• but ha ha it s so boring. I mean when I can t..[?]
• .. they brought mail []
• we got+ mail over there for here and I brought it over to Alma and I got+ talking to Alma and here I am."
   

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25. Old Yank And The Snow Fish

[extract adapted from a real life transcript]

pattern: anecdotal PAST; reported speech; when x; so x

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text:

...But anyhow this fellow always ordered shark. An old lady next door happened to come out to the fish truck at the same time . "Have you got got my shark for me ?" the man said. Old Yank, the fish monger, said "yeah". He always had it in fillets in a little box, and he used to cut it up the night before. This old lady sat there and watched him and commented on him getting shark, because "she couldn't eat shark". When Old Yank was finished serving she said "now what's that nice white fish there ?" So he looked at her. He said "that's New Zealand snow fish lady. Three and six a pound." He sold shark for ninepence a pound to the other fellow. She couldn't stand eating shark, ha ha.

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response:

1. What did sort of fish did the man always ask for?

2. Change the quotation Have you got my shark for me? to reported speech.

3. How did the old lady feel about eating shark flake?

4. How did Old Yank prepare and store the shark flake?

5. Change the quotation what's that nice white fish there? to reported speech

6. Why do you think "New Zealand snow fish" was much more expensive than     shark flake?

7. Give an example from your experience of a trader taking advantage of a     customer.

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Live speech versus classroom talk:

Live speech often contains many unfinished sentences, much broken grammar, and unclear ideas. Try saying the following in the way the original speaker, Mrs Connie Hume (a 55 yar old Australian woman) might have spoken it:

Verbatim extract, Connie Hume transcript: ([] = a pause)
 

• "...But anyhow they um []
• this fella always ordered shark...[]
• As I was saying []
• this old lady next door happened to come out []
• and she was with him []
• and he said to her `oh yeah []
• have yer []
• he said []
• `have yer got []
• got me shark for me ? He said `yeah . So he took it out []
• gave it to him []
• wrapped it up and everything. And he always had it []
• uh []
• in fillets []
• in a little box []
• and he used to cut it up the night before. And this old lady sat there and watched him []
• and commented on him getting shark []
• because `she couldn't eat shark . She watched him being served []
• even commented on the nice fish. And when old Yank was finished serving she said `now what's that nice white fish there ? So he looked at her. He said `that's New Zealand snow fish []
• lady. Three and six a pound. He sold shark for ninepence a pound to the other fella. And she bought it []
• and come back the next day and asked if there was any snow fish because that she had the week before was beautiful. She couldn t stand eating shark ha ha. It just was you really that people you know []
• in what they do it's funny."

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26. Bushfire

pattern: x of y noun phrases; ; movement verbs + prepositions;

adverbs; adjectives

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text:

[1] The boy drew in his breath sharply*. [2] A gust of wind swept acrid* smoke into his face. [3] The bobbing* fringe of low* grass fire surged into life and a shower of sparks leaped across the narrow* fire break. [4] A wallaby raced panic-stricken* from a stand of trees and a two metre black snake slithered for the protection of a rocky* outcrop. [5] Tongues of flame wreathed tree trunks, and the leafy* crowns suddenly had haloes of fire. [6] The air grew to a furnace of gases and the sky was a dull* orange* glow. [7] A rough* arm pulled the boy off his feet. [8] "Do you want to die?!" his father shouted hoarsely*.

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response:

1. Where was the boy?

2. How does smoke effect people?

3. What happened when wind hit the grass fire?

4. Describe the effect of the fire on wildlife.

5. What happened to trees when the fire reached them?

6. Describe how the air and the sky signalled danger.

7. How was the boy rescued?

8. Make a list of all the action verbs with their prepositions. Put each set     into a new sentence.

9. Make two lists: one for adverbs and one for adjectives. Put each word     into a new sentence.

10. Make a list of all the x of y noun phrases. Put each noun phrase       into a new sentence.

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27. Street Party

pattern: Eyewitness description

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text:

Dear Kitty,

[1] Today there is a street party in Sydney Road. [2] It is a lovely summer afternoon with blue skies and a light breeze. [3] The police have cordoned off about three blocks with yellow barriers. [4] Most of the shops are grimy old two-story terraces trying to look quaint. [5] Some have put their wares on tables in the street. [6] It is a motley collection of counter-culture cotton kaftans, perfumed candles, jars of church-lady home-made jam and droopy pizza slices. [6] A women's group is showing off their avante garde paintings in the Mechanic's Institute.[7] Some geriatric musicians are trying to resucitate rock-n-roll on a rickety stage. [8] Wish you were here.

Love,
Panda

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response:

1. Make a question using the words Sydney Road.

2. What is the weather like?

3. Why can t traffic travel down Sydney Road today?

4. Describe the shops in Sydney Road.

5. What are some of the things on sale at street tables?

6. Explain what you think might make an avante garde painting different from     more ordinary paintings.

7. What is Panda's opinion of the music?

8. Tell your neighbour at least three interesting things about a festival you have     been to in the past.

9. Write down what you have just described.

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

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