Lesson 34
Text A
Stage Fright Tom was sick with disappointment. The piano recital ha.d turned out well, all except for his solo. He couldn't understand howcould have happened. He had practised for weeks that seemed like months. He had given up sports until after the recital because he wantedmake his parents proudhim. He spent all his time with the pi
His teacher had said he was gifted. It was true that he accepted music as another language, another waytalkpeople. His grandparents, aunt, and uncle all camehear him play, and he was anxiousshow them that he was the bestthe whole class.
But, when he stood upgothe piano, his knees felt weak. He looked into the audience and saw his family smiling back at him. His mouth went dry. His fingers begantremble. The trembling became uncontrollable shaking as though he had caught a bad cold.
He sat down at the piano. He took a deep breath. He played the first five barshis music , then realized with horror that he had forgotten thc rest. He started over. thinking that would help. It didn't. He stood up as ifslow motion and walked offf the st age. He was a failure. The demon stage fright had left a brilliant musical careerruins.
Text B
Shall Never Fly Again Tom Jackson and Charles Brown are talking about ttheir summer holidays. TOM: Where are you going for your holidays , Charles ? CHARLES: To Australia. I'm goingvisit my uncleBrisbane for three weeks. TOM: Good gracious! You certainly are lucky. How are you going there? CHARLES: By air,course. It takes over two weeksgo by sea. TOM: once wentSinga pore by air. It was very exciting-but never agaim'. CHARLES: Why? Did you feel frightcned? TOM: For a short time. Onethe engines caught fire. CHARLES: What did thc pilot do? TOM: He putout and flew backthe airport. Then he asked the pcople at the airport where the emergency runway was. CHARLES: Did you land safely ? TOM: Yes, we did. Butshall never fly again.
7. Read the following passage once. Underline the key words while reading and retell the storyyour partner.
It was a dark day when we got our report cards Thesky was fullgray clouds andwas sprinkling rain.was overClyde's house and Gloria and Kitty were there. Sam probably would hade been there, too, only he had got a two-week jobthe afternoons helping out at Freddie's. actually he only didso that his mother would let him bethe track team again. Sam and his mother had this little system going He would do something good-doing and she'd let him do something that he wanted to.
Clyde's report card wasthe kitchen table and we all sat aroundlikewas some kinda big important document.had got a pretty good report card and had wantedshowoff butknewwasn't the time. Clyde pushed the card toward me andread it. He had all satisfactory remarksthe side labeled Personal Traits and Behavior. He had also received B's. music and art appreciation. But everything else was either a C or a D except mathematics. His mathematics mark was a big red F that had been circled.don't know why they hadcircle the F whenwas the only red markthe card. In the Teacher's Comments section someone had written that Clyde had "little abilityhandle an academic program. "
"A little abilitybetter than none,"said. No one said anything sofiguredprobably wasn't the right. timetrycheer Clyde up. knew all about his switching from a commercial programan academic program, butreally hadn't thought he'd have any trouble.
"I saw the grade adviser today. He saidshould switch backthe commercial program. " Clyde looked like he'd start crying any minute. His eyes were red and his voice was shaky. "He said thathadtake mathematics over and iffailed again or failed another required subject couldn't graduate. The way itnow I'm goinghavefinish upthe summer becauseswitched over. " "I think you can passif you really want to," Kitty said. Clyde's sister was so prettycouldn't even look at her. Ifdid,started feeling funny and couldn't talk right. Sometimesdaydreamed about marrying her.
Just then Clyde's mother cameand he gave a quick look at Kitty. "Hi, young ladies and young gentlemen. " Mrs. Jones was a kindheavy woman but she was pretty, too. You could tell she was Kitty's mother if you looked close. She put her packagege down and started taking things out. "I heard you pcople talking whcasfirst came in. By the way you hushed upguess you don't want mehear what you were talking about. I'll be outyour waya minute, soon asput the frozen foodsthe refrigerator. "
"I got my report card today," Clyde said. His mother stopped taking the food out and turned toward us. Clyde pushed the report card about two inches toward her. She really didn't even havelook at the cardknow thatwas bad. She could have told that just by looking at Clyde. But she pickedup and looked' ata long time. First she looked at one side and then the other and then back at t.he first side again.
"What they say around the school?" she asked, still looking at the card. "They saidshould drop the academic course and go backthe other one. "could hardly hear Clyde , he spoke so low. "Well, what are you goingdo, young man She looked u at Clyde and Clyde looked up at her and there were tearshis eyes andalmost started crying.can't standsee my friends cry. "What are you goingdo, Mr. Jones?"
"I'm -I'm goingkeep the academic course," Clyde said. "You think it's goingbe any easier this time?" Mrs.Jones asked. "No. " "Things ain't always easy. Lord knows that things ain't always easy. " For a minute there was a faraway lookher eyes, but then her face turned into a big smile. "You're just like your father, boy. That man never would give upanything he really wanted. Didever tell you the time he was tryinglearnplay the trombone?"
"No. "Clyde still had tearshis eyes but he was smiling, too. Suddenly everybody was happy. It was like seeing a rainbow whenwas still raining.
Text A
Stage Fright Tom was sick with disappointment. The piano recital ha.d turned out well, all except for his solo. He couldn't understand howcould have happened. He had practised for weeks that seemed like months. He had given up sports until after the recital because he wantedmake his parents proudhim. He spent all his time with the pi
His teacher had said he was gifted. It was true that he accepted music as another language, another waytalkpeople. His grandparents, aunt, and uncle all camehear him play, and he was anxiousshow them that he was the bestthe whole class.
But, when he stood upgothe piano, his knees felt weak. He looked into the audience and saw his family smiling back at him. His mouth went dry. His fingers begantremble. The trembling became uncontrollable shaking as though he had caught a bad cold.
He sat down at the piano. He took a deep breath. He played the first five barshis music , then realized with horror that he had forgotten thc rest. He started over. thinking that would help. It didn't. He stood up as ifslow motion and walked offf the st age. He was a failure. The demon stage fright had left a brilliant musical careerruins.
Text B
Shall Never Fly Again Tom Jackson and Charles Brown are talking about ttheir summer holidays. TOM: Where are you going for your holidays , Charles ? CHARLES: To Australia. I'm goingvisit my uncleBrisbane for three weeks. TOM: Good gracious! You certainly are lucky. How are you going there? CHARLES: By air,course. It takes over two weeksgo by sea. TOM: once wentSinga pore by air. It was very exciting-but never agaim'. CHARLES: Why? Did you feel frightcned? TOM: For a short time. Onethe engines caught fire. CHARLES: What did thc pilot do? TOM: He putout and flew backthe airport. Then he asked the pcople at the airport where the emergency runway was. CHARLES: Did you land safely ? TOM: Yes, we did. Butshall never fly again.
7. Read the following passage once. Underline the key words while reading and retell the storyyour partner.
It was a dark day when we got our report cards Thesky was fullgray clouds andwas sprinkling rain.was overClyde's house and Gloria and Kitty were there. Sam probably would hade been there, too, only he had got a two-week jobthe afternoons helping out at Freddie's. actually he only didso that his mother would let him bethe track team again. Sam and his mother had this little system going He would do something good-doing and she'd let him do something that he wanted to.
Clyde's report card wasthe kitchen table and we all sat aroundlikewas some kinda big important document.had got a pretty good report card and had wantedshowoff butknewwasn't the time. Clyde pushed the card toward me andread it. He had all satisfactory remarksthe side labeled Personal Traits and Behavior. He had also received B's. music and art appreciation. But everything else was either a C or a D except mathematics. His mathematics mark was a big red F that had been circled.don't know why they hadcircle the F whenwas the only red markthe card. In the Teacher's Comments section someone had written that Clyde had "little abilityhandle an academic program. "
"A little abilitybetter than none,"said. No one said anything sofiguredprobably wasn't the right. timetrycheer Clyde up. knew all about his switching from a commercial programan academic program, butreally hadn't thought he'd have any trouble.
"I saw the grade adviser today. He saidshould switch backthe commercial program. " Clyde looked like he'd start crying any minute. His eyes were red and his voice was shaky. "He said thathadtake mathematics over and iffailed again or failed another required subject couldn't graduate. The way itnow I'm goinghavefinish upthe summer becauseswitched over. " "I think you can passif you really want to," Kitty said. Clyde's sister was so prettycouldn't even look at her. Ifdid,started feeling funny and couldn't talk right. Sometimesdaydreamed about marrying her.
Just then Clyde's mother cameand he gave a quick look at Kitty. "Hi, young ladies and young gentlemen. " Mrs. Jones was a kindheavy woman but she was pretty, too. You could tell she was Kitty's mother if you looked close. She put her packagege down and started taking things out. "I heard you pcople talking whcasfirst came in. By the way you hushed upguess you don't want mehear what you were talking about. I'll be outyour waya minute, soon asput the frozen foodsthe refrigerator. "
"I got my report card today," Clyde said. His mother stopped taking the food out and turned toward us. Clyde pushed the report card about two inches toward her. She really didn't even havelook at the cardknow thatwas bad. She could have told that just by looking at Clyde. But she pickedup and looked' ata long time. First she looked at one side and then the other and then back at t.he first side again.
"What they say around the school?" she asked, still looking at the card. "They saidshould drop the academic course and go backthe other one. "could hardly hear Clyde , he spoke so low. "Well, what are you goingdo, young man She looked u at Clyde and Clyde looked up at her and there were tearshis eyes andalmost started crying.can't standsee my friends cry. "What are you goingdo, Mr. Jones?"
"I'm -I'm goingkeep the academic course," Clyde said. "You think it's goingbe any easier this time?" Mrs.Jones asked. "No. " "Things ain't always easy. Lord knows that things ain't always easy. " For a minute there was a faraway lookher eyes, but then her face turned into a big smile. "You're just like your father, boy. That man never would give upanything he really wanted. Didever tell you the time he was tryinglearnplay the trombone?"
"No. "Clyde still had tearshis eyes but he was smiling, too. Suddenly everybody was happy. It was like seeing a rainbow whenwas still raining.