Lesson 35
Text A
A Proud Linguist
Once upon a time there was an Austrian emperor who madea ruleinterview every onehis soldiers once a year. During the interviews he invariably asked three questions- "How old are'you?", "How long have you beenmy army?" and "Are you satisfied with your pay and the food you get?" -in that order.
One year, the day before the imperial interviews, a Frenchman got himself enlistedthe Austrian army. Since he knew no German he wastenterhooks. Now there was an old soldierhis unit who knew a little French and was anxioushelp. In fact he knew just about enough Frenchbe ableteach his young friend the shortest possible answers,the proper order ,the imperial questions.
The day arrived with all the sound and colour that befitted it. The Emperorall his splendour was seatedthe throne, his entourage attending respectfully in. the background. The soldiers filed past him, each taking barely half a minute during which time the questions were asked and the answers reverently provided.
When the Frenchman's turn came, far from being nerous he was surehimself, havi.ng recited the answers,the proper order, he did not know how many times. The Emperor looked at him long and hard and suddenly tookinto his head that he had seen the young man somewhere before. He began, a little outthe usual order, with the second question;
"How long have you beenmy army ?"
"Twenty-one years , " replied the Frenchman , not without some pridehis abilitylearn a foreign language so quickly and so well.
The monarch was surprised, for the young man did not look very much older than that , but he went onask:
"Then how old are you?"
"One day," came the answer.
That was too much for the Emperor, who sat back and muttered .
"Well , well. That beats me. It seems either you're mad oram. "
Positive that that was the lastthe imperial questions, the proud linguist stepped forward and with a smile said:
"Both, your majesty. "
Text B
What AmGoingDo?
Mr Davidsonstanding outside his house. He has forgottenbring his key with him. Henry Black and John Field walk past and they say "Hello"Mr Davidson. MR DAvIDSON: Hello, boys. Can you help me? I've forgotten my key andcan't get in.
JOHN AND HENRY: We'll try our best , Mr Davidson.
MR DAVIDSON: You're both taller than me, aren't you?
JoHN: Yes , I'm over five foot ten. I'm the tallestthe threeus.
HENRY: But I'm almost as tall as John.
MR DAVIDSON: Can you climbJohn's shoulders and reach that window?
HENRY: All right. (He climbsJohn's shoulders. ) What shalldo now?
MR DAVIDSON: Open the window, please, and climb throughinto the house.
HENRY: Oh dear ,can't move. It's fastenedside.
MR DAVIDSON: Can you break the window?
JoHN: Look ! There's a policeman ! He's coming towards us.
QuestionText B
7. Read the following passage once. Underline the key words while reading
and retell the storyyour partner.
Adventure at Midnight
Long ago there ived two brothers who were very poor. They livedtiny huts at opposite sidestheir large wheat field. At the endeach summer, when harvest time came, the brothers divided the grain they had grown into two equal parts. Someit they tookbe milled into flour, from which they baked bread. The rest was sold for money, with which they bought shoes, clothing, and tools.
Although they toiled from sunupsundown, six days a week, they hardly had enougheat. In spitethis, they were happy becausetheir great love for one another.
But one year, Sirnon, the younger brother. felt a great sadness.
His wife said, "Tell me whatmaking you so blue? You no longer sing while you work, and the twinklegone from your eye. "
"You are right , dear wife.am worried about my older brother , Ruben. Healonethe world, with neither wife nor children. Who will care for him when he gets old and can no longer work? If only he had some moneysave for his old age! It isn't fair that we share the harvest equally. But heproud and will not accept gifts from me. What shalldo?"
"Would you take food from your own children? " She askedastonishment. "Therenothing you can do, "'she said. "So forget it. "
Simon knew that his wife was right , but he was determinedhelp Ruben, come what might.
Meanwhile, Ruben was sitting under a tree, thinking deeply. When he noticed a birdthe wayits winter home, he said, that bird andare fortunate because we are free. Neitherus has a wife and children always needingbe fed. But my poor brother, Simon,burdened with a family.
"Itisn't fair that we share the harvest equally. Surely he deserves more than I! But hevery proud and will not accept gifts from me. What cando? In several days we'll take our harvesttown. Ifdon't thinka plan soon,will be too late. "
That night. when the moon was highthe sky, Ruben went quietlyhis barn where he filled a sack with wheat'?and puton his shoulder. Then he crossed the empty fieldhis brother's hut and secretly placed his wheat with Simon's.
"Ah." he said when he had finished, "thisbetter. Now my dear younger brother will have more than I. "
Ruben went happily backhis hut and slept soundly for the first timewceks.
An hour later, Simon woke up with a start. He had dreameda marvelous plan. He crept outbed, got dressed, and wenthis barn. Filling a sack with wheat., walking across the fieldRuben's hut, and placingthere took very little time. Before long, he was backbed, pulling up the covers.
"Nowcan sleep peacefully," he thought, "because Ruben will have a little extrasave for his old age. "
The next morning Ruhen and Simon were amazed. How could this be? 'hheir piles were equal, yet each knew he had secretly given wheathis brother. Something must have gone wrong.
So that night Ruben waited until midnight, when he again took Simon somehis grain. "There! Nowam fully awake and I'm sureput ithis pile. Tomorrow mine will be smaller and his larger, asshould be. "
A short time later, Simon did the same. He, too, was sure that all would be well this time.
But when day dawned, each brother saw that his share was exactly half the harvest. Ruben and Simon were desperate. Tomorrow they weregotownsell their grain. Tonight was their last chance.
Midnight came again. But this time Ruben and Simon chose the same momentcarry out their missionbrotherly love. Each placed a sackwheathis shoulders and beganwalk across the field. Halfway across they met.
"Ruben! What are you doing out so late at night?" cried Simondismay. He triedhide his sack.
Startled, Ruben dropped his bundle. Then he saw Simon's sack and they both beganlaugh. When they finished laughing, they hugged each other tightly. Their hearts were fulllove for each other and they were content.
Text A
A Proud Linguist
Once upon a time there was an Austrian emperor who madea ruleinterview every onehis soldiers once a year. During the interviews he invariably asked three questions- "How old are'you?", "How long have you beenmy army?" and "Are you satisfied with your pay and the food you get?" -in that order.
One year, the day before the imperial interviews, a Frenchman got himself enlistedthe Austrian army. Since he knew no German he wastenterhooks. Now there was an old soldierhis unit who knew a little French and was anxioushelp. In fact he knew just about enough Frenchbe ableteach his young friend the shortest possible answers,the proper order ,the imperial questions.
The day arrived with all the sound and colour that befitted it. The Emperorall his splendour was seatedthe throne, his entourage attending respectfully in. the background. The soldiers filed past him, each taking barely half a minute during which time the questions were asked and the answers reverently provided.
When the Frenchman's turn came, far from being nerous he was surehimself, havi.ng recited the answers,the proper order, he did not know how many times. The Emperor looked at him long and hard and suddenly tookinto his head that he had seen the young man somewhere before. He began, a little outthe usual order, with the second question;
"How long have you beenmy army ?"
"Twenty-one years , " replied the Frenchman , not without some pridehis abilitylearn a foreign language so quickly and so well.
The monarch was surprised, for the young man did not look very much older than that , but he went onask:
"Then how old are you?"
"One day," came the answer.
That was too much for the Emperor, who sat back and muttered .
"Well , well. That beats me. It seems either you're mad oram. "
Positive that that was the lastthe imperial questions, the proud linguist stepped forward and with a smile said:
"Both, your majesty. "
Text B
What AmGoingDo?
Mr Davidsonstanding outside his house. He has forgottenbring his key with him. Henry Black and John Field walk past and they say "Hello"Mr Davidson. MR DAvIDSON: Hello, boys. Can you help me? I've forgotten my key andcan't get in.
JOHN AND HENRY: We'll try our best , Mr Davidson.
MR DAVIDSON: You're both taller than me, aren't you?
JoHN: Yes , I'm over five foot ten. I'm the tallestthe threeus.
HENRY: But I'm almost as tall as John.
MR DAVIDSON: Can you climbJohn's shoulders and reach that window?
HENRY: All right. (He climbsJohn's shoulders. ) What shalldo now?
MR DAVIDSON: Open the window, please, and climb throughinto the house.
HENRY: Oh dear ,can't move. It's fastenedside.
MR DAVIDSON: Can you break the window?
JoHN: Look ! There's a policeman ! He's coming towards us.
QuestionText B
7. Read the following passage once. Underline the key words while reading
and retell the storyyour partner.
Adventure at Midnight
Long ago there ived two brothers who were very poor. They livedtiny huts at opposite sidestheir large wheat field. At the endeach summer, when harvest time came, the brothers divided the grain they had grown into two equal parts. Someit they tookbe milled into flour, from which they baked bread. The rest was sold for money, with which they bought shoes, clothing, and tools.
Although they toiled from sunupsundown, six days a week, they hardly had enougheat. In spitethis, they were happy becausetheir great love for one another.
But one year, Sirnon, the younger brother. felt a great sadness.
His wife said, "Tell me whatmaking you so blue? You no longer sing while you work, and the twinklegone from your eye. "
"You are right , dear wife.am worried about my older brother , Ruben. Healonethe world, with neither wife nor children. Who will care for him when he gets old and can no longer work? If only he had some moneysave for his old age! It isn't fair that we share the harvest equally. But heproud and will not accept gifts from me. What shalldo?"
"Would you take food from your own children? " She askedastonishment. "Therenothing you can do, "'she said. "So forget it. "
Simon knew that his wife was right , but he was determinedhelp Ruben, come what might.
Meanwhile, Ruben was sitting under a tree, thinking deeply. When he noticed a birdthe wayits winter home, he said, that bird andare fortunate because we are free. Neitherus has a wife and children always needingbe fed. But my poor brother, Simon,burdened with a family.
"Itisn't fair that we share the harvest equally. Surely he deserves more than I! But hevery proud and will not accept gifts from me. What cando? In several days we'll take our harvesttown. Ifdon't thinka plan soon,will be too late. "
That night. when the moon was highthe sky, Ruben went quietlyhis barn where he filled a sack with wheat'?and puton his shoulder. Then he crossed the empty fieldhis brother's hut and secretly placed his wheat with Simon's.
"Ah." he said when he had finished, "thisbetter. Now my dear younger brother will have more than I. "
Ruben went happily backhis hut and slept soundly for the first timewceks.
An hour later, Simon woke up with a start. He had dreameda marvelous plan. He crept outbed, got dressed, and wenthis barn. Filling a sack with wheat., walking across the fieldRuben's hut, and placingthere took very little time. Before long, he was backbed, pulling up the covers.
"Nowcan sleep peacefully," he thought, "because Ruben will have a little extrasave for his old age. "
The next morning Ruhen and Simon were amazed. How could this be? 'hheir piles were equal, yet each knew he had secretly given wheathis brother. Something must have gone wrong.
So that night Ruben waited until midnight, when he again took Simon somehis grain. "There! Nowam fully awake and I'm sureput ithis pile. Tomorrow mine will be smaller and his larger, asshould be. "
A short time later, Simon did the same. He, too, was sure that all would be well this time.
But when day dawned, each brother saw that his share was exactly half the harvest. Ruben and Simon were desperate. Tomorrow they weregotownsell their grain. Tonight was their last chance.
Midnight came again. But this time Ruben and Simon chose the same momentcarry out their missionbrotherly love. Each placed a sackwheathis shoulders and beganwalk across the field. Halfway across they met.
"Ruben! What are you doing out so late at night?" cried Simondismay. He triedhide his sack.
Startled, Ruben dropped his bundle. Then he saw Simon's sack and they both beganlaugh. When they finished laughing, they hugged each other tightly. Their hearts were fulllove for each other and they were content.