Ex. 8. Revision: render the following texts reporting the direct speech.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 525.

B. Say these sentences in another way using the prompt at the end of the line. Pay particular attention to the verb tenses and pronouns.

1. The Broken Vase

There was once a young man who was in love with a beautiful girl. The girl's parents were rich but the young man was very poor. When the girl's birthday was coming, the young man wanted to make her a present. He wanted to buy something beautiful for her, but he had no idea what to buy. Beautiful things cost a lot of money and he had very little. He went into a shop where there were many beautiful things, but they were all too dear. Then he saw a beautiful vase. The vase was so beautiful that he could not take his eyes off it.

«That would be a good present for the girl I live», he thought.

The owner of the shop saw this.

«Why are you so interested in that vase?» he asked. «Do you want to buy it?»

«No, I can't», said the young man and told him everything.

The owner of the shop thought a moment and then said, «I can help you. Do you see that broken vase in the corner there? I shall order my servant to pack the pieces and take it to the girl you love. When he enters the room, he will drop it».

On the girl's birthday everything happened as had been planned. The servant brought the vase, and as he entered the room, he dropped it. Everybody was shocked. But when the vase was unpacked, the guests saw that each piece had been packed separately.

2. The Old Indian Is Quite Modern

One day a small group of tourists came to a part of America where they could see neither villages nor people for many days. At last they met an old Indian. He knew everything about the forest, the animals living in it, the weather and many other things. He could speak English.

«Can you tell us what the weather will be like during the next few days?» one of the tourists asked him.

«Oh, yes», he said. «Rain is coming. Then there will be snow for a day or two, but then the sun will come again and the weather will be fine. It will be very warm».

«These old Indians didn't go to school but they know more than we do», said the man to his friends. Then he turned to the old Indian.

«Tell me», he said, «how do you know all that?»

The Indian answered, «I heard it on the radio».

3. Trying to Speak English

Juan was a Spanish student. He wanted to go to Britain where he could speak English with real English people.

His sister's husband was an Englishman, and they lived in England. When Juan wrote to her, she invited him to stay with her. She met him at the airport in her car and, of course, spoke Spanish all the time. «Never mind», he thought, «the husband speaks English…» But this Englishman spoke Spanish, too.

Juan's sister had only Spanish friends and Juan did not speak a word of English while he was staying with her.

One morning Juan saw the postman and was very glad to see him. He quickly opened the door and said, «Good morning». The postman said «Good morning» and walked away.

At last Juan's big day came. One of his sister's friends was going to have a party and invited Juan to it. «Now I shall meet real English people and speak English with them», he thought.

When the party began, a girl came up to him and said, «How nice that you are Spanish. I am having a Spanish examination soon. I can practise on you». And in Spanish she invited him to dance.

From that moment Juan stopped trying to speak English. «I must go to another town to speak English», he said to himself.