Lesson Thirty-six Across the cannel
Debbie Hart is going to swim across the English Channel tomorrow.
She is going to set out from the French coast at five o’clock in the morning.
Debbie is only eleven years old and she hopes to set up a new world record.
She is a strong swimmer and many people feel that she is sure to succeed.
Debbie’s father will set out with her in a small boat. Mr. Hart has trained his
Daughter for years. Tomorrow he will be watching her anxiously as
She swims the long distance to England. Debbie intends to take short rests every
Two hours. She will have something to drink but she will not eat any solid food.
Most of Debbie’s school friends will be waiting for her on the English coast.
Among them will be Debbie’s mother, who swam the Channel herself
When she was a girl.
Lesson Thirty-seven The Olympic Games
The Olympic Games will be held in our country in four years’ time.
As a great many people will be visiting the country, the government
Will be building new hotels, an immense stadium, and a new
Olympic-standard swimming pool. They will also be building new roads and
A special railway line. The Games will be held just outside the capital
And the whole area will be called ‘Olympic city’. Workers will have completed
The new roads by the end of this year. By the end of next year, they will have
Finished work on the new stadium. The fantastic modern buildings
Have been designed by Kurt Gunter. Everybody will be watching anxiously as
the new buildings have been designed by Kurt Gunter. Everybody will be
watching anxiously as the new buildings go up. We are all very excited and
looking forward to he Olympic Games because they have never been held
before in this country.
Lesson Thirty-eight Everything except the weather
My old friend, Harrison, had lived in the Mediterranean for many years
Before he returned to England. He had often dreamed of retiring
In England and had planned to settle down in the country.
He had no sooner returned than he bought a house and went to live there.
Almost immediately he began to complain about the weather, for even
Though it was still summer, it rained continually and it was often bitterly cold.
After so many years of sunshine, Harrison got a shock. He acted
As if had never lived in England before. In the end, it was more than
He could bear. He had hardly had time to settle down when he sold the
House and left the country. The dream he had had for so many years
Ended there. Harrison had thought of everything except the weather.
Lesson Thirty-nine Am I all right
While John Gilbert was in hospital, he asked his doctor to tell him
whether his operation Had been successful, but the doctor refused to do so.
The following day, the patient asked for a bedside telephone.
When he was alone, he telephoned the hospital exchange and asked for Doctor
Millington. When the doctor answered the phone,
Mr. Gilbert said he was inquiring about a certain patient, a Mr. John Gilbert.
He asked if Mr. Gilbert’s operation had been successful and the doctor told him
That it had been. He then asked when Mr. Gilbert would be allowed to go
Home and the doctor told him that he would have to stay in hospital
For another two weeks. Then Dr. Millington asked the caller if he was a relative
Of the patient. ‘No,’ then patient answered, ‘I am Mr. John Gilbert.’
Lesson Forty Food and talk
Last week at a dinner party, the hostess asked me to sit next to Mrs. Rumbold.
Mrs. Rumbold was a large, unsmiling lady in a tight black dress.
She did no even look up when I took my seat beside her. Her eyes were
Fixed on her plate and in a short time, she was busy eating. I tried to make conversation.
‘A new play is coming to ‘The Globe soon,’ I said. ‘will you be seeing it?’
‘No,’ she answered.
‘Will you be spending your holidays aboard this year?’ I asked.
‘No,’ she answered.
‘Will you be staying in England?’ I asked.
‘No,’ she answered.
In despair, I asked her whether she was enjoying her dinner.
‘Young man,’ she answered, ‘if you ate more and talked less,
We would both enjoy our dinner!’
