One Man in a Boat

Fishing is my favorite sport. I often fish for hours without catching anything. But this does not worry me. Some fishermen are unlucky. Instead of catching fish, the catch old boots and rubbish. I am even less lucky. I never catch anything – not even old boots.

Sold Out

‘The play may begin at any moment,’ I said.

‘It may have begun already,’ Susan answered.

I hurried to the ticket-office. ‘May I have two ticket please?’ I asked.

‘I’m sorry, we’ve sold out,’ the girl said.

‘What a pity!’ Susan exclaimed.

He Often Does This

After I had had lunch at a village inn, I looked for my bag. I had left it on a chair beside the door and now it wasn’t there! As I was looking for it, the inn-keeper came in.

Always Young

My aunt Jennifer is an actress. She must be at least thirty-five years old. In spite of this, she often appears on the stage as a young girl. Jennifer will take part in a new play soon. This time, she will be a girl of seventeen. In the play, she must appear in a bright red dress and long black stockings.

A Polite Request

If you park your car in the wrong place, a traffic policeman will soon find it. You will be very lucky if he lets you go without a ticket. However, this does not always happen. Traffic policemen are sometimes very polite.

Good News

The secretary told me that Mr Harmsworth would see me. I felt very nervous when I went into his office. He did not look up from his desk when I entered. After I had sat down, he said that business was very bad. He told me that the firm could not afford to pay such large salaries. Twenty people had already left. I knew that my turn had come.

Do You Speak English?

I had an amusing experience last year. After I had left a small village in the south of French, I drove on to the next town. On the way, a young man waved to me. I stopped and he asked me for a lift. As soon as he got into the car, I said good morning to him in French and he replied in the same language.

The Greenwood Boys

The Greenwood Boys are a group of popular singers. At present, they are visiting all parts of the country. They will be arriving here tomorrow. They will be coming by train and most of the young people in the town will be meeting them at the station.

Good Bye and Good Luck

Our neighbour, Captain Charles Alison, will sail from Portsmouth tomorrow. We shall meet him at the harbour early in the morning. He will be in his small boat, Topsail.

One Good Turn Deserves Another

I was having dinner at a restaurant when Harry Steele came in. Harry worked in a lawyer’s office years ago, but now he is working at a bank. He gets a good salary, but he always borrows money from his friends and never pays it back.

Not For Jazz

We have an old musical instrument. It is called a clavichord. It was made in Germany in 1681. Our clavichord is kept in the living-room. It has belonged to our family for a long time. The instrument was bought by my grandfather many years ago.

A Cold Welcome

On Wednesday evening, we went to the Town Hall. It was the last day of the year and a large crowd of people had gathered under the Town Hall clock. It would strike twelve in twenty minutes’ time. Fifteen minutes passed and then, at five to twelve, the clock stopped. The big minute hand did not move. We waited and waited, but nothing happened.

The Best And The Worst

Joe Sanders has the most beautiful garden in our town. Nearly everybody enters for ‘The Nicest Garden Competition’ each year, but Joe wins every time. Bill Frith’s garden is larger than Joe’s.

Please Send Me A Card

Postcards always spoil my holidays. Last summer, I went to Italy. I visited museums and sat in public gardens. A friendly waiter taught me a few words of Italian. Then he lent me a book. I read a few lines, but I did not understand a word.

No Wrong Number

Mr James Scott has a garage in Silbury and now he has just bought another garage in Pinhurst. Pinhurst is only five miles from Silbury, but Mr Scott cannot get a telephone for his new garage, so he has just bought twelve pigeons.

An Exciting Trip

I have just received a letter from my bother, Tim. He is in Australia. He has been there for six months. Tim is an engineer. He is working for a big firm and he has already visited a great number of different places in Australia.

Too Late

The plane was late and detectives were waiting at the airport all morning. They were expecting a valuable parcel of diamonds from South Africa. A few hours earlier, someone had told the police that thieves would try to steal the diamonds.

Percy Buttons

I have just moved to a house in Bridge Street. Yesterday, a beggar knocked at my door. He asked me for a meal and a glass of beer. In return for this, the beggar stood on his head and sang songs. I gave him a meal. He ate the food and drank the beer. Then he put a piece of cheese in his pocket and went away.

Breakfast or Lunch?

It was Sunday. I never get early on Sundays. I sometimes stay in bed until lunch time. Last Sunday, I got up very late. I looked out of the window. It was dark outside. “What a day!” I thought. “It’s raining again.”

Just then, the telephone rang. It was my aunt Lucy. “I’ve just arrived by train,” she said. “I’m coming to see you.”

A Private Conversation

Last week I went to the theatre. I had a very good seat. The play was very interesting. I did not enjoy it. A young man and a young woman were sitting behind me. They were talking loudly. I got very angry. I could not hear the actors.