ГЛАГОЛЫ В СКОБКАХ ПОСТАВИТЬ В НУЖНОЕ ВРЕМЯ.
Read the stories, put the verbs in brackets into the right tense form.
2) At the Art Dealers
The little bell on the front door (jingle). A stranger (walk) in. “That picture (I can/see) in the window?” he said. “That still life. Who (be) it by?” “Paul Cezanne.”
“Cezanne? I (never/hear) of him. Is it for sale?” “Air, no, alas, (it/already/ sell).”
Madam Tanguy (see) her chance. A little woman with hard, thin face and bitter eyes, she quickly (rise) from the chair, (throw) off her apron, (push) Pore Tanguy out of the way, and (run) up to the man eagerly.
“But of course it is for sale. It is a beautiful still life. Is it not, Monsieur? ...
you (ever/see) such apples before? We (sell) it to you cheap, if you admire it.” “How much?” “How much, Tanguy?” (ask) Madame Tanguy raising her voice.
Tanguy (swallow) hard. “Three hundred...” “Tanguy!”
“Then, one hundred francs!”
“A hundred francs? I wonder...” said the stranger. “For an unknown painter...
I’m afraid that’s too expensive. I (not/think) I can afford it. I only (prepare) to spend about twenty five.”
The canvas immediately (take) out of the window and (put) before the customer.
“See. Monsieur, it (be) a big picture. There (be) four apples. Four apples (be) a hundred francs. You only want to spend twenty five.” Madam Tanguy (break) off. Suddenly she (suggest): “Then you (can/not/take) one apple? The price is only twenty five francs.”
When the price (mention), the man (begin/to study) the canvas with new interest. “Yes, I could do that. It’s a fair offer. Just (cut) this apple the full length of the canvas and I (take) it.”
Madame (hurry) to her apartment and (return) with a pair of scissors. The end apple (cut) off, (wrap) in a piece of paper and hand to the man. He (pay) the money and (walk) out with the canvas under his arm. The spoiled masterpiece lay on the counter.
“My favourite Cezanne!” (cry) Tanguy unhappily. “I (miss) it so! I put it in the window. I (want) people to see it for a moment and go away happy.”
Madam Tanguy (interrupt) him. “Next time someone (want) a Cezanne and (have/not) much money, sell him an apple. Take anything you can get for it. They (be) worthless anyway, he paints so many of them.
3) Mr Sellyer’s bookshop is across the street from my house. It (be) in a tall modern building and it is quite famous. It is always full of people.
I often (go) there to (look) through new books. In fact, there’s nothing I (like) better than to (look) through the various books he (have) on his shelves. When I (go) to Mr Sellyer’s shop I usually (spend) there several hours.
On that day while I (look) through the books I (watch) Mr Sellyer at work. I (describe) some of his methods to you. A lady (come) into the shop and (ask) for a book.
“Any book or something special?” said Mr Sellyer showing her “Golden Dreams”. “Mr Slush is а famous author and this is his latest book. It is interesting enough to read. The readers (like) his books.”
Another lady (enter) the shop. She was in black. Mr Sellyer also (give) her “Golden Dreams”. “It’s a beautiful book,” he said, “A love story, very simple, but sad, of course. When my wife (read) it she (cry) all the time.”
“You (have) any good light reading for vacation time?” asked the next customer. Mr Sellyer (recommend) “Golden Dreams” again. “The most humorous book of the season,” he said. “My wife (begin) laughing the minute she (take) it. It’s her favourite book now.”
Every customer who (enter) the shop (go) away with “Golden Dreams”. To one lady he (describe) it as the reading for a holiday, to another as a book to read on a rainy day and to a fourth as the right book for a fine day.
It was about four o’clock and time to go home. But before I (leave) the shop I (come) up to Mr Sellyer. I (want) to (discuss) “Golden Dreams” with him.
“You (like) the book yourself?” I asked.
“I have no time to read every book in my shop.” “But your wife (like) the book?”
“I’m not married, sir,” answered Mr Sellyer smiling.
4) Food And Talk
Last week at a dinner party the hostess (ask) me to sit next to Mrs Rumbold. She (be) a large unsmiling lady in a tight black dress. She (not look) up when I (take) my seat beside her. Her eyes (be fixed) on her plate and in a short time she (be) busy eating. I (try) 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 abroad this year?” “No,” she said.
“Will you be staying in England?” I asked. “No,” she answered.
In despair I (ask) her whether she (enjoy) her dinner. “Young man,” she answered, “if you eat more and talk less, we shall both enjoy our dinner.”
