1. Find out the key sentence of it;

2. Entitle the story;

3. Prove your point of view.

Mark Twain, in making an afternoon speech, once said: “Speaking of fresh eggs, I am reminded of the town of Squash. In my early lecturing days I went to Squash to lecture in Temperance Hall, arriving in the afternoon. The town seemed very poorly billed. I thought I’d find out if the people knew anything at all about what was in store for them. So I turned in at the general store. “Good afternoon, friend,” I said to the general storekeeper. “Any entertainment here tonight to help a stranger while away his evening?””

The storekeeper, who was sorting mackerel, straightened up, wiped his briny hands on his apron, and said:

“I expect there’s going to be a lecture. I’ve been selling eggs all day.”

Ex.11. Compare your variant to your classmates’.

Did anybody make you change your mind?

Ex.12. Read the story again.

Imagine Mark Twain’s reaction to the storekeeper’s words.

Ex.13. What did the writer think about on his way back from the general store? (Внутренний монолог).

Ex.14. If you put the words in the correct order you’ll get another piece of information about Mark Twain.

Mark Twain once said:

“Years, seven, in, learned, a, was, I, when, had, he, much, how, fourteen, of, I, boy, at, surprised, was, I, my, that, thought, always, twenty-one, became, I, when, anything, know, didn’t, father, but, company, his, enjoy, didn’t, I, and.”

Ex.15. Consult the key and make corrections if necessary.

Ex.16. What’s the idea of Mark Twain’s words?

Can you refer his words to yourself?

Ex.17. If you match the two halves correctly you’ll get another interesting story about the great humorist. Write down the story.

1. Somebody once asked	A. and even knives to draw stars find faces,
Twain whether	B. the school principal said:
	C. he could remember the first money he
2. “I remember quite well,”	ever earned.
	D. at school.
3. It happened	E. five dollars,
	F. I had to go to my father
4. Schoolboys in those days	G. to connect our name with such things.
	H. to receive a beating instead,
5. The boys used pens and	I. the famous writer answered.
pencils	J. or to write their names on their desks.
	K. he will have to pay
6. At last,	L. that I could agree
	M. had very little respect for their teachers
7. “Soon, after that, ”	and even less for their desks.
	N. “The next time anybody does such a thing,”
8. I was honest enough to	O. and ask him to give me five dollars.
explain	P. or he will receive a beating
	Q. but he said:
9. So	R. in front of the whole school.
	S. “No, I can’t allow you”
10. But you must	T. I’ll pay five dollars.
	U. Suffer for what you have done.
11. I’ll give you	V. And then, gave me the five dollars to take to school.
	W. And another beating at school wouldn’t
12. “So he beat me, ”	be worse.
13. But I decided	X. to give me a beating in front of the whole school, and kept the five dollars.
	Y. that the beating didn’t hurt so much,
14. So I told them	Z. the beating here, at home.

Ex.18. Consult the key and make corrections if necessary.

Ex.19. Read the whole text attentively. You can’t (help) but notice that the last sentence is missing. Try to guess it.

Ex.20. Consult the key again.