THE LOVE DRUG

Ex.1) Read the text and fill in the gaps with the verbs in past tenses.
Jim, a young car-driver, 1______ (be) a boarder at old Riddles. He was in love with Rosy,
Mr. Riddles only daughter and Rosy was in love with him. They 2______________ (want) to get married,
but her father was against it as he hoped to find a rich husband for his daughter.
One evening Jim and Rosy 3____________ (decide) to elope, but the girl 4 ____ often____________
(change) her mind before, so the young man wanted to give her the love drug to be sure that Rosy
5_________________ (keep) her promise.
Jim had a friend called Pilkins who worked as a night clerk at a drug-store. Jim 6________ (tell)
Pilkins about his plans and asked his friend to help him. Jim 7__________________ (not know) that Pilkins
was his rival as the latter was secretly in love with Rosy.
Pilkins crushed two tablets, which contained a quarter of grain of morphia, to a powder and
hand) that love drug to Jim telling him to give it to Rosy with water. He also said that
the powder 9__________ ________ (make) the girl sleep for several hours.
8__________(

When Jim 10_______________ (go) Pilkins 11_____________ (run) to Mr. Riddle and 12_________ (tell)
him everything. The father was furious; later he loaded his gun and wanted to shoot Jim at night.
Pilkins 13_________ (go) home and waited for the news of the tragedy. In the morning the first
man he 14________ (see) when he stepped out of the shop was Jim who seized his friends hand and
15_______ (say) that he and Rosy had been married the previous night. Then he told Pilkins that he
16______________ (put) the powder in old Riddles coffee because he 17 _____________________
(decide) not to play any tricks on the girl.
(Abridged version. The Love Drug by O.Henry)

Ex. 2) Jim and Rosy invite you to their wedding party but the invitation is not right. Put the sentences
in the correct order.
wonderful party.
Come to Jim
priest will marry
the church in Park
them. We will enjoy a
Street where the local
and Rosys wedding at

______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

Ex. 3) Describe these people using the adjectives from the box. Then explain your choice.
talkative/ lovely / angry / shy / friendly/ mean / dishonest / pretty / strict / frank / secretive / jealous / arrogant/
1. Jim is ________________________________
3. Pilkins is _____________________________
Ex.4) You are Pilkins. You lost your job.
Complete this form to find a new job.
Name: ____________________________
Age: ______________________________
Last job: __________________________
I can _____________________________
__________________________________
I am ______________________________
___________________________________
Id like_____________________________
____________________________________

2. Rosy is ___________________________
4. Mr. Riddle is ______________________
Ex. 5) Match the opposites.
1 marry
a) insincere
2 happy
b) enemy
3 frank
c) poor
4 talkative
d) divorce
5 furious
e) sad
6 rival f) comedy
7 secretly
g) quiet
8 rich
h) pleased
9 friend
i) companion
10 tragedy
j) openly

KEY
Exercise 1
Jim, a young car-driver, 1was a boarder at old Riddles. He was in love with Rosy, Mr. Riddles
only daughter, and Rosy was in love with him. They2 wanted to get married, but her father was
against it as he hoped to find a rich husband for his daughter.
One evening Jim and Rosy 3 decided to elope, but the girl 4 had often changed her mind
before, so the young man wanted to give her the love drug to be sure that Rosy 5 would keep her
promise.
Jim had a friend called Pilkins who worked as a night clerk at a drug-store. Jim 6 told Pilkins
about his plans and asked his friend to help him. Jim 7 didnt know that Pilkins was his rival as the
latter was secretly in love with Rosy.
Pilkins crushed two tablets, which contained a quarter of grain of morphia, to a powder and 8
handed that love drug to Jim telling him to give it to Rosy with water. He also said that the powder
9 would make the girl sleep for several hours.
When Jim 10 had gone Pilkins 11 ran to Mr. Riddle and 12 told him everything. The father was
furious, later he loaded his gun and wanted to shoot Jim at night.
Pilkins 13 went home and waited for the news of the tragedy. In the morning the first man he 14
saw when he stepped out of the shop was Jim who seized his friends hand and 15 said that he and
Rosy had been married the previous night. Then he told Pilkins that he 16 had pu the powder in old
Riddles coffee because he 17 had decided not to play any tricks on the girl.
(Abridged version. The Love Drug by O.Henry)

Exercise 2
Come to Jims and Rosys wedding at the church in Park Street where the priest will marry
them. We will enjoy a wonderful party.
Exercises 3 and 4
Students own answers
Exercise 5
1 d 2 e 3 a 4 g 5 h 6 i 7 j 8 c 9 b 10 f