1. I'd just parked my car in the street near a football stadium in Liverpool.

It (be)__________________ten minutes before the start of the match and I (be)__________________in a hurry. Two little boys (come)__________________up to me and (say), "Give me some money and we (look)__________________after your car while you are at the match". I (tell)__________________them to clear off, and one of them (look)__________________at me with big, round eyes and said, "Unless you (give)__________________us the money, something might happen to your car while you are away, you know, a scratch or a flat or something like that." 2. It was early evening. It (begin)__________________to get dark in the surgery of Doctor Nigel Harris. The young, handsome doctor (stand)__________________looking sadly out of the window when there was a quite knock at the surgery door. The door (open)__________________and Dr. Harris (turn)__________________round to see the young girl who had just entered the room. She was very beautiful. With a sad smile the doctor (ask), "Are you the new nurse?" 3. My most embarrassing experience happened when I had just left university. I just (start)__________________teaching in a secondary school. One morning my alarm clock (not ring), I (forget)__________________to wind it up. I woke up at half past eight and school (begin)__________________at 9. I quickly washed, shaved, dressed, and jumped into my car and (drive)__________________to school. When I arrived, the students already (be)__________________in class. I didn't go to the staff-room but (go)__________________straight into the class. After two or three minutes the students (begin)__________________laughing and I couldn't know why. Suddenly I (look)__________________down and understood. I (put)__________________on one black shoe and one brown shoe. 4. My name is Lynne Carter. I work for a travel company called Timeways Travel. I've been a travel agent for six years now. I (be)__________________a manager of Timeways Travel London office. I (have)__________________this job for three years. I've got a new flat in London . I (live)__________________there for six months. My boyfriend's name is Bruno. We (know)__________________each other for two years. Bruno is Italian, but he (live)__________________in England for over five years. He works for BBC studio. He (have)__________________this job for a year. 5. Today there (be)__________________more than 3,000 different (speak)__________________languages in the world. English (be)__________________the most widely spoken language, over 350 million people (speak)__________________it but more people speak Chinese. You may wonder why English (more widely/speak)__________________although more people speak Chinese. This is because people who (speak)__________________Chinese are found in China but English (speak)__________________by people (find)__________________in almost every corner of the world. 6. Maria Fernandez is Spanish. She lives in Madrid, where she (work)__________________for an export company. She (be)__________________with this company for two years now. At the moment she (study)__________________English on a one-month intensive course in London. She (be)__________________in London for one week now. She (arrive)__________________there last Saturday. This is not Maria's first time in Britain. She (be)__________________there twice before. 7. Language is one of man's most precious possessions. Without it, he (be)__________________unable to exchange ideas with his fellow men. In the Middle Ages, Latin (be)__________________the universal language. Most university classes were conducted in Latin, and all important documents (be)__________________written in that language. Gradually, however Latin (fall)__________________into disuse, and by the 18th century, French (become)__________________the language of diplomacy. Today, however English is commonly used to transact international affairs. For this reason, English (be)__________________referred to as a universal language. There are various reasons why English (come)__________________to occupy the important position today. The few dialects in English (give)__________________advantages of being a standard language in addition. English has ambiguities that are found in many other modern tongues. This (make)__________________it ideal for the transaction of business and international affairs.

ANSWER KEY 1. I'd just parked my car in the street near a football stadium in Liverpool. It was ten minutes before the start of the match and I was in a hurry. Two little boys came up to me and said, "Give me some money and we will look after your car while you are at the match". I told them to clear off, and one of them looked at me with big, round eyes and said, "Unless you give us the money, something might happen to your car while you are away, you know, a scratch or a flat or something like that." 2 It was early evening it was beginning to get dark in the surgery of Doctor Nigel Harris. The young, handsome doctor was standing looking sadly out of the window when there was a quite knock at the surgery door. The door opened and Dr. Harris turned round to see the young girl who had just entered the room. She was very beautiful. With a sad smile the doctor asked, "Are you the new nurse?" 3 My most embarrassing experience happened when I had just left university. I justhad just started teaching in a secondary school. One morning my alarm clock did not ring, I had forgotten to wind it up. I woke up at half past eight and school began at 9. I quickly washed, shaved, dressed, and jumped into my car and drove to school. When I arrived, the students already had already been in class. I didn't go to the staff-room but went straight into the class. After two or three minutes the studentsbegan laughing and I couldn't know why. Suddenly I looked down and understood. Ihad put on one black shoe and one brown shoe. 4.My name is Lynne Carter. I work for a travel company called Timeways Travel. I've been a travel agent for six years now. I am a manager of Timeways Travel London office. I have had this job for three years. I've got a new flat in London. I have livedthere for six months. My boyfriend's name is Bruno. We have known each other for two years. Bruno is Italian, but he has lived in England for over five years. He works for BBC studio. He has had this job for a year. 5. Today there are more than 3,000 different spoken languages in the world. English isthe most widely spoken language, over 350 million people speak it but more people speak Chinese. You may wonder why English is more widely spoken although more people speak Chinese. This is because people who speak Chinese are found in China but English is spoken by people found in almost every corner of the world. 6 Maria Fernandez is Spanish. She lives in Madrid, where she works for an export company. She has been with this company for two years now. At the moment she is studying English on a one-month intensive course in London. She has been in London for one week now. She arrived there last Saturday. This is not Maria's first time in Britain. She has been there twice before. 7 Language is one of man's most precious possessions. Without it, he would beunable to exchange ideas with his fellow men. In the Middle Ages, Latin was the universal language. Most university classes were conducted in Latin, and all important documents were written in that language. Gradually, however Latin fellinto disuse, and by the 18th century, French had become the language of diplomacy. Today, however English is commonly used to transact international affairs. For this reason, English is referred to as a universal language. There are various reasons why English has come to occupy the important position today. The few dialects in English give advantages of being a standard language in addition. English has ambiguities that are found in many other modern tongues. Thismakes it ideal for the transaction of business and international affairs.