Page 55 - Learn English with short stories
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Lesson 17. Topic: An untrue story.
Task 1. Read and translate the text.
An untrue story.
When the Ambassador came back home, his wife got a shock. He
looked pale and his clothes were in a frightful state. «How did your clothes
get into such a mess? I want you to explain what has happened’, - she asked
in a commanding voice. The Ambassador started making up a story. «You
know, I was in my office as usual, when I noticed an air balloon making
circles round the Embassy and its territory. I could make out two men in the
basket under the balloon and one of them was holding a pair of binoculars. I
thought they were spies and got very angry. I took my licensed gun and
climbed up to the roof of our 6-storey building. I fired a shot. The
Ambassador paused for a moment, as if trying to remember what happened
next. And then went on. «The basket landed onto the roof. To my surprise,
the two men were my assistants, those fools, Horst and Max. Yet, the
Ambassador’s wife couldn't understand why his clothes were so dirty. "How
can you explain that? I would like you to tell the truth", she asked. He
didn’t hesitate to answer: «Oh, you know, the balloon was on fire. Trying to
put it out, Horst aimed the fire extinguisher on me. I didn’t expect him to do
so. "You must definitely fire both guys. They cause too much trouble", was
his wife’s verdict. It was clear that the Ambassador did not tell the truth.
His wife never discovered what had happened in reality.
Task 2. Write down and learn the new words.
A fire, a fire extinguisher, to fire a shot, to fire somebody (to terminate
the employment contract), an ambassador, an embassy, a mess, clothes, a
balloon, an air balloon, territory, a spy, a state, a condition, to make out, to
remember, to pause, to tell the truth, to tell lies, to lie, to put out a fire, to
hold, to climb, to land, to hesitate, to cause, a roof, a trouble, a basket, a
circle, definitely, dirty, a fool, a guy, a gun, a license, a licensed gun, an
office, an assistant, 6-storey building, to aim / an aim.
Task 3. Answer the questions.
Why did the Ambassador’s wife get a shock when he came back home?
What did his wife want him to explain?
What did the Ambassador see when he was working in his office that
day?
