If I Don't Do Anything Else

Lesson 22

            Text A

If I Don't Do Anything Else
    Yesterday morning Paul said to himself. "I've got to write that economics paper today. If I don't do anything else, I've got to write that paper. "
    He sat down at his desk and put a sheet. of paper into his typewriter. He looked out of the window, ate a piece of candy, got up to get a drink of water, brushed his teeth, and sat down at his desk again.

    "I haven't written my family since Thanksgiving," he said to himself. "I'll write them a letter first. "
    Paul wrote his family a long letter. "My typewriter needs a new ribbon. I've got to change this ribbon before I write my
economics paper."

    The ink from the typewriter ribbon got his hands very dirty, so he washed them and washed them. While he was washing his hands, he noticed that his fingernails were much too long. He cut them very carefully and then went back to his desk. He put a sheet of paper into his typewriter . looked out of the wiudow, and looked at his watch. It was noon.
    "I'll get some lunch now,".he said to himself. "After lunch I'll write that paper, if I don't do anything else. "

               Text B

          I'll Find My Way

    The day of Uncle George's arrival is here. Everything is ready, but Uncle George and his family haven't arrived. Uncle George can't find his way to the Miller home. Mrs Miller gives him specific directions on the telephone. MRS MILI.ER:   Please answer the telephone, Mary.
MARY:   Hello. Uncle George? Where are you? Wait a minute, please. I'll call Mother.
   Mother,it's Uncle George.
MRs MII.I.ER:   George, dear. Where are you? At the corner of Pine and State 5treet? Wait 
   there. Michael can come and get you.
UNCLE GEORGE:   No. It's not necessary. We drove the car. Give me the directions. I'll find my
   way.
MRS MILLER:   Go north on State Street to Main Street. There's a large statue there. Turn
   left. Continue to Grove Avenue. Turn right. Continue on Grove Avenue to
   Seventh  Street.Turn left. We're in the middle of the block. Can you repeat
   the directions, George?
UNCLE GEORGE:   I think so. I have to go north on State Street to Main Street. I turn left to 
   Grove Avenue. I continue on Grove Avenue. I turn right. I continue on Grove
   Avenue to Seventh Street. I turn left and go to the middle of the block.
MRs MILLER:   That's it. I'll see you soon, George. Mary, is the table set?
MARY:   Yes, Mother. Come and look.
MRs MILLER:   It looks very pretty. Thank you, Mary.

　
 
                              Questions on Text B

7. Read the following passage once. Underline the key words while reading
and retell the story to your partner.

A Break in the Routine
    Jonathan Rivers lived alone in a neat, two-storey, semi-detached house
in Compton Street. Like many bachelors approaching middle age, be was getting rather set in his ways. He caught the same train to London every morning, ate his lunch in the same crowded restaurant near the office where he worked and always came home on the 6. 00 train. People were so used to seeing Jonathan set off at a quarter past eight, dressed in a. sjmple dark suit. wearing a black bowler hat and carrying a rolled umbrella on his arm, that they said you didn't need to wear a watch if you lived in Compton Street.

    Ever since Jonathan had set up house in Compton Street, he had looked after it very carefully. He worked hard in the garden every Sunday and set out to impress the neighbours with his flower beds and lawn. Before he left the house in the mornings, he carefully closed all the doors downstairs, opened some windows to let the air in and locked the front door. Everything Jonathan did was tidy and systematic.

    One summer evening Jonathan returned home as usual at five minutes to seven precisely.When he opened the front gate he immediately noticed something strange. There was a heavy footprint in the earth in one of the ftower beds. Jonathan was just going to blame the milkman or the postman when he noticed that one of the white lace curtains in the front room downstairs was out of place. Jonathan never left anything out of place.

    He walked up to the front door and opened it quietly. He listened carefully for a few moments but could hear nothing. The front-room door was halt-open. Jonathan studied it thoughtfully, wondering if he had forgotten to close it that morning. He had never forgotten before. He stepped silently across the hall to the door and looked inside the room. The shadow of a man was clearly reflected on the far wall in the evening sunlight. He had obvioasly been standing behind the door since Jonathan's return. ]onathan grabbed the door-handle, sla;nmed' the door and turned the key. Then he calmly picked up the telephone in the hall and set about calling the police.

    The burglar, a tall, thick-set, bearded fellow, tried to climb through a window to get out but )onathan had expected'that. He set about him with his umbrella, using it like a swoid. Three minutes later the police arrived on the scene. Jonathan was a little annoyed that he had to have dinner laterthan usual but on the whole he felt quite pleased with himself.