Thirteen Equals One

Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another, but he has never managed to get enough
money to have the church clock repaired. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was
damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since. One night, however, our vicar woke up with a
start: the clock was striking the hours! Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell
struck thirteen times before it stopped. Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see
what was going on. In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill
Wilkins, our local grocer.

Whatever are you doing up here Bill? asked the vicar in surprise. I'm trying to repair the bell, answered
Bill. I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now. You see, I was hoping to give you a
surprise. You certainly did give me a surprise! said the vicar. You've probably woken up everyone in the
village as well. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.

That s the trouble, vicar, answered Bill. It's working all right, but I'm afraid that at one o clock it will strike
thirteen times and there's nothing I can do about it." We'll get used to that, Bill, said the vicar. "Thirteen
is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing. Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.

Special difficulties

Phrases with In. Study these examples:

'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.

Please write in ink, not in pencil.

We have a great deal in common.

The swimmer seemed to be in difficulty, but he managed to reach the shore in the end.

I didn't feel well so I spent the day in bed.

We have received fifty applications in all.

The thieves were disturbed and left in a hurry.

I can't borrow any more money; I'm already in debt.

Mary's in love with a sailor. There wasn't a person in sight.

He didn't realize that he was in danger.

The little boy was in tears.

Exercise - Use a phrase with in in place of the words in italics.

I I left home very quickly so as not to miss the train.

2 I suppose I shall finish this eventually.

3 In the early morning there was not a person to be seen.

4 Shall I write with a pen or with a pencil?

5 They haven't many interests which they share.

6 Why is that little girl crying?

Multiple choice questions

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

Comprehension

1 The church clock did not work because _

(a) it was too expensive to repair

(b) it disturbed the vicar's sleep

(c) Bill Wilkins only worked at night

(d) the bell had been out of order for many years

2 The vicar was surprised to see Bill Wilkins in the clock tower because _

(a) Bill Wilkins had been hoping to surprise him

(b) it was an unusual time and place to find him

(c) he had expected to find a figure

(d) the clock had struck thirteen times

3 The vicar offered Bill Wilkins a cup of tea because _

(a) he thought that Bill Wilkins was thirsty

(b) thanks to him, the clock would now strike once an hour

(c) he was grateful for the trouble Bill Wilkins had taken

(d) he was pleased to have been woken up for nothing

Structure

4 In the past the big clock the hours.

(a) struck always (b) always struck (c) was always striking (d) has always been striking

5 It was not until the thirteenth stroke the bell stopped.

(a) before (b) when (c) so that (cl) that

6 The vicar asked Bill doing in the church tower.

(a) what was he (b) what he was (c) what he is (d) whatever was he

7 'I it all right, but I'm afraid .. .'

(a) shall mend (b) am mending (c) have mended (d) mended

8 'We'll get used to that, Bill.'

(a) hearing (b) hear (c) the sound (d) having heard

Vocabulary

9 Money which is collected for a cause is known as

a) cash (b) a fund (c) a scholarship (d) an investment

10 A grocer is a man who .

(a) runs a shop (b) eats a lot (c) sells bread (d) surprises people

11 'I've been corning here for weeks now.'

(a) every night (b) all night (c) the following night (d) several nights

12 ,I'm glad the bell is working again.'

(a) Yet (b) Good (c) Just the same (d) Even now

Vocabulary

Give another word or phrase to replace the following words as they are used in the passage: vicar;

repaired; damaged; silent; with a start; caught sight of.

Summary writing

In not more than 80 words describe what happened from the moment the vicar woke up. Do not
include anything that is not in the passage.

Answer these questions in note form to get your points:

1 What woke the vicar up? 2 What was the time? 3 How many times did the clock strike? 4 Where
did the vicar go? 5 What did he take with him? 6 Whom did he see in the clock tower? 7 What did
Bill Wilkins say he was trying to do? 8 Had Bill Wilkins succeeded in repairing the clock or not? 9 Was
the vicar pleased or angry? 10 What did he offer the grocer?

Composition

Write a composition of about 200 words using the ideas given below:

Title: A sticky business.

Introduction: A small village the church clock suddenly stopped no one could explain why.

Development: The vicar climbed into the clock tower --found that the clock had been invaded by bees full
of honey and wax.

Conclusion: A bee keeper was called --removed the queen bee the other bees followed the clock
was cleaned working again.

Write other compositions on the following topics:

Describe: 1.-your memory of a place that you visited as a child. 2- a particular friend or family member
3.- a character from a book, movie, or television program 4.- an encounter that changed your life or
taught you a lesson 5.- an experience of how technology is more trouble than it's worth 6.-. a
memorable journey 7.- an occasion when you experienced rejection 8.- an event that marked a
turning point in your life 9.- an imaginary encounter with a real person 10.- trip that you would like to
take. 11.- a day when everything went right or wrong 12.- an important discovery.
Give the correct form of all the verbs in parentheses. Do not refer to the passage until you finish
the exercise.

Last summer, I (go) to Italy. I (visit) museums and (sit) in public

gardens. A friendly waiter (teach) me a few words of Italian. Then he (lend)
me a book. I (read) a few lines, but I (not understand) a word. Every day I
(think) about postcards. My holidays (pass) quickly, but I (not send) cards
to my friends. On the last day, I (make) a big decision. l (get) up early and
(buy) thirty-seven cards. I (spend) the whole day in my room, but l (not
write) a single card!

Simple Past and Past Continuous

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses.

1. A: What ______________________(you, do), when the accident occurred?

B: I __________________________(try) to change a light bulb that had burnt out.

2. After I _______________________(find) the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately) to the police and
______________________(turn) it in.

3. The doctor ________________________(say) that Tom ________________________(be) too sick to

go to work and that he ___________________________(need) to stay at home for a couple of days.

4. Sebastian _____________________________(arrive) at Susan's house a little before 9:00 PM, but

she _________________________(be, not) there. She ___________________(study, at the library) for
her final examination in French.

5. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she
__________________(watch, also) television. That's all she ever does!

6. A: I ___________________(call) you last night after dinner, but you __________________(be, not)
there. Where were you?

B: I ________________(work) out at the fitness center.

7. When I ________________________(walk) into the busy office, the secretary _____________(talk) on

the phone with a customer, several clerks ___________________________(work, busily) at their desks,
and two managers ________________________(discuss, quietly) methods to improve customer service.

8. I _____________________(watch) a mystery movie on TV when the electricity went out. Now I am

never going to find out how the movie ends.

9. Sharon _______________(be) in the room when John told me what happened, but she didn't hear
anything because she (listen, not)

10. It's strange that you _________________(call) because I ________________(think, just) about you.

11. The Titanic __________________(cross) the Atlantic when it ________________(strike) an iceberg.

12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants ________________________(bargain, busily)

and _________________(try) to sell their goods to naive tourists who ____________________(hunt) for
souvenirs. Some young boys __________________________(lead) their donkeys through the narrow
streets on their way home. A couple of men _____________________(argue) over the price of a leather
belt. I _________________________(walk) over to a man who__________________ (sell) fruit and
______________(buy) a banana.

13. The firemen _______________________(rescue) the old woman who _____________________(be)

trapped on the third floor of the burning building.

14. She was so annoying! She ____________________________(leave, always) her dirty dishes in the
sink. I think she _________________________(expect, actually) me to do them for her.

15. Samantha ______________________(live) in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she
___________________(live) there when the Berlin Wall came down.

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses:

Last night, while I was doing my homework, Angela (call)  . She said she

(call)   me on her cell phone from her biology classroom at UCLA. I asked her if she

(wait)   for class, but she said that the professor was at the front of the hall lecturing while

she (talk)   to me. I couldn't believe she (make)   a phone call during the

lecture. I asked what was going on. 

She said her biology professor was so boring that several of the students (sleep,

actually)   in class. Some of the students (talk)   about their plans for the

weekend and the student next to her (draw)   a picture of a horse. When Angela

(tell)   me she was not satisfied with the class, I (mention)   that my biology

professor was quite good and (suggest)   that she switch to my class. 

While we were talking, I (hear)   her professor yell, "Miss, are you making a phone call?"

Suddenly, the line went dead. I (hang)   up the phone and went to the kitchen to make

dinner. As I (cut)   vegetables for a salad, the phone rang once again. It (be)   

Angela, but this time she wasn't sitting in class.

Simple Past and Present Perfect

1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars?" 

B: I don't know. I (see, never)   that movie. 

2. Sam (arrive)   in San Diego a week ago. 

3. My best friend and I (know)   each other for over fifteen years. We still get together once a
week. 
4. Stinson is a fantastic writer. He (write)   ten very creative short stories in the last year.
One day, he'll be as famous as Hemingway. 

5. I (have, not)   this much fun since I (be)   a kid. 

6. Things (change)   a great deal at Coltech, Inc. When we first (start)  working

here three years ago, the company (have, only)   six employees. Since then, we

(expand)   to include more than 2000 full-time workers. 

7. I (tell)   him to stay on the path while he was hiking, but he (wander)  off into

the forest and (be)   bitten by a snake. 

8. Listen Donna, I don't care if you (miss)   the bus this morning. You (be)   late
to work too many times. You are fired! 

9. Sam is from Colorado, which is hundreds of miles from the coast, so he (see, never)  the
ocean. He should come with us to Miami. 

10. How sad! George (dream)   of going to California before he died, but he didn't make it.

He (see, never)   the ocean.

11. In the last hundred years, traveling (become)   much easier and very comfortable. In the

19th century, it (take)   two or three months to cross North America by covered wagon. The

trip (be)   very rough and often dangerous. Things (change)   a great deal in
the last hundred and fifty years. Now you can fly from New York to Los Angeles in a matter of hours. 

12. Jonny, I can't believe how much you (change)   since the last time I (see)   

you. You (grow)   at least a foot! 

13. This tree (be)   planted by the settlers who (found)   our city over four
hundred years ago. 

14. This mountain (be, never)   climbed by anyone. Several mountaineers

(try)   to reach the top, but nobody (succeed, ever)  . The climb is extremely

difficult and many people (die)   trying to reach the summit. 

15. I (visit, never)   Africa, but I (travel)   to South America several times.

The last time I (go)   to South America, I (visit)   Brazil and Peru. I

(spend)   two weeks in the Amazon, (hike)   for a week near Machu Picchu,

and (fly)   over the Nazca Lines.

Since computers were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology

(change)   a great deal. The first computers (be)   simple machines designed
for basic tasks. They (have, not)   much memory and they (be, not)   very

powerful. Early computers were often quite expensive and customers often (pay)  thousands

of dollars for machines which actually (do)   very little. Most computers (be)   
separate, individual machines used mostly as expensive typewriters or for playing games. 

Times (change)  . Computers (become)   powerful machines with very practical

applications. Programmers (create)   a large selection of useful programs which do

everything from teaching foreign languages to bookkeeping. We are still playing video games, but today's

games (become)   faster, more exciting interactive adventures. Many computer users (get,

also)   on the Internet and (begin)   communicating with other computer users

around the world. We (start)   to create international communities online. In short, the

simple, individual machines of the past (evolve)   into an international World Wide Web of
knowledge.

Now please check the answers of comprehension questions

1. The clock woke the vicar up.

2. It was one o clock in the morning when the clock was striking the hours.

3. The bell of the clock struck thirteen times.

4. The vicar went up into the clock tower.

5. He took a torch with him.

6. The vicar saw the local grocer, Bill Wilkins.

7. The grocer said that he was trying to repair the clock for many weeks.

8. Yes, he had.

9. The vicar was pleased for what the grocer had done.

10. The vicar offered the grocer a cup of tea.

Vocabulary
1- Vicar (n.): priest 2- repaired (v.): fixed 3- damaged (v.): destroyed 4- silent (adj.): quiet

5- with a start (adv.): surprisingly 6- caught sight of (v.): observed