A

Fill in the missing verbs in the text to find out a fascinating story about your life. You should change
the verbs into the simple past tense in order to make sense.

fall - lose - begin - shake - agree - stand - smile - pour - ask - be

A philosophy professor 1) ………………... before his class and had some items in
front of him.

First he 2) ………….…. filling a large glass jar with rocks.

The students 3) …….……. that the jar 4) …………..… full.
So the professor 5) …………………... and picked up a box
of small pebbles and poured them into the jar. The
pebbles, of course, 6) ………….….. into the small spaces.
Then the professor 7) ……….. a box of sand into the jar,
8) …………….…. it, and the sand completely filled the jar.

Then he explained. “The jar represents your life,’ said the professor. ‘The rocks
are the important things – your family, your religion, your health; if you
9) ……………………. everything else, your life would still be full. The pebbles are
the smaller things that matter – your job, your house, your car. The sand
represents the trivial things. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no
room for the pebbles or the rocks, just like life. Take care of the rocks first- the
things that really matter. The rest is just sand.’

One student 10) …………..…. what a cup of coffee represented. The professor
smiled and said:’ Look, what happens!’ then he poured the entire contents of
the cup into the jar and the coffee was easily absorbed. ‘Now it’s full’, he said.

‘You know what,’ the professor continued, ‘the moral of the story
is simple.

No matter how full your life is, there is always room for
a cup of coffee with a friend.’

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 B

Fill in the missing verbs in the text to find out a fascinating story about your life.

poured - asked - fell - lost - began - was - shook - agreed - smiled - stood

A philosophy professor 1) ………………... before his class and had some items in
front of him.

First he 2) ………….…. filling a large glass jar with rocks.

The students 3) …….….…. that the jar 4) ….……..… full.
So the professor 5) …………………... and picked up a box
of small pebbles and poured them into the jar. The
pebbles, of course, 6) ……..……….….. into the small
spaces. Then the professor 7) …………….……….. a box of
sand into the jar, 8) …………….…. it, and the sand completely filled the jar.

Then he explained. “The jar represents your life,’ said the professor. ‘The rocks
are the important things – your family, your religion, your health; if you
9) ……………………. everything else, your life would still be full. The pebbles are
the smaller things that matter – your job, your house, your car. The sand
represents the trivial things. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no
room for the pebbles or the rocks, just like life. Take care of the rocks first- the
things that really matter. The rest is just sand.’

One student 10) …………..…. what a cup of coffee represented. The professor
smiled and said:’ Look, what happens!’ then he poured the entire contents of
the cup into the jar and the coffee was easily absorbed. ‘Now it’s full’, he said.

‘You know what,’ the professor continued, ‘the moral of the story
is simple.

No matter how full your life is, there is always room for a
cup of coffee with a friend.’

iSLCollective.com
Key
1. stood
2. began
3. agreed
4. was
5. smiled
6. fell
7. poured
8. shook
9. lost
10. asked

iSLCollective.com