p.

37

UNIT 23 1

A Loaf of Br ead

M arg. - W hat awf ul weat her ! And we ar e in t he m iddle of sum m er !

I t seem s im possible!
Tom - Yes. I t r em inds m e of a sum m er day when I was a boy of
f our t een. W e didn’t live in New Yor k t hen, but in a q uiet
lit t le t own in Calif or nia.
M arg. - How awf ul! I det est q uiet lit t le t owns!
Tom - W ell, I lik ed it ver y m uch. I had so m any f r iends t her e.
M arg. - All r ig ht dear . G o on!
Tom - W ell, one sum m er evening , about eig ht o’clock , a st or m
beg an. And it was a r eal st or m ! - W it h t hunder , lig ht ning
and hail. I t was t he wor st st or m t hat I can r em em ber .
Suddenly m y m ot her said, “ W e have no br ead in t he
house! O ne of you boys m ust g o and buy a loaf at once,
bef or e t he shops close! W hich of you want s t o g o?”
W ell, of cour se I didn’t want t o g o. So I look ed at m y
br ot her Jam es. And he look ed at m e. And I was sor r y f or
him because he had a bad cold.
M arg. - T he poor boy!
Tom - So I said, “ All r ig ht , m om . ” And I went of f on m y bicycle.
M arg. - I can’t im ag ine you on a bicycle!
Tom - W ell, I went int o t he st or m …
T he lig ht ning near ly blinded m e. And t he t hunder deaf ened
m e. At last I f ell of f t he bicycle! And in t hat m om ent it
beg an t o r ain! T or r ent s of r ain! I was alm ost dr owned!
M arg. - My poor dar ling !
Tom - But I went on m y way, pushing t he bicycle, because it was
im possible t o r ide it , in all t hat r ain. But I didn’t car e. I f elt
so pr oud. I t houg ht , “ T om , m y boy, - you ar e a her o! ”
M arg. - And you wer e a her o, dar ling !

( cont i nua)
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UNIT 23 2

( cont i nuat i on) A Loaf of Br ead

Tom - But t he r ain wasn’t m y only t r ouble. W hen I r eached t he

shops, I f ound t hem all closed! At last I f ound one - j ust
one - st ill open … and it was a bak er ’s shop!
M arg. - W hat g ood luck !
Tom - I t cer t ainly was! W ell, I boug ht t he only r em aining loaf in
t he shop - and t ur ned back hom e.
I can’t descr ibe t he j our ney back ! I f ell of f t he bicycle
ag ain - and dir t ied all m y clot hes wit h m ud, of cour se.
M arg. - O h! You poor dar ling !
Tom - But I didn’t wor r y about t hat . I was t oo busy t hink ing about
m y r et ur n hom e. I im ag ined all t he f am ily em br acing m e
and saying , “ O ur T om is a her o! ”
M arg. - Yes, dear ! And I can im ag ine how pr oud of you t hey all
wer e when you ar r ived hom e!
Tom - W ell, when at last I r eached hom e, I didn’t say a wor d. I
j ust put t he loaf on t he t able - and wait ed m odest ly f or
t he applause and t he em br aces …
M arg. - You dar ling !
Tom - But m y m ot her j ust g ave one look at t he loaf . T hen she
said, “ T he f ool! He boug ht br own br ead inst ead of whit e! ”
< < < < < §> > > > >
Ver bos i r r egul ar es us ados en el di ál ogo “A Loaf of Br ead”.
Base For m Past Past Par t iciple

begi n bigin beg an bigAn beg un bigún empez ar

say sei said sed said sed deci r
go gou went went g one gØn ir
f al l fØ:l f ell fel f allen fØ:lEn caer
f eel fi:l f elt felt f elt felt s ent i r
t hi nk † iNk t houg ht † Ø:t t houg ht † Ø:t pens ar
f i nd faind f ound faund f ound faund encont r ar
buy bai boug ht bØ:t boug ht bØ:t compr ar
put put put put put put poner
gi ve giv g ave geiv g iven givn dar

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UNIT 23 3

regular verbs = ver bos r egul ar es

En l a “Uni t 22” hemos di cho que el “Pas t ” y el “Pas t Par t i ci pl e” de l os

ver bos r egul ar es s e f or man añadi endo “ed” o bi en “d” a l a “bas e f or m”.

base f orm past past participle

w or k wor k ed wor k ed
l i ve lived lived et c.

Si bus camos un ver bo en un di cci onar i o, podemos ver s i es r egul ar o

i r r egul ar .
Si bus camos “t o wor k” encont r amos :

t o wor k ( pt y p.p. wor k ed) t r abaj ar Regul ar

***
irregular verbs = ver bos i r r egul ar es

Los ver bos i r r egul ar es no f or man el “pas t ” y el “pas t par t i ci pl e”

con “ed” o “d”.

base f orm past past participle

go went g one
com e cam e com e et c.

Si bus camos “t o go”, encont r amos :

t o g o ( pt went , p. p. g one ) i r I r r egul ar

To go es i r r egul ar por que el pas t y el pas t par t i ci pl e no s e f or man

añadi endo “ed” a l a bas e f or m.

Not a En el “pas t s i mpl e” de l os ver bos r egul ar es y de l os i r r egul ar es

t odas l as per s onas s on i gual es .

past simple ( r egul ar ) past simple ( i r r egul ar )

I wor k ed we wor k ed I went we went

you wor k ed you wor k ed you went you went
he wor k ed t hey wor k ed he went t hey went

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UNIT 23 4

in the middle of = a medi ados de; en medi o de

Tom

- O ne evening , in t he m iddle of sum m er , t her e was a t er r ible

st or m .
I n t he m iddle of t he st or m , m y m ot her said, “ T om , g o and buy
a loaf of br ead! ”
“ But Mom , ” I answer ed - “ I n t his st or m ? And it ’s t oo f ar ! T he
bak er ’s shop is in t he m iddle of t he t own! ”

< < < < < §> > > > >

to remember = acor dar s e de, r ecor dar

to forget = ol vi dar

Abel

W hen I f or g et t o put m y r oom in or der or t o m ak e m y bed, m y

m ot her of t en says t o m e, “ I t ’s m or e convenient t o f or g et t han t o
r em em ber . ”
She says t his because I only f or g et , or pr et end t o f or g et , what I
don’t lik e t o do.
So m y m ot her is always saying t o m e:
- Rem em ber t o put your clot hes in t he war dr obe. Don’t leave
t hem all over t he r oom .
- Don’t f or g et t o clean your shoes bef or e g oing t o school.
- Rem em ber t o t ur n of f t he lig ht s bef or e leaving your r oom . And
so on, and so on.
O f cour se she needn’t t ell m e:
- Rem em ber t o t elephone Bar bar a, or , don’t f or g et t hat on
Sunday you have an appoint m ent wit h your f r iends t o play
f oot ball.
Mom is r ig ht ; I only f or g et what is bor ing and unpleasant .
===
t o pret end = f i ngi r l i ght s = l uces
w ardrobe = ar mar i o appoi nt m ent = ci t a
t o t urn of f = apagar unpl eas ant = des agr adabl e
s he needn’ t t el l m e = no hace f al t a que me di ga

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UNIT 23 5

to remind = r ecor dar a, r ecor dar l e a

Rem i nd m e t o g o t o t he bank . = Recuér dame de…

Rem i nd m e t hat I m ust g o t o t he bank . = Recuér dame que…

Tom and M ar gar et

Tom - Mar g ar et !
M arg. - Yes, dear ?
Tom - I f I f or g et , please r em ind m e t o t elephone m y br ot her
Jam es t o wish him a happy bir t hday.
M arg. - O h, yes, dear ! T hat r em inds m e t hat I have t o send him a
pr esent .
Tom - And r em ind m e t hat I m ust g o t o t he bank t o chang e
som e dollar s.
M arg. - Yes, dar ling .
Tom - And please r em ind m e t hat on Fr iday I have an
appoint m ent wit h t he dent ist .
M arg. - O f cour se, dear .

to remind…of…
You r em i nd m e of your m ot her . = M e r ecuer das a t u madr e.

Tom and M ar gar et

Tom - Mar g ar et , when you sm ile you r em ind m e of your m ot her .

M arg. - Do I look lik e Mot her ?
Tom - Yes, dear . Especially when you sm ile.
***
Tom - Mar g ar et , your f r iend Car oline r em inds m e of a zoo.
M arg. - W hat do you m ean?
Tom - W ell, when she laug hs, she r em inds m e of a hyena …
and when she t alk s, she r em inds m e of a m onk ey.
M arg. - O h, T om ! How can you say such t hing s?!
===
zoo = z oo m onkey = mono
hyena = hi ena s uch = t al

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UNIT 23 6

to remind = r ecor dar a, r ecor dar l e a

to remember = acor dar s e de, r ecor dar

( Tom and M ar gar et )

T om doesn’t r em em ber t hat Mar g ar et has a lit t le niece. He

has a bad m em or y.
Mar g ar et r em inds him t hat she has a lit t le niece. She says t o
him , “ You k now t hat m y sist er has a lit t le daug ht er . Lit t le
Alice. ”
“ Yes. Now I r em em ber , ” says T om .
“ W ell, ” says Mar g ar et , “ as your m em or y is so bad, I hope t hat
you won’t f or g et t hat we ar e eng ag ed! I shall r em ind you
ever y m or ning t hat I am your f iancée. ”
“ O h no, dar ling , ” laug hs T om , “ it will never be necessar y t o
r em ind m e of t hat . I r em em ber it ever y m inut e of t he day. ”

< < < < < §> > > > >

1. then = ent onces

- T his ice cr eam is delicious, T om !

- T hen have anot her .

2. then = l uego, des pués

- W ait er ! I ’ll have soup, t hen f r ied f ish, t hen a st eak , t hen
cof f ee.

3. then = en aquel ent onces ( i n t hos e days )

Rober t and M i l l i e

Millie - Rober t ! You always say t hat I am silly! I f I am so silly,

why did you m ar r y m e?
Rob. - You wer e dif f er ent t hen.
Millie - O h, Rober t ! You wer e dif f er ent t hen, t oo! You never said
cr uel t hing s t o m e t hen. You wer e never r ude t o m e t hen!
You wer e r om ant ic t hen!
Rob. - Rom ant ic! Ha ha ha …!

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UNIT 23 7

one
one day ( m or ning , af t er noon, evening , nig ht …)

Cuando habl amos de un t i empo en el pas ado o en el f ut ur o us amos “one”.

Abel

O ne of t hese days I m ust buy som e g ood st er eo

headphones, so I can list en t o m usic even at m idnig ht , wit hout
being punished.
O ne m or ning , last week , I was dr essing and list ening t o
som e nice r ock m usic. I assur e you, t he volum e was q uit e low,
but m y f at her cam e int o t he r oom q uit e ang r y and scolded m e.
T hen, one evening , I was st udying and list ening t o som e
j azz m usic t o k eep m e com pany, but m y m ot her cam e int o t he
r oom ver y ir r it at ed and said t hat t he m usic was m ak ing her
ner vous. So I had t o st op.
O ne day, when I have m y own house, I will buy a ver y
power f ul st er eo set and I will put t wo loudspeak er s in each
r oom , even in t he bat hr oom , so I can list en t o m usic day and
nig ht , in ever y par t of t he house.
===
headphones = aur i cul ar es t o keep m e = par a t ener me
t o puni s h = cas t i gar m y ow n = mi pr opi a
t o as s ure = as egur ar pow erf ul = pot ent e
t o s col d = r egañar l ouds peaker = al t avoz

< < < < < §> > > > >

sudden = r epent i no
suddenly = de r epent e, de pr ont o

Tom

O ne sum m er evening , it suddenly beg an t o r ain. T en

m inut es lat er t he r ain st opped and it suddenly beg an t o
t hunder . Suddenly m y m ot her said, “ W e have no br ead in t he
house! O ne of you boys m ust g o and buy a loaf of br ead. ”

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UNIT 23 8

G o and buy… = ( l i t . V e y c o m p r a … ) Ve a compr ar …

Com e and see m e. = Ven a ver me. Ven a vi s i t ar me.
T r y and eat m or e f r uit . = I nt ent a comer más f r ut a.
I ’ll t r y and do it . = I nt ent ar é hacer l o. Pr ocur ar é hacer l o.

En i ngl és es muy cor r i ent e encont r ar dos i mper at i vos o dos f ut ur os uni dos
por “and”.

Abel and hi s M ot her

M ot her - Abel!
Abel - Yes, m um m y!
M ot her - Com e and sit next t o m e. I want t o t ell you som et hing .
Abel - Yes, m um m y.
M ot her - W hat wer e you doing , dear ?
Abel - I was j ust lear ning a piece of poet r y by hear t .
M ot her - All r ig ht . W hen you f inish, g o and buy your f at her ’s
newspaper .
Abel - All r ig ht , m om . May I t ak e t he dog wit h m e?
M ot her - O f cour se. And when you com e back , t r y and put som e
or der in your r oom .
Abel - I ’ll t r y and do it bef or e g oing t o bed.
M ot her - And don’t f or g et t o g o and see Mr . W ilson. He has
t elephoned t wice alr eady.
Abel - Yes, m om . I ’ll g o and see him t his evening , af t er dinner .
===
by heart = ( l i t . p o r c o r a z ó n ) de memor i a
m ay I t ake…? = ¿puedo l l evar … ?

< < < < < §> > > > >

may
Cuando s e pi de un per mi s o, es más f or mal us ar “m ay” en l ugar de “can”.

May I com e in? = ¿Puedo ent r ar ?

May I g o out ? = ¿Puedo s al i r ?
May I sit down? = ¿Puedo s ent ar me?
May I open t he window? = ¿Puedo abr i r l a vent ana?

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UNIT 23 9

thunder = t r ueno

Par a deci r “un t r ueno, dos t r uenos et c.” no s e puede deci r :

one t hunder , t wo t hunder s…

Se debe deci r : a clap of t hunder , t wo claps of t hunder et c.

o bi en: a t hunder clap, t wo t hunder claps et c.

lightning

Par a deci r “un r el ámpago, dos r el ámpagos … ” s e di ce:

a f lash of lig ht ning , t wo f lashes of lig ht ning et c.

< < < < < §> > > > >

immediately = i nmedi at ament e

at once = i nmedi at ament e

Com e her e at once!

St op t hat at once!

Rober t and M i l l i e

Rob. - W ell, I m ust g o t o wor k . I t ’s lat e. Have you ir oned m y

blue shir t ?
Millie - Just a m inut e, Rober t ! I ’m ir oning it now. I ’ve near ly
f inished.
Rob. - But I m ust g o out at once! Do you under st and? At once!
AT O NCE!
Millie - But can’t you wait f or j ust one m inut e, dear ?
Rob. - No! W hen I say – “ At once! ” - I m ean AT O NCE!
===
i ron = hi er r o; pl ancha (par a l a r opa)
t o i ron = pl anchar
nearl y = cas i

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UNIT 23 10

1. cold = frío

I t is col d. = ( l i t . E l l o e s f r í o . ) Hace f r í o.
I ’m col d. = ( l i t . Y o e s t o y f r í o . ) Tengo f r í o.

I n Decem ber and in Januar y, when t he weat her is cold, you

usually hear expr essions lik e t hese:
- I t ’s so cold t oday!
- I t ’s bit t er ly cold!
- I f eel so cold!

2. cold = r es f r i ado

I have a bad col d. = Tengo un mal r es f r i ado.

I have caug ht a col d. = He cogi do un r es f r i ado.
I n wint er lot s of people cat ch col ds.
===
t o cat ch - caught - caught = coger ; agar r ar

< < < < < §> > > > >

Rober t and M i l l i e

Millie - O h Rober t ! I t is so cold t oday! And I f eel so ill! I have a

t er r ible cold.
Rob. - W ell, in wint er , you cat ch a cold ever y m ont h.
Millie - Yes, I k now. But t his t im e I have caug ht a f r ig ht f ul cold.
Rob. - Don’t exag g er at e! Don’t m ak e a f uss! A cold isn’t a
ser ious t hing . I t won’t k ill you.
===
f ri ght f ul = t er r i bl e; es pant os o
Don’ t m ake a f us s ! = ¡ No hagas un es cándal o!
t o ki l l = mat ar

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UNIT 23 11

off

t o g o of f = mar char s e
T om w ent of f on his bycicle.

t o k eep of f = mant ener s e al ej ado de

Keep of f t he g r ass! = ¡ Pr ohi bi do pi s ar el cés ped!

t o t ak e of f = qui t ar s e
Take of f your coat ! = ¡ Quí t at e l a chaquet a!

t o g et of f = baj ar s e de
t o get of f a bus, a t r ain, a plane…

Cuando es t ás enf adado con al gui en y qui er es deci r l e que s e vaya, puedes
us ar l as expr es i ones :
Buzz of f ! Cl ear of f ! Per o, t en cui dado, s on más bi en of ens i vas .

Not a

Cuando encont r amos “of f ” en un máqui na o en un apar at o el ect r i co,

s i gni f i ca “apagado”.
El opues t o de “of f ” es “on”.

< < < < < §> > > > >

Obs er va como l as pr epos i ci ones modi f i can el s i gni f i cado de l os ver bos .

TO G O

to go in (l i t . ir adent r o) ent r ar
to g o out (l i t . ir f uer a) s al i r
to g o up (l i t . ir ar r i ba) s ubi r
to g o dow n (l i t . ir abaj o) baj ar
to g o back (l i t . ir at r ás ) vol ver
to g o aw ay (l i t . ir l ej os ) irse

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UNIT 23 12

1. the last = el úl t i mo

Decem ber is t he last m ont h of t he year .

T om was t he last of t he class in Fr ench.
T om boug ht t he last loaf of br ead in t he shop.

2. last = pas ado

Last week - last m ont h - last year

3. at last = por f i n

At last T om f ell of f t he bicycle.

• Rober t was r eally im possible yest er day! At lunch t im e he

com plained about t he f ood.
I n t he af t er noon Millie’s m ot her t elephoned and dist ur bed his
af t er noon nap, so he com plained about t hat , t oo.
At last Millie said, “ Rober t , when you m ar r ied you m ade a big
m ist ak e. ”
And do you k now what he answer ed? - “ At last you have
said som et hing int ellig ent ! ”
< < < < < §> > > > >
open = abi er t o (adj et i vo)

T he window is open. = La vent ana es t á abi er t a.

• T om f ound only one shop st ill open.

I n sum m er I lik e t o sleep wit h m y bedr oom window open.
T he bank is open f r om 9 t o 2.

opened = abierto ( participio pasado )

- W hy have you opened t he window?

- Because I f eel hot .

Not a T he window is opened. ¡ Er r or !

T he window is open. ¡ Cor r ect o!

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UNIT 23 13

to arrive = l l egar
T o ar r ive at t he st at ion.

T o ar r ive i n London.
T o ar r ive t her e.
T o ar r ive on t im e. = Ll egar a t i empo.
T o ar r ive hom e.

Ever y m or ning G eor g e g et s up ear ly. He does ever yt hing in

a hur r y because he doesn’t want t o ar r ive at t he st at ion lat e.
W hen he ar r ives t her e, he wait s pat ient ly f or t he t r ain.
W hen t he t r ain ar r ives on t im e G eor g e sm iles happily.
Af t er an hour or so, he ar r ives in London. ( or s o = apr ox.)
Bef or e st ar t ing wor k he usually has a g lass of m ilk and a
sandwich.
At m idday he has a ver y lig ht lunch, so when he ar r ives
hom e in t he evening he is q uit e hung r y.

to reach = al canz ar ; l l egar

W hen T om r eached t he shops he f ound t hem all closed.
W hen Jam es r eached t he ag e of eig ht een, he chang ed com plet ely.

Obs er va l a di f er enci a de cons t r ucci ón ent r e “t o ar r i ve” y “t o r each”.

T o r each t he st at ion. T o ar r ive at t he st at ion.

T o r each London. T o ar r ive i n London.

T o r each t her e. T o ar r ive t her e. (i gual )

T o r each on t im e. T o ar r ive on t im e. (i gual )
T o r each hom e. T o ar r ive hom e. (i gual )
< < < < < §> > > > >
to push = empuj ar

• T om pushed his bicycle because he couldn’t r ide it .

Don’t push! = ¡ No empuj es !

to pull = t i r ar

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UNIT 23 14

word f ormation = f or maci ón de pal abr as

deaf = s or do
to deaf en = ens or decer

dark = os cur o
to darken = os cur ecer

Añadi endo - en a ci er t os nombr es y adj et i vos s e f or man al gunos ver bos .

He aquí un el enco de l os más cor r i ent es :

deep pr of undo to deepen pr of undi z ar

f at gor do to f at t en engor dar
har d dur o to har den endur ecer - s e
hei ght al t ur a to hei ght en r eal z ar , aument ar
l engt h l ongi t ud to l engt hen al ar gar
qui ck r ápi do to qui cken acel er ar
shar p af i l ado; to shar pen af i l ar ;
con punt a s acar l e punt a a
shor t cor t o to shor t en acor t ar
st r engt h f uer z a to st r engt hen r ef or z ar
sw eet dul ce to sw eet en endul z ar
w eak débi l to w eaken debi l i t ar
< < < < < §> > > > >
t o r i de - r ode - r i dden = mont ar (a cabal l o), andar (en bi ci cl et a, mot o)
t o r i de a hor se, a bicycle, a m ot or cycle
t o r i de on a hor se…et c.

t o dr i ve - dr ove - dr i ven = conduci r

t o dr i ve a car , a bus, a lor r y lor r y = cami ón

W hen T om was a boy of f our t een he lik ed t o r ide a bicycle.

W hen he was sixt een he r ode a m ot or cycle.
But f r om eig ht een on, he only want ed t o dr ive car s.

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UNIT 23 15

saxon genitive

El “s axon geni t i ve” s e puede us ar t ambi én par a habl ar de l a cas a o del

l ugar de t r abaj o de una per s ona.
t he baker ’ s = panader í a
t he but cher ’ s = car ni cer í a
t he hai r dr esser ’ s = pel uquer í a
t he bar ber ’ s = bar ber í a
t he dent i st ’ s = cons ul t a de un dent i s t a
t he chem i st ’ s = f ar maci a
t he doct or ’ s = cons ul t a de un médi co
Es deci r : T he bak er ’s shop. - T he but cher ’s shop. et c.

Not a En el i ngl és moder no, es t as expr es i ones s e us an a menudo s i n ‘ s .

• Lydia g oes t o t he hair dr esser t wice a week .

< < < < < §> > > > >

care = cui dado; at enci ón

to care about = pr eocupar s e de
Lydia only car es about clot hes and j ewels.

to take care = t ener cui dado

Take car e! = ¡ Cuí dat e!
Take car e wit h t hat dog ! = ¡ Ten cui dado con es e per r o!

to take care of somebody = cui dar de al gui en

Mot her s t ake car e of t heir childr en.
Nur ses and doct or s t ake car e of t heir pat ient s.

Not a En f r as es i nt er r ogat i vas y negat i vas s i gni f i ca: s er i ndi f er ent e.

W ho car es? = ¿Qué importa?

I don’ t car e. = Me da igual.

I couldn’ t car e less. = Me tiene sin cuidado.

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 UNIT 23 16

I VAN

Dear cousin Abel,

I hope you, m y sweet cousin Debr a, Uncle G iuseppe espero

and Aunt Vivian ar e in g ood healt h.
For g ive m e f or not having wr it t en bef or e. I have been he estado
ver y busy.
Abel, you will not believe it ! At last I have f ound a j ob he encontrado
t hat I love! I wor k f or an or g anizat ion t hat helps r ef ug ees ayuda refugiados
t o obt ain polit ical asylum in Am er ica.
T he j ob I had bef or e, besides paying ver y lit t le, was además de
also ver y bor ing . I m ag ine, m ak ing beds, put t ing in or der
hot el r oom s and cleaning t oilet s! limpiar

I don’t m ak e m uch m oney wher e I wor k now, but I enj oy

what I ’m doing .

As you k now, f or m any year s I have been a m em ber of como sabes

t he W W F ( W or ld W ildlif e Fund) , t he f am ous or g anizat ion
t hat f or so m any year s has wor k ed f or t he pr ot ect ion of protección
nat ur e. naturaleza

W ell som e of m y f r iends and r elat ives k ept saying t hat

all I car ed about was anim als and t he envir onm ent . You medio ambiente
k now ver y well t hat t his is not t r ue! I car e about people, no es cierto
t oo, especially childr en and old people.
T his is t he m ain r eason why I love m y new j ob. Now I principal
t ak e car e of r ef ug ees. T hese poor unf or t unat e people who desafortunadas
m ust leave t heir count r ies and of t en t heir f am ilies
because t heir lives ar e in dang er . en peligro

Most of t hem ar e polit ical and r elig ious r ef ug ees. T hey

com e f r om count r ies wher e t hey m ust be car ef ul about
what t hey say or do. Many of t hem have been t or t ur ed torturados
and have lived f or m any year s in j ail. carcel

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 UNIT 23 17

( cont i nuat i on) I VAN

W hen I st ar t ed wor k ing f or t his or g anizat ion, m y boss

said t o m e, “ I van, be car ef ul what you do. Your wor k is me dijo
ver y im por t ant ; t he happiness of m any people depends on
you” .
You k now t hat m any people have wr ong ideas about
m e, j ust because I didn’t want t o g o t o univer sit y and
because of m y long hair . a causa de

W her e I wor k now nobody could car e less about m y

hair and st ill less about m y ear r ing s. T hey only car e
about t he way I wor k , and so f ar ever ybody is sat isf ied hasta ahora /
wit h m e. satisfecho

O f t en, when I g o back hom e, I t ak e som e wor k wit h m e,

so t hat I can g o on wor k ing f or a f ew hour s. O f cour se, I
t ak e car e not t o m isplace any docum ent s, because t hey extraviar
ar e all ver y im por t ant .
O f cour se not ever ybody is sat isf ied wit h m y new j ob.
T hey say t hat I don’t m ak e enoug h m oney. But who
car es? I am happy wit h what I am doing . And I don’t car e lo que
what people say.
W hen you com e t o Am er ica you m ust help m e wit h m y
Spanish, because som e of t hese r ef ug ees com e f r om
Spanish speak ing count r ies, and m ost of t hem can’t
speak Eng lish.
My g ir lf r iend Rosy is f ine, but I don’t see her of t en,
because she is ver y busy, t oo. Besides her wor k , she
m ust help her m ot her wit h t he housewor k and she m ust
t ak e car e of her young er sist er .
I m por t ant news: I have boug ht a new com put er . As tan pronto como
soon as I am connect ed t o t he I nt er net , I ’m g oing t o send
you an e- m ail. T ak e car e!

Love, saludos

Your cousin I van

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 UNIT 23 18

M I LLI E

T he weat her was t er r ible yest er day! Fir st it r ained, and

t hen a t er r ible st or m beg an. I t was t he wor st st or m t hat I empezó
can r em em ber - t hunder , lig ht ning , r ain and hail! T he
t hunder alm ost deaf ened m e! I am so af r aid of t hunder .
Rober t always says t hat I am silly, because it is only t he
lig ht ning t hat can hur t you. Not t he t hunder . But t he
t hunder m ak es so m uch noise. And I ’m af r aid of noise. tengo miedo
T he lig ht ning doesn’t m ak e any noise. But when I say t hat
t o Rober t , he always says, “ You ar e t he silliest wom an in
t he wor ld! ”
W ell, in t he m or ning Rober t didn’t g o t o t he f act or y
because t he weat her was so bad. I went t o t he m ar k et , of
cour se, because poor Rober t m ust eat , g ood weat her or
bad weat her .
So I went of f t o t he m ar k et in m y old r aincoat , and wit h impermeable
Rober t ’s um br ella. ( My um br ella is br ok en. ) roto

O h, t he r ain! I t near ly dr owned m e! And I j ust can’t me ahogaba

descr ibe t he j our ney back ! I had so m any par cels t hat I camino
couldn’t open t he um br ella. I had boug ht m eat , pot at oes, comprado
t om at oes, let t uces, spinach, or ang es, br ead, chocolat es, lechugas
sug ar , cof f ee, t ea, j am and biscuit s.
T he pack et of biscuit s f ell int o t he m ud! And when at barro
last I r eached hom e I was so t ir ed t hat I couldn’t speak a
wor d. But Rober t didn’t car e about t hat . He was t oo busy
opening all t he par cels. Suddenly he said, “ You have
boug ht or ang es inst ead of apples! W hy can’t you
r em em ber t hat I pr ef er apples? G o back t o t he m ar k et at
once! ”
“ But Rober t ! ” , I said, “ I n all t his r ain? I shall be
dr owned! ”

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 UNIT 23 19

( cont i nuat i on) M I LLI E

But he j ust laug hed and said, “ You always exag g er at e!

A lit t le wat er won’t hur t you. Don’t be r idiculous! And
don’t wast e t im e! G o back t o t he m ar k et at once, if you
want t o f ind g ood apples! ”
W ell, I have always k nown t hat Rober t hasn’t g ot a ver y sabido
k ind hear t . And ever y day t hat passes it g et s wor se. But I se vuelve peor
couldn’t believe t hat his cr uelt y could r each t his point . crueldad / punto

W it hout answer ing I went t o t he k it chen and beg an t o

put t he veg et ables in t he r ef r ig er at or . Af t er a m om ent
Rober t cam e int o t he k it chen, and wit h his m out h f ull of
chocolat e said in a nast y t one of voice, “ W hat about t he
apples?” I didn’t say a wor d. W hen I f inished put t ing
ever yt hing in or der , I calm ly went t owar ds t he bat hr oom . hacia
Rober t f ollowed m e wit hout speak ing . W hen I r eached t he me siguió
bat hr oom door I opened it , g ot in, and lock ed t he door cerré con llave
behind m e.
Af t er a m om ent I hear d Rober t ’s voice shout ing , “ W hat oí
about t he apples?” - I hesit at ed f or a m om ent , t hen I dudé
said in a st r ong , clear voice, “ I f you want your st upid clara
apples, t ak e t he um br ella and g o t o t he m ar k et your self ! ” tú mismo

I g ener ally t ak e a shower ver y q uick ly, because I have

always so m any t hing s t o do, and also because I don’t
want t o wast e hot wat er . But t his t im e I decided t o t ak e a decidí
nice hot bat h inst ead of a shower . baño

An hour lat er I cam e out of t he bat hr oom and went t o

t he bedr oom , put on som e war m clot hes, t ook a nice ropa que abriga
book , sat down in a com f or t able ar m chair and beg an t o
r ead.

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 UNIT 23 20

I r r eg ular Ver bs

Los verbos irregulares tienen formas propias que se deben aprender de memoria.
Damos una lista de los verbos más comunes. Al final del libro hay un elenco
más completo.
El “past simple” traduce el pretérito perfecto y el pretérito imperfecto.
Por lo tanto, “I went” puede significar = yo fui o bien yo iba.

B as e F orm P as t Si m pl e P as t P art i ci pl e

be bi: was / wer e wØz- w¨: been bi:n s er , es t ar

begi n bigin began bigAn begun bigún empez ar

bl ow blou bl ew blu: bl own bloun s opl ar

br eak breik br oke brouk br oken broukEn r omper

br i ng briN br ought brØ:t br ought brØ:t t r aer

buy bai bought bØ:t bought bØ:t compr ar

choos e tSu:z chos e tSouz chos en tSouzn el egi r

come kúm came keim come kúm veni r

cos t kØst cos t kØst cos t kØst cos t ar

cut kút cut kút cut kút cor t ar

di g dig dug dúg dug dúg cavar

do du: di d did done dún hacer

dr eam dri:m dr eamt dremt dr eamt dremt s oñar

dr i nk driNk dr ank drANk dr unk drúNk beber

dr i ve draiv dr ove drouv dr i ven drivn conduci r

eat i:t at e eit eat en i:tn comer

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 UNIT 23 21

( cont inuat ion)

B as e F orm P as t Si m pl e P as t P art i ci pl e

f al l fØ:l f el l fel f al l en fØ:lEn caer - s e

f eel fi:l f el t felt f el t felt t ocar , s ent i r

f i nd faind f ound faund f ound faund encont r ar

fly flai f l ew flu: f l own floun vol ar

f or get fEget f or got fEgØt f or got t en fEgØtEn ol vi dar - s e

get get got gØt got gØt cons egui r ,
vol ver s e
gi ve giv gave geiv gi ven givn dar

go gou went went gone gØn ir -se

have hAv had hAd had hAd haber ; t ener

hear hiE hear d h¨:d hear d h¨:d oí r

know nou knew nju: known noun s aber , conocer
l ead li:d l ed led l ed led di r i gi r ; l l evar

l ear n l¨:n l ear nt l¨:nt l ear nt l¨:nt apr ender

l eave li:v l ef t left l ef t left dej ar ; s al i r
lie lai l ay lei l ai n lein echar s e,
acos t ar s e
make meik made meid made meid hacer

meet mi:t met met met met encont r ar - s e

pay pei pai d peid pai d peid pagar

put put put put put put poner , met er

r ead ri:d r ead red r ead red l eer

r i ng riN r ang rAN r ung rúN s onar

s ay sei s ai d sed s ai d sed deci r

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 UNIT 23 22

( cont inuat ion)

B as e F orm P as t Si m pl e P as t P art i ci pl e

s ee si: s aw sØ: s een si:n ver

s end send s ent sent s ent sent envi ar

s hi ne Sain s hone SØn s hone SØn br i l l ar

s hut Sút s hut Sút s hut Sút cer r ar - s e

s i ng siN s ang sAN s ung súN cant ar

sit sit s at sAt s at sAt s ent ar - s e

s l eep sli:p s l ept slept s l ept slept dor mi r

s peak spi:k s poke spouk s poken spoukEn habl ar

s pend spend s pent spent s pent spent gas t ar ; pas ar

s t and stAnd s t ood stud s t ood stud es t ar de pi e

s wi m swim s wam swAm s wum swúm nadar

t ake teik t ook tuk t aken teikEn t omar - s e

t el l tel t ol d tould t ol d tould deci r ; cont ar

t hi nk † iNk t hought † Ø:t t hought † Ø:t pens ar

wake weik woke wouk woken woukEn des per t ar - s e

wear weE wor e wØ: wor n wØ:n l l evar (pues t o)

wr i t e rait wr ot e rout wr i t t en ritn es cr i bi r

under s t and under s t ood under s t ood compr ender

úndEstAnd úndEstud úndEstud

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 UNIT 23 23

Es t a l ect ur a ha s i do es cr i t a par a pr act i car el “pas t s i mpl e”.

A l a der echa s e encuent r a l a t r aducci ón del “pas t s i mpl e” de l os
ver bos i r r egul ar es s ol ament e.
El “pas t s i mpl e” de l os ver bos r egul ar es t er mi na s i empr e en “- ed”.

Abel

W hen I went t o Am er ica last sum m er , I had a r eally f ui / t uve

wonder f ul t im e.

Ever y day beg an wit h a nice br eak f ast and ended wit h empez aba
a big bowl of chocolat e ice cr eam . My g r andpa always
k eeps his f r eezer well st ock ed wit h ice cr eam .

A f ew days bef or e we ar r ived in Am er ica, he went f ue

shopping and boug ht about t en six- pack s of m y f at her ’s compr ó
f avour it e beer , and six half g allons of chocolat e ice
cr eam .
W hen he cam e back hom e and put all t hose bot t les of vol vi ó – pus o
beer and all t hat ice cr eam on t he k it chen t able, m y
g r andm ot her couldn’t st op laug hing . But m y g r andpa said, di j o
“ Don’t laug h, don’t laug h, we ar e g oing t o eat and dr ink
ever yt hing . ” T hen he t ook a g lass, sat down, and beg an cogi ó / s e s ent ó
dr ink ing his f ir st beer . empez ó

W e st ayed in Am er ica f or f ive week s, and t he f r eezer

was never wit hout chocolat e ice cr eam . G r andpa never
f or g ot t o buy it . ol vi daba

I n t he evening bef or e g oing t o bed, he always wr ot e a es cr i bí a

list of what he had t o do t he next day. I ce cr eam was
always at t he t op of t he list . He t houg ht t hat I couldn’t pens aba
live wit hout it . And he was r ig ht .

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 UNIT 23 24

( cont i nuat i on) Abel

Besides eat ing and dr ink ing we did lot s of ot her t hing s. hi ci mos
O ne day, m y sist er Debr a, m y uncle David and I went t o f ui mos
W ashing t on t o see t he Space Museum . You can’t im ag ine
how happy I f elt when I saw t he aer oplane t hat t he W r ig ht s ent í / ví
br ot her s used in m ak ing t he wor ld’s f ir st f lig ht ; and t he
r ock s t hat t he ast r onaut s br oug ht back f r om t he m oon. t r aj er on
===
bow l = cuenco at t he t op of = el pr i mer o de
f reezer = congel ador bes i des = además de
w el l s t ocked = bi en pr ovi s t o s pace = s i t i o, es paci o
s i x- pack = conf ecci ón de f l i ght = vuel o
6 bot el l as / l at as rock = pi edr a
hal f gal l on = 2 l i t r os apr ox. pi l ot = pi l ot o
list = lista t o pi l ot = pi l ot ar

W ilbur and O r ville W r ig ht invent ed t he f ir st aer oplane. O n Decem ber

17, 1903, t hey m ade t he wor ld’s f ir st f lig ht . O r ville pilot ed t he plane.

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 UNIT 23 25

En l a col umna de l a der echa hemos pues t o l a “bas e f or m” de l os

ver bos i r r egul ar es .
Copi a en un cuader no es t a l ect ur a y r el l ena con un l api z l os es paci os
vací os con l os ver bos cor r es pondi ent es en “pas t s i mpl e”. Luego mi r a
l a l ect ur a pr ecedent e, par a ver s i has comet i do al gunas f al t as .

Abel

W hen I …. . t o Am er ica last sum m er , I …. . a r eally go / have

wonder f ul t im e.
Ever y day …. . wit h a nice br eak f ast and ended wit h a begi n
big bowl of chocolat e ice cr eam . My g r andpa always
k eeps his f r eezer well st ock ed wit h ice cr eam .
A f ew days bef or e we ar r ived in Am er ica, he …. shopping go
and …. . about t en six- pack s of m y f at her ’s f avour it e buy
beer , and six half g allons of chocolat e ice cr eam .
W hen he …. . hom e and …. . t he beer and t he ice come back / put
cr eam on t he k it chen t able, m y g r andm ot her couldn’t
st op laug hing . But m y g r andpa …. . , “ Don’t wor r y, we ar e s ay
g oing t o eat and dr ink ever yt hing . ” T hen he …. . a g lass, t ake
…. . , and …. . dr ink ing his f ir st beer . s i t down / begi n
W e st ayed in Am er ica f or f ive week s, and t he f r eezer
was never wit hout chocolat e ice cr eam . G r andpa never
…. . t o buy it . f or get
I n t he evening bef or e g oing t o bed, he always …. . a wr i t e
list of what he had t o do t he next day. I ce cr eam was
always at t he t op of t he list . He …. . t hat I couldn’t live t hi nk
wit hout it . And he was r ig ht .
Besides eat ing and dr ink ing , we …. . lot s of ot her do
t hing s. O ne day, m y sist er Debr a, m y uncle David and I
…. t o W ashing t on t o see t he Space Museum . You can’t go
im ag ine how happy I …. . when I …. . t he aer oplane t hat f eel / s ee
O r ville W r ig ht used in m ak ing t he f ir st f lig ht ; and t he
r ock s t hat t he ast r onaut s …. . back f r om t he m oon. br i ng

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 UNIT 23 26

Es t a l ect ur a ha s i do es cr i t a par a pr act i car el “pas t s i mpl e”.

A l a der echa s e encuent r a l a t r aducci ón del “pas t s i mpl e” de l os
ver bos i r r egul ar es s ol ament e.
El “pas t s i mpl e” de l os ver bos r egul ar es t er mi na s i empr e en “- ed”.

G eor ge and Lydi a

“A Happy Weekend”

Lydia was pr epar ing br eak f ast when she hear d t he oyó
door bell r ing ing . T he bell r ang t hr ee t im es, so she sonó
under st ood t hat her f r iends had ar r ived. She im m ediat ely comprendió
r an t o t he door happily and when she opened it she saw corrió / vió
t he sm iling f aces of her t wo best f r iends: Flor a and Er ica.
Af t er em br acing and k issing t hem , she led t hem t o t he las llevó
k it chen. O n t he k it chen t able t her e was alr eady hot t ea,
cof f ee, m ilk and biscuit s. T he t hr ee ladies sat down and se sentaron
beg an t o have br eak f ast . T hey wer e in a hur r y, so half an empezaron
hour lat er t hey lef t t he house. dejaron

As soon as t hey g ot int o t he car , t hey t ur ned on t he entraron

r adio t o list en t o t he weat her f or ecast . - T hey wer e fueron
luck y! T he weat her was g oing t o be f ine f or t he whole
week end.

Er ica was an exper t dr iver . She dr ove bet t er t han any conducía
m an, so ever ybody was r elaxed and happy. Dur ing t he
whole j our ney t o Bat h, wher e t hey wer e g oing t o spend
t heir week end, t hey t alk ed, laug hed and sang all k inds of cantaron
song s. Er ica loved t o dr ive, and she never g ot t ir ed. Fr om
t im e t o t im e she even t old som e f unny st or ies t o k eep her contaba
f r iends in a j olly m ood.
Have a nice t im e, ladies!
***
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 UNIT 23 27

( cont i nuat i on) G eor ge and Lydia

“A Happy Weekend”

W hen G eor g e cam e back hom e at eig ht o’clock in t he volvió

evening and went int o t he k it chen, he f ound t he dir t y fue / encontró
plat es, cups, g lasses, spoons and f or k s st ill on t he t able.
So he pat ient ly put ever yt hing in t he sink and beg an t o puso / empezó
wash t hem . But he soon st opped. I t was near ly half past
eig ht and he f elt ver y hung r y. se sentía

He went t o t he k it chen cupboar d, but he only f ound fue / encontró

som e br ead and a pack et of biscuit s. So he went t o t he
r ef r ig er at or hoping t o f ind his dinner t her e, but in t he
f r idg e t her e was only a piece of cheese, t wo sm all apples,
t wo bot t les of m ilk and an eg g .
He k new t hat Lydia was g oing t o spend t he week end sabía
wit h her f r iends in Bat h. But bef or e leaving she could
have pr epar ed som et hing f or his dinner , t houg ht poor pensó
G eor g e. “ Sur ely she was in a hur r y and f or g ot t o pr epar e olvidó
it , ” he said t o him self . So he opened t he f r idg e ag ain and se dijo
g ot out t he cheese, a bot t le of m ilk and t he eg g . But when salió
he put t hem on t he t able, t he eg g beg an t o r oll, f ell of f empezó / cayó
t he t able and br ok e, of cour se. se rompió

Poor G eor g e! He at e a piece of br ead and cheese, and comió

dr ank half a g lass of m ilk . But he st ill f elt hung r y, and bebió / se sentía
sad, ver y sad.
T en m inut es lat er he went t o t he bedr oom , t ook of f his se quitó
j ack et , t ook of f his shoes and lay down on t he bed. He se tumbó
was so t ir ed t hat in a f ew m inut es he f ell asleep. se durmió

Half an hour lat er he wok e up. He f elt cold and, of se despertó

cour se, hung r y! W hat could he do? - He t houg ht f or pensó
about t en m inut es, t hen he had a br illiant idea. He t ook tuvo / cogió
t he phone and r ang up his colleag ue, O scar . telefoneó
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 UNIT 23 28

( cont i nuat i on) G eor g e and Lydia

“A Happy W eekend”
W hen O scar hear d G eor g e ask ing him t o g o out f or oyó
dinner , he couldn’t believe his ear s. O scar was sing le and
he spent m ost of his evening s g oing t o pubs and pasaba
r est aur ant s. He lik ed G eor g e ver y m uch, because he was
honest and a har d wor k er . He had of t en invit ed him t o g o
out , but G eor g e seldom accept ed.
I t was a beaut if ul evening . A big silver m oon shone brillaba
over G lum ville. A cool aut um n wind g ent ly blew t he dr y soplaba
leaves f r om one side of t he st r eet t o t he ot her . G eor g e
wor e his f avour it e blue suit , his g r ey over coat and his llevaba
black hat . He was q uit e eleg ant . He shut t he f r ont door of cerró
his house and went t o t he cor ner of t he st r eet t o wait f or fue
O scar .
W hile he st ood t her e wait ing f or his f r iend, he beg an t o estaba
t hink about his wor k , and his lif e. He had t o do som et hing tenía
t o chang e it .

O scar was ver y punct ual. At half past nine t hey wer e
alr eady sit t ing in a ver y eleg ant r est aur ant . A nice wait er
br oug ht t hem t he m enu. T hey or der ed t heir dinner , and trajo
O scar chose t he wine. eligió

W hile t hey wer e wait ing f or t heir dinner O scar ask ed,
“ W her e did you buy t hat eleg ant suit ?” “ I boug ht it at compré
Self r idg es. I k now it is eleg ant but it , r elat ively lit t le, ” costó
answer ed G eor g e.
W hen dinner was ser ved O scar beg an t o t alk about his empezó
last holiday in Cost a Rica. He t old G eor g e what a contó
f ant ast ic t im e he had t her e. He slept t ill t en, g ot up, had dormía
br eak f ast and went t o t he beach. T he beach was a
beaut if ul solit ar y place. T he sea was em er ald g r een.
Ever y m or ning he swam f or a couple of hour s, t hen he lay nadaba
under an um br ella and r ead a book f or t he r est of t he leía
m or ning .
( t urn over)
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 UNIT 23 29

( cont i nuat i on) G eor g e and Lydia

“A Happy W eekend”
W hile in Cost a Rica, he never r ead t he newspaper s, leía
and he never wat ched t elevision. T wice a week he wr ot e a escribía
car d and sent it t o his par ent s t o t ell t hem t hat he was all enviaba
r ig ht .
W hen dinner was over and t he wait er br oug ht t he bill, trajo
O scar paid f or bot h and he also g ave t he wait er a g ood pagó / dió
t ip.
W hile t hey wer e g oing back hom e, O scar lear nt f r om aprendió
G eor g e t hat Lydia was in Bat h wit h her f r iends Flor a and
Er ica, so he insist ed on t ak ing G eor g e t o a nig ht club.
W hat a beaut if ul place it was! Poor G eor g e didn’t even
k now t hat such a place exist ed in G lum ville.
I n t he nig ht club t hey m et anot her colleag ue who sat at encontraron
t heir t able. T he t hr ee of t hem dr ank beer and whisk y, bebieron
spok e about f oot ball, t old j ok es and laug hed t he whole hablaron
nig ht .
I t was half past f our in t he m or ning when O scar t ook llevó
G eor g e back hom e. His head was spinning a lit t le. He
k new t hat he had dr unk t oo m uch. But he f elt r eally sabía
happy.

He slept soundly t ill t welve o’clock , and he dr eam t t hat durmió / soñó
he was in Cost a Rica.
T hat Sunday inst ead of wor k ing in his lit t le g ar den as
he usually did, he went t o a pub t o have lunch. T hen he hacía
called O scar and t hey bot h spent t he af t er noon bowling . pasaron
Lif e wasn’t so t oug h af t er all, t houg ht poor G eor g e. pensó
===
w eat her f orecas t = pr onós t i co del t i empo
t o s l eep s oundl y = dor mi r pr of undament e

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 UNIT 23 30

En l a col umna de l a der echa hemos pues t o l a “bas e f or m” de l os

ver bos i r r egul ar es .
Copi a en un cuader no es t a l ect ur a y r el l ena con un l api z l os es paci os
vací os con l os ver bos cor r es pondi ent es en “pas t s i mpl e”. Luego mi r a
l a l ect ur a pr ecedent e, par a ver s i has comet i do al gunas f al t as .

“A Happy Weekend”
Lydia was pr epar ing br eak f ast when she …. . t he door hear
bell r ing ing . T he bell …. . t hr ee t im es, so she …. . t hat her r i ng / under s t and
f r iends had ar r ived. She …. . t o t he door happily and r un
when she opened it she …. . t he sm iling f aces of her t wo s ee
best f r iends: Flor a and Er ica.
Af t er em br acing and k issing t hem , she …. . t hem t o t he l ead
k it chen. O n t he k it chen t able t her e was alr eady hot t ea,
cof f ee, m ilk and biscuit s. T he t hr ee ladies …. . and …. . s i t down / begi n
t o have br eak f ast . T hey wer e in a hur r y, so half an hour
lat er t hey …. . t he house. l eave
As soon as t hey …. . t he car , t hey t ur ned on t he r adio get i nt o
t o list en t o t he weat her f or ecast . - T hey …. . luck y! T he be
weat her was g oing t o be f ine f or t he whole week end.
Er ica was an exper t dr iver . She …. . bet t er t han any dr i ve
m an, so ever ybody was r elaxed and happy. Dur ing t he
whole j our ney t o Bat h, wher e t hey wer e g oing t o spend
t heir week end, t hey t alk ed, laug hed and …. . all k inds of s i ng
song s. Er ica loved t o dr ive, and she never g ot t ir ed. Fr om
t im e t o t im e she even …. . som e f unny st or ies t o k eep her t el l
f r iends in a j olly m ood.
Have a nice t im e, ladies!
***
W hen G eor g e …. . hom e at eig ht o’clock in t he evening come back
and …. . int o t he k it chen, he …. . t he dir t y plat es, cups, go / f i nd
g lasses, spoons and f or k s st ill on t he t able. So he
pat ient ly …. . ever yt hing in t he sink and beg an t o wash put
t hem . But he soon st opped. I t was near ly half past eig ht
and he …. . ver y hung r y. f eel
( t urn over)
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 UNIT 23 31

( cont i nuat i on) G eor g e and Lydia

“A Happy W eekend”

He …. . t o t he k it chen cupboar d, but he only …. . som e go / f i nd

br ead and a pack et of biscuit s. So he …. . t o t he go
r ef r ig er at or hoping t o f ind his dinner t her e, but in t he
f r idg e t her e was only a piece of cheese, t wo sm all apples,
t wo bot t les of m ilk and an eg g .
He …. . t hat Lydia was g oing t o spend t he week end know
wit h her f r iends in Bat h. But bef or e leaving she could
have pr epar ed som et hing f or his dinner , …. . poor G eor g e. t hi nk
“ Sur ely she was in a hur r y and …. . t o pr epar e it , ” he …. . f or get / s ay
t o him self . So he opened t he f r idg e ag ain and …. . t he get out
cheese, a bot t le of m ilk and t he eg g . But when he …. . put
t hem on t he t able, t he eg g beg an t o r oll, …. . t he t able f al l of f
and …. . , of cour se. br eak

Poor G eor g e! He …. . a piece of br ead and cheese, and eat

…. . half a g lass of m ilk . But he st ill f elt hung r y, and sad, dr i nk
ver y sad.
T en m inut es lat er he went t o t he bedr oom , …. . his t ake of f
j ack et , t ook of f his shoes and …. . on t he bed. He was so l i e down
t ir ed t hat in a f ew m inut es he …. . . f al l as l eep

Half an hour lat er he …. . . He f elt cold and, of cour se, wake up

hung r y! W hat could he do? - He …. . f or about t en t hi nk
m inut es, t hen he …. . a br illiant idea. He t ook t he phone have
and …. . his colleag ue, O scar . r i ng up

W hen O scar …. . G eor g e ask ing him t o g o out f or hear

dinner , he couldn’t believe his ear s. O scar was sing le and
he …. . m ost of his evening s g oing to pubs and s pend
r est aur ant s. He lik ed G eor g e ver y m uch, because he was
honest and a har d wor k er . He had of t en invit ed him t o g o
out , but G eor g e seldom accept ed.
( t urn over)
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 UNIT 23 32

( cont i nuat i on) G eor g e and Lydia

“A Happy W eekend”

I t was a beaut if ul evening . A big silver m oon …. . over s hi ne

G lum ville. A cool aut um n wind g ent ly …. . t he dr y leaves bl ow
f r om one side of t he st r eet t o t he ot her . G eor g e …. . his wear
f avour it e blue suit , his g r ey over coat and his black hat .
He was q uit e eleg ant . He …. . t he f r ont door of his house s hut
and …. . t o t he cor ner of t he st r eet t o wait f or O scar . go
W hile he …. . t her e wait ing f or his f r iend, he beg an t o s t and
t hink about his wor k , and his lif e. He …. . t o do som et hing have
t o chang e it .
O scar was ver y punct ual. At half past nine t hey wer e
alr eady sit t ing in a ver y eleg ant r est aur ant . A nice wait er
…. . t hem t he m enu. T hey or der ed t heir dinner , and br i ng
O scar …. . t he wine. choos e

W hile t hey wer e wait ing f or t heir dinner O scar ask ed,
“ W her e did you buy t hat eleg ant suit ?” “ I …. . it at buy
Self r idg es. I k now it is eleg ant but it …. . r elat ively lit t le” , cos t
answer ed G eor g e.
W hen dinner was ser ved O scar …. . t o t alk about his begi n
last holiday in Cost a Rica. He …. . G eor g e what a t el l
f ant ast ic t im e he had t her e. He …. . t ill t en, g ot up, had s l eep
br eak f ast and …. . to t he beach. T he beach was a go
beaut if ul solit ar y place. T he sea was em er ald g r een.
Ever y m or ning he …. . f or a couple of hour s, t hen he …. . s wi m
under an um br ella and …. . a book f or t he r est of t he l i e / r ead
m or ning .
W hile in Cost a Rica, he never …. . t he newspaper s, r ead
and he never wat ched t elevision. T wice a week he …. . a wr i t e
car d and …. . it t o his par ent s t o t ell t hem t hat he was all s end
r ig ht .
( t urn over)
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 UNIT 23 33

( cont i nuat i on) G eor g e and Lydia

“A Happy W eekend”

W hen dinner was over and t he wait er …. . t he bill, br i ng

O scar …. . f or bot h and he also …. . t he wait er a g ood pay / gi ve
t ip.
W hile t hey wer e g oing back hom e, O scar …. . f r om l ear n
G eor g e t hat Lydia was in Bat h wit h her f r iends Flor a and
Er ica, so he insist ed on t ak ing G eor g e t o a nig ht club.
W hat a beaut if ul place it was! Poor G eor g e didn’t even
k now t hat such a place exist ed in G lum ville.
I n t he nig ht club t hey …. . anot her colleag ue who …. . meet / s i t
at t heir t able. T he t hr ee of t hem …. . beer and whisk y, dr i nk
…. . about f oot ball, t old j ok es and laug hed t he whole s peak
nig ht .
I t was half past f our in t he m or ning when O scar …. . t ake
G eor g e back hom e. His head was spinning a lit t le. He …. .
t hat he had dr unk t oo m uch. But he f elt r eally happy. know

He …. . soundly t ill t welve o’clock , and he …. . t hat he s l eep / dr eam

was in Cost a Rica.

T hat Sunday inst ead of wor k ing in his lit t le g ar den as

he usually …. . , he went t o a pub t o have lunch. T hen he do
called O scar and t hey bot h …. . t he af t er noon bowling . s pend
Lif e wasn’t so t oug h af t er all, …. . poor G eor g e. t hi nk

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UNIT 23 34

Tr ansl at i on
1. Traduce oralmente.
2. Copia toda la página.

1. - T her e is a t able in t he m iddle of t he r oom …

2. T her e is a book in t he m iddle of t he t able…
3. - Don’t t alk nonsense! T he shops ar e closing . G o and buy a
loaf of br ead!
4. - But I am in t he m iddle of m y Fr ench t r anslat ion -
5. - Your Fr ench isn’t so im por t ant . G o! At once!
6. - But , m ot her ! I t is r aining !
7. You k now t hat I always f all of f m y bicycle in t he r ain.

8. - O h, m ot her ! I am af r aid of t he st or m !
9. T he t hunder deaf ens m e!
10. - T hen g o of f t o bed!
11. - But I ’m af r aid t hat t he lig ht ning will blind m e!
12. - Don’t be silly! - O ne of you boys m ust buy t he loaf .
13. - W ell, I can’t g o because I m ust do m y Fr ench t r anslat ion,
and he can’t g o because he has a cold.
14. - T hen I am ver y sor r y, but t her e will be no br ead f or
dinner .

16. - W e lived in London f or m any year s …

17. … but now we live in a q uiet lit t le t own.
18. I n wint er it is ver y cold her e, but t he sum m er s ar e
wonder f ul.
19. T her e ar e people who lik e t o live in t he m ount ains.
20. T her e ar e ot her s who lik e t o live near t he sea.
21. Som e people lik e t o live in a big cit y …
22. But lif e in a q uiet lit t le t own is t he best of all.
23. T her e is no sm ok e, no noise … not hing wor r ies us… all is
peace and q uiet .

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UNIT 23 35

Tr ansl at i on

1. - Hay una m esa en m edio de la habit ación …

2. Hay un libr o en m edio de la m esa…
3. - ¡No dig as t ont er ías! Las t iendas est án cer r ando. ¡Vé y
com pr a una hog aza de pan!
4. - Per o yo est oy en m edio de m i t r aducción de f r ancés.
5. - T u f r ancés no es t an im por t ant e. ¡Vé! ¡I nm ediat am ent e!
6. - Per o, ¡m am á! ¡Est á lloviendo!
7. T ú sabes q ue yo siem pr e ( m e) caig o de m i biciclet a en la
lluvia. ( c o n l a l l u v i a )

8. - ¡O h, m am á! ¡T eng o m iedo de la t or m ent a!

9. ¡El t r ueno m e ensor dece!
10. - ¡Ent onces vét e a la cam a!
11. - ¡Per o yo t em o q ue el r elám pag o m e cieg ue!
12. - ¡No seas t ont o! – Uno de vosot r os m uchachos debe
com pr ar la hog aza.
13. - Bien, yo no puedo ir por q ue t eng o q ue hacer m i
t r aducción de f r ancés, y él no puede ir por q ue t iene un
r esf r iado.
14. - Ent onces lo sient o m ucho, per o no habr á pan par a ( la)
cena.

16. - Nosot r os vivím os en Londr es por m uchos años…

17. Per o ahor a vivím os en un t r anq uilo pueblecit o.
18. En inver no hace m ucho f r ío aq uí, per o los ver anos son
m ar avillosos.
19. Hay per sonas a q uienes les g ust a vivir en las m ont añas.
20. Hay ot r as a q uienes les g ust a vivir cer ca del m ar .
21. A alg unas per sonas les g ust a vivir en una g r ande ciudad.
22. Per o la vida en un t r anq uilo pueblo es lo m ej or de t odo.
23. No hay ning ún hum o, ning ún r uido… nada nos
pr eocupa…t odo es paz y t r anq uilidad.

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UNIT 23 36

Vocabul ar y

almost Ø:lmoust casi

applause EplØ:z aplauso
at last Et la:st finalmente
at once Et wúns inmediatamente
aw ful Ø:ful terrible
baker beikE panadero
began bigAn empezó
bicycle baisikl bicicleta
to blind tu blaind cegar
bought bØ:t compré
certainly sE:tEnli ciertamente
to close tu klouz cerrar
to deafen tu defn ensordecer
to describe tu diskraib describir
dirty dE:ti sucio
to drow n tu draun ahogar -se
fell fel caí
felt felt me sentía
fool fu:l tonto (substantivo)
foolish fu:liS tonto (adjetivo)
found faund encontré
gave geiv me dió
hail heil granizo
hero hiErou héroe
to imagine tu imAdZin imaginar
journey dZE:ni viaje
lightning laitniN relámpagos
loaf louf hogaza, loncha
look luk mirada
luck lúk fortuna, suerte

( t urn over)
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UNIT 23 37

Vocabul ar y

middle midl medio

mud múd barro
proud praud orgulloso
to push tu push empujar
quiet kwaiEt tranquilo
to reach tu ri:tS alcanzar
remaining rimeiniN que quedaba
to remind tu rimaind r ecor dar a, r ecor dar l e a
to ride tu raid mont ar (a cabal l o); andar (en
bi ci cl et a, mot o)
said sed dijo
to seem tu si:m parecer
storm stØ:m temporal
thought †Ø:t pensé
thunder †úndE trueno
torrent tØrEnt torrente
trouble trúbl problema
to turn back tu tE:n bAk volver
w ay wei camino
w ent off went Øf me fui

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