SIMPLE PAST or PAST CONTINUOUS?

1. Last week I decided (decide) to invite some friends to dinner. I bought (buy) lots of delicious food,
including some Parma ham and at about 6.00 I cooked (cook) in the kitchen. The sun was shining
(shine) and it was a beautiful evening, so, I opened (open) the back door. Then the telephone
_______________ (ring). I went (go) to answer it and when I came (come) back the ham wasn't on
the table. I looked (look) out of the window. A cat was sitting (sit) on my garden wall and it was
eating (eat) my ham. What could (can) I do? I filled (fill) a pan with water and I went quietly
outside. The cat wasn’t looking (not look) in my direction and it enjoyed (enjoy) the ham so much
that it wasn’t hearing (not hear) me. I walked (walk) slowly up to it, I _______________ (want) to
empty the water over its head. A bit cruel. I know but the ham _______________ (be) very
expensive but at the last moment the cat heard me and escaped (escape)in the neighbourhood.

2. An old pirate was sitting (sit) in the bar. He was smoking (smoke) a pipe and drinking (drink) a glass of
rum. He was earing (wear) an eye patch and he had (have) a parrot on his shoulder and a wooden leg. Instead of
his right hand he _______________ (have) a metal hook. A young sailor was chatting (chat) with the pirate and
he was asking (ask) him about his adventures at sea. ‘So, how did you lose your leg?’, the young man asked
(ask) the pirate. ‘Arrr! ,’ said (say) the pirate, ‘You see, some sharks were circling (circle) the ship when I fell
(fall) overboard. Luckily, my men _______________ (pull) me back onto the ship before the sharks
_______________ (eat) me completely, but one of the sharks got (get) my leg.’ ‘And how about the hook on
your hand? How did you lose your hand?’ ‘I was boarding (board) a ship when another sailor cut (cut) off my
hand with a sword.’ ‘That’s amazing! What a life full of adventures!’ said (say) the young man. ‘And how
about your eye? How did you lose that?’ ‘I was eating (eat) a grapefruit when the juice went (go) into my eye.’
‘But I don’t understand. How did you lose your eye from the grapefruit juice?’ ‘Arrr!’ said (say) the pirate, ‘it
was my first day with the new hook.’