Q21 - Easy to drive
A crowd of people were standing in the street. They were looking at a new car. The car was outside a showroom. It was a new model and many people wanted to see it. A salesman noticed the crowd and came into the street.
'It's a beautiful model, isn't it?' the salesman said.
'It certainly is,' a man agreed. 'Is it automatic?'
'Oh, yes,' the salesman answered proudly. 'There aren't any gears in this car. You press your foot down and drive away. It's very easy to drive. Even a woman can drive it without any difficulty.'
'I didn't like that remark,' a woman said.
'I'm sorry, madam,' the salesman answered. 'I didn't notice you. Anyway, I was only joking.'
'Give us a demonstration,' the woman said. 'Drive a few yards.'
The salesman smiled with pleasure. He got into the car and started the engine. Then he pressed a button and the car suddenly went backwards. There was a loud crash and the car went through the window of the showroom.
Vocabulary
crowd multidão
standing em pé
outside lado de fora
salesman vendedor
proudly orgulhosamente
gear engrenagens; marcha
press apertar
button botão
even até; mesmo
without sem
remark comentário
notice perceber
joke brincar
yard jarda (medida inglesa)
pleasure prazer
suddenly repentinamente
backwards para trás
loud alto (para sons)
crash batida
through através
Answer these questions
A
1 Were there any people in the street?
2 Weren't they looking at a new car?
3 Was it an old model?
4 Didn't the salesman come into the street?
5 It's an automatic car, isn't it?
6 Has it any gears?
7 It's not difficult to drive an automatic car, is it?
8 Won't the salesman give the crowd a demonstration?
9 He'll drive a few yards, won't he?
10 Did the salesman get into the car?
11 Did the car move forward?
12 Didn't the car move backwards?
13 There was a loud crash, wasn't there?
14 The salesman broke the showroom window, didn't he?
B
15 Who noticed the crowd in the street?
16 Who can drive an automatic car without difficulty?
17 Who objected to the salesman's remark about women drivers?
18 Who will give a demonstration?
19 Who broke the showroom window?
C
20 Were the people in the street looking at a new car or at an old one?
21 Has the car any gears, or is it automatic?
22 Is it easy or difficult to drive?
23 Does the salesman think that women are good drivers or bad drivers?
24 Did the salesman give a demonstration, or did a member of the crowd give a
demonstration?
25 Did the car go forward, or did it reverse?
D
26 Where were the people standing?
27 Why did the salesman come into the street?
28 Why is this car easy to drive?
29 Which car did the salesman drive?
30 How did the salesman break the showroom window?
F
Ask these questions
Ask me
1a if the car was outside the showroom.
b where the car was.
2a if the salesman noticed the crowd.
b what the salesman noticed.
3a if the car is easy to drive.
b why it is easy to drive.
4a if the salesman will give a demosntration.
b when the salesman will give a demonstration.
5a if the salesman drove a few yards.
b how far he drove.
6a if the salesman broke the showroom window.
b how the salesman broke the showroom window.