At the dentist’s

Once I had had a toothache for several days, but I was afraid I couldn’t pluck up courage to go to the dentist. As a matter of fact I went twice, but just as I got on his doorstep and was going to ring the bell the toothache seemed to have gone away, so I went home again. But at last I had to go back, and this time I rang the bell and was shown into the waiting-room.

There were a number of magazines there, and I had just got in the middle of an exciting story when the maid came in to say Mr. Puller was ready to see me – I’ll have to wait for the next toothache to finish the story.

Well, I went into the surgery (the room where a doctor or dentist gives advice or treatment) and he told me to sit in a chair that he could move up and down, backwards and forwards, and then he had a look at the inside of my mouth. He put a little mirror on a long handle inside my mouth and poked about for a while, then he looked serious and said, “Yes, I’m afraid we can’t save that one, it will have to come out.”

I asked him to give me an injection. He filled a syringe with a liquid called cocaine. I felt a little prick on the gum and then he injected the cocaine. He did this in two or three places and waited for a minute or so.

My mouth felt rather dead. Then he took a pair of forceps, gripped the tooth, gave a twist, then a pull, and the tooth was out. I could see it and hear it but I couldn’t feel it. Then he said, “It’s all over. Spit in there and then wash your mouth out with this disinfectant.”

Assignments

Ex. 1. Ask the questions to the following sentences.

1. Once I had had a toothache for several days.

2. I’ll have to wait for the next toothache to finish the story.

3. The doctor had a look at the inside of my mouth.

4. He put a little mirror on a long handle inside my mouth and poked about for a while.

5. I asked him to give me an injection.

6. My mouth felt rather dead.

7. He took a pair of forceps, gripped the tooth, gave a twist, then a pull, and the tooth was out.

8. I could see it and hear it but I couldn’t feel it.

Ex. 2. Finish the following sentences.

1. As a matter of fact I went twice, but ___ . 2. But at last I had to go back, and this time ___ . 3. There were a number of magazines there, and I had just got in the middle of an exciting story when ___ . 4. The doctor poked about for a while, then ___ . 5. I felt a little prick on the gum and then ___. 6. Then he took a pair of forceps, gripped the tooth, gave a twist, then a pull, and the tooth was out and said ___ .

Ex. 3. Paraphrase the following sentences in the indirect speech.

1. He put a little mirror on a long handle inside my mouth and poked about for a while, then he looked serious and said, “Yes, I’m afraid we can’t save that one, it will have to come out.”

2. Then he said, “It’s all over. Spit in there and then wash your mouth out with this disinfectant.”

Ex. 4. Say if the following sentences correspond to the text.

1. Once a man had had a toothache for several days, but he was afraid to go to the dentist.

2. When he entered the dentist’s waiting room before the toothache seemed to increase, so he went straight into the doctor’s surgery.

3. This time there were not any magazines there, and he was sitting and doing nothing.

4. The maid came in to say Mr. Puller was ready to see the patient.

5. He went into the surgery and the doctor told him to sit in a chair that he could move in any direction.

6. The doctor didn’t have a look at the inside of the patient’s mouth.

7. After examining the tooth the doctor came to the conclusion that he could save it.

8. The doctor filled a syringe with a liquid and injected the cocaine in one place.

9. The patient’s mouth was dead and soon the tooth was out.

Ex. 5. Read the dialogues, translate them into Russian.