The film had almost finished

Tom: Nick: Tom: Nick: Tom: Nick:

Did you enjoy the film yesterday? Well, it's a long story. I got on the bus but I _____ (forget) my bus fare. So what did you do? I got off the bus and ran home, but everybody _____ (go out). I couldn't get in, because I _____ (not / take) my key. So I went to Paul's house to borrow some money… Wait, let me guess: he _____ (spend) all his money that afternoon. No. He _____ (not / come) home yet. When he finally arrived, I _____ (wait) for twenty minutes. After he _____ (lend) me some money, I caught the next bus. But when I got to the cinema, the film _____ (almost, finish).

Exercise 223

Read the text.

Junior Genius

Vocabulary

genius	a person who knows a lot about a subject, or who knows how to do something very well
expert	a person who has a great ability, usually at an early age
amazed	extremely surprised
anatomy	the study of the human body

James Stoker was fifteen years old when he became the youngest fully qualified doctor in the United States. James was a genius. By the age of two he had learnt to read and write. Before his sixth birthday his father had taught him to speak three languages fluently and he could play the violin and the piano perfectly. James spent all his time reading and studying. After he had passed his school-leaving exams at the age of nine, he went to college. A year and a half later, he had finished college and started at a medical school. At the age of twelve, he didn't know what football was, because nobody had taught him how to play. There hadn't been time.

At fifteen, he was ready to take the final examination. On the morning of the exam, although he had been studying for 48 hours, he wasn't tired. After the exam he walked through the park, but he didn't arrive home until seven o'clock in the evening, very tired and very dirty. What had he been doing? His mother wondered. He had met some eight-year-olds in the park. They had been teaching him how to play football.

Exercise 224

Facts about James

Choose a, b or c to complete the sentences about James. Say your answers.

Example:

James's teachers were amazed. They a a pupil like him before.
	a had never met	b never met	c have never met

1. He _____ to read and write by the time he was two.
	a learnt	b had learnt	c had been learning
2. When James started school at five, he _____ to playschool.
	a didn't go	b hadn't been	c had been going
3. He _____ school by the age of nine.
	a was leaving	b had left	c had been leaving
4. As soon as he _____ college, he went to medical school.
	a had finished	b was finishing	c finished
5. Before he started medical school, he _____ twenty books on anatomy.
	a had already read	b already read	c had already been reading
He ___ a ball in his life before he played football with the eight-year-olds.
	a had never kicked	b never kicked	c had been kicking

Exercise 225