Никоненко Тамара Петрівна

   Before 1840 there were no stamps. In those days people usually paid a lot of money for a letter when they received it. That is why people who were poor did not write to one another often. But when they sent or received a letter, it was a very important thing for them and many people knew about it.
   There is a story from that time about a letter to a poor woman. One day the postman came to her house to bring her a letter. He told the woman to pay a lot of money, which she did not have. She looked at the letter, and gave it back to the postman. “I cannot pay for it,” she said.
   Just at that moment a man heard the conversation between the postman and the woman. He came up to the woman and said, “Let me pay for the letter. I have money and I want to help you.” Then he gave the postman the money he wanted to get from the woman. “I thank you very much,” said the woman, “but you must not pay for the letter. It is from my brother. He sends me one letter every three months. He does not write about himself and his family, he writes only my address on the letter. Then I know that he is well, and as I cannot pay for the letter, I give it back to the postman.”
Vocabulary
a stamp – марка
a postman – поштар
the conversation – розмова

Task I. Mark the right statements “True” and the wrong ones “False”.

1. Before 1840 there were few stamps.
2. In those days people usually paid little money for a letter when they received it.
3. People who were poor often write to one another.
4. One day the postman brought a letter to a poor woman.
5. He told the woman to pay a lot of money for the letter and she did so.
6. The woman read the letter and then gave it back to the postman.
7. A man heard the conversation between the postman and the woman and wanted to help her with money.
8. The woman said that letter was from her sister.
9. Every three months the woman got a letter from her sister.
10. Her brother wrote her long interesting letters.
11. He wrote only the woman’s address on the letter.
12. In that way the woman knew that her brother was well.
13. As the woman could not pay for the letters she gave them back to the postman.

Task II. Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to each question:
1. This is a story_____.
A. about a poor woman
B. about a rich man
C. about a postman
D. from that time about a letter to a poor woman
2. One day the postman came to her house to bring her _____.
A. a telegram
B. a letter
C. a parcel
D. a mail-box
3. He told the woman to pay _____ money.
A. a lot of
B. much
C. many
D. little
4. She looked _____ the letter, and gave it back to the postman.
A. on
B. at
C. over
D. in
5. Just at that moment _____ heard the conversation.
A. a woman
B. a boy
C. a man
D. a brother
6. He gave the postman _____ he wanted to get from the woman.
A. the letter
B. the monkey
C. the monster
D. the money
7. The poor woman had _____.
A. a sister
B. a cousin
C. a friend
D. a brother
8. He sent her one letter _____.
A. every three months
B. every three weeks
C. every three days
D. every thirteen days
9. He wrote only _____ on the letter.
A. about himself and his family
B. about the postman
C. her address
D. his address
10. What does the word “a stamp” mean?
A. A written or printed message that is usually put in an envelope and sent by mail.
B. A thin paper cover in which you put and send a letter.
C. A small piece of paper that you buy and stick onto an envelope.
D. The details of the place where someone lives or works, which you use to send them letters.
11. In that way the woman knew that her brother was _____.
A. unwell
B. well
C. bad
D. happy

Зайковські С.А.., Адамовська Л.М. Англійська мова. 6-11 класи. 100 текстів і завдань для аудіювання, читання та усного мовлення. – Тернопіль: Навчальна книга – Богдан, 2001. – С. 64-65