Никоненко Тамара Петрівна

   In the early hours of 5 April 1989 a motorbike was speeding along the A20 in Kent. The night was dark and there was very little traffic on the road. Clive Taylor was in a hurry to get home. He had left London later than he had expected. As he approached Wrotham Hill, he glanced at his watch. Exactly two o’clock. A minute later he reached the bend at the top of the hill. It was a dan­gerous place for accidents. Suddenly, he saw a girl. When he had stopped, the girl calmly walked up to him and asked him if he could give her a lift. He asked her what she was doing in such a lonely spot. She said that there had been an accident. Clive looked around, but he couldn’t see a car or any other people. Clive told her to get on the pillion and to hold tight. As the girl climbed on, Clive suddenly felt very cold, but he noticed that she was only wearing a light dress. They rode on down the hill and Clive talked to the girl over his shoulder. At the bottom of the hill there was a telephone box. Clive pulled off the road and stopped. But when he turned round, he froze in horror. The girl wasn’t there.

   Had the girl fallen off the pillion? In a cold sweat, he rode back up to the spot where he had first seen the girl. But he couldn’t see her. She had simply disappeared. By this time, Clive was desperate. He rode as fast as he could to the nearest town and found the police station. He told the policeman at the desk what had happened. The policeman asked him to describe the girl. When he had finished, the policeman told him to sit down and asked him if he wanted a cup of tea. To his surprise, the policeman didn’t seem very worried. Then the policeman told Clive that ten years before, there had been an ac­cident on Wrotham Hill. A girl and her boyfriend had been on their way back from a party, when she had fallen off the pillion of the motorbike and been killed. Since that time several motorcyclists had seen the girl. The accident had happened at exactly five past two.

 Proper names:

Kent [kent] — Кент (назва графства)

Clive Taylor [klaiv ‘teilә] — Клайв Тейлор

Wrotham Hill [‘roӨәm hil] — Росем Хил

Commentary:

if he could give her a lift — чи не зможе він її підкинути

a pillion — заднє сидіння мотоцикла

sweat — піт

desperate – розпачливий

 Are these statements true (T) or false (F)?

1.     The night was dark and there was a very busy traffic on the road.

2.     Clive had left London later than he had expected.

3.     It was exactly three o’clock p. m.

4.     Suddenly, he saw a woman.

5.     They rode on down the hill and Clive talked to the girl over his shoulder.

6.     At the bottom of the hill there was a bus stop.

7.     But when he turned round, he froze in horror. The girl wasn’t there.

8.     By this time, Clive was desperate.

9.     He rode as fast as he could to the nearest village and found the police station.

10.   When Clive had finished his story, the policeman told him to sit down and asked him if he wanted a cup of tea.

11.    Then the policeman told Clive that two years before, there had been an ac­cident on Wrotham Hill at exactly five past two.