Никоненко Тамара Петрівна

   Many years ago three rich women met very often in a garden. They sat there and talked the whole day. One morning one of them said, “How white and beautiful my hands are!” Another said, “My hands are more beautiful”. The third woman said, “My hands are the most beautiful”.
   An old woman in a very poor coat came up to them. She said, “I’m old and cannot work. I haven’t eaten for a long time. Give me something to eat, please”. But the rich women gave her nothing. They only asked her, “Tell us, old woman, which of us three has the most beautiful hands?” “I shall tell you a little later”, the old woman said and walked away.
   A village woman was sitting in another place. She was poor and her hands were dark from work. The old woman came up to her and said, “I haven’t eaten for a long time. Give me something to eat, please”. The poor woman opened her bag, took out a piece of bread and gave half of it to the old woman. The old woman ate it and drank some water. Then she took the village woman by the hand, brought her before the rich women and said, “Now I’ll tell you whose hands are the most beautiful. The hands of this poor woman are dark from work, but they give us bread. They are more beautiful than your white hands which don’t know work!”
 
Tick true or false statements (+) or (-)
1. Many years ago three rich women met very often in the yard.
2. The rich women sat there and work the whole day.
3. One evening one of them said, “How white and beautiful my hands are!”
4. Another said, “My hands are more beautiful”.
5. A young woman in a very poor coat came up to them.
6. An old woman asked for some food.
7. The rich women gave her some fruit and bread.
8. They only asked her “Tell us, old woman, which of us three has the most beautiful hands?”
9. A village woman was sitting in another place.
10. She was also rich and the village woman’s hands were white and beautiful.
11. The poor village woman opened her box, took out a piece of bread and gave half of it to the old woman.
12. The old woman took the bread and went away.
13. Then she took the village woman by the hand, brought her before the rich women.
14. The old woman told the rich women: “Now I’ll tell you whose hands are the most beautiful. The hands of this poor woman are dark from work, but they give us bread”.

English texts for listening and reproduction (Photocopiable) = Збірник текстів для аудіювання в 5-11 класах загальноосвітніх шкіл зі сторінками для копіювання/ Упоряд. Л.Б. Крамаренко. – Х.:Веста: Видавництво “Ранок”, 2003. – С. 48