English Reader - 7

Placing a cigarette between
his lips, he struck a match,

inhaled the smoke hurriedly
and put out the light. Almost

immediately, a bullet flattened
itself against the parapet of the
roof. The sniper took another

whiff and put out the cigarette.
Then he swore softly and

crawled away to the left.

Cautiously he raised himself

and peered over the parapet.
There was a flash and a bullet
whizzed over his head. He

dropped immediately. He had
seen the flash. It came from the opposite side of the street.


He rolled over the roof to a chimney stack in the rear, and slowly drew
himself up behind it, until his eyes were level with the top of the parapet.

There was nothing to be seen--just the dim outline of the opposite
housetop against the blue sky. His enemy was under cover.


Just then an armored car came across the bridge and advanced slowly up
the street. It stopped on the opposite side of the street, fifty yards ahead.
The sniper could hear the dull panting of the motor. His heart beat faster.

It was an enemy car. He wanted to fire, but he knew it was useless. His
bullets would never pierce the steel that covered the gray monster.


Then round the corner of a side street came an old woman, her head
covered by a tattered shawl. She began to talk to the man in the turret of

the car. She was pointing to the roof where the sniper lay. An informer!


Dolphin English Reader Book 7 201

The turret opened. A man’s head and shoulders appeared, looking toward
the sniper. The sniper raised his rifle and fired. The head fell heavily on

the turret wall. The woman darted toward the side street. The sniper
fired again. The woman whirled round and fell with a shriek into the

gutter.

Suddenly from the opposite roof a shot rang out and the sniper dropped

his rifle with a curse. The rifle clattered to the roof. The sniper thought
the noise would wake the dead. He stooped to pick the rifle up. He

couldn’t lift it. His forearm was dead. “I’m hit,” he muttered.

Dropping flat onto the roof, he crawled back to the parapet. With his left

hand he felt the injured right forearm. The blood was oozing through the
sleeve of his coat. There was no pain--just a deadened sensation, as if the

arm had been cut off.

Quickly he drew his knife from his pocket, opened it on the breastwork

of the parapet, and ripped open the sleeve. There was a small hole where
the bullet had entered. On the other side there was no hole. The bullet

had lodged in the bone. It must have fractured it. He bent the arm below
the wound. The arm bent back easily. He ground his teeth to overcome

the pain.


Then taking out his field dressing, he ripped open the packet with his
knife. He broke the neck of the iodine bottle and let the bitter fluid drip
into the wound. A paroxysm of pain swept through him. He placed the

cotton wadding over the wound and wrapped the dressing over it. He

tied the ends with his teeth.

Then he lay still against the parapet, and, closing his eyes, he made an

effort of will to overcome the pain.




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In the street beneath all was still. The armored car had retired speedily
over the bridge, with the machine gunner’s head hanging lifeless over

the turret. The woman’s corpse lay still in the gutter.

The sniper lay still for a long time nursing his wounded arm and planning

escape. Morning must not find him wounded on the roof. The enemy on
the opposite roof covered his escape. He must kill that enemy and he

could not use his rifle. He had only a revolver to do it. Then he thought
of a plan.


Taking off his cap, he placed it over the muzzle of his rifle. Then he pushed
the rifle slowly upward over the parapet, until the cap was visible from

the opposite side of the street. Almost immediately there was a report,
and a bullet pierced the center of the cap. The sniper slanted the rifle

forward. The cap clipped down into the street. Then catching the rifle in
the middle, the sniper dropped his left hand over the roof and let it hang,

lifelessly. After a few moments he let the rifle drop to the street. Then he
sank to the roof, dragging his hand with him.


Crawling quickly to his feet, he peered up at the corner of the roof.
His ruse had succeeded. The other sniper, seeing the cap and rifle fall,

thought that he had killed his man. He was now standing before a row of
chimney pots, looking across, with his head clearly silhouetted against

the western sky.

The Republican sniper smiled and lifted his revolver above the edge

of the parapet. The distance was about fifty yards--a hard shot in the

dim light, and his right arm was paining him like a thousand devils. He
took a steady aim. His hand trembled with eagerness. Pressing his lips
together, he took a deep breath through his nostrils and fired. He was

almost deafened with the report and his arm shook with the recoil.



Dolphin English Reader Book 7 203

Then when the smoke cleared, he peered across and uttered a cry of joy.
His enemy had been hit. He was reeling over the parapet in his death

agony. He struggled to keep his feet, but he was slowly falling forward as
if in a dream. The rifle fell from his grasp, hit the parapet, fell over,

bounded off the pole of a barber’s shop beneath and then clattered on
the pavement.


Then the dying man on the roof
crumpled up and fell forward.

The body turned over and over in
space and hit the ground with a

dull thud. Then it laid still.

The sniper looked at his enemy

falling and he shuddered. The lust
of battle died in him. He became

bitten by remorse. The sweat
stood out in beads on his forehead.

Weakened by his wound and the
long summer day of fasting and

watching on the roof, he revolted from the sight of the shattered mass
of his dead enemy. His teeth chattered, He began to gibber to himself,

cursing the war, cursing himself, cursing everybody.

He looked at the smoking revolver in his hand, and with an oath he

hurled it to the roof at his feet. The revolver went off with a concussion
and the bullet whizzed past the sniper’s head. He was frightened back to

his senses by the shock. His nerves steadied. The cloud of fear scattered
from his mind and he laughed.


Taking the whiskey flask from his pocket, he emptied it a drought. He felt



204 Dolphin English Reader Book 7

reckless under the influence of the spirit. He decided to leave the roof
now and look for his company commander, to report. Everywhere around

was quiet. There was not much danger in going through the streets. He
picked up his revolver and put it in his pocket. Then he crawled down

through the skylight to the house underneath.

When the sniper reached the laneway on the street level, he felt a sudden

curiosity as to the identity of the enemy sniper whom he had killed. He
decided that he was a good shot, whoever he was. He wondered did he

know him. Perhaps he had been in his own company before the split in
the army. He decided to risk going over to have a look at him. He peered

around the corner into O’Connell Street. In the upper part of the street
there was heavy firing, but around here all was quiet.


The sniper darted across the street. A machine gun tore up the ground
around him with a hail of bullets, but he escaped. He threw himself face

downward beside the corpse. The machine gun stopped.

Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother’s

face.
by Liham O’Flahety
Glossary

fleecy : soft, like a sheep’s wool
beleaguered : having a lot of problems and difficulties
spasmodically : suddenly, quickly and briefly
tattered : badly torn
mutter : complain in a low voice when in a worry
paroxysm : sudden and powerful expression of a strong
feeling
ruse : a trick intended to deceive someone
silhouetted : made a dark shape against the light surface
recoil : to move back because of fear or disgust
gibber : speak quickly usually when you are scared



Dolphin English Reader Book 7 205

2.1. State whether the following sentences are true or false.

a. Civil was in full fledge in Dublin.
b. The sniper was very much excited to eat.
c. Smoking would be risky in the dark.

d. The sniper saw his friend’s car coming across the bridge.
e. The sniper fired at the car.
g. The woman in tattered shawl killed the man in car.

h. The sniper had killed his brother, too.
2.2. Tick the correct option.

a. The eyes of the sniper were

deep and thoughtful dull and small bright and curious
b. The sniper decided to ……………….though it was risky.

eat sandwich fire at the woman smoke

c. A shot from ……………….. hit the sniper.
road opposite roof across the street

d. After dressing the wound, the sniper ……………………..

laid still against the parapet shouted
collected his rifle.

e. The sniper used his …………….. to dodge the enemy.

whiskey revolver cap
f. After the enemy was killed, the man …………… the battle.

hailed cursed gave up

2.3. Answer the following questions.

a. Why was smoking a risk in the dark?
b. Where did the first bullet come from?

c. Why didn’t the sniper fire at the car?
d. What did the sniper do to overcome his pain?

e. Why did the sniper invite a bullet using his cap?



206 Dolphin English Reader Book 7

f. When did the lust of battle die in the sniper?
g. Who was the person the sniper killed in the end?

h. How would the sniper have felt after he identified the dead
body as his brother?



3 Grammar Time


3.1. You must have learned the form and use of tense in your previous
grades. Let’s revise it. Read the following sentences and write

which tense each sentence is. If there is a sequence, write the
name of both tenses.


a. Light travels in a straight line.
b. She travels a distance of thirty kilometers to her office.

c. We are thinking of a new idea right at the moment.
d. As soon as I see him, I remember his childhood.

e. I have already undergone five surgeries.
f. We’ve been learning English for the last nine years.

g. We felt the tremor an hour ago.
h. She was stretching her legs when the coach asked her to stand up.

i. He hadn’t lost the keys till he was in the car.
j. She will send you the parcel tomorrow.

k. Naren will have got the driving license by next month.
l. I had checked all the lights before I left for jogging.

m. She is still weeping in the drawing room.
n. He has done a hard physical labour. He still looks tired.

o. I have worked there for six years.
p. Please keep quiet. The principal is coming.

3.2. Use the correct option and complete the sentences below.

a. The sun (rises/is rising/rose) in the east.


Dolphin English Reader Book 7 207

b. The boys are still (work/have worked/are working) in the field.
c. Shabdik (will shift/will be shifting/ will have shifted) to

Bangkok by next year.
d. When the hails (fell/were falling/have fallen) we were dancing

in the picnic.
e. He (has massaged/will massage/massaged) his face. It looks cute.

f. We (didn’t check/haven’t checked/don’t check) the counter yet.
g. We (will start/started/had been starting) the work in five minutes.

h. We (have been planting/ planted/had planted) paddy since 1992.
i. We (visit/ will visit/visited) Europe last summer.

j. Lali (filed/will file/had filed) the case in court but Mali didn’t.
3.3. Read the sentences below and note the relationship of a condition

with its consequence.

a. If I were a bird, I would fly.

b. If I were you, I would take an extra class.
c. If I had a hundred rupees, I would donate it to the flood victims.
d. If had been born in India, I would have spoken Hindi.
e. If I had taken less fat, I would have been free of hypertension.
f. Had you woken up earlier, you wouldn’t have missed the bus

* The consequences in sentences a and c are imaginative and b is
advisory.
* The consequences in d, e and f are impossible, they are used

only to regret a past situation.
3.4. Add a suitable consequence to the following conditions.


a. If I won a lottery of Rs. 100,000, ……………………………..
b. If I were a grade one student, …………………………………..

c. If he had labored hard, ………………………………………..
d. Had the police got the information in time, ………………………….

e. If a fairy came to me, …………………………………………


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3.5. Use the correct option to complete the sentences below.

a. If I were the prime minister of Nepal, I (would open/will open/

would have opened) a hundred homes for elderly people.
b. Had I run away from the cheetah, it (would chase/would have

chased/will have chased) me.
c. If I (am/was/were) you, I would tell the problem to my parents.

d. If the agent had and original visa, he (would cheat/would not
cheat/ would not have cheated) the innocent hill-boys.

e. If the world were small enough, I (go/would go/ would have
gone) everyday to Italy for lunch.



4 Vocabulary Time


4.1. Add a suitable prefix that when added to the root word gives the
meaning at side.



S.N. Word with Prefix New Word Meaning

1. ……. +monition an early warning about a
future event

2. …….+fire to fail to fire as intended
3. ……..+cast predict
4. …….+entity something or someone of no

importance
5. …….+appoint to fail to satisfy someone,

make sad
6. …….. +duction kidnap, hijack
7. ……...+nutrition The condition of over or

under nutrition
8. ………+deem make less bad, get something

back


Dolphin English Reader Book 7 209

9. ………+lingual using or involving two

languages
10. ……..+title Words shown at the bottom

of a film or television picture
4.2. Add a suitable suffix that when added to the root word has the

synonym at side.


S.N. Word with Prefix New Word Meaning

1. kind+…………. benevolence

2. fall +………….. delusion, misbelief
3. argue+………. quarrel
4. rude+………… discourtesy

5. doubt+…………… hesitant, tentative
6. fool+ …………… stupid, silly
7. emotion+………. sentimental

8. strength+……… bolster
9. free+……….. independence

10. mercy+……. ruthless, pitiless
4.3. Use the new words in 4.1 and 4.2 to complete the sentences

below.

a. We organize frequent interactions to ………………… relationship

with the costumers.
b. I had an …………….with the headmaster yesterday so I was

punished.
c. We have not got the weather ……………. for tomorrow.

d. He is just a ………………… Nobody counts him.
e. The ……………….merchant cut a piece of flesh from the debtor’s

calf.
f. Please …………….. your account before we disconnect you.


210 Dolphin English Reader Book 7

5 Listening Time



Listen to the audio file or the teacher and do the activities.
5.1. Tick the correct answer.


a. The man is thinking of going to Portugal this …………………….
winter summer autumn
b. ………………. is great in summer.

Potugal Horse riding Travelling
c. The man wants to go to …………………..

the mountains the hills the beach
d. During ………………. the beaches in Portugal are crowded.
June August January

e. The man hopes to see the woman in Portugal in ……………..
June August March

5.2. Answer in brief.


a. Where does the man plan to go this summer?
b. Which two sports does the woman suggest the man to enjoy?
c. Which is the right time to visit the beach?

d. What does the man thanks the woman for?

e. How is the weather in Portugal during summer?
6 Speaking Time



6.1. Practice the following conversations with your friends.

A.

A : What did you see in the accident spot?
B: The bus was speeding and it suddenly collided with the truck

that was coming from the opposite direction.
A: Was the bus on its side?

B: No, it was almost in the middle of the road.


Dolphin English Reader Book 7 211

A: Was the truck on its side?
B: Yeah, it was and it was not over

speeding too.
A : What did you do after it happened?

B : I and my friend rushed to check if we
could do some help but fortunately

no one was seriously injured.
A : How long did it take for the police to come?

B : We called the police as soon as it happened and the police was
there in fifteen minutes.

A: Thank you very much.
B : Welcome sir.

B.

Sambodhan : I heard some loud noises in

your locality yesterday. What
was that?

Swaviman : You don’t know? Samip’s
father passed away, last night.

Sambodhan : Alas! That’s tragic. How did it
happen?

Swaviman : He had been on bed for the
last three weeks. They say,

“He had a bone cancer.”
Sambodhan : Wasn’t he taken to the hospital?

Swaviman : He was but the doctor said that the
condition was fatal. So they didn’t

like to waste the money. Instead
they tried to keep him happy in his

final days.

212 Dolphin English Reader Book 7

Sambodhan : How old was he?
Swaviman : Fifty one only.

Sambodhan : That’s too early. May the departed soul rest in peace!
6.2. Study the pictures, make a story and narrate in the classroom.


a.
















b.











































Dolphin English Reader Book 7 213

7 Pronunciation and Spelling Time



7.1. Rewrite the following phonetically transcribed sentences into
general English and read them.


a. aɪ wɪl raɪt tu juː suːn.
b. tu fɔːl ɪz tu raɪz əˈɡen.
c. ˈsʌm.θɪŋ ɪz ˈbet.ər ðæn ˈnʌθ.ɪŋ.

d. ə ˈbɑː.kɪŋ dɒɡ ˈsel.dəm baɪts.

e. feɪs ðə ˈsʌn.ʃaɪn tu əˈvɔɪd ðə ˈʃæd.əʊ.
f. juː kæn kʌm ɪnˈsaɪd.
g. ðə mɔːr juː hæv ðə mɔːr juː wɒnt.

7.2. You have learned about ‘intonation’ in grade six. If not, take

help from the teacher and read the following sentences with the
correct intonation.


a. Where does the sun rise?
b. Take whatever you want.
c. She is a salesgirl in Saleways.

d. What a pathetic story! I am touched.

e. Has the boy strictly followed the rules?
f. Have a nice journey, dude.


8 Fun Time



Punctuate the following sentences.

a. alas the driver died

b. dhanu said to manu why are you getting angry
c. computer cellphone and tabs are all revolutionary products

d. mr kayastha is fond of folk music so he often goes to nirmaya
dohori saanjh


214 Dolphin English Reader Book 7

e. when did sanjay dutt receive the national award
f. what a dirty mind can’t think of any good idea

g. suli said to muli i can not tolerate this anymore
h. does a kangaroo attack us

i. singham went to the cinema to look for the man who seized
kabya’s shawl

j. gulariya is a small town in the western part of nepal


To the teacher:
• Conduct it as an individual contest and reward on the basis of accuracy and time.





8.2. ‘Comfortably Numb’ is one of the most popular English songs
ever. Listen to the song on a device or your teacher’s cellphone,

look at the lyrics below and sing it. All the best!!

[Intro]
[Verse 1: Roger Waters]

Hello? (hello) (hello)

Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone at home?

Come on (come on), now

I hear you’re feeling down
Well I can ease your pain
And get you on your feet again

Relax

I need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts?




Dolphin English Reader Book 7 215

[Chorus 1: David Gilmour]
There is no pain, you are receding

A distant ship, smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves

Your lips move, but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child, I had a fever

My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I’ve got that feeling once again

I can’t explain, you would not understand
This is not how I am

I have become comfortably numb



[Guitar Solo]
[Bridge: David Gilmour]

I have become comfortably numb



[Verse 2: Waters]
Okay

Just a little pin prick [ding]
There’ll be no more “AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

But you may feel a little sick
Can you stand up?

I do believe it’s working, good
That’ll keep you going through the show

Come on, it’s time to go



[Chorus 2: Gilmour]
There is no pain, you are receding

A distant ship, smoke on the horizon


216 Dolphin English Reader Book 7

You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move, but I can’t hear what you’re saying

When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye

I turned to look, but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now

The child is grown
The dream is gone

I have become comfortably numb


9 Writing Time


9.1. Complete the dialogue below with suitable expressions.


Romit : Hey Gurmit, ……………………………………………..?

Gurmit : Oh hi Romit, I’m leaving for Chitwan.

Romit : Chitwan! For what?
Gurmit : ………………………………………………..

Romit : Wow! Enjoy the party, man. …………………………………………

Gurmit : After two days.
Romit : Ok, have nice times.

Gurmit : ……………………………………

9.2. Write an essay on, “Non-violent Politics” using the clues below.


Introduction – methods of non-violent politics – benefits –
weaknesses – conclusion


9.3. Write a letter to your friend in Dublin describing the current
political situation of Nepal.






Dolphin English Reader Book 7 217

10 Reading Time 2



Read the news article prepared before the general election of Nepal
2017 and published on “The Guardian and do the activities.


‘Politics is still a man’s game’ : Can Nepal’s Election finally bring stability?

Voters in Nepal go to the polls on Sunday hoping to bring an end to the

chronic political instability reflected in the rise and fall of 26 governments
in the past 27 years.


No government has completed a full term since the restoration of multi-
party democracy in 1990, and most have lasted less than 12 months, due

to constant political turmoil marked by shaky coalitions and backroom
deals.


‘My dream is coming true’: the Nepalese woman who rose from slavery
to politics


The elections are seen as a test of whether the country can implement the
new constitution, signed in 2015, and bring about long-awaited political

and social reform after 10 years of civil war and a tortuous transition
from a Hindu monarchy to a secular republic.


“This election will determine the future of the country,” said Gyanu
Adhikari, editor of Nepal’s online political journal the Record. “Will we

finally get a government that can last a full term and so be held to account?

Or will we continue to see more horse trading and endless turnover?”

The polls mark the final step in a highly contentious transition to a

federal state, a process that in May led to local elections being held for
the first time in 20 years.


Sunday’s polls will complete the process with the first phase of voting in


218 Dolphin English Reader Book 7

provincial and central elections. The second phase, which includes the
capital Kathmandu, will take place on 7 December.


Devolution is expected to make it harder for minor parties to win seats
in parliament, while a number of strategic alliances between the major

parties have consolidated voting blocks, increasing the likelihood that
one can win an absolute majority.


The most significant is the left alliance of nominally communist
contenders, led by the Unified Marxist Leninist party (UML) and the

former rebel Maoists.

“If there is constant change it will threaten our democracy and

constitution,” said Rajan Bhattarai, a UML heavyweight and parliamentary
candidate in Kathmandu. “[This alliance] will allow us to provide stable

government, consolidate democracy and make progress on social issues.”

Nepal remains one of the poorest countries in Asia and the elections

are also viewed as a chance finally to address the country’s urgent

development needs.

“We need a stable government for development … If a party wins with

an absolute majority, they will be able to govern for at least five years,
without small parties holding them hostage. It will definitely have a good
impact on economic development,” said Yuba Raj Khatiwada, a former

head of the Nepal central bank.


But Rabindra Mishra, a former BBC journalist and parliamentary
candidate for Bibeksheel Sajha, a self-proclaimed “alternative force” in

politics, is less convinced. “Stability for what? When forces with entirely
vested interests or a corrupt past come together for the long-term it will

do more harm than good … We will inject integrity into politics. It’s the



Dolphin English Reader Book 7 219

lack of integrity which is primarily responsible for the mess the country
is in.”


The elections have exposed how far Nepal has to go to achieve the more
inclusive society promised in the constitution. Of the 317 parliamentary

candidates fielded by the three largest parties, only three are Dalits and
18 are women.


“We may have a woman as president, but it’s still the men who are running
the country,” said Mina Dhakal, who lost her place as a parliamentary

candidate for the UML to a man. “Politics is still a man’s game. Women
are not given an opportunity.”


Minority groups too feel excluded, in particular ethnic Madhesis from the
southern plains, who believe the constitution has ignored their concerns

and consolidated power in the hands of upper caste men from the hills.

It is a sentiment shared by the wider public. On the streets of Baneshwor,

a crowded residential area in the heart of Kathmandu, voters repeatedly

expressed disgust at their political leaders.

Sitting on a crate outside her shoe shop, Shreejana Gautam said, “Nepal

is a country with lots of problems and zero solutions. Everything will
better off are the leaders.”continue as before. The only people who will
be better off are the leaders.



Glossary


Chronic : continuing for a long time
Turmoil : state of uncertainty or disorder
Contentious : likely to cause disagreement and argument
Alliance : a group working together for shared interests or aims
Integrity : the quality of being whole and complete



220 Dolphin English Reader Book 7

10.1. Complete the following sentences with the words from the above
article.


a. The doctor and the nurse are ready to ………………….. the BCG
vaccine.

b. Every ………………… now was once a problem.
c. The decision on ‘Citizenship Bill’ is highly …………………… Many

people are preparing to demonstrate against it.
d. The …………………… of the leftists won a comfortable majority in

the parliamentary election.
e. The prime minister stood in the stage to ……………….. the people.

f. Gagan Thapa should be the ………………….. of prime minister in
the next election.

g. Tamang, a major …………………… group of central Nepal observe
Lhoshar in Magh.

10.2. Answer the following questions.

a. What’s the expectation of the Nepalese with the new general

election?
b. How long did it take to hold the election of local level after

2054?
c. Which two parties have made an alliance for the election?

d. What, according to Yuba Raj Khatiwada, will have a good impact
on economic development?

e. Who is Rabindra Mishra?
f. Why are voters not happy with the leaders?














Dolphin English Reader Book 7 221

LIStEnInG ScRIPt




Unit 1

Woman : I hope you can come to the party on Saturday.
Man : I didn’t know I was invited.
Woman : Sure, you are! Everyone on the winning team is invited.
Man : What should I wear?
Woman : Don’t worry about that. Wear anything you like.
Man : Can I bring my wife with me?
Woman : Yes, you can.
Man : Ok! See you at the party.
Woman : Bye! Have nice times.


Unit 2

Dear people
I feel blessed to be elected as your representative. And, for the next five years, I’ll be
using all my strength for the development and prosperity of this area. My first priority
will be education. We still have a large number of children without access to education.
We will use our resources for their education. Road and electricity will be our second
priority. Everyone in our village will have access to road and enjoy electricity within three
years. Irrigation and fertilizers will also be kept in priority. Our mission is to increase the
agricultural production and make life easy fro farmers. I hope everyone will sincerely
cooperate to achieve our target.


Unit 3
The Rara is the biggest lake of Nepal. It is a fresh water lake in the Nepal Himalayas. It lies
in Mugu district. It is the main feature of Rara National Park. It covers the area of 6.11
square miles including the surrounding wetland. It has a maximum length of 3.2 miles
and the width is 1.7 miles. In 2007, the lake was declared a Ramsar site and is under
conservation. These days, it’s a great attraction for the domestic and foreign tourists. I
have planned to visit it in September. When will you?






222 Dolphin English Reader Book 7

Unit 4
Woman : There seems to be something wrong with my record. It says I have twenty
five vacation days, and I know I have at least forty.
Man : That’s impossible. You can’t have forty vacation days. The most anyone can
have is twenty five.
Woman : But I haven’t taken more than ten days off in the past two years. And the
way I calculate it, that leaves me forty.
Man : Don’t you ever read your circulars? In January we got a notice saying that
anyone having more than twenty five vacation days had to take them before
June 30th or they would loose them. So I guess that’s what happened to
you.
Woman : But that’s unfair….. I earned these days.
Man : Unfair or not, I don’t know, that’s what the rule says.


Unit 5

My parents once asked me how much I loved them. I was speechless. I didn’t say a word.
It was when I was thirteen years old and I thought It was a silly question.
Yesterday my son turned thirteen. While we were enjoying his birthday, I remembered
that question and thought to try this to my son. I asked him how much he loved us, me
and his father. He thought for a while. “He is confused”, I thought. After a brief pause he
declared in a lud voice, “I love my parents very much. I love them more than this cake,
these gifts and the party. I even love them more than my mobile phone.” The room burst
into a loud laughter but I was shocked.


Unit 6
Hello Panir!
How are you doing? I’m having some nice times with my auntie. Yesterday we went to
Vedetar and spent the whole day there. It was really a nice place, a small hill station with
and endearing view and cool breeze.
Today we are leaving for Kanyam, the place with tea-estates all around. Auntie says we
can have a horse ride there. Ryan, my cousin will be there too. It’s going to be a great
fun. Tomorrow we will be heading to Darjeling, the place I always wished to visit. We will
have a bigger team there of about seven members. I’ll update you about the visit. Write
to me how you are enjoying your vacation.
Ronisha




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Unit 7
Man : Hey, what’s that you are carrying?
Woman : It’s a gift package for the boss.
Man : Gift package! For what?
Woman : You don’t know! It’s his birthday today.
Man : Oh, you remember the birthday of that harsh man, pretty cool.
Woman : Yes, I should. He is our guardian, after all.
Man : Guardian! Ha, he is like an eighteen century master.
Woman : May be he is strict but you can’t expect your boss to let you do whatever you
want.
Man : Oh common, don’t be so good to him.
Woman : You’d better buy some gift and wish him.
Man : Never, I don’t enjoy this type of joke.


Unit 8

Albert Einstein was a German born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of
relativity. He was born on March 14, 1879 in Germany. Later he lived in many other
countries. He became the citizen of the US in 1940 and worked for a secret American
project. He developed the nuclear bomb during the second world war but was against
the use of it. Unfortunately the bomb was used and a huge destruction was made.
He published more than 300 scientific papers. He worked for many organizations. He
received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1921. He died on April 18, 1955 at the age of 76.


Unit 9
Michael : I’m thinking of going to Portugal this summer.
Ana : Really? Portugal is great in the summer. It’s warm and you can go to lots of
places there. You can go to the mountains in the north and enjoy archery
and horse riding.
Michael : Oh wow, that’s interesting. Well actually, I was thinking of going to the
beach. Which is the right time?
Ana : Oh yeah, if you want to avoid tourists, you should definitely not come in
August. August is really crowded. June can be the best time.
Michael : Thanks for your tips. I’ll definitely be there in June, hope to see you there








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