Objectives & Sequence: This lesson is intended to be used as a review of Grammar 3-3.
Students work in pairs and open the corresponding pages below. On each page, students are presented with two stories along with comprehension questions and answers. Students are to read their stories one at a time to their partners and then quiz them with the comprehension questions. Partners need to answer the comprehension questions, but they need to form answers in the passive voice. The students' answers should match the ones provided under each question.
Car Crash
On Tuesday afternoon, Peter was getting his teeth cleaned at the dentist when he received a phone call from the local hospital. A nurse said that his father was there, lying in bed. Someone had crashed their car into his car and almost killed him while he was driving in the city. He was able to get out of his car and rest on the side of the road. An ambulance came and took him to the hospital.
- What was happening to Peter when he received the phone call from the hospital?
- His teeth were being cleaned at the dentist.
- Why was Peter's father at the hospital?
- Because he had been hit by a car.
- How did Peter's father get to the hospital?
- He was taken to the hospital by an ambulance.
False Alarm
It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon. We were at the beach in front of our five-star resort. We had been there for a few days and had had a wonderful time so far. I was in the water learning how to surf with an instructor when suddenly, a loud alarm went off near the beach. The instructor said that it was coming from the parking lot. She said the alarm was coming from a blue Honda Accord. I wondered if it was my car. The hotel staff said there had been lots of problems with thieves breaking into cars in the last few months. Luckily, it wasn't my car after all.
- What was the writer doing when the alarm went off?
- He was being taught how to surf.
- Why were people worried about the alarm?
- Because many cars had been broken into in the last few months.
- Why did the writer feel that the situation was lucky?
- Because the writer's car hadn't been stolen/broken into/damaged.
The Dealership
My husband, Brian, and I were lying in bed one Sunday night when I suddenly had the idea to start an auto dealership. He thought it was a great idea, and I called the bank the next morning. It didn't take long for us to get a loan. Then, we established the dealership. We had the business up and running in no time. Within a month, we had many customers and sales. We got even more customers by creating a website. It all started with a crazy idea that turned into a successful business. What a wild ride!
- Did Brian think up the idea for the dealership?
- No, it was thought up by his wife.
- What happened after they got a loan?
- The dealership was established.
- How did they get more customers?
- A website was created.
The Bicycle
I love my bike so much. I ride it every day. I go everywhere with it. But, two weeks ago, while I was at night school, someone stole it. It had been locked up, but they were able to cut the lock. When I called the police, they told me they had bigger problems to worry about and that I should find a new bike. Because I didn't have money for a new bike, my only choice was to try to find my bike. I put information on Facebook and Twitter about my bike and I went to lots of different bike stores to put up posters with photos of my stolen bike. About two days later, one of my friends sent me an email. He had found an advertisement on Craigslist for a bike that looked exactly like mine. I immediately told the police about the ad and they were able to arrest the person selling the bike. I have my bike back now, but I am pretty careful where I leave it.
- How was the bike stolen?
- The lock was cut.
- What did the writer's friend tell him in the email?
- [He told him that] His bicycle was being sold on Craigslist.
- What happened to the person selling the bike?
- He was arrested.