Elementary Story 1

Topic: Christmas
Language point: Past tense
Vocabulary: Christmas, card, stamp, pen, dinner

It was two weeks before Christmas, and Mrs Smith was very busy. She bought a lot of Christmas cards to send to her friends and to her husband's friends, and put them on the table in the living-room. Then, when her husband came home from work, she said to him, 'Here are the Christmas cards for our friends, and here are some stamps, a pen and our book of addresses. Will you please write the cards while I am cooking the dinner?'
Mr Smith did not say anything, but walked out of the living-room and went to his study. Mrs Smith was very angry with him, but did not say anything either.
Then a minute later he came back with a box full of Christmas cards. All of them had addresses and stamps on them.
'These are from last year,' he said. 'I forgot to post them.'

Comprehension questions:
1. When was Mrs Smith very busy ?
2. What did she do ?
3. Why did she buy the cards ?
4. Where did she put them ?
5. What did she say to her husband ?
6. What did Mr Smith say ?
7. What did he do ?
8. How did Mrs Smith feel ?
9. What did she say ?
10. What did Mr Smith do a minute later ?
11. What did he say ?

(Source: Elementary Stories For Reproduction 1, Oxford University Press)