Task 6. Read and retell the stories

1. A Clever Old Man

An Englishman was travelling in Alaska, in a village there he met an old man who was nearly one hundred years old. He could hardly read, and he couldn't write at all, but he knew a lot of interesting things about medicine, science and industry. As the old man told his stories, the Englishman grew more and more interested in him as a person. "And he has learnt all this without books, far from modern civilization! He's the cleverest man I've ever met!" he thought. "Could you tell me a few things about the near future?" he asked. "Certainly!" the old man answered. "It's going to get colder next week, some important visitors are coming to this country and the president's going to give them an interview next Wednesday". "Fantastic!" the Englishman exclaimed. "How did you find all that out?" "I heard it on the radio," was the answer.

2. What does 'GB' Mean?

An Englishman, who couldn't drive, bought a car. As he had to learn to drive, he went to a driving school and took driving lessons. While he was learning, he had a large 'L' plate on the back of his car to show that he was a learner. After some time he took the driving test and passed it. He got a driving license and was then able to drive without the 'L' plate. He decided to spend his holiday abroad, and so he had to fix a 'GB' plate on his car, because every car that leaves Great Britain must have a GB' plate on it. One day his little son was playing with another boy, and they were discussing the new car. "Why did your father have an 'L' on the back of his car at first, and now a 'GB'? What does that mean?' the other boy asked. "Well," the car driver's son answered, 'That's very simple: 'L' means learning, and 'GB' means getting better."