WARM-UP VIDEO FOR PAST VERB FORMS: TELLING STORIES.

Instructions. Listen to the story and type verbs in Past Simple (two verbs are in Past Continuous and Past Perfect).

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Exercise. Complete each gap with suitable words and expressions you hear from the video.

Storm Reyes: The conditions (1) ………….. pretty terrible. I once (2) ………….. someone that I (3) ………….. to fight with a knife long before I (4) ………….. how to ride a bicycle. And when you are grinding day after day after day, there is no room in you for hope. There's nothing to aspire to except filling your hungry belly. That's how I (5) ………….. raised. But when I (6) ………….. 12, a bookmobile (7) ………….. to the fields. And you have to understand that I (8) ………….. allowed to have books, because books are heavy, and when you're moving a lot you have to keep things just as minimal as possible. So when I first (9) ………….. this big vehicle on the side of the road, and it (10) ………….. filled with books, I immediately stepped back. Fortunately when the staff member (11) ………….. me, kind of (12) ………….. me in, and (13) ………….., "These are books, and you can take one home." I'm like, "What's the catch?" And he (14) ………….. to me there (15) ………….. no catch. Then he (16) ………….. me what I (17) ………….. interested in. And the night before the bookmobile (18) ………….. , in the camps, there (19) ………….. an elder who (20) ………….. us about the day that Mount Rainier (21) ………….. . So I (22) ………….. the bookmobile person that I (23) ………….. a little nervous about the mountain blowing up. And he (24) ………….., "You know, the more you know about something, the less you will fear it." And he (25) ………….. me a book about volcanoes. And then I (26) ………….. a book about dinosaurs. I (27) ………….. "Oh, that looks neat." So he (28) ………….. me a book about dinosaurs. And I (29) ………….. them home, and I devoured them. I (30) ………….. them, I devoured them. And I (31) ………….. back in two weeks and (32) ………….. more questions. And he (33) ………….. me more books and that (34) ………….. it. That (35) ………….. me that hope (36) ………….. not just a word. And it (37) ………….. me the courage to leave the camps. That's where the books (38) ………….. the difference. By the time I (39) ………….. 15,I (40) ………….. there (41) ………….. a world outside of the camps. I (42) ………….. I could find a place in it. And I (43) ………….. .

Key: Look at the key and say aloud the script from the video to improve your English.

Storm Reyes: The conditions (1) (were) pretty terrible. I once (2) (told) someone that I (3) (learned) to fight with a knife long before I (4) (learned) how to ride a bicycle. And when you are grinding day after day after day, there is no room in you for hope. There's nothing to aspire to except filling your hungry belly. That's how I (5) (was) raised. But when I (6) (was) 12, a bookmobile (7) (came) to the fields. And you have to understand that I (8) (wasn't) allowed to have books, because books are heavy, and when you're moving a lot you have to keep things just as minimal as possible. So when I first (9) (saw) this big vehicle on the side of the road, and it (10) (was) filled with books, I immediately stepped back. Fortunately when the staff member (11) (saw) me, kind of (12) (waved) me in, and (13) (said) , "These are books, and you can take one home." I'm like, "What's the catch?" And he (14) (explained) to me there (15) (was) no catch. Then he (16) (asked) me what I (17) (was) interested in. And the night before the bookmobile (18) (had come) , in the camps, there (19) (was) an elder who (20) (was telling) us about the day that Mount Rainier (21) (blew up) . So I (22) (told) the bookmobile person that I (23) (was) a little nervous about the mountain blowing up. And he (24) (said) , "You know, the more you know about something, the less you will fear it." And he (25) (gave) me a book about volcanoes. And then I (26) (saw) a book about dinosaurs. I (27) (said) "Oh, that looks neat." So he (28) (gave) me a book about dinosaurs. And I (29) (took) them home, and I devoured them. I (30) (didn't just read) them, I devoured them. And I (31) (came) back in two weeks and (32) (had) more questions. And he (33) (gave) me more books and that (34) (started) it. That (35) (taught) me that hope (36) (was) not just a word. And it (37) (gave) me the courage to leave the camps. That's where the books (38) (made) the difference. By the time I (39) (was) 15,I (40) (knew) there (41) (was) a world outside of the camps. I (42) (believed) I could find a place in it.

Sources: 

Channel: StoryCorps. The Bookmobile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11OvHcgh-E4

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Compiled by Top Grade Edu