Lesson 10 Not for jazz
We have an old musical instrument. It is called a clavichord. It was
made in Germany in 1681. Our clavichord is kept in the living room. It has belonged to
our family for a long time. The instrument was bought by my grandfather many years ago.
Recently it was damaged by a visitor. She tried to play jazz on it! She struck the keys
too hard and two of the strings were broken. My father was shocked. Now we are not
allowed to touch it. It is being repaired by a friend of my father's.
Lesson 11 One good turn deserves another
I was having dinner at a restaurant when Tony Steele came in. Tony worked in a lawyer's
office years ago, but he is now working at a bank. He gets a good salary, but he always
borrows money from his friends and never pays it back. Tony saw me and came and sat at
the same table. He has never borrowed money from me. While he was eating, I asked him
to lend me twenty pounds. To my surprise, he gave me the money immediately. I have never
borrowed any money from you, Tony said, so now you can pay for my dinner!
Lesson 12 Goodbye and good luck
Our neighbour, Captain Charles Alison, will sail from Portsmouth tomorrow. We'll
meet him at the harbour early in the morning. He will be in his small boat, Topsail.
Topsail is a famous little boat. It has sailed across the Atlantic many times. Captain
Alison will set out at eight o'clock, so we'll have plenty of time. We'll see his boat
and then we'll say goodbye to him. He will be away for two months.
We are very proud of him. He will take part in an important race across the Atlantic.