Joe ad Helen Mills had two small children. One of them was six, and the other was four. They always resisted going to bed, and Helen was always complaining to Joe about this, but as he did not come home from work until after they had gone to bed during the week, he was unable to help except at week-ends.

Joe considered himself a good singer, but really his voice was not at all musical. However, he decided that, if he sang to the children when they went to bed, it would help them to relax, and gradually they would go to sleep.

He did this every Saturday and Sunday night until he heard his small son whisper to his younger sister, 'If you pretend that you're asleep, he stops!

A    Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)? Write T or F in the boxes.

1. Joe and Helen's children liked staying up late.
2. From Monday to Friday, Joe could not help his wife to put the children to bed.
3. Joe was generally thought to be a good singer.
4. Joe rightly thought he was a good singer.
5. The children did not like his singing.
6. His son pretended he was asleep so that he would not sing any more.

B     Answer these questions

1. Were Helen's children young, or old?
2. What did she complain to her husband about?
3. Why couldn't he help for most of the time?
4. When could he help?
5. In what way was Joe mistaken about his own abilities?
6. How did he try to help his wife?
7. When did he stop doing this?
8. What had his small son learned to do?

C   Put one word in each space in this story. You will find all the correct words in the story.

Jean loved playing the violin, but she was not very.... so the noises that came out did not give the rest of her family much.... In fact, they were always ... secretly about her playing, although they had all.... when she began to ... that they liked it. ..., however, they became more and more ... to stand it, and they began to ... to each other secretly that this terrible noise had now to be ... in every way possible. I … that they were right. Don't you?