Reading

Read the text.

Clever Parrot - Once there lived a man who had a parrot. The man tried to teach the parrot to speak. But the parrot could learn only the phrase, “There is no doubt about it”. The parrot always said these words and always gave the same answer. “There is no doubt about it”.

At last the man decided to sell the parrot. He went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for a very clever parrot!”

One woman heard this. She came up to the parrot and asked, “ Are you worth twenty dollars?” The parrot answered, “There is no doubt about it”. “What a clever parrot”, she said and bought the bird.

After some days the woman couldn’t listen to the parrot any more. She said, “What a fool I was to buy this parrot and throw away so much money. Twenty dollars!”

Then the parrot cried, “There is no doubt about it”. This time the parrot was right.

Task1. Say if the sentences 1-6 “True” or “False”



1. The parrot learned a lot of words.

Clever Parrot - Once there lived a man who had a parrot. The man tried to teach the parrot to speak. But the parrot could learn only the phrase, “There is no doubt about it”. The parrot always said these words and always gave the same answer. “There is no doubt about it”.

At last the man decided to sell the parrot. He went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for a very clever parrot!”

One woman heard this. She came up to the parrot and asked, “ Are you worth twenty dollars?” The parrot answered, “There is no doubt about it”. “What a clever parrot”, she said and bought the bird.

After some days the woman couldn’t listen to the parrot any more. She said, “What a fool I was to buy this parrot and throw away so much money. Twenty dollars!”

Then the parrot cried, “There is no doubt about it”. This time the parrot was right.

2. The man liked his clever bird so much that he decided not to sell it.

Clever Parrot - Once there lived a man who had a parrot. The man tried to teach the parrot to speak. But the parrot could learn only the phrase, “There is no doubt about it”. The parrot always said these words and always gave the same answer. “There is no doubt about it”.

At last the man decided to sell the parrot. He went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for a very clever parrot!”

One woman heard this. She came up to the parrot and asked, “ Are you worth twenty dollars?” The parrot answered, “There is no doubt about it”. “What a clever parrot”, she said and bought the bird.

After some days the woman couldn’t listen to the parrot any more. She said, “What a fool I was to buy this parrot and throw away so much money. Twenty dollars!”

Then the parrot cried, “There is no doubt about it”. This time the parrot was right.

3. The woman thought that the parrot was very clever.

Clever Parrot - Once there lived a man who had a parrot. The man tried to teach the parrot to speak. But the parrot could learn only the phrase, “There is no doubt about it”. The parrot always said these words and always gave the same answer. “There is no doubt about it”.

At last the man decided to sell the parrot. He went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for a very clever parrot!”

One woman heard this. She came up to the parrot and asked, “ Are you worth twenty dollars?” The parrot answered, “There is no doubt about it”. “What a clever parrot”, she said and bought the bird.

After some days the woman couldn’t listen to the parrot any more. She said, “What a fool I was to buy this parrot and throw away so much money. Twenty dollars!”

Then the parrot cried, “There is no doubt about it”. This time the parrot was right.

4. The woman bought a parrot fifty dollars

Clever Parrot - Once there lived a man who had a parrot. The man tried to teach the parrot to speak. But the parrot could learn only the phrase, “There is no doubt about it”. The parrot always said these words and always gave the same answer. “There is no doubt about it”.

At last the man decided to sell the parrot. He went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for a very clever parrot!”

One woman heard this. She came up to the parrot and asked, “ Are you worth twenty dollars?” The parrot answered, “There is no doubt about it”. “What a clever parrot”, she said and bought the bird.

After some days the woman couldn’t listen to the parrot any more. She said, “What a fool I was to buy this parrot and throw away so much money. Twenty dollars!”

Then the parrot cried, “There is no doubt about it”. This time the parrot was right.

5. The parrot said the same words.

Clever Parrot - Once there lived a man who had a parrot. The man tried to teach the parrot to speak. But the parrot could learn only the phrase, “There is no doubt about it”. The parrot always said these words and always gave the same answer. “There is no doubt about it”.

At last the man decided to sell the parrot. He went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for a very clever parrot!”

One woman heard this. She came up to the parrot and asked, “ Are you worth twenty dollars?” The parrot answered, “There is no doubt about it”. “What a clever parrot”, she said and bought the bird.

After some days the woman couldn’t listen to the parrot any more. She said, “What a fool I was to buy this parrot and throw away so much money. Twenty dollars!”

Then the parrot cried, “There is no doubt about it”. This time the parrot was right.

6. The woman sold the parrot.

Clever Parrot - Once there lived a man who had a parrot. The man tried to teach the parrot to speak. But the parrot could learn only the phrase, “There is no doubt about it”. The parrot always said these words and always gave the same answer. “There is no doubt about it”.

At last the man decided to sell the parrot. He went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for a very clever parrot!”

One woman heard this. She came up to the parrot and asked, “ Are you worth twenty dollars?” The parrot answered, “There is no doubt about it”. “What a clever parrot”, she said and bought the bird.

After some days the woman couldn’t listen to the parrot any more. She said, “What a fool I was to buy this parrot and throw away so much money. Twenty dollars!”

Then the parrot cried, “There is no doubt about it”. This time the parrot was right.

Task 2. For sentences (7—12) choose the best answer (a, b or c).

7. The man tried to teach the parrot …

Clever Parrot - Once there lived a man who had a parrot. The man tried to teach the parrot to speak. But the parrot could learn only the phrase, “There is no doubt about it”. The parrot always said these words and always gave the same answer. “There is no doubt about it”.

At last the man decided to sell the parrot. He went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for a very clever parrot!”

One woman heard this. She came up to the parrot and asked, “ Are you worth twenty dollars?” The parrot answered, “There is no doubt about it”. “What a clever parrot”, she said and bought the bird.

After some days the woman couldn’t listen to the parrot any more. She said, “What a fool I was to buy this parrot and throw away so much money. Twenty dollars!”

Then the parrot cried, “There is no doubt about it”. This time the parrot was right.

8. The parrot could learn …

Clever Parrot - Once there lived a man who had a parrot. The man tried to teach the parrot to speak. But the parrot could learn only the phrase, “There is no doubt about it”. The parrot always said these words and always gave the same answer. “There is no doubt about it”.

At last the man decided to sell the parrot. He went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for a very clever parrot!”

One woman heard this. She came up to the parrot and asked, “ Are you worth twenty dollars?” The parrot answered, “There is no doubt about it”. “What a clever parrot”, she said and bought the bird.

After some days the woman couldn’t listen to the parrot any more. She said, “What a fool I was to buy this parrot and throw away so much money. Twenty dollars!”

Then the parrot cried, “There is no doubt about it”. This time the parrot was right.

9. A man went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for…!”

Clever Parrot - Once there lived a man who had a parrot. The man tried to teach the parrot to speak. But the parrot could learn only the phrase, “There is no doubt about it”. The parrot always said these words and always gave the same answer. “There is no doubt about it”.

At last the man decided to sell the parrot. He went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for a very clever parrot!”

One woman heard this. She came up to the parrot and asked, “ Are you worth twenty dollars?” The parrot answered, “There is no doubt about it”. “What a clever parrot”, she said and bought the bird.

After some days the woman couldn’t listen to the parrot any more. She said, “What a fool I was to buy this parrot and throw away so much money. Twenty dollars!”

Then the parrot cried, “There is no doubt about it”. This time the parrot was right.

10. … bought a parrot

Clever Parrot - Once there lived a man who had a parrot. The man tried to teach the parrot to speak. But the parrot could learn only the phrase, “There is no doubt about it”. The parrot always said these words and always gave the same answer. “There is no doubt about it”.

At last the man decided to sell the parrot. He went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for a very clever parrot!”

One woman heard this. She came up to the parrot and asked, “ Are you worth twenty dollars?” The parrot answered, “There is no doubt about it”. “What a clever parrot”, she said and bought the bird.

After some days the woman couldn’t listen to the parrot any more. She said, “What a fool I was to buy this parrot and throw away so much money. Twenty dollars!”

Then the parrot cried, “There is no doubt about it”. This time the parrot was right.

11. After some days the woman …

Clever Parrot - Once there lived a man who had a parrot. The man tried to teach the parrot to speak. But the parrot could learn only the phrase, “There is no doubt about it”. The parrot always said these words and always gave the same answer. “There is no doubt about it”.

At last the man decided to sell the parrot. He went to the street and began to cry, “Twenty dollars for a very clever parrot!”

One woman heard this. She came up to the parrot and asked, “ Are you worth twenty dollars?” The parrot answered, “There is no doubt about it”. “What a clever parrot”, she said and bought the bird.

After some days the woman couldn’t listen to the parrot any more. She said, “What a fool I was to buy this parrot and throw away so much money. Twenty dollars!”

Then the parrot cried, “There is no doubt about it”. This time the parrot was right.

12. This time the parrot …