Unit 8
Lesson 2
SB page 65
GRAMMAR
Grammar: Narrative tenses
5 Choose the correct alternative in the sentences from the text.
1 Until the 15th century, it wasn’t / hadn’t been possible to reach thousands of readers at the same time.
2 Louis Braille first saw the system of dots when an officer in the military in France was visiting / had visited the Royal Institute of the Blind, in Paris.
3 This method of communication was catching / caught the attention of Louis Braille, a young man who studied / was studying at the Institute.
4 After many years of work, Louis Braille was improving and completing / had improved and completed the system of raised dots.
5 By 1868 CE, blind people all over the world had used / were using Braille every day.
Answers
1 hadn’t been
2 was visiting
3 caught, was studying
4 had improved and completed
5 were using
6 Read the following text about an organisation which distributes the Holy Qur’an in Braille. Put the verbs 1–8 in the correct form (Past Simple, Past Perfect or Past Continuous).
Mohammad Balw (1) _____ (work) as a flight attendant when his vision (2) _____ (start) to get worse. He had to take early retirement from his job as a flight attendant at Saudi Arabian Airlines where he (3) _____ (work) for 13 years. During this time, he (4) _____ (establish) the ‘Meals for the Blind’ project, which became famous in 1992 CE.
Mohammad (5) _____ (be) worried about the lack of provision for people with low vision and other sight disabilities, so he decided to start a centre for vision rehabilitation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The centre’s services were set up in 2002 CE after Mohammad (6) _____ (receive) funding from different organisations. While Mohammad (7) _____ (set up) his centre, Ebsar, Lighthouse International trained six professionals to be ready to rehabilitate people with low vision. After Ebsar had been formally recognised, Mohammad (8) _____ (begin) to set up other projects, one of which was the distribution of the Holy Qur’an, in Braille format, throughout the Arab world.
Answers
1 was working
2 started
3 had worked
4 established
5 was
6 had received
7 was setting up
8 began
Speaking
7 Work in pairs. Use the Internet or the school library to find out more about the life of Louis Braille. Make notes about him using the Past Simple, Past Perfect and the Past Continuous. Work with another pair of students to ask and answer questions.
Answers Students’ own answers
Research box
How do blind people identify banknotes correctly?
Answers Students’ own answers
Unit 8
Lesson 2
Activity Book page 44
GRAMMAR
2 Choose the correct form of the verbs to complete the summary about Braille.
While Louis Braille (1) was studying / had studied at the Royal Institute of the Blind in France in 1821 CE, a young military officer (2) demonstrated / was demonstrating the system of dots he (3) had invented / was inventing. After Braille (4) had seen / was seeing the system, he (5) had worked / worked for many years to improve and complete the communication method that soldiers used. He (6) created / was creating a reading system that used six dots in 64 combinations of letters, numbers and symbols. Blind people could ‘read’ this by running their fingers lightly across the page. Sixteen years after the death of Louis Braille, blind people (7) were using / had used Braille all over the world.
Answers
1 was studying
2 demonstrated
3 had invented
4 had seen
5 worked
6 created
7 were using
3 Each of these sentences has an incorrect verb form. Rewrite the sentences using the correct form of the verbs.
1 I wrote an email when the phone rang.
2 People were finding simple ways to communicate before writing was invented.
3 While he was staying in Paris, he had visited his grandparents.
4 We were taking a taxi because the bus didn’t come.
5 My daughter learnt the alphabet by the time she started school.
Answers
1 I was writing an email when the phone rang.
2 People found simple ways to communicate before writing was invented.
3 While he was staying in Paris, he visited his grandparents.
4 We took a taxi because the bus didn’t come.
5 My daughter had learnt the alphabet by the time she started school.
4 Answer the questions about you.
1 What were you doing at ten o’clock this morning?
2 Who were you talking to an hour ago?
3 What did you do yesterday evening?
4 What had you learnt to do by the time you started school?
Answers
Students’ own answers