Task 2. For questions (1–20) choose the correct verb form for each gap. (0) is done for you as an example. He Didn’t Laugh. Mark Twain, the famous American author, (0) was well known (to know) as a lecturer; and literary clubs often (1) ___ (to invite) him to speak. Before one of his lectures a club member (2) ___ (to come) up to him and said, “Mr. Twain, people (3) ___ (to say) that you can tell very funny stories. I hope that during your (4) ___ (to make) my uncle (5) ___ (to laugh). He (6) ___ (not to laugh) for ten years.” “I’ll do my best,” Mark Twain said. At the beginning of his lecture, Mark Twain (7) ___ (to notice) the club member who (8) ___ (to sit) in front of him with an old sad man. Mark Twain (9) ___ (to begin) to tell jokes, one after another, long jokes and short jokes, new jokes and old jokes. Soon everybody (10) ___ (to cry) with laughter. Everybody—but not the old man. He (11) ___ (to look) at Mark Twain with his cold blue eyes. Mark Twain (12) ___ (to ask) the club member (13) ___ (to thank) Mark Twain because he (14) ___ (never to hear) so many funny stories. Twain (15) ___ (not to be) funny enough for your uncle. He (16) ___ (not even smile). Mark Twain (17) ___ (to answer).

Перевод задания: Выберите правильную форму глагола для каждого пропуска.

Ответы: (1) invited — пригласили; (2) came — подошёл; (3) say — говорят; (4) making — выступления; (5) laugh — рассмеяться; (6) hasn’t laughed — не смеялся; (7) noticed — заметил; (8) was sitting — сидел; (9) began — начал; (10) was crying — плакал; (11) was looking — смотрел; (12) asked — спросил; (13) thanked — поблагодарил; (14) had never heard — никогда не слышал; (15) weren’t — не были; (16) didn’t even smile — даже не улыбнулся; (17) answered — ответил.

В вопросах о прошедших событиях употребляется Past Simple; длительные фоновые действия передаются Past Continuous, а действие, случившееся ещё раньше, — Past Perfect. После “hope” здесь подходит конструкция “hope to make somebody laugh”.

Текст с ответами: Mark Twain, the famous American author, was well known as a lecturer, and literary clubs often invited him to speak. Before one of his lectures a club member came up to him and said, “Mr. Twain, people say that you can tell very funny stories. I hope that during your making my uncle laugh. He hasn’t laughed for ten years.” “I’ll do my best,” Mark Twain said. At the beginning of his lecture, Mark Twain noticed the club member who was sitting in front of him with an old sad man. Mark Twain began to tell jokes, one after another, long jokes and short jokes, new jokes and old jokes. Soon everybody was crying with laughter. Everybody—but not the old man. He was looking at Mark Twain with his cold blue eyes. Mark Twain asked the club member ... The ending is partly obscured by the image’s crop; the visible numbered forms are completed above, but the full sentence around gaps (12)–(17) cannot be restored reliably from the visible text.

Перевод ответов: пригласили; подошёл; говорят; выступления; рассмеяться; не смеялся; заметил; сидел; начал; плакал; смотрел; спросил; поблагодарил; никогда не слышал; не были; даже не улыбнулся; ответил.