Grab Your Umbrellas

It looked like rain. The sky was gray. It was almost noon, but the sun was

hidden by a gray blanket. It was cool. There were no birds flying anywhere. A

couple of birds sat on the telephone wire. Bob was standing outside talking to

Bill. They both had their hands in their pockets. They knew that it was probably

going to rain shortly. A sudden breeze blew some leaves off a tree onto the

sidewalk.

A young woman wearing a dark blue coat and jeans walked by. She was

walking a small dog. It was pure white, and pretty. It sniffed at a tree trunk. The

woman waited patiently. Finally, the dog lifted its leg.

Bob said that he liked the rain. It was a nice change from the usual hot Los

Angeles weather. And the plants could always use the extra water. Bill said the

only thing he didn't like about rain was that all the motor oil on the streets would

get washed into the ocean, and so would all the trash.

"But that never stops the surfers," Bob said. "They don't seem to care what's in

the water, as long as there are waves to surf on."

A) Questions

1. Did it look like rain?2. What colour was the sky?3. What time of the day was it?4. Was the sun hidden by a yellow blanket?5. How was the weather?6. Where were the birds sitting?7. Where was Bob? What was he doing?8. Were their hands in their pockets?9. What did they know was probably going to happen shortly?10. What blew some leaves off a tree onto the sidewalk?

11. Who walked by while they were talking?

12. What was the woman walking?

13. What colour was her dog?

14. What did the dog do?

15. What did Bob say about the rain?

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16. Was the rain good for the plants?

17. What did Bill say he didn´t like about the rain?

18. Do weather conditions stop surfers from riding on waves?

19. What about you. What kind of weather do you like? Why?

20. Have you ever gone surfing?

B) Crossword Puzzle

Fill in the squares with the correct word.

Across:

2. Levi Strauss invented blue ___s in 1873; many people have at least one pair.

5. The slightest ___ will carry the scent of home cooking to the neighbors.

6. Many action toys have small ___s that are powered by batteries.

9. "Let a smile be your ___ on a rainy, rainy day." (lyrics)

10. A quilt or ___ will help keep you warm in bed on a cold winter night.

11. "We will learn the results of today's election ___," said the TV reporter.

13. Many people ___ their cash in the freezer or under a mattress.

14. A cell phone is an example of ___less communication.

15. Use your legs, not your back, to ___ heavy objects.

Down:

1. Some people allow their dogs to poop on a public ___ and then leave it there!

3. You don't need a ___board to ___ the Internet.

4. A person who likes to drink and drive will ___ be in an accident.

7. Some people like to carve their initials on a tree ___.

8. Don't litter; put your ___ in a ___ can.

11. When dogs meet, they usually ___ each other's behind.

12. In the winter, many trees don't have even one ___ on their branches.

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C) Now look back at the story, read it again silently two or three times. Then, translate the Portuguese version below back to English.

Parecia que ia chover. O céu estava cinzento. Era quase meio-dia , mas o sol estava escondido por um cobertor cor de cinza. Era fixe. Não havia pássaros a voar em qualquer lugar. Um casal de pássaros sentou-se no fio de telefone . Bob estava parado de pé do lado de fora conversando com o Bill . Ambos tinham as mãos em seus bolsos. Eles sabiam que ia provavelmente chover em breve. Uma brisa repentina soprou algumas folhas de uma árvore para o passeio/calçada.Uma jovem mulher vestindo um casaco azul-escuro e calças jeans passou por perto. Ela estava a passear um cão pequeno. Ele (o cão) era branco puro, e bonito. O cão farejou um tronco de árvore. A mulher esperou pacientemente. Finalmente, o cão levantou a perna.

O Bob disse que ele gostava da chuva. Foi uma boa mudança do habitual clima quente de Los Angeles. E as plantas sempre podiam usar a água extra.O Bill disse que a única coisa que ele não gostava sobre a chuva era que todo o óleo dos motores nas ruas seria arrastado para o oceano, e assim como todo o lixo." Mas isso não pára os surfistas ", disse Bob . "Eles não parecem importar-se com o que está na água, enquanto houver ondas para surfar. "

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Crossword Puzzle Key

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