THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF

Thomas Gainsborough, one of England’s most famous 18th-century painters, came from Suffolk. He was the youngest son of John and Mary Gainsborough. His father was a salesman who travelled a lot on business. Tom’s mother was a housewife. In her free time she loved painting pictures of plants. 8.1. _____ First he learnt to draw apples, pears and other fruits. When Tom was a bit older, he often walked around the neighbourhood with a sketchbook in his bag. 8.2. _____ Tom hid behind a tree, took out a pencil and drew the man’s face. Then he quickly ran home to tell his parents about what had happened. Tom’s father immediately took Tom to the village watchman*. The boy’s picture was so good that it didn’t take much time to catch the thief. 8.3. _____ But when he saw Tom’s picture he was so shocked that he said: “That’s me! I stole the fruit.” Tom’s father was very proud of his son.

A. At first the man didn’t want to tell the truth.

B. That was his mother’s favourite place for drawing.

C. When she saw that her son had a talent for drawing, she decided to give him lessons.

D. Once he saw a man climb over the fence into their neighbour’s garden to steal fruit.

1.How many matches did Mark have last year?

a) 2

b) 3

c) 1

2.What shouldn’t Mark eat?

a) meat

b) vegetables

c) sweets

3.How long is Mark’s vacation going to be if he wins?

a) three weeks

b) two weeks

c) two months

1. Robert’s home town Farley is...

a. in the south west of England.

b. on the coast.

c. beside a river.

2. When Robert was young, ...

a. the fishing industry had already declined.

b. the town was an important fishing port.

c. the town was an important port for many products.

3. Who owns the small houses in the town now?

a. port workers and fishermen

b. young businesspeople

c. second homeowners

4. For most of the year, Farley is...

a. busy.

b. expensive.

c. quiet.

5. Robert says that the restaurants are now...

a. closed more often.

b. more expensive.

c. more crowded.

6.Robert sometimes gets work as a...

a. cleaner.

b. gardener.

c. fisherman.