Checking the comprehension.

Answer the questions:

1) Where was he serving?

2) Did he like the climate?

3) What did he decide to do to get home?

4) Where did he go to?

5) What were his complaints?

6) What did the doctor answer?

7) What couldn’t an Irishman see?

8) Could the doctor see it?

9) Did an Irishman succeed in his trick?

10) Was an Irishman’s profession good?

11) Would you believe him?

Sometimes you don’t want to go to school. Then you pretend to be ill, don’t you?

2. Now listen to the teacher reading the poem and follow in your books. A boy says he’s ill. Put down all his illnesses and symptoms (complaints) in the table:

 

Illnesses	Symptoms	Parts of the body

”Sick”

”I cannot go to school today –

said little Peggy Ann McKay. –

I have the measles and the mumps,

A gash, a rash and purple bumbs.

My mouth is wet, my throat is dry.

I’m going blind in my right eye.

My tonsils are as bid as rocks.

I’ve counted 16 chicken-pox.

And there’s one more – that’s seventeen,

And don’t you think my face looks green?

My leg is cut, my eyes are blue –

It might be instamatic flu.

I cough, and sneeze, and gasp, and choke,

I’m sure that my leg is broken –

My hip hurts when I move my chin.

My belly button’s caving in.

My back is wrenched, my ankle’s sprained.

My pendix pains each time it rains.

My nose is cold, my toes are numb,

I have a sliver in my thumb.

My neck is stiff, my spine is weak.

I hardly whisper when I speak.

My tongue is filling up my mouth,

I think my hair is falling out.

My elbow’s bent, my spine ain’t straight,

My temperature is one-o-eight.

My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,

There is a hole in my ear.

I have a hangnail and my heart is –

What’s that? What’s that you say?

You say today is … Saturday?

Good-bye, I’m going out to play!”

 

Do you think the boy is really ill? Why do you think so? Why does he pretend to be sick?