8.         The Know-All

pattern:          could⁄could have been
 
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text:
Old Bert was a local know-all. He could have been Prime Minister, he told everyone again and again. He could have saved Australia from the drought, the Americans and Japanese cars. Bert said he could run the country better than any bloody politician. Once, twenty years ago, Bert got elected to the council, but nobody voted for him a second time. He couldn't get a single vote.
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response:
 
1.         What job did Bert think he could do?
2.         Make a question using the words what and Australia.
3.         How good did Bert think most politicians were?
4.         What was the high point of Bert's career?
5.         Why couldn't Bert have a successful political career?
6.         Think of some words to describe Bert's character:
 
                  a)                   b)                  c)
 
7.         What could you do better than the politicians?
 
 
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Short Texts From Os (c) Thor May, 2008 all rights reserved