Fat Free Fries

A boy read a restaurant sign that advertised fat-free French fries.

“Sounds great,” said the health-conscious boy. He ordered some.

He watched as the cook pulled a basket of fries from the fryer. The potatoes were dripping with oil when the cook put them into the container.

“Wait a minute,” the boy said. “Those don’t look fat-free.”

“Sure they are,” the cook said. “We charge only for the potatoes. The fat is free!”

Malabar Giant Squirrel

Found in eastern and southern India, the Malabar giant squirrel is a bright and multicolored squirrel. Also known as an Indian giant squirrel, they can grow to be as long as three feet.

The Fox And The Leopard

by Aesop

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A Fox and a Leopard, resting lazily after a generous dinner, amused themselves by disputing about their good looks. The Leopard was very proud of his glossy, spotted coat and made disdainful remarks about the Fox, whose appearance he declared was quite ordinary.

The Fox prided himself on his fine bushy tail with its tip of white, but he was wise enough to see that he could not rival the Leopard in looks. Still he kept up a flow of sarcastic talk, just to exercise his wits and to have the fun of disputing. The Leopard was about to lose his temper when the Fox got up, yawning lazily.

"You may have a very smart coat," he said, "but you would be a great deal better off if you had a little more smartness inside your head and less on your ribs, the way I am. That's what I call real beauty."

A fine coat is not always an indication of an attractive mind.

Little Girl

by Laura E. Richards

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Little Girl is a delightful poem to remember to "put a smile right under your pillow" so when you wake up, you'll be happy! Published in Ms. Richards' collection for very young children, Three Minute Stories (1914).

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When Little Girl wakes in the morning gay
Then everybody is glad;
The cat in the kitchen sits purring away,
And the puppy dog barks like mad.
The bell in the steeple turns head over heels,
That’s his way of showing how glad he feels;
And all the wide world seems to say,
“Our dear Little Girl is happy to-day!”

When Little Girl wakes in the morning sad,
Then everybody must mourn;
The little birds sigh, and the big birds cry,
And the scarecrow sobs in the corn.
The fishes all pull their hankies out,
And go and weep with the poor hornpout,
And the clock says, “Tock! I’m sorry to say
Our dear Little Girl is sad to-day!”

So, Little Girl, when you go beddy at night,
Put a smile right under your pillow,
And when you wake up, just slip it on tight,
And wear it all day with a will, oh!
Then the sun will shine and the wind will blow,
And the bells will ring, “Ho! ho! ho! ho!”
For in all the wide world there’s naught can be
So sweet as a happy child to see!

Lesson 188

 

2. format foljore që distancojnë 

 

Ne mund të bëjmë kërkesa (si edhe pyetje, sugjerime dhe deklarime) edhe më pak të drejtpërdrejta) (e për pasojë edhe më me politesë) duke përdorur forma foljore që sugjerojnë ‘distancë’ nga realiteti aktual. Për të bërë këtë përdorim shpesh herë kohët e shkuara. 

• How much did you want to spend, sir? (kuptimi është: ‘How much do you want to spend, sir?’) 

• How many days did you intend to stay? (kuptimi është: How many days do you intend to stay?) 

• I wondered if you were free this evening. 

 

Format progresive mund të përdoren në të njëjtën mënyrë. Ato tingëllojnë më spontane dhe më pak të përcaktuara se format e thjeshta sepse ato sugjerojnë diçka të përkohshme dhe jo të plotë. 

• I’m hoping you can lend me $10. (më pak e përcaktuar se: I hope…) 

• What time are you planning to arrive? (tingëllon më spontane se: Please let us know what time you plan to arrive.) 

• I’m looking forward to seeing you again. (më spontane se: I look forward…) 

• I’m afraid he must be going. 

 

E kryera progresive jep dy nivele të ndryshme distancimi. 

• Good morning. I was wondering if you had two single rooms. 

• Were you looking for anything special? (në një dyqan) 

• I was thinking – what about borrowing Jake’s car? 

 

Një mënyrë tjetër për të distancuar diçka është duke e zhvendosur atë në të ardhmen. Will need/have to mund të përdoret për të zbutur udhëzimet dhe urdhrat (për t’i bërë ato më pak të formës së prerë). 

• I’m afraid you’ll need to fill in this form. 

• I’ll have to ask you to wait a minute. 

 

Ndonjëherë edhe will përdoret për të thënë sa të holla detyrohesh. 

• That will be €1.65, please. 

 

Format e ardhme përcjellore të foljeve përdoren shpesh herë për të hetuar në mënyrë të njerëzishme rreth planeve që njerëzit kanë. 

• Will you be going away at the weekend?