Stories for Reading Comprehension 4 Unit 13


1. actually
2. awarding
3. bidding
4. bleak
5. bore
6. branch
7. broke the news
8. chuckling
9. cite
10. consider
11. contain himself
12. cultivate
13. distressing
14. ever-increasing
15. facilities
16. focus
17. horrified
18. inaccuracy
19. lacking
20. look upon
21. magnificent
22. mention
23. merits
24. minor
25. obvious
26. podium
27. promotion
28. qualities
29. recounting
30. representatives
31. resumed
32. rivals
33. sense of humour
34. smug
35. snobbish
36. suitability
37. the press


1. Transform the voice of the sentences.

1) It is a story of an Edinburgh bank manager who was horrified to receive notification of transfer to Glasgow.
2) He must be congratulated for doing so, as attention to detail is not generally considered to be one of Edinburgh citizens' strongest qualities.


2. Transform the sentence into indirect speech.

One representative of the Edinburgh delegation said, "I could focus on the merits of Glasgow's conference and communication facilities but I won't. Instead I will sum up the suitability of Edinburgh for this conference through a simple story."


3. Transform the passage into direct speech.

One representative of the Edinburgh delegation attempted to influence the awarding committee by focussing on the human aspects of Edinburgh rather than on the merits of the city's conference and communication facilities.


4. Transform the sentence into 'there + to be' pattern.

The Edinburgh delegation looked upon Glasgow as a large, bleak industrial town lacking in both character and history.


5. Transform the sentence into State pattern.

I could talk about the beauty of Edinburgh.


6. Transform the sentence into Action pattern.

There was some minor chuckling in the room as the delegate from Edinburgh resumed his seat.


7. Transform the sentence from Complex Subject pattern.

He must be congratulated for doing so, as attention to detail is not generally considered to be one of Edinburgh citizens' strongest qualities.


8. Transform the sentence into Complex Subject pattern.

Almost immediately a delegate from Glasgow got up and went to the podium.


9. Transform the sentence into Complex Object pattern.

The representative of the Edinburgh delegation attempted to appeal to the press by focussing on the human aspects of Edinburgh.


10. Transform the sentence into Cleft pattern.

A minor inaccuracy has appeared which needs correction.


11. Change the sentence into Conditional II and III patterns.

The two biggest cities in Scotland, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have been rivals for many years. The citizens of Edinburgh consider Glasgow as a large, bleak industrial town lacking in both character and history.


12. Transform the sentence into inverted emphatic pattern.

With a heavy heart he went home and broke the news to his family.


13. Transform the sentence into what + subject + predicate + to be + to inf pattern.

The citizens of Glasgow criticise the people of Edinburgh for being snobbish, and lacking in both character and a sense of humour.


14. Change the verb into an analytical one.

One year Edinburgh and Glasgow were both bidding to hold an important conference on European economic policy.


15. Transform the sentence into Causative pattern.

One representative of the Edinburgh delegation attempted to influence the awarding committee, and appeal to the press at the same time, by focussing on the human aspects of Edinburgh rather than on the merits of the city's conference and communication facilities.