The Wright Brothers—Men with a Vision

Before
You Read 1. Do you like to travel by airplane? Why or why not?
No, Idon't. It scares me.
2. What are the names of some famous inventors?
No, don't. I don't know them.

Read the following textbook article. Pay special attention to simple-

CD 2, TR 01 past-tense verbs.

Over 100 years ago, people only dreamed

Did You about flying. The Wright brothers, Wilbur and
Know? Orville, were dreamers who changed the world.
The Wright Wilbur Wright was born in 1867 and
brothers never Orville was born in 1871. In 1878, they
married. Their received a paper flying toy from their father.
only love was
aviation.
They played with kites and started to think
Wilbur Wright, 1867–1912; about the possibility of flight.
Orville Wright, 1871–1948 When they were older, they started a bicycle
business. They used the bicycle shop to design their airplanes. They studied
three aspects of flying: lift, control, and power. In 1899, they constructed
their first flying machine—a kite made of wood, wire, and cloth. It had no
pilot. Because of wind, it was difficult to control. They continued to study
aerodynamics.1 Finally Wilbur designed a small machine with a gasoline
engine. Wilbur tried to fly the machine, but it crashed. They fixed it and
flew it for the first time on December 17, 1903, with Orville as the pilot. The
airplane remained in the air for twelve seconds. It traveled a distance of 120
feet. This historic flight changed the world. However, only four newspapers
in the U.S. reported this historic moment.
The Wright brothers offered their invention to the U.S. government,
but the government rejected2 their offer at first. The government didn’t
believe that these men invented a flying machine. Finally, President
Theodore Roosevelt investigated their claims and offered the inventors a
contract to build airplanes for the U.S. Army.
December 17, 2003, marked 100 years of flight. There was a six-day
celebration at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the location of the first flight.
A crowd of 35,000 people gathered to see a replica3 of the first plane fly.
The cost to re-create the plane was $1.2 million. However, it rained hard
that day and the plane failed to get off the ground.
You can now see the Wright brothers’ original airplane in the Air and
Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

1
Aerodynamics is the branch of mechanics that deals with the motion of air and its effect on things.
2
Reject means not accept.
3
A replica is a copy of an original.

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 8.1 The Simple Past Tense of Regular Verbs
EXAMPLES EXPLANATION
The Wright brothers started a bicycle business. To form the simple past tense of regular
They dreamed about flying. verbs, we add -ed to the base form.
They designed an airplane. Base Form Past Form
The president offered them a contract. start started
dream dreamed
design designed
offer offered
The past form is the same for all persons.
The Wright brothers wanted to fly. The verb after to does not use the past
They continued to study aerodynamics. form.
The Wright brothers invented the airplane We often use ago in sentences about the
over 100 years ago. past. Ago means before now.
We celebrated the 100th anniversary of flight
a few years ago.

EXERCISE Read more about the Wright brothers. Underline the past tense
verbs in the following sentences.
EXAMPLE The Wright brothers lived in Dayton, Ohio.

1. Their father worked as a Christian minister.

2. The boys learned mechanical things quickly.
3. They loved bicycles.
4. They opened the Wright Cycle Company repair shop, where they
repaired bicycles.
5. They started to produce their own bicycle models.
6. The first airplane weighed over 600 pounds.
7. They succeeded in flying the first airplane in 1903.
8. Wilbur died nine years later, of typhoid.4
9. Orville lived to be 76 years old.

4
Typhoid is a serious infection causing a fever and often death.

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 8.2 Spelling of the Past Tense of Regular Verbs
RULE BASE FORM PAST FORM
Add -ed to most regular verbs. start started
rain rained
When the base form ends in e, add -d only. die died
live lived
When the base form ends in a consonant + y, change y carry carried
to i and add -ed. study studied
When the base form ends in a vowel + y, add -ed. stay stayed
Do not change the y. enjoy enjoyed
When a one-syllable verb ends in a consonant-vowel- stop stopped
consonant, double the final consonant and add -ed. hug hugged
Do not double a final w or x. show showed
fix fixed
When a two-syllable verb ends in a consonant-vowel- occúr occurred
consonant, double the final consonant and add -ed permi´t permitted
only if the last syllable is stressed.
When the last syllable of a two-syllable verb is not ópen opened
stressed, do not double the final consonant. óffer offered

EXERCISE Write the past tense of these regular verbs. (Accent marks show you
where a word is stressed.)
EXAMPLES learn learned clap clapped
love loved lísten listened
played
1. play 11. enjoy enjoyed

estudied dragged
2. study 12. drag
dropped
3. decide decided 13. drop
wanted started
4. want 14. start
liked follewed
5. like 15. follow
prefered
6. show showed 16. prefér
looked liked
7. look 17. like
stopped mixed
8. stop 18. mix
happened admited
9. háppen 19. admít
carried propeled
10. carry 20. propél

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 8.3 Pronunciation of -ed Past Forms
PRONUNCIATION RULE EXAMPLES
/t/ Pronounce /t/ after voiceless jump—jumped kiss—kissed
sounds: /p, k, f, s, š, č/ cook—cooked wash—washed
cough—coughed watch—watched
/d/ Pronounce /d/ after voiced rub—rubbed name—named
sounds: /b, g, v, d¯, z, ž, ǰ, m, drag—dragged learn—learned
n, ŋ, l, r/ and all vowel love—loved bang—banged
sounds. bathe—bathed call—called
use—used care—cared
massage—massaged free—freed
charge—charged
/ d/
e Pronounce / d/ after /d/ or
e wait—waited add—added
/t/ sounds. hate—hated decide—decided
want—wanted

EXERCISE 3 Go back to Exercise 2 and pronounce the base form and past form of
each verb.

EXERCISE 4 Fill in the blanks with the past tense of the verb in parentheses ( ).
Use the correct spelling.
EXAMPLE The Wright brothers received a flying toy from their father.
(receive)

1. They played with kites.

(play)
dreamed
2. They about flying.
(dream)

3. They studied everything they could about flying.

(study)
started
4. They a bicycle business.
(start)
used
5. They the bicycle shop to design airplanes.
(use)

6. They tried to fly their first plane in 1899.

(try)
crashed
7. Their first plane .
(crash)
fixed
8. They it.
(fix)
stayed
9. In 1903, their plane in the air for 12 seconds.
(stay)

10. They offered their invention to the U.S. government.

(offer)

11. The government decided to offer them a contract.

(decide)
(continued)
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 died
12. Wilbur Wright in 1912.
(die)

13. Orville Wright lived for many more years.

(live)

14. Their invention changed the world.

(change)

Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart

Before
You Read 1. When was the first time you traveled by airplane?
2. Do you recognize the people in the photos below?

Read the following textbook article. Pay special attention to the

CD 2, TR 02 past-tense forms of be.

At the beginning of the twentieth century,

flight was new. It was not for everyone. It was only
for the brave and adventurous. Two adventurers
were Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart.
Charles Lindbergh loved to fly. He was born
in 1902, one year before the Wright brothers’
historic flight. In 1927, a man offered a $25,000
reward for the first person to fly from New York
to Paris nonstop. Lindbergh was a pilot for the
Charles Lindbergh, United States Mail Service at that time. He
1902–1974 wanted to win the prize.
He became famous because he was the first person
to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean. His plane
was in the air for 33 hours. The distance of the
flight was 3,600 miles. There were thousands of
people in New York to welcome him home. He
was an American hero. He was only 25 years old.
Another famous American aviator5 was Amelia
Earhart. She was the first woman to fly across
the Atlantic Ocean alone. She was 34 years old.
Amelia Earhart,
Americans were in love with Earhart. In 1937, 1897–1937
however, she was on a flight around the world
when her plane disappeared somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
No one really knows what happened to Earhart.

5
Aviator means pilot.

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 8.4 Past Tense of Be
The verb be has two forms in the past: was and were.
EXAMPLES EXPLANATION
Subject Was Complement I
I interested in the story. He
Charles a pilot. She ∂ was
He brave. It
Amelia was a pilot too. singular subject
She popular.
The airplane new in 1903.
It in the air for 12 seconds.
Subject Were Complement We
We interested in the story. You
∂ were
You in class yesterday. They
were plural subject
Amelia and Charles brave.
They adventurous.
There Was Singular Subject There + was + singular noun
There was a celebration in 2003.
There Were Plural Subject There + were + plural noun
There were thousands of people.
Charles Lindbergh was not the first person to fly. To make a negative statement, put
We were not at the 2003 celebration. not after was or were.
I wasn’t here yesterday. The contraction for was not is wasn’t.
You weren’t in class yesterday. The contraction for were not is weren’t.

EXERCISE 5 Fill in the blanks with was or were.

EXAMPLE Lindbergh and Earhart were very famous.
were
1. The Wright brothers the inventors of the airplane.
was
2. The first airplane in the air for 12 seconds.
were
3. Lindbergh and Earhart aviators.
were
4. There thousands of people in New York to welcome
Lindbergh home.
was
5. Earhart the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.
6. I was interested in the story about Earhart and Lindbergh.
was
7. you surprised that a woman was a famous aviator?
was
8. Lindbergh in Paris.
were
9. We happy to read about flight.
was
10. There a celebration of 100 years of flight in 2003.
11. There were thousands of people at the celebration.
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 8.5 Uses of Be
EXAMPLES EXPLANATION
Lindbergh was an aviator. Classification of the subject
Lindbergh was brave. Description of the subject
Lindbergh was in Paris. Location of the subject
Earhart was from Kansas. Place of origin of the subject
She was born in 1897. With born
There were thousands of people in New York With there
to welcome Lindbergh.
Lindbergh was 25 years old in 1927. With age

EXERCISE 6 Read each statement. Then write a negative statement with the
words in parentheses ( ).
EXAMPLE The Wright brothers were inventors. (Earhart and Lindbergh)
Earhart and Lindbergh weren’t inventors.

1. The train was common transportation in the early 1900s. (the airplane)
The airplane wasn't common transportation in the early 1900s.

2. Earhart was from Kansas. (Lindbergh)

Lindbergh wasn´t from Kansas.

3. Lindbergh’s last flight was successful. (Earhart’s last flight)

Earhart´s last flight wasn't successful.

4. Lindbergh’s plane was in the air for many hours. (the Wright brothers’
first plane)
the wright brothers´first plane wasn't in the air for many hours.

5. The Wright brothers were inventors. (Earhart)

Earhart were not inventors.

6. There were a lot of trains 100 years ago. (planes)

Planes were not a lot of trains 100 years ago.

7. Lindbergh was born in the twentieth century. (the Wright brothers)

the Wright brothers was not born in the twentieth century.

8. The 1903 flight at Kitty Hawk was successful. (the 2003 flight)
the 2003 flight wasnot successful.

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 8.6 Questions with Was/Were
EXAMPLES EXPLANATION
Was the first flight long? Yes/No Questions
No, it wasn’t. Was/were + subject . . . ?
Was the first flight successful? Short answers
Yes, it was.
Yes, + subject + was/were.
Were the Wright brothers inventors?
No, + subject + wasn’t/weren’t.
Yes, they were.
Were there a lot of people at the 100-year celebration? There Questions
Yes, there were. Was/were + there . . . ?
Was there a lot of rain that day? Short Answers
Yes, there was.
Yes, there was/were.
No, there wasn’t/weren’t.
How long was the first flight? Wh- Questions
Where was the first flight? Wh- word + was/were + subject . . . ?
Why wasn’t Amelia successful? Negative Questions
Why weren’t you there? Why + wasn’t/weren’t + subject . . . ?
Who was with Earhart when she disappeared? Subject Questions
How many people were in the airplane? Who + was . . . ?
How many . . . + were . . . ?

Compare affirmative statements and questions.

Wh- Word Was/Were Subject Was/Were Complement Short Answer
Amelia was born before 1903.
Was she born in the U.S.? Yes, she was.
When was she born? In 1897.
Charles and Amelia were famous.
Were they inventors? No, they weren’t.
Someone was with Amelia.
Who was with Amelia? A copilot.
Many people were at the celebration.
How many people were at the celebration? Thousands.

Compare negative statements and questions.

Wh- Word Wasn’t/Weren’t Subject Wasn’t/Weren’t Complement
Air travel wasn’t safe 100 years ago.
Why wasn’t it safe?
The Wright brothers weren’t afraid of flying.
Why weren’t they afraid?

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 EXERCISE 7 Read each statement. Then write a yes/no question with the words
in parentheses ( ). Give a short answer.
EXAMPLE The Wright brothers were inventors. (Lindbergh)
Was Lindbergh an inventor? No, he wasn’t.

1. The airplane was an important invention. (the telephone)

Was the telephone an important invention?

2. Thomas Edison was an inventor. (the Wright brothers)

Was the Wright brothers an inventor?

3. Amelia Earhart was American. (Lindbergh)

Was Lindbergh American?

4. Travel by plane is common now. (100 years ago)

Was100 years agoTravel by plane is common now?

5. There were telephones 100 years ago. (airplanes)

Were airplanes telephones 100 years ago?

6. You are in class today. (yesterday)

Was yesterday you are in class today?

7. I was interested in the story about the aviators. (you)

Was you intereted in the story about the aviators?

8. I wasn’t born in the U.S. (you)

Was you born in the U.S.?

EXERCISE 8 ABOUT YOU Interview a classmate who is from another country.

1. Where were you born?

2. Were you happy or sad when you left your country?
3. Who was with you on your trip?
4. Were you happy or sad when you arrived?
5. What was your first impression of your new home?
6. Were you tired when you arrived?
7. Who was at the airport to meet you?
8. How was the weather on the day you arrived?

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 EXERCISE 9 Read each statement. Then write a wh- question with the words in
parentheses ( ). Answer the question.
EXAMPLE Lindbergh was very famous. (why)
A: Why was Lindbergh famous?
B: He was one of the first aviators.

1. Lindbergh was a hero. (why)

A: Why was Lindbergh a hero?
He was
B:
2. Lindbergh was American. (what nationality/Earhart)
what nationality/Earhart was American?
A:
B:
3. Earhart was 34 years old when she crossed the ocean. (how old/Lindbergh)
how old/Lindbergh was 34 years old when she crossed the ocean?
A:
B:
4. Lindbergh was a famous aviator. (who/the Wright brothers)
A:
B:
5. Lindbergh was born in 1902. (when/Earhart)
A:
B:
6. The Wright brothers were famous. (why)
A:
B:
7. The flight at Kitty Hawk in 2003 wasn’t successful. (why)
A:
B:

EXERCISE 10 Fill in the blanks with the correct past-tense form of be. Add any
other necessary words.
A: I tried to call you last weekend. I was worried about you.
(example)
CD 2, TR 03 was not was
B: I home. I out of town.
(1 not) (2)
A: Where ?
(3)
B: In Washington, D.C.

A: alone?
(4) (continued)

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 was not
B: No, I . I was with my brother.
(5)
A: expensive?
(6)
B: No. Our trip wasn’t expensive at all.

A: Really? Why expensive?

(7)
B: The flight from here to Washington cheap.
(8)

National Air and Space Museum And we stayed with some friends in their apartment.
They very helpful. They showed us a lot of beautiful
(9)
places in Washington. But my favorite place was the Air and
Space Museum.
A: a lot of people at the museum?
(10)
B: Yes, there were. It very crowded. But it
(11) (12)
wonderful to see the Wright brothers’ airplane and the airplane that
Lindbergh used when he crossed the Atlantic. Also it
(13)
interesting to see the spacecraft of the astronauts. We
(14 not)
bored for one minute in that museum.
A: How long your flight to Washington?
(15)
B: It only 2 hours and 15 minutes from here. We don’t think
(16)
about flying as anything special anymore. But just a little over
100 years ago, flight just a dream of two brothers.
(17)
Can you believe it? There only 66 years between the first
(18)
flight in 1903 and the trip to the moon in 1969!
A: That’s amazing!

8.7 Simple Past Tense of Irregular Verbs—An Overview

EXAMPLES EXPLANATION
I came to the U.S. by plane. Many verbs are irregular in the past tense.
My flight took six hours. An irregular verb does not use the -ed
I felt happy when I arrived. ending.

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 Robert Goddard
Before
You Read 1. Did you ever see the first moon landing in 1969?
2. Are you interested in astronauts and rockets?

Read the following textbook article. Pay special attention to

CD 2, TR 04 past-tense verbs.

Robert Goddard was born in 1882. When

Did You he was a child, he became interested in
Know? firecrackers and thought about the possibility
The first woman of space travel. He later became a physics
in space was a professor at a university. In his free time, he
Russian, Valentina built rockets and took them to a field, but
Tereshkova, in
1963.
they didn’t fly. When he went back to his
university after his failed attempts, the other
professors laughed at him.
In 1920, Goddard wrote an article about
Robert Goddard with early
rocket, 1926 rocket travel. He believed that one day it
would be possible to go to the moon. When
The New York Times saw his article, a reporter wrote that Goddard had less
knowledge about science than a high school
student. Goddard wanted to prove that The
New York Times was wrong.
In 1926, he built a ten-foot rocket, put
it into an open car, and drove to his aunt’s
nearby farm. He put the rocket in a field
and lit the fuse. Suddenly the rocket went
into the sky. It traveled at 60 miles per hour Astronaut Buzz Aldrin of
Apollo 11 on the moon, 1969
(mph) to an altitude of 41 feet. Then it fell
into the field. The flight lasted 2½ seconds, but Goddard was happy about
his achievement. Over the years, his rockets grew to 18 feet and flew to
9,000 feet in the air. No one made fun of him after he was successful.
When Goddard died in 1945, his work did not stop. Scientists
continued to build bigger and better rockets. In 1969, when the American
rocket Apollo 11 took the first men to the moon, The New York Times
wrote: “The Times regrets6 the error.”

6
Regret means to be sorry for.

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 8.8 List of Irregular Past Tense Verbs7
VERBS WITH NO CHANGE FINAL d CHANGES TO t
bet—bet hurt—hurt bend—bent send—sent
cost—cost let—let build—built spend—spent
cut—cut put—put lend—lent
fit—fit quit—quit
hit—hit shut—shut

VERBS WITH A VOWEL CHANGE

feel—felt lose—lost bring—brought fight—fought
keep—kept mean—meant8 buy—bought teach—taught
leave—left sleep—slept catch—caught think—thought
break—broke steal—stole begin—began sing—sang
choose—chose speak—spoke drink—drank sink—sank
freeze—froze wake—woke ring—rang swim—swam
dig—dug spin—spun drive—drove shine—shone
hang—hung win—won ride—rode write—wrote
blow—blew grow—grew bleed—bled meet—met
draw—drew know—knew feed—fed read—read9
fly—flew throw—threw lead—led
sell—sold tell—told find—found wind—wound
shake—shook mistake—mistook lay—laid pay—paid
take—took say—said10
tear—tore wear—wore bite—bit hide—hid
light—lit
become—became eat—ate fall—fell hold—held
come—came

give—gave lie—lay run—ran see—saw

forgive—forgave sit—sat
forget—forgot get—got stand—stood
shoot—shot understand—understood

MISCELLANEOUS CHANGES
be—was/were go—went hear—heard
do—did have—had make—made

7
For an alphabetical list of irregular verbs, see Appendix D.
8
There is a change in the vowel sound. Meant rhymes with sent.
9
The past form of read is pronounced like the color red.
10
Said rhymes with bed.

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 EXERCISE 11 Read the following facts about the history of rockets. Underline the
verbs. Write R for a regular verb. Write I for an irregular verb.
EXAMPLE Goddard published a paper on rockets in 1920. R

1. Goddard built and flew rockets from 1926 to 1939.

2. Germany used the first rockets in World War II in 1944.
3. The Russians launched their first satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957.
4. The Americans sent up their first satellite, Explorer 1, in 1958.
5. Yuri Gagarin, a Russian, became the first person in space in 1961.
6. Alan Shepard, an American, went into space in 1961.
7. The United States put the first men on the moon in 1969.
8. A spacecraft on Mars transmitted color photos to Earth in 2004.

EXERCISE 12 Fill in the blanks with the past tense of one of the words from the
box below.

fly think drive be fall

write put become see

EXAMPLE Goddard became interested in rockets when he was a child.

1. He a professor of physics.
2. People that space travel was impossible.
3. Goddard his first rocket in a car and to his
aunt’s farm.
4. The rocket for 2½ seconds and then it to
the ground.
5. Goddard never the first moon landing.
6. The New York Times about their mistake 49 years later.

EXERCISE 13 Fill in the blanks with the past tense of the verb in parentheses ( ).
EXAMPLE The Wright brothers’ father gave them a flying toy.
(give)

1. They a dream of flying.

(have)

2. They interested in flying after seeing a flying toy.

(become)

3. They many books on flight.

(read)
(continued)

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 4. They selled bicycles.
(sell)
builded
5. They the first airplane.
(build)
haved
6. At first they problems with wind.
(have)
maked
7. They some changes to the airplane.
(make)

8. They flied for the first time in 1903.

(fly)
seed
9. Only a few people the first flight.
(see)
heared
10. President Theodore Roosevelt about their airplane.
(hear)

11. The airplane was an important invention because it bringed

(bring)
people from different places closer together.

12. Thousands of people goed to North Carolina for the 100th

(go)
anniversary of flight.

8.9 Negative Forms of Past Tense Verbs

Compare affirmative (A) and negative (N) statements with past-tense verbs.
EXAMPLES EXPLANATION
A. Lindbergh returned from his last flight. For the negative past tense, we use
N. Earhart didn’t return from her last flight. didn’t + the base form for ALL verbs,
regular and irregular.
A. The Wright brothers flew in their airplane.
N. Goddard didn’t fly in his rocket. Compare:
returned—didn’t return
A. Goddard built rockets.
flew—didn’t fly
N. He didn’t build airplanes. built—didn’t build
A. The Russians put a woman in space in 1963. put—didn’t put
N. The Americans didn’t put a woman in Remember: Put and a few other past-tense
space until 1983. verbs are the same as the base form.

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 EXERCISE 14 Fill in the blanks with the negative form of the underlined words.
EXAMPLE Goddard believed in space flight. Other people didn’t believe
in space flight at that time.

1. The Wright brothers dreamed about flying. They

dream
about rockets.
2. They sold bicycles. They sell cars.
3. Their 1903 airplane had a pilot. Their first airplane
has
a pilot.
4. The Wright brothers wanted to show their airplane to the U.S.
want
government. The government to see it at first.
5. The Wright brothers built the first airplane. They
build
the first rocket.
6. Goddard thought his ideas were important. His colleagues
his ideas were important.
want
7. He wanted to build rockets. He to build
airplanes.
8. In 1920, a newspaper wrote that he was foolish. The newspaper
writes
about the possibility of rocket travel.
9. In 1926 his rocket flew. Before that time, his rockets
Flying .
10. The first rocket stayed in the air for 2½ seconds. It
stay
in the air for a long time.
11. Goddard saw his rockets fly. He rockets go to
the moon.
12. In 1957, the Russians put the first man in space. The Americans
places the first man in space.
13. In 1969, the first Americans walked on the moon. Russians
walk
on the moon.
we go
14. A rocket went to the moon in 1969. A rocket
to the moon during Goddard’s lifetime.

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 EXERCISE 15 ABOUT YOU If you came to the U.S. from another country, fill
in the blanks with the affirmative or negative form of the verb in
parentheses to tell about the time before you came to the U.S. Add
some specific information to tell more about each item.
EXAMPLES I studied English before I came to the U.S. I studied with a
(study)
private teacher for three months.

OR

I didn’t study English before I came to the U.S. I didn’t have

(study)
enough time.

1. I my money for dollars before I came to

(exchange)

the U.S.
2. I a passport.
(get)

3. I for a visa.
(apply)

4. I English.
(study)

5. I my furniture.
(sell)

6. I goodbye to my friends.
(say)

7. I an English dictionary.
(buy)

8. I a clear idea about life in the U.S.

(have)

9. I afraid about my future.

(be)

10. I to another country first.

(go)

11. I English well.

(understand)

12. I a lot about American life.

(know)

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 EXERCISE 16 ABOUT YOU If you come from another city or country, tell if these
things happened or didn’t happen after you moved to this city.
Add some specific information to tell more about each item.
EXAMPLE find an apartment
I found an apartment two weeks after I arrived in this city.
OR

I didn’t find an apartment right away. I lived with my cousins for

two months.

1. find a job 6. go to the bank

2. register for English classes 7. visit a museum
3. rent an apartment 8. see a relative
4. buy a car 9. buy clothes
5. get a Social Security card 10. get a driver’s license

EXERCISE 17 ABOUT YOU Tell if you did or didn’t do these things in the past
week. Add some specific information to tell more about each item.
EXAMPLE go to the movies
I went to the movies last weekend with my brother. We saw a great movie.
OR

I didn’t go to the movies this week. I didn’t have time.

1. use the Internet 7. buy a magazine

2. write a letter 8. work hard
3. go to the library 9. look for a job
4. do laundry 10. rent a DVD
5. buy groceries 11. send e-mail
6. use a phone card 12. read a newspaper

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 Hero Pilot
Before
You Read 1. Do you think that plane travel is safe?
2. Do you know of any heroes?

Read the following conversation. Pay special attention to past-tense

CD 2, TR 05 questions.

Chesley Sullenberger, pilot of Flight 1549

11
A flock of birds is a group of birds that fly together.

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 8.10 Questions with Past-Tense Verbs
Compare affirmative statements and questions.
Wh- Word Did Subject Verb Complement Short Answer
The pilot landed the plane.
Did he land at an airport? No, he didn’t.
Where did he land? On the Hudson River.
The plane lost power.
Did the plane lose an engine? Yes, it did.
How did it lose an engine? Birds flew into the engine.
Language Notes:
1. To form a yes/no question, use:
Did + subject + base form + complement
2. To form a short answer, use:
Yes, + subject pronoun + did.
No, + subject pronoun + didn’t.
3. To form a wh- question, use:
Wh- word + did + subject + base form + complement

Compare negative statements and questions.

Wh- word Didn’t Subject Verb Complement
The pilot didn’t go to the airport.
Didn’t he go back?
Why didn’t he go back to the
airport?

EXERCISE 18 Read the questions and answer with a short answer.

EXAMPLE Did you read about the pilot? Yes, I did.

1. Did the pilot return to the airport?

2. Did he make the right decision?
3. Did any of the passengers die?
4. Did the plane go into the river?
5. Was the pilot brave?

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 EXERCISE 19 ABOUT YOU Use these questions to ask another student about the
time when he or she lived in his or her native country.

1. Did you study English in your country?

2. Did you live in a big city?
3. Did you live with your parents?
4. Did you know a lot about the U.S.?
5. Did you finish high school?
6. Did you own a car?
7. Did you have a job?
8. Did you think about your future?
9. Were you happy?

EXERCISE 20 Read each statement. Write a yes/no question about the words in
parentheses ( ). Write a short answer.
EXAMPLE The Wright brothers had a dream. (Goddard) (yes)
Did Goddard have a dream? Yes, he did.

1. Wilbur Wright died in 1912. (his brother) (no)

2. The Wright brothers built an airplane. (Goddard) (no)

3. Earhart loved to fly. (Lindbergh) (yes)

4. Lindbergh crossed the ocean. (Earhart) (yes)

5. Lindbergh worked for the U.S. Mail Service. (Earhart) (no)

6. Lindbergh became famous. (Earhart) (yes)

7. Earhart disappeared. (Lindbergh) (no)

8. Lindbergh was born in the twentieth century. (Earhart) (no)

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 9. Lindbergh won money for his flight. (the Wright brothers) (no)

10. People didn’t believe the Wright brothers at first. (Goddard) (no)

11. The Wright brothers dreamed about flight. (Goddard) (yes)

12. Sully made an emergency landing. (a safe landing) (yes)

13. Birds flew into one engine. (both engines) (no)

14. Sully was safe. (the passengers) (yes)

EXERCISE 21 Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

EXAMPLE What kind of engine did the first airplane have? ?

The first airplane had a gasoline engine.

1. Where ?
The Wright brothers built their plane in their bicycle shop.
2. Why ?
The first plane crashed because of the wind.
3. Why the
first flight in 1903?
Many newspapers didn’t report it because no one believed it.
4. Where ?
Lindbergh worked for the U.S. Mail Service.
5. Why ?
He crossed the ocean to win the prize money.
6. How much money ?
He won $25,000.
7. How old when he crossed the ocean?
Lindbergh was 25 years old when he crossed the ocean.
8. Where ?
Earhart was born in Kansas.
9. Where ?
She disappeared in the Pacific Ocean.

(continued)

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 10. Why ?
Nobody knows why Earhart didn’t return.
11. When ?
The first man walked on the moon in 1969.
12. Why the first moon landing?
Goddard didn’t see the first moon landing because he died in 1945.
13. Why ?
Sully was a hero because he saved lives.
14. How many ?
He saved 150 lives.
15. Why ?
He didn’t return to the airport because he didn’t have time.

EXERCISE 22 Read each statement. Then write a question with the words in
parentheses ( ). Answer with a complete sentence. (The answers are
at the bottom of page 247.)
EXAMPLE The Wright brothers were born in the nineteenth century. (Where)
Where were they born?
They were born in Ohio.

1. The Wright brothers were born in the nineteenth century.

(When/Lindbergh)

2. Their father gave them a toy. (What kind of toy)

3. They had a shop. (What kind of shop)

4. They designed airplanes. (Where)

5. They flew their first plane in North Carolina. (When)

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