Great- Granddad’s Last Battle by Robert Froman
I will never forget the Saturday I
took my great-grandfather to his first movie. I was nine. Granddad was over 90
years old.
The movie was a Wild West show. And
that Saturday afternoon in 1920 turned out to be
a wild one
too!
We were a little late when we got to
the movie. The lights were already turned low. The girl at the piano had
started to play. In those days, the movies had no sound. The only sounds that
went with them came from a piano. I helped Granddad find a seat in the first
row. He sat back just as Hoot Gibson came riding across the screen on his
horse. I looked at Granddad. His eyes were fixed on the screen and his lips
were moving. I saw that he was riding right along with Hoot Gibson!
Hoot was running away from outlaws.
Faster and faster the horses ran. The girl at the piano played louder and
louder. Suddenly Granddad jumped to his
feet and yelled at Hoot. “Look out!” he cried. “Run for it, Hoot! They are
getting closer!”
The girl at the piano turned around.
Right behind her she saw a tall old man with arms stretched wide. It was my
granddad. She thought he had gone crazy. With a scream she climbed to the top
of the piano. Then she jumped through the movie screen, making a big hole in
it. She ran out the back door of the movie, yelling.
There were about 40 people at the
movie that afternoon. Granddad was the only one there over 12 years old. All
the excitement made us boys feel we should do something. But what? Hoot showed
us! He was shot from his house right into the hole in the screen!
A friend of mine named Sammy climbed
up to see what had become of Hoot. Three or four others followed Sammy. Soon
about 12 yelling boys were crowded around the screen. What noise! The
ticket-taker came running. “Stop the show!” he yelled. “Turn on the lights!”
But no one seemed to hear him. At that moment, Sammy shot his cap gun. Someone
saw the smoke from the cap gun and screamed “Fire!”
Granddad was still standing. He
called out, “Get the firemen! Where is the fire?”
Just then
several men came in through the back door. The girl who played the piano had
told them about the crazy man. They were coming to get Granddad!
Before they got to him, a fireman
came in the front door. He was carrying a hose. “Water!” he shouted to the
firemen behind him. Then he turned his hose on the screen full force. The hole
in the screen became larger and larger. Now we could see only the top of Hoot’s
head and his horse’s tail.
“I’m getting out of here!” Granddad
said to me. “I’ve been in many a battle, but this is the worst of all.” We
pushed past the firemen and got to the street at last. By this time there was a
big crowd of people. “What’s happened? Where’s the fire?” everyone wanted to
know.
But we did not wait to talk.
Granddad took me to his little house and gave me some ice-cream. “I am sorry you
didn’t get to see the whole show, Granddad,” I said. “Will you go with me next
Saturday?” Granddad shook his head. “No, Robert,” he said. “I don’t like
movies. They are too noisy. My first movie will be my last!”
Listening Comprehension Test for 8th
Form Students Assignments
Task 1. Put
(+) if the statement is true, and (-) if the statement is false.
- They came to the movie in time.
- The movie they watched was soundless.
- They were sitting in the first row.
- There was a back door behind the movie screen.
- Hoot Gibson was chasing the outlaws.
- Hoot Gibson made a big hole in the screen.
- The cap gun caused a fire.
- The piano girl brought the firemen with her.
- The water made the hole larger.
- Granddad did not like his first movie.
Task 2. Circle the right answer A, B, C, or D
11. The grandson’s name was...
A. Sammy
B. Hoot C. Gibson D. Robert
12.. How old was the boy?
A. 19
B. 12 C. 9 D. 90
13. Why did the girl play the piano?
A.
to help people understand the movie.
B.
to add sound to the movie
C.
to help people find their seats.
D.
to entertain the audience.
14. Hoot Gibson was...
A. The name of the actor.
B. The name of the film
C. The name of the author
D. The name of Granddad
15. The Granddad jumped and ...
A. cried B. yelled C. shouted D. screamed
16 How many people were there at the cinema?
A. 40 B.
12 C. 14 D. 20
17. Sammy shot his...
A. pistol B. fire gun C. cap gun D. petard
18. The fireman brought..
A. a house B. a hose C. a horse D. a hole
A. The girl broke the screen
B. The boys did shooting
C. The old man got crazy
D. The fireman put out the fire
20. Why the Granddad did not want to go to the
movie again?
A.
He did not like fire.
B. He did not like noise
C. He did not like Wild West show
D. He did not like shooting
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