READING

1. RECOUNT TEXTS

TEXT 1

One day I went to Surabaya with my friend for a vacation. We went there on a night bus.

When we arrived in Lamongan, the bus stopped at a small restaurant for a rest. I got off the bus to get a cup of ginger tea, and my friend drank some cold lemonade. Then I went to the toilet. It took only a few minutes.

When I came out again, the bus was not there. It had gone! My friend was not there too. Feeling shocked and confused, I asked a waitress about the bus. She said that the bus departed about five minutes ago.

I tried to call my friend on my cell-phone, but the battery was running low.

I couldn’t do anything but hope and pray. After several minutes, my wish came true. The bus came back! I got on the bus and walked to my seat.

I was so ashamed when everybody on the bus looked at me. I could feel my face turn red.

TEXT 2

It was a stormy night. My parents and my sister were away at a friend’s house. I hoped they would return home soon. The lights kept flickering. I did not like being alone.

The lightening and thunder were getting worse. Suddenly, my worst fear came true. The house became pitch dark. I remembered that my brother kept candles in a cupboard in the living room. I groped around for my way downstairs, stumbling down the steps. I could hardly see anything.

Finally, I found the candles in a drawer. Now, I had to go to the kitchen for a matchbox. I knocked against things. But, at last, I found a matchbox and lit a candle. Suddenly, I heard sounds coming from the porch. I froze. Someone was trying to get in! I grabbed my hockey stick and waited.

I heard voices. The front door slowly opened. I held the hockey stick upright. Fear made my hands shake.

Then, a voice cried out,”Dullah!Dullah! Where are you?” It was my neighbor and his son. They brought candles for me.

TEXT 3

                I live in a very old town which is surrounded by beautiful woods. It is a famous and beautiful spot. On Sundays, hundreds of people come from the city to see our town and to walk through the woods. Visitors have been asked to keep the woods clean and tidy. Litter baskets have been placed under the trees, but people still throw their rubbish everywhere.

                Last Wednesday, I went for a walk in the woods. What I saw made me very sad. I counted seven old cars and three old refrigerators. The little baskets were empty and the ground was covered with pieces of paper, cigarette ends, old tires, empty bottles and rusty tins. Among the rubbish, I found a sign which said “Anyone who leaves their litter in these woods will be prosecuted!”

TEXT 4

                Last night thieves broke into the city’s art gallery and stole two small Van Gogh’s paintings. Police said that the thieves knew the building and that they were professionals. The night watchman told the police that he was watching TV when the robbery took place and he didn’t hear or see anything unusual.

TEXT 5

                I had a terrible day yesterday. First, I woke up an hour late because my alarm clock didn’t go off. Then, I was in such a hurry that I burned my hand as I was making breakfast. After breakfast, I got dressed so quickly that I forgot to wear socks.

                Next, I ran out of house trying to get the 8.30 bus, but of course I missed it. I wanted to take a taxi, but I didn’t have enough money. Finally, I walked three miles to my school only to discover that it was Sunday! I hope I never have a day as the one I had yesterday.

TEXT 6

                When I was in junior high school, I joined two clubs. They were the football club and the karate club. I joined those clubs because I love sports, especially football and karate. I played football on Sunday mornings and karate on Mondays at 4 p.m.

                One day my football club joined a football competition. There were eight clubs joining the competition. At first, our club won the match. Then, we had to defeat another club to get to the final. Remarkably, we won again. After those two matches, we had lunch in the cafeteria nearby. We were so impatient to play in the last game. It was the hard one because our opponent was very tough.

                Finally, we won the game with a nice score of 3-2. We were very happy and proud.