B2 Reading & Listening Practice
Leola Starling welcomes a new hotel opening in Ribrock, Tennessee. Then her phone starts ringing. Short comic tale from the time when phones were connected to walls by cables, and ‘wrong numbers’ were frequently dialled. Based on Art Buchwald’s classic April Fool’s hoax
‘I’m sorry,’ Leola says politely. ‘You have the wrong number.’ She puts the phone down. Immediately, it starts ringing again. ‘I’d like a double room, please.’
Adapted from classic Art Buchwal April Fool’s Story
English language learning materials for students & teachers: CEF language level: B2
April 1, 1966, Ribrock, Tennessee, USA
A new hotel is opening in Ribrock. Resident Leola Starling is very pleased.
‘It’s good for our town,’ she tells friends. ‘It will bring us jobs and business.’
Then Leola’s phone starts ringing.
‘Is that the Plaza Hotel?’
‘
I’m sorry,’ Leola says politely. ‘
You have the wrong number.’
She puts the phone down. Immediately, it starts ringing again. ‘I’d like a double room, please.’
This time, Leola is a little less polite. ‘You’ve got the wrong number.’
‘I don’t think so,’ says the caller. ‘I need Ribrock 7888831o.’
‘And this is Ribrock 78888301,’ says Leola to the caller. And to the next one. And the one after that.
The telephone number of the new hotels is almost the same as Leola’s.
(In the format for exam, but not official Cambridge endorsed material)
Extension Activity (Level B2)
”one of the best writers of language learner material in English”
Extensive Reading in the Second Language Classroom, Bamford and Day, Cambridge
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