1. Key Words Tapping - the act of one that taps or walks
flash - a sudden display of light
alien - foreigner
scared - afraid
blanket -  a large piece of clothing, used as a covering for warmth, especially on a bed
to peep out - to look quickly
drawer - a boxlike container in a piece of furniture
to investigate - to examine

2. incident – smth that happened, an event
to measure – to decide the size
to be about to do smth - to be going to do smth., e.g. I am about to leave home.

3. Lightning

4. It was a dark and stormy night
It was a dark and stormy night. I was about to go to bed when I heard a tapping sound on my window. "Who's there?" I shouted. Suddenly there was a flash of lightning; I saw a face at the window. It looked like an alien ... an alien that I had seen on the television show, “the X files”.
I felt very scared. I ran to my bed and pulled my blanket over my head. I started to shout for my parents but there was no reply. Then I remembered that they were at a fancy dress party. 

5. I peeped out of my blanket but it was too dark to see anything
I peeped out of my blanket but it was too dark to see anything. Then I heard footsteps. They were getting louder and louder. It was dark but I knew the way to my drawer where I kept my camera. I ran there and took out my camera and started to take pictures in the direction of the window. Soon the footsteps died off. 
The grandfather clock struck ...  ... It was 12 midnight. I went back to my bed and tried to sleep. But I could not sleep. I felt too frightened. I sat up, my mind was full of thoughts. Time passed ... one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, four o'clock. Finally, I fell asleep.

6. I woke up only after eight and decided to investigate
I woke up only after eight and decided to investigate. I found some footprints outside my bedroom window. I measured them with a tape and found them to be exactly the same size as my father's shoes. The footprints ended at the door of my house. I then went to town to get the film developed. But when I saw the photos I was shocked. They were black and I could hardly see anything. Then I remembered that I did not use the flash.  When I reached home I told my father the whole incident and he started to laugh. I started laughing too when he told me that he had dressed up as an alien for the party. Today, I am still amused to think I was so afraid of my own father.

7. Choose the Right Variant
1. What did the author see at the window?
a. a cat
b. an alien
c. a spider
2. Why wasn’t there any reply when the author shouted for his parents?
a. they were fast asleep
b. they didn’t pay any attention to the shouting
c. they were at a fancy dress party

8. 3. The author decided to
a. escape from the house
b. to take the photo of the alien
c. to call the police
4. The author could sleep.
a. after 4 o’clock
b. at midnight
c. at 2 o’clock

9. 5. What did the author discover in the morning?
a. the alien was still in the yard
b. there were different footprints
c. the footprints were the same size as his father’s shoes
6. Why did the author’s father start to laugh after knowing about the incident?
a. He himself was the alien
b. He thought she had seen a dream
c. He thought that it had been an animal

10. Put the missing sentence in the paragraph, choosing the right variant
It was a dark and stormy night. I was about to go to bed when I heard a tapping sound on my window. "Who's there?" I shouted. Suddenly there was a flash of lightning.
I saw a face at the window. It looked like an alien ... an alien that I had seen on the television show, “the X files”.
a. Suddenly there was a flash of lightning.
b. Suddenly the window broke.
c. I heard a strange voice.

11. I felt very scared. I ran to my bed and pulled my blanket over my head
I felt very scared. I ran to my bed and pulled my blanket over my head. I started to shout for my parents but there was no reply. Then I remembered that they were at a fancy dress party. a. I was very happy. b. I felt confused. c. I felt very scared.

12. I peeped out of my blanket but it was too dark to see anything
I peeped out of my blanket but it was too dark to see anything. Then I heard footsteps. They were getting louder and louder. It was dark but I knew the way to my drawer where I kept my camera. I ran there and took out my camera and started to take pictures in the direction of the window. Soon the footsteps died off. a. I began to tremble b. Suddenly I felt smb. touch my shoulder c. It was dark but I knew the way to my drawer where I kept my camera.

13. The grandfather clock struck. It was 12 midnight
The grandfather clock struck. ... It was 12 midnight. I went back to my bed and tried to sleep. But I could not sleep. I felt too frightened. I sat up, my mind was full of thoughts. Time passed ... one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, four o'clock. Finally, I fell asleep.
a. Finally, I fell asleep.
b. I went outside for a walk.
c. I didn’t sleep all night

14. I woke up only after eight and decided to investigate
I woke up only after eight and decided to investigate. I found some footprints outside my bedroom window. I measured them with a tape and found them to be exactly the same size as my father's shoes. The footprints ended at the door of my house. I then went to town to get the film developed. But when I saw the photos I was shocked. They were black and I could hardly see anything.
Then I remembered that I did not use the flash. 
a. The alien in the photos was red
b. There was a girl in the photos
c. They were black and I could hardly see anything.

15. When I reached home I told my father the whole incident and he started to laugh. I started laughing too when he told me that he had dressed up as an alien for the party.
Today, I am still amused to think I was so afraid of my own father.
a. Today I still feel scared.
b. Today, I am still amused to think I was so afraid of my own father.
c. I feel very stupid remembering that day.

16. Rearrange the mixed words
was, night, dark, It, a, and, stormy.
It was a dark and stormy night.
2. an, looked, alien, It, like.
It looked like an alien.
3. to sleep, back, I, and, my, tried, bed, went, to.
I went back to my bed and tried to sleep.
4. bedroom, some, I, my, outside, found, footprints, window.
I found some footprints outside my bedroom window.
5. the, saw, was, But, I, photos, shocked, when I.
But when I saw the photos I was shocked.

17. Vocabulary Check How do we call the act of one that taps or walks?
What is the synonym of foreigner?
What is the synonym of afraid?
What is the synonym of to examine?
How can we say in one word a sudden display of light?
What is the synonym of event?
to look quickly is ____
To decide the size is ____
To be going to do smth. or ???

18. What is this?

19. What is this?