This week we will look at romantic narratives. Writers have been composing pieces about love for centuries. The feelings of people falling in love provide good material and these stories are always popular. On the one hand is the joy of love when it is successful and on the other the pain of loss or rejection. So these narratives can be funny and occasionally tragic. Some of the most powerful stories ever written have love as a central theme. But not all love stories have to be intense. Romance is all around us. Do you have a romantic story to tell? You will often find examples of these narratives in novels. Shorter stories appear in magazines and comic books. A strange romance Manny was a very shy boy. Whenever anybody spoke to him, he would look away. Sometimes he would blush. He was especially shy at school. The teachers would all write on his report: 'Manny needs more confidence to do better at his studies.' Because he was so quiet, everybody ignored him. But Manny noticed everybody else. He was very observant. He noticed all the rowdy boys who were good at sport and the girls who giggled together in groups. The one person he watched the most was a girl in his maths class. Her name was Wendy, and she wore glasses just like him. She was also good at maths, just like him. The trouble was that she was also quiet just like him, so they never talked to each other. Manny looked at Wendy whenever he had the opportunity. Every time he did so, it felt as if his heart missed a beat. If he saw her more than once a day, he would smile for hours and hours. One day there was an announcement on the notice board. There was to be a school disco. He really wanted to ask Wendy to go with him. But he was too shy to ask. He began to think. Manny remembered that Wendy was having trouble with the new maths homework that week. He had a plan. He asked his friend Junri to ask Wendy if she needed any help. When she said yes, Junri invited her round to his flat that evening. When Wendy arrived, Manny was there. Their eyes met. They both smiled. Junri left to go to the shops. On the table were two tickets for the school disco. After the homework was finished, Manny and Wendy sat in silence. They both looked at the tickets for the disco. After what seemed like a lifetime, Manny took a deep breath. He cleared his throat and said: 'Will you come to the disco with me?' Wendy smiled. 'Yes, of course,' she replied. Glossary to blush (v) - (of face) to go red due to embarrassment shy (adj) - nervous, timid to ignore (v) - to take no notice, to look away observant (adj) - watchful, noticing everything to giggle (v) - to laugh in a silly way Comprehension 1. What would Manny sometimes do? 2. Where was Manny especially shy? 3. Who was good at sports? 4. What subjects were Manny and Wendy good at? 5. How long would Manny smile for if he saw Wendy more than once a day? 6. What was on the table? Writing style The writer tells us that Manny wore glasses. Look at the sentences below and decide which verb best fits the blanks. All the sentences are to do with something that people wear. buckled, zipped, pulled, tie, buttoned 7. The rowdy boys had to ___________ their shoelaces. 8. Manny _________ up his jacket. 9. Junri __________ on his gloves. 10. The girl ___________ up her dress. 11. Wendy ____________ her belt. Crossword Clothes come in all shapes and sizes. Look at the clues below and decide what clothes the clues refer to. Write the correct words in the crossword. boots, dress, shorts, stockings, jeans, shirt 1. Girls might wear one of these to a party 2. Trousers made from a tough material 3. These cover your legs 4. Boys wear this and it has a collar 5. Heavy shoes ideal for walking or climbing 6. Trousers that do not have long legs Answers: 1. blush; 2. school; 3. all the rowdy boys; 4. maths; 5. hours and hours; 6. two tickets for the disco; 7. tie; 8. zipped; 9. pulled; 10. buttoned; 11. buckled Crossword: 1. dress; 2. jeans; 3. stockings; 4. shirt; 5. boots; 6. shorts
