a walk in the park

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mosotho woman laughing like she has just heard the funniest joke in the village
Placez le pointeur de la souris sur les mots soulignés, sans cliquer

Betty Williams worked in an office downtownIN THE CITY CENTRE. She usually went for a walk in the park during her lunch hour.

Almost every day she saw an old man who was always in the park, sitting on the same benchLONG SEAT FOR SEVERAL PEOPLE. He had white hair and a long white beardHAIR ON THE CHIN AND CHEEKS, as well as a very contentedHAPPY AND SATISFIED expression. She sometimes nodded to himSHE SOMETIMES MOVED HER HEAD TO GREET HIM or said hello, and he always smiled back happily.

One day, she decided to stop and chatSPEAK IN A FRIENDLY WAY with him.

"Excuse me," said Betty, "I often see you here. You always seem very cheerfulHAPPY AND POSITIVE and you’re never sick! What’s your secret for a long and happy life?"

"My secret?" the old man asked, smiling at her. "I don’t have a secretSOMETHING HIDDEN FROM OTHERS."

"But how often do you work outDO PHYSICAL EXERCISES?" asked Betty.

"I never do any exercise, young lady."

"What about your dietWHAT YOU USUALLY EAT? You must eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables?"

"I hardly everALMOST NEVER eat vegetables," the old man replied, still smiling. "And I smoke about a pack of cigarettes a day."

"That’s amazing, Sir!" said Betty. "How old are you?"

"Thirty-five," he replied.

Consider these three: contented, cheerful, and hardly ever. To be contented means to be happy and satisfied. Someone cheerful appears happy and shows it. The phrase hardly ever means something happens very rarely. Check out these examples:
  • He looked contented after finishing his meal.
  • She’s always cheerful, even on Mondays.
  • I hardly ever watch TV these days. I don't have the time.
This joke uses the present simple tense for habits and facts, such as "She usually goes" and "I never exercise." It also includes direct speech, where we see the exact words spoken by characters. The present simple is often used when talking about routines or permanent situations. Check out these examples:
  • She usually goes to the park at noon.
  • He never eats vegetables.
  • He said, "I don’t have a secret."

© — This blog shares jokes passed along from person to person, over time. I claim ownership to none of them. Feel free to copy, share, or tell them at your next dinner party, braaivleis, or bar mitzvah.

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a husband with a temper

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Placez le pointeur de la souris sur les mots soulignés, sans cliquer A woman goes to the doctor's, worried about her husband's temper MOOD OR EMOTIONAL STATE . The doctor asks, "What is the problem?" The woman says, "Doctor, I do not know what to do. Every day my husband seems to lose his temper BECOME ANGRY SUDDENLY for no reason. It scares me IT MAKES ME AFRAID ." The doctor says, "I have a solution for that. When it seems that your husband is getting angry FEELING OR SHOWING STRONG UNHAPPINESS OR ANNOYANCE , just take a glass of water and start swishing MOVING LIQUID AROUND IN YOUR MOUTH WITHOUT SWALLOWING it in your mouth. Just swish MOVE LIQUID AROUND IN YOUR MOUTH and swish, but do not swallow CAUSE TO GO DOWN THE THROAT INTO THE STOMACH it until he either leaves the room or calms down." Two weeks later, the woman comes ...
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