Past and Past Participle.

“A Story of the Wild West”

Exercise 3. Change the text to the past or past participle.

(1) In 1849, gold (is) ______________ discovered in California. The news

soon (reaches) (2) ______________ the rest of the country. People (rush)

(3) ___________ out to the west. Henry Wells also (goes) (4) _____________

west. He (has) (5) _________ an idea and soon (becomes) (6) ___________

a rich man. In the new tows, miners (7) (feel) ______________ a deep

need for mail from home.

Wells and his friend Fargo (form) (8)____________ an express company

And soon (have) ______________ more than 60 offices.

The company (carries) (9) ______________ letters over rocky roads and

deep snow. The drivers (became) (10) ______________ friends with the

miners and (find) (11) __________ them even when they (move) ___________

to -different towns. Wells Fargo not only (brings) (12) _______________ the

miners news from home… It also (measures) (13) ______________ their gold

and (tells) (14) _______________them its weight.

Wells Fargo (sends) (15) _____________ the gold to the East. The company

(pays) (16) __________ for the loss if the gold (gets) (17) ___________ lost.

No one ever (loses) (18) ___________ one dollar that (is) (19) ___________

put in Wells Fargo’s care. The miners (riot) (20) ______________ when the

government (wants) (21) ______________ to control the mail. Everyone

(knows) (22) __________ that Wells Fargo (is) (23) _________ safe & fast.

All the company’s men (feel) (24) _____________ deep pride in the service.

The stage-coach (is) (25 _______ pulled by four or six horses and it (costs)

(26) __________ about $6,000.00. (10) A stage coach (can) (27) __________

carry nine people inside, and several more out-side. A shot-gun rider (rides)

(28) _____________ by the driver, he (guards) (29)_____________ the “green

box” that (rides) (30) ______________ under the seat.

For years, highwaymen (make) (31) ____________ trouble for the stage –

coach drivers. Black Bart (is) (32) ___________ fearless, (stands) (33)

____________ behind a horse to avoid shots.

He (demands) (34) _______________, “throw down that bow”. Sometimes a

shot (wounds) (35) ____________ him, but he always (comes) (36) _________

back. Wells Fargo detectives, (keep) (37) ______________ trying and finally

(catch) (38) _____________ him. They (catch) (39) _______________ him

when he (leaves) (40) ______________ a handkerchief behind.

Finally, the detectives (find) (41) ______________ out that Black Bart and

Mr. Bolton (are) (42) _____________ the same man. (16) Charlie Parkhust

(is) (44) ____________ probably the best driver the

company (has) (45) ____________. He (tells) (46) ____________ stories of

highwaymen and about stage-coaches that (fall) (47) _____________ on the

mountain sides. When Charlie (dies) (48) ____________ people (discover)

(49) ______________ that Charlie (is) (50) ____________ a woman.

In 1869, the railway (comes) (51) _____________ to the West, and people

(think) (52) ____________ Wells Fargo (will) (53) ____________ go out of

business. But Wells Fargo (begins) (54) _____________ using the railway.

Exercise 3. Expansion Activity. Answer the questions.

1. Have you seen any movies about the “Wild West”? _______________

2. Why did people rush to California in 1849? _____________________

3. Where was Henry Wells from? ______________________________

4. What was his partners name? _______________________________

5. What company did they form? ______________________________

6. Who was famous as a stage-coach driver?______________________