Hi Sam, How are things? I 1) haven't heard (not/hear) from you in a while. What 2)
(you/be) up to these past few weeks? 3)
(you/finish) your exams yet? Mine start next
week and I'm already nervous. Even though I 4)
(study) pretty hard since May, it still
feels like I have a lot to learn. Oh! Guess what! I 5)
(change) my mind about getting a
job when I leave school. I 6) (decide) that I want to go to university and study veterinary
science instead. Everyone's really surprised, but I 7)
(think) about it for a while. As you
know, I 8)
(work) as a volunteer at an animal shelter for the past two years and I
9)
(realise) that helping animals is what I want to do with my life. What about you?
10)
(you/think) any more about coming to visit me in August?

Жил-был мудрый старик. Он мог ответить на любой вопрос в мире. Все знали о нем. Однажды двое парней сказали: "Мы собираемся обмануть старика. Мы поймаем птицу, пойдем к старику и скажем, "У нас в руках есть кое-что. - Оно живое или мертвое? Если он скажет " Мертвое", мы пустим птицу лететь, а если он скажет "живое", - мы убьем ее".
Они поймали птицу и принесли к старику, и сказали : "Мы что-то держим в руках. Это живо или мертво?" И мудрый старик посмотрел на молодых людей и улыбнулся. "Это в ваших руках", - сказал он.

(очевидно, обыгрывается фразеологизм "все в ваших руках" - т.е. это зависит от вас)

1. They are still arguing. They have beeen arguing already for two hours.
2. She is still sleeping. She's been sleeping already for two hours.
3. She is still doing his homework. He has been doing his homework already for three hours.
4. The boys are still playing football. They have been playing football for fourty minutes already.
5. They girls are still changing. They've been changing already for half an hour.
6. She still learns Spanish. She has been learning Spanish already for two years.
7. They still live in the countryside. They have been living in the countryside already for four months.
8. She is still talking on the phone. She has been talking on the phone for twenty minutes already.
9. My brother is still solving this difficult task. He has been solving this task already for half an hour.
10. She is still writing a letter to her granny. She has been writing a letter to her granny already for an hour.
11. They are still catching the fish. They've been catching the fish already for five hours.
12. Grandparents are still playing lotto. They have been playing lotto already for two hours.
13. The actors are still rehearsing this scene. They have been rehearsing this scene already for three hours.
14. The children are still running in the yard. They have been running in the yard already for three hours.
15. He is still writing his new book. He has been writing his new book already for two years.
16. He is still learning Hamlet's soliloquy. He has been learning Hamlet's soliloquy already for two days.
17. We are still repairing our flat. We have been repairing our flat already for half a month.