6 Complete the passage with suitable modals or modal perfects, and the correct form of the verb in brackets. Some answers may vary.
Teens in the news
Tom Brinks was supposed to have stayed in school all morning but he 1. ................................………… (leave) because he had
forgotten his maths book, so he went home to get it. However, he ended up catching a burglar instead. “When
I got to my house, I saw that the front door was open. Then, through a window, I saw a man,” the 15-year-old student explained.
“I 2. ................................………… (confront) him myself, but I decided to call the police from my mobile phone instead. They
came at once.” According to Officer Mike Smith, “Without Tom’s help, we 3. ................................………… never
................................………… (catch) the burglar, who we now know was responsible for many recent burglaries in the north
London area.”
Sixteen-year-old Kelly Jones’ application 4. ................................………… (impress) the administrators of the new Learn Abroad
student exchange programme, because out of over 1,000 applicants, only ten were accepted – including Kelly. “When I got the
news, I 5. ................................………… (be) happier!” says London-born Kelly, who decided to request a placement in Athens. “I
6. ................................………… (choose) to go to any of 16 countries, but I eventually decided on Greece,” says Kelly, who will
be living with a family in Athens. To Kelly’s relief, everyone in the family
7. ................................………… (speak) English. And although exchange students 8. ................................………… (know) the
language of their host country prior to going, they all 9. ................................………… (study) it while abroad. “The language
classes are mandatory, but I don’t mind,” says Kelly. “I think that knowing Greek will make it easier for me to socialise and
understand the culture.” Is she nervous about going? Kelly smiles and says, “Maybe I
10. ................................………… (be) nervous, but I’m not. In fact, I 11. ................................………… (wait) to go.”