The history of Old Glory goes back to early colonial days. The first banner used in the colonies was, of course, the standard English flag, consisting of a red cross on a white field. The flags of the separate colonies followed the same lines except that occasionally a pine tree, or a hemisphere, was figured in the upper left quarter of the cross. The beginning of the Revolution brought a flood of suggestions as to the design for a new standard. But it was not until June 14,1777, that official action was taken, when the Continental Congress passed a resolution fixing the design as thirteen alternate red and white stripes, and thirteen white stars on a blue field. Each star and each stripe represented a state. As each new state was admitted to the Union, a star and a stripe were added, but it was soon realized that the addition of many more stripes would make the flag too bulky. Consequently, after having been increased to fifteen, the number of bars was reduced to the original number. But the number of stars steadily increased, until the present number of 50 equals the same number of states. The story goes that Betty Ross sewed the first flag, and it was at her suggestion that five-pointed, instead of six-pointed, stars were used. While controversy continues as to why Congress selected this design, there is good reason to believe that the coat of arms of the Washington family, which contains both stars and stripes, furnished the inspiration. It is interesting to note that, prior to the adoption of an official flag, a banner frequently used bore the figure of a rattlesnake, coiled to strike, with the motto, «Don»t tread on me.» Exercise 1: Put the verbs into the right tense so as to form the First Conditional. 1. If we ………………………………… (come) to the party, you ………………………………….(have) fun. 2. If the weather ………………………………………………(be) good, we ……………………………………………. (go) for a picnic. 3. If you ……………………………………………….(eat) a lot of sweets, you ………………………………………….…. (get) fat. 4. If she ………………………………………………. (call), I ……………………………………………(tell) her to come back earlier. 5. If Mary ……………………………………………………. (not/ study), she ……………………………………….(not pass) the exam. 6. If it ………………………………………………. (rain), we ………………………………………….(stay) at home. 7. If you …………………………………………… (do) your homework now, we …………………………………………….(go) to the park later. 8. If I ……………………………………….(buy) the book, I ……………………………………………….(lend) it to you. 9. If we …………………………………………….(not / leave) now, we …………………………………………………(miss) the bus. 10. If we …………………………………………….(miss) the bus, we …………………………………………(be) late. Exercise 2: Put the verbs into the right tense so as to form the First Conditional. 1. Dad …………………………………………. (be) angry if we …………………………………………….(get) home late. 2. If you ………………………………………….(come), we ……………………………………………….(have) a good time. 3. I …………………………………………(punish) you if you …………………………………………(not/stop) fighting. 4. If …………………………………………. (break) anything, you ……………………………………………(have to) pay for it. 5. If I …………………………………………. (miss) the bus, I …………………………………………(take) a taxi. 6. You friend ……………………………………………(forgive) you if you ……………………………………….(apologize) 7. If you ………………………………………. (not/leave) now, we ……………………………………………………(call) the police. 8. If we ……………………………………….(go) shopping we …………………………………………(spend) a lot of money. 9. If they ……………………………………………. (not/invite) us we …………………………………………….(not/go) 10. If you ………………………………………………(be/ not) careful you ………………………………………(break) the vase. Exercise 3: Put the verbs into the right tense so as to form the First Conditional. (can / may / must/ imperative) 1. If you ……………………………………….(go) without calling first he ……………………………………….(may/not/be) there. 2. If we ………………………………………… (move) to a bigger house we ……………………………………………(can / have) a pet. 3. If he ……………………………………………………(call) …………………………………………………… (tell) him to come. 4. If you …………………………………………(not / put on) your coat you ……………………………………….(may/catch) a cold. 5. If she ……………………………………………(not/feel) well, we ……………………………………………….(must/call) the doctor. 6. If you ………………………………………….(go) now …………………………………………….(I/can/come) with you? 7. If the baby ………………………………………….(wake up) …………………………………………….(give) me a call. 8. If you ………………………………………….(see) him ………………………………….(ask) him to tell you the truth. 9. You ………………………………………….(must /give) Tom his toy back if he …………………………………….(ask) for it. 10. If you really ………………………………………….(want) pass the exam you ………………………………………………(can/do) it. Exercise 4: Write type 1 conditional sentences for the following situations. example: Please have some more ice cream (get / sick) If I have more ice cream, I will get sick. 1. You should eat your breakfast. (be late for school) ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2. Why don’t you go out for a walk in the woods? (get lost) ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3. Why don’t you sing with us? (everybody / leave the room) ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4. Have some more wine. (get drunk) ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5. We should go to Italy for holidays (it/cost/a lot of money) ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6. Let’s stay a little bit longer (we /miss the bus) ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7. Why don’t you ask her to marry you? (she/say no) ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8. Let’s order dessert. (we/not have enough money to pay the bill) ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9. Let’s take dad’s car to go to the beach (Dad /be angry) ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10. Let’s prepare dinner (mum/be/happy) ……………………………………………………………………………………………….
