Better Late Than Never
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E] Unit 4 o PAST PERFECT: AFFIRMAT.-VE AND NEGATIVE STAT~E~M~E_N~T--'-5~~~-------< Complete the information about late-night TV talk-show host David Lettennan. Use the past perfect form of the verbs in parentheses and choose between aftlrmative and negative. Better Late Than Never by Manuel Salazar Late-night TV host David Letterman, often described asan "observational comic," is famous for his comments on everyday life. Even as a young child, Letterman __h_a_d_s_ho_w_n_ natural l. (show) comic abilities, entertaining family and friends. Family has David Letterman always been important to Letterman. His father died when Letterman was twenty-seven. They _______ a close relationship, and Letterman 2. (enjoy) felt the loss deeply. After getting his degree in radio and TV broadcasting, Letterman worked as a TV announcer and radio talk-show host. Once he substituted for a television weatherman but left after only two weeks because he _______ bored and to 3. (become) 4. (start) draw objects in the clouds. He _______ even disasters in cities 5. (invent) that didn't exist. Letterman was fired. The network _______ his creative reporting. 6. (appreciate) In 1975, Letterman left for Los Angeles, along with six TV comedy scripts he _______.No one was interested in them. In 1977, he was hired as a writer and 7. (write) performer on a variety show. That same year, he got divorced from his college sweetheart. The couple _______ married for nine years. 8. (be) Letterman was soon discovered by one of Johnny Carson's talent scouts, who _______ him perform on the short-lived TV comedy "Mary." Carson, the "king" 9. (see) of late-night TV, first invited Letterman to appear on his program, "The Tonight Show," Past Perfect and Past Perfect Progressive in November 1978. Although Letterman _______ late-night TV befare, he 10. (do) quickly became Carson's most frequent guest host. Two years la ter, Letterman got his own show, which went on the air at 10:00 A.M. Although the show _______ favorable reviews, it was canceled after only eighteen 11. (get) weeks. The ratings _______ high, perhaps because of the morning time slot. 12. (be) In 1982, Letterman was given his own "Late Night with David Letterman" directly following Carson's show. Later, when Carson announced his plans to retire, Letterman and comedian Jay Leno competed to take over "The Tonight Show." By the time Carson actually left, the struggle _______' to the point where it was dominating both 13. (grow) entertainment and business news. Network TV ______ anything like it befo re. 14. (see) When "The Tonight Show" was finally offered to Leno, Letterman changed networks, to CBS. He _______ it clear to NBC that he would accept nothing less than the 15. (make) job as host of "The Tonight Show." "The Late Show" plays opposite Leno's "The Tonight Show" and so far has gotten higher ratings-giving the last laugh to Letterman, after all. PAST PERFECT: YES/HO QUESTIONS AND SHORT ANSW_ E_R_S__ _ Loo k at David Letterman s schedule. As k and answer questions about it. ·· A.M. o get up go forjog drive to New York Cify 10:30-arrive at the studio o work with stajfand crew RM. tape evening show o meet with producers drive hack to Connecticut dinner o watch TV 10:30-:!JO to hed Source: Based on information from Caroline Latham, "Does Anyone Know the Real David Letterman?" Cosmopolitan, January 1987. (continued on next page) .