Tom is thirteen years old. He is in Grade Seven this year. He likes playing football and watching football matches. And he often reads newspapers. He does his best to know when and where there is going to be a football match. Now Tom is having lunch and he is also reading newspapers. He is very happy because there is going to be a nice football match on TV at four this afternoon. He wants to watch it very much, but he is going to have English and maths lessons in the afternoon. He thinks hard and finds a way.

    “Hello, Mrs Black,”Tom says to his teacher on the telephone.“Tom is ill in bed. He wants to ask for half a day's leave（请半天假）.”

    “Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,”says Mrs Black.“But who is that?”

“It's my father, Mrs Black,”Tom answers.