Lesson 91

Three men in a basket

First listen and then answer the question:

Where was the station's Commanding Officer?

A pilot noticed a balloon

which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force station nearby.

He informed the station at once,but no one there was able to explain the mystery.

The officer in the control tower was very angry when he heard the news,

because balloons can be a great danger to aircraft.

He said that someone might be spying on the station

and the pilot was ordered to keep track of the strange object.

The pilot managed to circle the balloon for some time.

He could make out three men in a basket under it

and one of them was holding a pair of binoculars.

When the balloon was over the station,the pilot saw one of the men taking photographs

Soon afterwards,the balloon began to descend and it landed near an airfield.

The police were called in,but they could not arrest anyone,

for the basket contained two Members of Parliament

and the Commanding Officer of the station!

As the Commanding Officer explained later,

one half of the station did not know what the other half was doing!