Yellow Ribbon

Jane wore a yellow ribbon around her neck every day. And I mean every day, rain or shine, whether it matched
her outfit or not. It annoyed her best friend Johnny after a while. He was her next door neighbor
and since they were kids. When he was young, he didn’t notice the yellow ribbon, but now they
were in high school together, it bothered him. “Why do you wear that yellow ribbon around
your neck, Jane?” he’d ask her every day. But she wouldn’t tell him.

Still, in spite of this aggravation, Johnny thought she was cute. He asked her to the soda shop for
an ice cream sundae. Then he asked her to watch him play in the football game. Then he started
seeing her home. And come the spring, he asked her to the dance. Jane always said yes when he
asked her out. And she always wore a yellow dress to match the ribbon around her neck.

It finally occurred to Johnny that he and Jane were going steady, and he still didn’t know why she wore the yellow
ribbon around her neck. So he asked her about it yet again, and yet again she did not tell him. “Maybe someday
I’ll tell you about it,” she’d reply. Someday! That answer annoyed Johnny, but he shrugged it off, because Jane
was so cute and fun to be with.

Well, time passed, and one day Johnny proposed to Jane and was accepted. They
planned a big wedding, and Jane hinted that she had to tell him about the yellow ribbon
around her neck on their wedding day. But somehow, what with the preparations and
his beautiful bride, and the lovely reception, Johnny never got around to asking Jane
about it. And when he did remember, she got a bit teary-eyed, and said: “We are so
happy together, what difference does it make?” And Johnny decided she was right.

Johnny and Jane raised a family of four, with the usual ups and downs, laughter and tears. When their golden
anniversary rolled around, Johnny once again asked Jane about the yellow ribbon around her neck. It was the first
time said that again since the week after their wedding. Whenever their children asked him about it, he’d always
hush them, and somehow none of the kids dared ask their mother. Jane gave Johnny a sad look and said:
“Johnny, you waited this long. You can wait awhile longer.”

And Johnny agreed. It was not until Jane was on her death bed a year later that Johnny, seeing his last chance slip
away, asked Jane one final time about the yellow ribbon she wore around her neck.
She shook her head a bit at his persistence, and then said with a sad smile: “Okay
Johnny, you can go ahead and untie it.”

With shaking hands, Johnny fumbled for the knot and untied the yellow ribbon around
his wife’s neck. And Jane’s head fell off.
Answer the questions:
1. What did Jane usually wear on her neck? 10. Were they happy or unhappy married?
2. Who was Johnny? 11. How long were they married?
3. What would Johnny always ask Jane? 12. What did Johnny do the day of their golden anniversary?
4. Where did he ask her to go when they were young? 13. What did he do when his children ask him about the
5. When Johnny asked her again and again about the ribbon?
ribbon, what did she answer? 14. Did they ask their mother about it?
6. Why did Johnny shrug off Jane’s answers about the 15. What was Jane’s answer when Johnny asked her about
ribbon? the ribbon after so many years?
7. What did Jane hint Johnny would ask her the day of their 16. When did Johnny ask his wife again one final time?
wedding? 17. What did she do at his persistence?
8. What did Jane say when Johnny asked her about the 18. What was her reply then?
ribbon the day of their wedding? 19. What did Johnny do when he heard his wife’s reply?
9. How many children did they have? 20. What happened at last?
 The Yellow Ribbon – Comprehension Exercises

I) Find twenty sentences in the past form write them and change them to the negative form.

Example: Jane wore a yellow ribbon around her neck every day.
She didn’t wear a yellow ribbon around her neck every day.

II) Choose twenty words from the reading and using your dictionary make sentences.

Example: RIBBON: I tied up my Christmas present with a RIBBON.

III) Match twenty words of the reading with similar vowel sounds. Write the phonetics.

Example: YELLOW – SO [ou]

IV) Change the adjectives of the following sentences.

1. Jane wore a yellow ribbon around her neck every day

2. It annoyed her best friend Johnny.
3. He was her next door neighbor.
4. When he was young.
5. Johnny thought she was cute.
6. He and Jane were going steady.
7. They planned a big wedding.
8. He had a beautiful bride.
9. She got a bit teary-eyed.
10. When their golden anniversary rolled around.
11. It was the first time.
12. Jane gave Johnny a sad look.
13. Jane was on her death bed.
14. He asked her one final time.
15. He saw his last chance slipping away.
16. She said with a sad smile.
17. Johnny had shaking hands.
18. This was a scary story.
19. It means I was scared after reading it.
20. Now I’m afraid when I see a girl with a yellow ribbon around her neck.

V) Change the sentences in IV) to the interrogative form.

VI) Change the sentences in IV) to the negative form.