Page 10 - English 11 | Activity Book 5

Reading Activity

1 Read the magazine article in which Paulo Wilcox talks about things she regrets. In which
paragraph does she talk about …?

a time when she misjudged other people

a time when she didn’t want to seem different from other people

her insecurity about her appearance

how she regrets not taking more risks

something she could have been better at

Regrets, I’ve had a few…
Actress Paula Wilcox, now in her seventies, was

best known for her role in the TV series Man About
the House, which she starred in when she was only
19. Here she talks about things she wishes she had
known then.

1 ① Now, when I look in the mirror and think, ‘Oh
dear, I’m getting older,’ it reminds me that I used
to do the same thing when I was 19 and 20. I used

to look at myself and think I looked awful. I wish
I’d known what I was going to look like fifty years
later because then I might have realised how gorgeous I was then. I looked great, but I didn’t appreciate it. What a
waste!

2 ① I now understand that it’s OK to be successful. When I was 19, I was starring on TV and making loads of money,
but most of my friends were university students. I felt embarrassed and used to walk around with my hands in
front of my face so as not to be recognised. I wish I‘d known that it was possible to enjoy the good things about

fame and that you could keep your friendships despite it.
3 ① Life has thought me that sometimes when people behave badly to you, it is because of some unhappiness that
they are carrying around with them, a problem that is nothing to do with you. I wish I had been more gentle with

people in that situation and not reacted so angrily. Once you find out what’s going on, the whole relationship can
change.
4 ① My dad always used to say, “Learn what you can when you’re young at school because when you’re older, you

either won’t have enough time or won’t have enough money to pay for the class.” That was good advice, and I wish
I’d spent more time on my piano lessons.
5 ① Finally, I wish I had always said ‘Yes’ to challenges. I’d say to young people today, if you have the opportunity to

do something you have never done before, go for it. You might feel a little nervous but say ‘Yes’ anyway.

ORTAÖĞRETİM 10 ENGLISH-11
GENEL MÜDÜRLÜĞÜ