Use of English. The mystery of the Fire Salamander.

Choose the correct words.

In the old days people        [saw, see, seeing] this very bright and fast lizard and were             [interest, interested, interesting] in its amazing ability.

They          [thought, thinking, thinks]that the salamander could not       [live, swim, burnt]in the fire. Fire fighters in many countries of Europe made the salamander their        [pet, symbol, friend]because of that! Some people          [believes, liked, believed]that the salamander just appeared from the flames!

When people in the Carpathian Mountains made fires they           [never, often, every day]saw the salamander! It was bright with yellow or orange spots on its black      [eye, body, coat]. It ran on the burning wood and escaped from the fire. That is why people         [called, calls, calling] it the fire salamander.

Today we know that the fire salamander is not a mystery. Scientists can easily explain such things. When people made fires in the old days they often put        [dry, little, wet]wood into the flames.

Sometimes inside a thick log there was a          [new, sleeping, big]salamander. It woke up and got out of the log - into the fire!

The fire became      [less, more, much]hot because the log was wet and the salamander could escape while the astonished people      [was, were, be]watching!

If you are lucky you can also see a salamander in the fire!