Just before Christmas in 1929, nineteen-year-old Bonnie Parker was making hot chocolate at a friend’s house when a man called Clyde Barrow walked through the door. It was love at first sight. At the time, Bonnie was working as a waitress in a small café and Clyde was just entering the world of crime as a petty thief.

Shortly after they met, Clyde was arrested and sent to jail. Although his sentence was short (his crime wasn’t very serious), he asked Bonnie to smuggle a gun into the prison so that he could use it to escape. He was re-arrested two weeks later, and given a much longer sentence. He was released on February 8, 1932, after serving only two years.

Just over a month after his release, he and his gang (which now included Bonnie) robbed a hardware store. In April they robbed another, this time killing a man. Over the next year, this happened on four more occasions with two policemen among the victims. By now Bonnie and Clyde had become famous; people all over the United States were cheering them on in their fight against the law. Many Americans had lost faith in the legal and political system after losing everything they owned in the Great Depression. In the economic climate of the time, Bonnie and Clyde became national heroes.

On April 14, 1933, Bonnie and Clyde were hiding out in Joplin, Missouri, with Clyde’s brother, Buck, and his wife, Blanche. Meanwhile, the police had gathered outside and were waiting to arrest them. In the shoot-out which followed, two officers were killed, but the gang members managed to escape unharmed.

Two months later, on the run, an exhausted Clyde failed to see a road sign and crashed their car, seriously burning Bonnie’s leg. A little while later, the gang booked into some tourist cabins for an overnight stay, but, once more, the police surrounded them. This time they were not so lucky. Bonnie and Clyde escaped but Clyde’s brother, Buck, was killed and his wife, Blanche, was arrested and later imprisoned.

Both Bonnie and Clyde were very close to their families. On May 6, 1934, they arranged a family meeting outside their hometown of Dallas, Texas. Both of them knew they were going to die soon and Bonnie gave her mother a beautiful poem which she had written.

Eighteen days later, on May 24, 1934, driving along a small country road in Louisiana, Bonnie and Clyde slowed down when they saw a friend’s father’s truck at the side of the road. They didn’t realize that there were police officers hiding behind the trees, waiting for them. The police chief gave the signal and the officers started shooting, quickly killing the young criminals.

Choose the sentences which are correct.
Buck and Blanche lived in Dallas, Texas.
Bonnie was 20 when she met Clyde.
They didn’t fall in love immediately.
Clyde’s brother, Buck, was married to Blanche.
Bonnie was a waitress when she met Clyde.
Blanche was arrested and imprisoned.
American people didn’t like Bonnie & Clyde.
During Bonnie & Clyde’s robberies several people were killed.
Clyde’s first prison sentence was short.
They were finally killed in 1943.
Bonnie & Clyde thought they would live forever.

ZinW    2   28.03.2020 09:27    3