Simple past or Past continuous?
Alice (tried / was trying)
to concentrate on her homework when she (got / was getting)
a phone call from her best friend Beth.
She (answered / was answering)
her phone call when her mother (called / was calling)
her downstairs.
She (noticed / was noticing)
a big spider on the wall in front of her just as she (went / was going)
down the stairs,
Maureen, her mum, (heard / was hearing)
her shriek while she (prepared / was preparing)
dinner.
She (rushed / was rushing)
out the kitchen because she (thought / was thinking)
that Alice was in danger.
Maureen (screamed / was screaming)
when she (saw / was seeing)
the size of the spider.
But guess what ? Alice (took / was taking)
pictures of the spider with her mobile phone.
She (sent / was sending)
them to Beth straight away."
Check
OK