The worker I hired to repair my house had just
finished a difficult first day on the job. A broken wheel made him an hour
late; his ladder (????) fell down when he was painting the roof
and now his old truck wouldn' t start. With each problem he shouted angrily,
more at himself than at his things. As I drove him home, the man didn't say a
word.
I tried talking to the man to kill time. I managed to
find out that he had come up from Blue Hills in Victoria with his family six
months ago to find a job. This was his first job since moving here. I now knew
why his price was lower than any other worker I could find in the local
newspaper. He really needed the job. His clothes told me as much.
On arriving, much to my surprise, he invited me in to
meet his family. As we walked through his front garden he suddenly stopped at a
small tree and placed his hands on it. Then, when he opened the door he
completely changed. Instead of his troubled face, there was now a warm smile,
hugs for his two children and a kiss for his wife.
The following day, I asked him about the tree.
"That's my trouble tree," he answered.
"Work troubles aren't welcome at home with my wife and the children. So I
hang them on that tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick
them up again. "
"And you know what else?" he said
smiling,"The next morning I find that there aren't as many as I remember
hanging up the night before. "
1.Which of the following things did NOT happen to the
worker?
A. His truck broke
down. B. He was late for work.
C. He fell onto the
roof. D. His ladder fell down.
2.When did the worker first arrive in this town?
A. Today. B. Last night.
C. Six weeks ago.
D. Six months ago.
3.Where did the writer find the worker?
A. Through a
newspaper. B. Beside the trouble tree.
C. In his old house. D.
In Blue Hills, Victoria.
4.Why did the worker touch the tree?
A. To get good
luck, B. To leave his trouble
outside.
C. To send good wishes to his family. D. To
clean his hands.
5.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Looking for a job can make trouble.
B. It is important to get to work on time.
C. Often our problems are worse than what we think.
D. A happy family can make many problems go away.