Let’s Check your Competence

D. Let’s Check your Competence

Task 27

Do you believe that sometimes we think something that is absolutely contrary to the reality? Now, you will read a story which proves the statement that people easily think that others are bad and they are right.

A Small Experiment

An elderly gentleman of 85 feared his wife was getting hard of hearing. So one day he called her doctor to make an appointment to have her hearing checked. The Doctor made an appoint- ment for a hearing test in two weeks, and meanwhile there’s a simple informal test the husband could do to give the doctor some idea of the state of her problem.

“Here’s what you do,” said the doctor, “start out about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.”

That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he’s in the living room. He says to himself, “I’m about 40 feet away, let’s see what happens.” Then in a normal tone he asks, “Honey, what’s for supper?” No response. So the husband moved to the other end of the room, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats,

“Honey, what’s for supper?” Still no response. Next, he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, “Honey, what’s for supper?” Again he gets no response. So he walks up to the kitchen door, only 10 feet away. “Honey, what’s for supper?” Again there is no response. So he walks right up behind her. “Honey, what’s for supper?” “Damn it Earl, for the fifth time, CHICKEN!”

Adapted from: http://www.writers-free-reference.com

Questions

1. What is the story about?

3. Why did the man want to visit the

a. A doctor who had a hard-hearing

doctor?

patient.

a. Because he wanted to have his hear-

b. A doctor who was hard-hearing. ing checked.

c. A doctor who had a hard-hearing wife.

b. Because he wanted to check the

d. A patient was hard of hearing. doctor’s hearing.

c. Because he wanted to have his wife’s hearing.

e. A husband who tested his wife’s

hearing checked

d. Because he could not communicate

2. Who is the main character of the story? with people at all.

a. A husband

e. Because he did not want to speak to

b. A wife

his wife.

c. A doctor

d. A patience

e. A nurse

230 Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Students XI

4. What did the doctor suggest that he 8. “Damn it Earl, for the fifth time, CHICK- should?

EN!”

a. have a simple informal test on his What does the statement mean? own hearing.

a. She had cooked chicken five times.

b. have a simple informal test on his

b. She did not hear him. wife’s hearing.

c. She thought that chicken was

c. take his wife to the hospital.

great.

d. take his wife to the doctor.

d. She had eaten the chicken five

e. buy some medicines for his wife.

times.

5. How far did the man stand in the first e. She had answered his question five test?

times.

a. 10 feet

9. The word “response” in the story is similar

b. 20 feet

in meaning to ...

c. 30 feet

a. statement

d. 40 feet

b. question

e. 50 feet

c. reply

d. confession

6. What question did the man ask his wife?

e. declaration

a. “What’s for breakfast?”

b. “What’s for lunch?”

10. “So he walks right up behind her”. The

c. “What’s for dinner?” word he in the sentence refers to ...

d. “What’s for supper?”

a. The doctor

e. “What are you cooking?”

b. The husband

c. The writer

7. At what distance did he get the answer?

d. The chicken seller

a. 10 feet

e. The cook

b. 20 feet

c. 30 feet

d. 40 feet

e. 50 feet

Cultural Tips

Americans smile a great deal, even at strangers. They like to have their smiles returned.

Task 28

Express your anger in dialogues with your classmate in the following situations.

1. One of your classmates does not help others in the School Cleaning programme.

2. You clean the floor in your house. The floor is still wet now. However, your sister enters the house with her dirty shoes still on.

3. Your teacher accuses you of cheating in an examination. The fact is that it is your classmate that cheated. Your teacher does not believe you and you are unhappy with her decision to penalize you.

A Pirate Was Talking To A “Land-lubber” In A Bar. 231