Focus on Words

Willy Smith, the foreman, was quite without special abilities. But he pretended to
know everything about matching ‘tones’ and ‘shades’ and ‘colours’ and that had so
impressed Mr Derek that he put Willy in charge got the construction work.
Although Willy did as little as possible himself, he took care to make the others
work hard. Any man who failed to satisfy him was reported to Mr Derek as being ‘no
good’ or ‘too slow for a funeral’ and was then dismissed at the end of the week.
Knowing this, all the workers feared and hated the cunning Willy. Some, by giving him
pipefuls of tobacco and pints of beer, managed to win Willy’s favour and often kept
their jobs when better men were dismissed.
As he walked home through the rain thinking of these things, Berny realized that it
was possible to foresee what day or even an hour might bring.
1. Berny felt depressed because
a. it had been a bad summer for some people.
b. he had recently got married, despite his low wages.
c. he was afraid of losing his job.
d. his shoes were worn out and his feet were hurting.
2. Berny’s fear of being ‘out’ means:
a. not having much money
b. having nowhere to live
c. being unemployed
d. quarrelling with his wife
3. Willy got his position because Mr Derek thought he was good at
a. using language.
b. repairing and decorating houses.
c. making friends with other people.
d. buying and selling things.
4. To keep his job anyone working under Willy had to
a. give good presents to his family.
b. deceive him.
c. work hard.
d. make room for his friends.
5. Willy was
a. skilful but lazy.
b. not very skilful but also lazy.
c. not very skilful but hard working.
d. skilful and hard working.
6. The word ‘idle’ in the text means
a. lazy c. dismissed
b. unemployed d. modest
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