Question

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people werr not willing to work on farms along the Atlantic because they worried about the terrible storms that would destroy buildings and crops. The farmer received a steady stream of refusals at the interview for a farmhand.

Finally, a short, thin man approached the farmer. “Are you a good farmhand?” the farmer asked him.

“Well, I can sleep when the wind blows. ” answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer ，the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm ，busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly from offshore. Jumping out of bed，the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled， “ Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they are blown away! ”

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows. ”

Enraged (激怒）by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot . Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement，he discovered that all of the hay had been covered. The cows were in the barn，the chickens were in the coops，and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could be blown away.

The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he also returned to his bed to sleep while the wind was still blowing.

1.Why did the farmer constantly advertise for hired hands?

A. Because he needed hired hands all the year round.

B. Because there was too much work to do on the farm.

C. Because he could hardly hire a farmhand.

D. Because he offered poor conditions for the hired hands.

2. The farmer felt amazed because _______.

A. the little man was sleeping

B. everything was in safety

C. the wind was too strong

D. he could not open the doors

3. What did the man mean by saying “I can sleep when the wind blows” ?

A. He needed much sleep after working hard on the farm.

B. He was very brave and not afraid of wind

C. He enjoyed sleeping when the wind blew.

D. He would get everything done before the wind blew.

4.Which of the following statements about the little man is TRUE?

A. He was not afraid of storms.

B. He was a heavy sleeper under any condition.

C. He was hard-working and devoted to his work.

D. He was fired shortly after he tied everything down.

Answer 1