Friday, July 25, 2014

WORKING IN A BANK: IT HAPPENED TO ME (Intermediate) (EXERCISE I32E136)




When I first started working in a bank in the center of the city, I was always afraid someone might rob me. I was behind bulletproof glass, but the alarm buttons always reminded me that someone could rob me. We had secret signals that changed every day, and there was an automatic alarm that rang when the last money came out of my drawer.

Sure enough, one day a man I thought looked suspicious entered the bank. He walked by the other tellers to come to me. I thought he knew I didn't have much experience. He put his hand into his pocket, pulled out a note, and put it under the teller window. I was very scared, dropped down under the counter, and hit the alarm button.

The guards came and held the man. Then I read the note. It said, "Would you have lunch with me?"

(Adapted from a first person story by Mrs. L.N., taken from The Detroit News circa 1980)

Comprehension Questions

1. Did the woman in the story have a lot of experience working in a bank? 
    (A) Yes      (B) No

2. Why did the woman in the story think the man came to her window?
 
    (A)  She thought he was a robber.    
    (B) She thought he knew she didn't have experience.
    (C) She thought he wanted to have lunch with her.
     (D) 1 and 2      (E) 2 and 3

Why did the guards come and hold the man? 

    (A)  Because the woman yelled that someone was a robber.
     (B) Because the woman dropped under the counter.
     (C) Because the woman pushed the alarm button.

Was the man a robber? 

(A) Yes      (B)  No

(Taken from: fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~lfried/stories/stories.html)

READING

It Happened to Me (Version two)

Working at the Bank

When I first started working in an inner-city bank, I was in constant fear of being robbed. Even behind the protection of bulletproof glass, I was constantly reminded by alarm buttons of the threat of robbery. We had secret signals that changed every day, and there was an automatic alarm that was touched off by an electric eye when the last bill came out of my till.

Sure enough, one day a man I thought looked suspicious entered the bank. He passed the other tellers to come to me, apparently recognizing my inexperience. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a note and slipped it under the teller window. I panicked, dropped below the counter and hit the alarm button.
The guards grabbed the man. Then I read the note. It said, "Would you have lunch with me?"

Vocabulary Questions

1. In the first paragraph, what does inner-city mean? 

    (A)  In the suburbs.    (B) In the center of the city.   (C) Outside the city.

2. In the first paragraph, what does constant fear mean? 

    (A)  Always afraid.   (B) Often sick.   (C) Difficult.

3. In the first paragraph, what does threat mean? 

    (A)  Something bad that is going to happen for sure.
    (B) The possibility that something bad might happen.
    (C) A plan.

4. In the first paragraph, what does till mean? 

    (A)  A purse.   (B) The drawer of a cash register, where money is kept.   (C) A wallet.

5. In the second paragraph, what does apparently mean? 

    (A)  Slowly, with much thought before.
     (B) Done in a quick way.
     (C)  Thinking that something seems to be true from the information you have.

                                                  (fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~lfried/stories/stories.html)

ANSWERS:

It Happened to Me (Version one)

Comprehension Questions and Answers:

1. Did the woman in the story have a lot of experience working in a bank? (B)  No
2. Why did the woman in the story think the man came to her window?  (D) 1 and 2      
3. Why did the guards come and hold the man? (C) Because the woman pushed the alarm button.
4. Was the man a robber?  (B) No

It Happened to Me (Version two)

Vocabulary Questions

1. In the first paragraph, what does inner-city mean?   (B) In the center of the city.  
2. In the first paragraph, what does constant fear mean?      (A)  Always afraid.  
3. In the first paragraph, what does threat mean?  (B) The possibility that something bad might 
                                                                                    happen.
4. In the first paragraph, what does till mean?   (B) The drawer of a cash register, where money is 
                                                                                kept.

5. In the second paragraph, what does apparently mean? 
        (C)  Thinking that something seems to be true from the information you have.


                                                

No comments:

Post a Comment