Honesty
A man went to an insurance office to have his life insured. The manager of the office asked him how old his parents were when they died.
“Mother had a bad heart and died at the age of thirty. Father died of tuberculosis when he was thirty-five”.
“I am sorry”, said the manager, “we cannot insure your life as your parents were not healthy”.
As the man was leaving the office, depressed, he met a clerk who had overheard the conversation. “You must not be so frank and truthful”, said the clerk, “no office will insure you if you speak like that. Use your imagination a little”.
The man went to another office and was shown into the manager’s room. “Well, young man, how old were your parents when they died?” “Mother was ninety three, and she died from a fall off her bicycle. Father was ninety eight and he died while he was playing football”.
The manager immediately agreed to insure the man’s life.
I. Say which statements are false or true.
1. A man went to the police.
2. He wanted to have his life insured.
3. The manager asked him about his wife.
4. The manager said he couldn’t insure the man.
5. The man was happy leaving the office.
6. The clerk didn’t hear the conversation.
II. Choose the correct answer.
1. What did the clerk say to the man?
a) not to be frank b) not to be sad c) not to be glad
2. What did the clerk ask the man to use?
a) his wallet b) his money c) his imagination
3. Where did the man go?
a) home b) to another office c) to the park
4. Whom was he asked by?
a) by the manager b) by the clerk c) by the janitor
5. What did he say about his mother?
a) she died when she was 95
b) she died when she was 65
c) she died when she was 93
6. What did the manager do?
a) he insured his life b) he insured his house c) he insured his land
III. Finish the sentences.
1. The clerk advised
a) to tell the lie. b) to tell the truth. c) to tell the tale.
2. He asked the man to use
a) his relatives. b) his imagination. c) his speech.
3. When he came to another office he was
a) met by the director. b) met by the watchman. c) met by the manager.
4. The manager asked him
a) how long his cousin lived.
b) how long his par ents lived.
c) how long his sisters lived.
5. The man said his parents
a) lived long. b) lived not long. c) died long ago.
6. The manager insured
a) a letter. b) his minority. c) his life.