The foreman on a building site received a warning that one of the laborers had a criminal record.
“He’s been in prison several times,” the informant told him, “and he’s stolen from everyone he’s ever worked for. I advise you to watch him carefully.”
The foreman decided to take the informant’s advice. He positioned himself at the gate, and whenever the laborer approached, pushing his wheelbarrow, he made him stand still while he searched him.
He looked in the wheelbarrow to make sure nothing was hidden in it.
He felt in all the laborer’s pockets.
He made the laborer remove his shirt and hat.
He did this every day for a month, but he never found anything.
“I think you must be wrong about the man,” he told the informant. “Perhaps he’s decided not to steal anymore.”
“Nonsense,” the informant said. “He’ll never change. The man’s a thief and he’ll always be a thief. Believe me.”
Days passed, and every day the foreman searched the laborer, but he never found anything.
At last the building was complete and all the workers went away to work at other jobs.
A few weeks later, the foreman met the laborer in a bar.
“Listen,” he said. “You don’t work for me anymore, and I give you my word, whatever you say will be a secret between us. Tell me, please, did you steal anything from the building site?”
The laborer smiled and nodded. “Yes,” he said. “I stole something almost every day.”
“Then tell me or I’ll never rest,” the foreman said. “What were you stealing? Supplies? Building materials? Money?”
“No, none of those things.”
“What then?” the foreman asked.
“Wheelbarrows, of course,” the laborer told him.
 
Questions:
1. Who had been in prison?
A. the foreman
B. the informant
C. the laborer
D. no one
 
2. What did the foreman do?
A. He checked the laborer thoroughly.
B. He gave the informant some advice.
C. He helped the informant push his wheelbarrow.
D. He watched the informant carefully.
 
3. The foreman came to the conclusion that ______.
A. the laborer was lazy.
B. the laborer was a hardworking employee.
C. the informant had been correct.
D. the man had given up stealing.
 
4. When the foreman saw the laborer later he asked him _____.
A. if he had stolen anything.
B. if he could keep secrets.
C. if he trusted the foreman.
D. if he had ever gone to prison.
 
5. In fact, the laborer _____.
A. was completely trustworthy.
B. was insulted by the suggestion that he was a thief.
C. admitted to stealing.
D. got along well with the foreman.
 
[Vocabulary]
foreman: n. 工头
laborer: n. 劳工
informant: n. 提供信息的人
wheelbarrow: n. 独轮手推车
 
Key:
1. D. 文章中提到the laborer以前一直偷东西，但是没有人曾经在监狱待过。
2. A. 工头每天都要仔细搜查劳工。
3. D. 工头最后搜查无果后，认为这个劳工已经决定不再偷窃了。
4. A. 在酒吧里，工头问了劳工是否偷过东西。
5. C. 劳工承认他偷了东西。