George Banks was a clever journalist. He worked for a good newspaper, and he liked arguing very much. He argued with anybody, and about anything. Sometimes the people whom he argued with were as clever as he was, but often they were not.
He did not mind arguing with stupid people at all: he knew that he could never persuade them to agree, because they could never really understand what he was saying; and the stupider they were, the surer they were that they were right; but he often found that stupid people said very amusing things.
At the end of one argument which George had with one of these less clever people, the man said something which George has always remembered and which has always amused him. It was, 'well, sir, you should never forget this: there are always three answers to every question: your answer, my answer, and the correct answer.
A Which of these sentences are true (T) and which are false (F)? Write Tor F.
- George only argued with people who were less clever than he was.
- Stupid people understood what he said, because he spoke very clearly.
- Stupid people believed that they were always right.
- George was sometimes amused by stupid people.
- The stupid man thought that both he and George were wrong.
- George soon forgot what this man had said.
B Answer these questions:
- What was George's job?
- What did he work for?
- What was his hobby?
- Why did he not mind arguing with stupid people?
- How did stupid people argue?
- Why did he enjoy that?
- What did one stupid person say to George?
- What did George think of this answer?
C Find words in the story which mean about the same as:
- correct
- funny
- intelligent
- less doubtful
- made (him) laugh
- make (them) believe
- ought to
- person who writes for a newspaper
- talking against other people
