It was a Saturday and the school was closed. All the boys were having a holiday. It was a fine
day. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. The trees and flowers looked fresh and
lovely! Tom, of course, longed to go swimming like all the other boys.
But Tom came out of the house with a heavy heart. He was holding a long brush in one hand
and in the other hand he had a bucket of limestone solution. His aunt had ordered him to
whitewash the fence! Tom looked sadly at the fence. 'How high it is!' he thought. Indeed, the
height of the fence was nine feet and its length was thirty yards. Tom dipped the brush into
the bucket and drew it slowly across the fence. It made a very small white mark. Tom tried
again. Another very small white mark. Tom sat down and sighed heavily.
Then Tom saw Jim. Jim was the boy who helped his aunt with all the rough work of the
house, Jim was carrying a bucket too. He was going to fetch some water from the village
pump. 'Other boys will be there at the pump,' thought Tom. 'Fetching water is hard work but
it’s better than whitewashing.' So, he called out, 'Jim! Let me fetch the water while you
whitewash the fence!' 'Oh no!' replied Jim. "The old lady said that I mustn't help you. She
said that you must do the whitewashing yourself. Tom offered a marble to Jim to which Jim
replied, 'Marble! Let me see it! To held out the marble in his hand. Jim looked at it. He put
down his bucket and took the marble. But Aunt Polly was close behind him. She hit him hard
with her shoe. Jim picked up the bucket and quickly ran down the street. Tom picked up his
brush and began working hard. Aunt Polly went back into the house.
Tom soon stopped working. He sat down again. He took out all the things he had in his
pockets. He had some marbles, some pieces of string and two or three broken toys. 'No one
will whitewash the fence for these,' he thought. "No! I must think of a better plan.' He thought
and thought. Soon he had an idea.
He picked up his brush again. Again, he began working hard. Ben Rogers was coming down
the street. Tom pretended not to notice him. He worked harder than ever. Ben was eating an
apple. He looked very happy. He was pretending that it was a big ship, and he was rolling
along with it. He was giving orders in a loud voice and the ship was obeying them. Ben came
up to Tom. He rubbed his eyes. Why! Tom,' he cried in surprise, 'you're working!'
Tom said nothing. He went on with his whitewashing. He looked very interested in his work.
'Tom! You're working!' Ben repeated. 'Oh! It's you, Ben. I didn't see you.' 'I'm just going for a
swim. You don't want to come, do you? You like working, don't you?' asked Ben. 'This isn't work, Tom said quietly, and he went on whitewashing. 'Not work!' Ben exclaimed. 'Oh no! I
like it', replied Tom. 'Ben, whitewashing is fun. You've never whitewashed a fence, have
you?' To this Ben replied, 'Well no! I haven't.'
For a long time, Ben stood there watching Tom. Tom paid no more attention to him and
continued with the whitewashing. At last Ben said, 'Let me whitewash a little!' 'Oh, no, Ben!
I'm going to make this fence look fine. I've promised Aunt Polly. Besides, it's interesting,'
replied Tom. 'Let me do just a little,' begged Ben.
Tom said, 'No I'm sorry, Ben, but I can't. Aunt said that I must do it myself. If you do it,
you'll make a mistake. You'll spoil everything. It's looking so nice now."
'I shall not make a mistake. I'll be careful. You can have my apple if you let me!'
Slowly and unwillingly, Tom handed the brush to Ben. Ben worked hard. It soon grew hot,
but he went on working. Tom sat close by, watching Ben work while eating his apple.
When Ben had done enough, other boys came along. At first, they laughed at Tom, as Ben
had done. But soon they were whitewashing the fence. Of course, they had to pay Tom before
he allowed them to do whitewashing. They gave him all the things they had: twelve marbles,
a tiny tin soldier, a key, a dog's collar, the handle of a knife and four pieces of orange. Tom
lazed around. He had no work but soon the fence had three coats of whitewash on it!
On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the questions that follow:
1. Find words from the story that mean the same as:
a. full of energy, bright and youthful
b. difficult and unpleasant work
c. a solution of limestone and water
d. acting as if to make it appear as if something is the case when it is not
e. observe, see
f. cried out in surprise
g. pleasure or amusement
h. taking notice
i. an error
j. not easily broken, harsh, unpleasant or difficult
Pls answer
Answers
Answer:
Explanation: It was a Saturday and the school was closed. All the boys were having a holiday. It was a fine
day. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. The trees and flowers looked fresh and
lovely! Tom, of course, longed to go swimming like all the other boys.
But Tom came out of the house with a heavy heart. He was holding a long brush in one hand
and in the other hand he had a bucket of limestone solution. His aunt had ordered him to
whitewash the fence! Tom looked sadly at the fence. 'How high it is!' he thought. Indeed, the
height of the fence was nine feet and its length was thirty yards. Tom dipped the brush into
the bucket and drew it slowly across the fence. It made a very small white mark. Tom tried
again. Another very small white mark. Tom sat down and sighed heavily.
Then Tom saw Jim. Jim was the boy who helped his aunt with all the rough work of the
house, Jim was carrying a bucket too. He was going to fetch some water from the village
pump. 'Other boys will be there at the pump,' thought Tom. 'Fetching water is hard work but
it’s better than whitewashing.' So, he called out, 'Jim! Let me fetch the water while you
whitewash the fence!' 'Oh no!' replied Jim. "The old lady said that I mustn't help you. She
said that you must do the whitewashing yourself. Tom offered a marble to Jim to which Jim
replied, 'Marble! Let me see it! To held out the marble in his hand. Jim looked at it. He put
down his bucket and took the marble. But Aunt Polly was close behind him. She hit him hard
with her shoe. Jim picked up the bucket and quickly ran down the street. Tom picked up his
brush and began working hard. Aunt Polly went back into the house.
Tom soon stopped working. He sat down again. He took out all the things he had in his
pockets. He had some marbles, some pieces of string and two or three broken toys. 'No one
will whitewash the fence for these,' he thought. "No! I must think of a better plan.' He thought
and thought. Soon he had an idea.
He picked up his brush again. Again, he began working hard. Ben Rogers was coming down
the street. Tom pretended not to notice him. He worked harder than ever. Ben was eating an
apple. He looked very happy. He was pretending that it was a big ship, and he was rolling
along with it. He was giving orders in a loud voice and the ship was obeying them. Ben came
up to Tom. He rubbed his eyes. Why! Tom,' he cried in surprise, 'you're working!'
Tom said nothing. He went on with his whitewashing. He looked very interested in his work.
'Tom! You're working!' Ben repeated. 'Oh! It's you, Ben. I didn't see you.' 'I'm just going for a
swim. You don't want to come, do you? You like working, don't you?' asked Ben. 'This isn't work, Tom said quietly, and he went on whitewashing. 'Not work!' Ben exclaimed. 'Oh no! I
like it', replied Tom. 'Ben, whitewashing is fun. You've never whitewashed a fence, have
you?' To this Ben replied, 'Well no! I haven't.'
For a long time, Ben stood there watching Tom. Tom paid no more attention to him and
continued with the whitewashing. At last Ben said, 'Let me whitewash a little!' 'Oh, no, Ben!
I'm going to make this fence look fine. I've promised Aunt Polly. Besides, it's interesting,'
replied Tom. 'Let me do just a little,' begged Ben.
Tom said, 'No I'm sorry, Ben, but I can't. Aunt said that I must do it myself. If you do it,
you'll make a mistake. You'll spoil everything. It's looking so nice now."
'I shall not make a mistake. I'll be careful. You can have my apple if you let me!'
Slowly and unwillingly, Tom handed the brush to Ben. Ben worked hard. It soon grew hot,
but he went on working. Tom sat close by, watching Ben work while eating his apple.
When Ben had done enough, other boys came along. At first, they laughed at Tom, as Ben
had done. But soon they were whitewashing the fence. Of course, they had to pay Tom before
he allowed them to do whitewashing. They gave him all the things they had: twelve marbles,
a tiny tin soldier, a key, a dog's collar, the handle of a knife and four pieces of orange. Tom
lazed around. He had no work but soon the fence had three coats of whitewash on it!
On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the questions that follow:
1. Find words from the story that mean the same as:
a. full of energy, bright and youthful
b. difficult and unpleasant work
c. a solution of limestone and water
d. acting as if to make it appear as if something is the case when it is not
e. observe, see
f. cried out in surprise
g. pleasure or amusement
h. taking notice
i. an error
j. not easily broken, harsh, unpleasant or difficult
Pls answer