flat tire
The Job Interview
Vocabulary
| kaput | wave (2) | hopeless |
| hope | despair | desperate |
| tire (2) | break (2) | neckerchief |
| spare | flat tire | boy scout |
| jack | wrench | spare tire |
| replace | upcoming | accounting |
| rag | glove | take off (3) |
| wipe | avoid | glove compartment |
| traffic | reception | traffic jam |
| pause | hallway | appointment |
| within |
On the Side of the Road
It looked like someone’s a car had gone kaput.
As Tony drove down the highway, he could see a gray automobile on the side of the road, about one kilometer ahead. And a person was standing next to it.
Boy Scout Ideals and Values
But as he got closer, he saw that it was a woman. She was waving her arms.
“Sorry, I can’t stop now,” thought Tony. “I’ve got a job interview in 30 minutes.”
Then he saw the expression on her face. It was one of despair…hopelessness…and desperation.
She looked like she was about 50, and was wearing a light-green suit and a red neckerchief — just like one he wore when he was a Boy Scout.
So Tony stepped on his brakes and stopped his car behind the woman’s car. He got out.
Help
“Oh, I need some help. Could you please help me?” she said to Tony.
“Certainly. What’s the problem? asked Tony.”
“I have a flat tire. But I don’t know how to fix it.”
“No problem.”
Tony opened the woman’s car truck and took out the spare tire, wrench and jack.
He had changed flat tires several times before.
Hurry
But his real concern was his upcoming interview at an accounting firm. He worked as fast as he could — but made sure he did everything properly.
After about 15 minutes, Tony had replaced the tire.
“Oh thank you so much young man,” said the woman. “I have to run now; I’m really late for work. Bye.”
She got into her car and took off.
Tony got into his car and wiped his hands with a rag he kept in the glove compartment.
Traffic
Then he too drove away…but then the traffic grew heavy.
“Oh gosh. If I hadn’t stopped to fix the flat tire, I could have avoided this traffic jam,” he thought.
The road finally cleared up and Tony drove to the company building.
The Reception
He ran to the reception. It was already 15 minutes past the start of the appointment.
“Good morning, I’m Tony Buford. I’m here for the job interview,” he said to the receptionist.
The receptionist picked up her telephone and made a call.
“Tony Buford is here for a job interview,” she said. Then she hung up.
“Okay, go to room 209,” she said to Tony.
The Job Interview
Tony ran down the hallway. “Oh, god. I’ll never get that job now,” he thought.
He reached room 209. After pausing for a moment, he knocked.
“Come in,” said a voice from within.
Tony opened the door.
There in front of him was a large desk. Sitting behind it was a middle-aged woman. She wore a light green suit and a red neckerchief.
Questions
1. Tony was cruising in his car with his girlfriend. Is this true or false?
2. What did he see on the road?
3. Did he stop? Why did he stop? Was he taking a risk?
4. What did he do?
5. How did Tony feel when he arrived at the company? What did he think?
6. What happened at the end?
7. What is the moral or lesson of the story?
A. Can you think of similar examples of this in real life?
