APaymentGreaterThanMoney..doc

UNIT 1Text APRE-READING TASKExercise 1The passage you are going to read is entitled A Payment Greater Than Money. Try to answer the questions before reading the passage.1. Which of the following do you think is more important? Make your choice and give your reason.A. MoneyB. LoveC. FriendshipD. Work2. Guess what kind of payment might be greater than money according to the title of the passage.Now read the passage and compare the writers view with yours.A Payment Greater Than Money1. When I was 14, I earned money in the summer by mowing lawns, and I got to know people by the flowers I had to remember not to cut down, by the things stuck in the ground on purpose or by the things lost in the grass. I also learned something about my neighbors in Louisville, Ky., by their preferred method of payment: by the job, the month ——or not at all.2. Mr Ballou fell into the last category, and he always had a reason. One day he had nothing smaller than a fifty. On another he was flat-out of checks; on another he was simply not home when I knocked on his door. Still, except for the money, he was a nice enough old guy, always waving or tipping his hat when hed seen me from a distance. I figured him for a thin retirement check, maybe an injury that kept him from doing his own yardwork. I kept a running total, but didnt worry about the amount too much. Grass was grass, and the little that was Mr Ballous didnt take long to trim.3. Then one late afternoon in mid-July I was walking by his house, and he motioned me to come inside. The hall was cool, shaded, and it took my eyes a minute to adjust to the muted light.4. I owe you, Mr Ballou began, but…5. I thought Id save him the trouble of thinking up a new excuse. No problem. Dont worry about it.6. The bank made a mistake in my account, he continued, ignoring my words. It will be cleared up in a day or two. In the meantime I thought perhaps you could choose one or two volumes for a down payment.7. He gestured toward