Grade 5 - Practice comprehension

Spreading Goodwill

I was in town recently and took a ride in a taxi with a friend. When we got out of the cab, my friend said to the driver, "Thank you for the ride. You did a superb job of driving."

The taxi driver was stunned for a second. Then he said, "Are you a wise guy or something?"
"No, my dear man, and I am not putting you on. I admire the way you keep your cool in heavy traffic."

"Yeh," the driver said and drove off. "What was that all about?" I asked.

"I am trying to bring love back," he said. "It's the only thing that can save the city." "How can one man save the city?"

"It's not one man. I believe I have made that taxi driver's day. Suppose he has twenty fares. He's going to be nice to those fares because someone was nice to him. Those fares in turn will be kinder to their employees or shopkeepers or waiters or even their own families. They, in turn, will be nicer to other people. Eventually the goodwill could spread to at least a thousand people. Now that isn bad, is it?"

"But you're depending on that taxi driver to pass your goodwill to other."

"I'm not depending on it." My friend said. I'm aware that the system isn't foolproof. I might deal with ten different people today. If, out of ten, I can make three happy, then eventually I can indirectly influence the attitudes of three thousand more."

"It sounds good," I admitted, "but I am not sure it works."



Answer the following questions:

1. What did the writer's friend admire about the driver?
   

2. What compliments did the writer's friend pay the taxi driver?
   

3. What was the writer's friend trying to spread?
   

4. Do you think the method employed by the man in this passage will be successful? Why?
  

Directed writing:
Imagine you are the writer in the above passage. Write a letter to your friend informing him/her about your friend and his efforts to spread goodwill.

Make use of the following points:
·   What method is he following to spread goodwill? OR How is he trying to spread goodwill?
·   Why is it important to bring love back among people?
·   In what way you and your friends can help him?