Question

Answer the following questions. Give reasons.
1) Which facts from the text show Mr. Gessler to be a man of integrity and dedication to his work?
2) Why was Mr Gessler's life very diffi cult?
3) What evidence revealed to the customer the fact that Mr. Gessler found it diffi cult to make both ends meet?
4) Why was Mr. Gessler edged out by his competitors? If you had been in his place, what would you have done?
5) Why was it very important for the old shoemaker to advertise his shoes?
6) Why couldn't the writer stay in the shop any longer?


Textu iaca: I knew Mr Gessler from when I was a child because he made my father’s shoes. He had a little shop in a
small street. Th ere was no sign on the door of his shop that could attract people’s attention, and Mr Gessler
had a few customers like my father who ordered their shoes only from him. Th ey knew that they could not get
more comfortable shoes from any other shoemaker.
I oft en wondered if it was diffi cult to make shoes and Mr Gessler’s answer was the same: “It’s an art.” Th e
shoemaker was a very pleasant and really talented man. He made wonderful shoes; he made them very quickly
and the price was quite reasonable. I enjoyed each visit to his shop. But I didn’t have an opportunity to call at
his shop very oft en as his shoes were always of high quality, fi tted me nicely and I wore them for a long time.
Once I called on him in a pair of shoes which I had bought in a large shop when I was on a business trip in
a foreign country. He took my order, and, all the time he was looking at, my shoes. At last he said, “Th ose are
not mine.”
He touched my left shoe where it was not quite comfortable and said, “Th ose big companies are not reliable
at all. Th ey take our buyers from us by their advertising, not by work. It seems people do not want good shoes.
Soon I’ll have no more work, I’m afraid.” Unexpectedly I saw things I had never seen before. I understood how
diffi cult his life was. He couldn’t be a competitor to big, well-known companies who produced shoes and got
much profi t. I tried to explain to him why I had bought those shoes. But he didn’t hear me. He looked very
unhappy, and I was so sorry for him that I ordered many pairs, more than I wanted.
As a result of my purchase I did not have to go to him for about two years.
Time fl ew. When I came to his shop one day, I was surprised to fi nd another name was painted on the door.
Th e sign on the door was very colourful and attractive. It said that here was a shoemaker who was making shoes
for the Royal Family. I decided to go in to fi nd out what had happened to Mr Gessler.
A young man in a well-made suit met me. He greeted me warmly.
“Do you want shoes, Sir? We can fi nd anything you like.” “No,” I answered. “Th ank you. You see, I’d like
to know if Mr Gessler works here.”
“Oh, poor old man,” the shoemaker said, “he died a few months ago.” And he told me that Mr Gessler had
to sell the shop as it had become too expensive for him to keep it. He had no one in London who could help
him. “Oh, but what could you expect of a man with his ideas? He never advertised his shoes though nobody in
London could make shoes of better quality. I really feel sorry for him.”
I could not stay at the shop any longer and left it.

Answer 1

Răspuns:

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