After reading the passages, answer the true-false questions based on the content of the readings.
My Sicilian grandfather, Salvatore, loved the opera, but he was too poor ever to go to one in his adopted home, the United States. Instead, every Saturday, he listened to the opera from the Met on a little radio in his shoe repair shop in the Bronx. He would play it full blast, and if it were an Italian opera, he would sing along with most of the tenor parts, opening his door and letting the opera blast out into the streets.
One Saturday his reverie was broken by a gang of toughs who were shouting offensive epithets
at him. He cursed back, and they laughed and taunted him mercilessly. By the time they left, he could find no joy in listening to the end of the opera.
Next Saturday, like clockwork, the boys returned, shouting and cursing. Grandpa Salvatore now went out front and said to them: “Boys, I did not appreciate what good voices you have. Please continue to shout and scream as loud as you can and I will give each of you 25 cents for your performance.” He gave them their reward, and they left surprised but happy at this unexpected windfall of money. On
the following Saturday when they returned, Grandpa Salvatore came out and said again how much he loved to hear their voices shouting even louder than the opera, but since he was only a poor shoe repairman he did not have enough money to pay them what they were worth. For today’s show, he could give them only 10 cents each.
“What do you take us for, old man, suckers?” “Take your money and shove it.” With that they sulked away. Next Saturday and all the ones after that, the ruffians refused to return to curse and shout at the old Italian shoemaker, whom they took for a cheapskate.
_1. The storyteller is part Sicilian.
_2. Salvatore was originally from the United States but lived a short time in Sicily.
_3. The “toughs” were extremely violent and feared by the residents of the Bronx.
_4. In the end, Salvatore was able to listen to his opera uninterrupted every Saturday.
_5. The “toughs” came to love Salvatore.
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. T
5. F
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