An accountant answered an advertisement for a job
with a large firm. At the end of the interview the chairman said, "One
last question-- what is three times seven?" The accountant thought for
a minute and replied, "Twenty-two". Outside he took his calculator
and realized that he should have said twenty-one. He concluded that he
had lost the job. A fortnight later, however, he was offered the post. After a few weeks, he asked the chairman why he had been when he had given the wrong answer. "You were the closest," the chairman replied.
Vocabulary Practice
Mark the best choice.
An 'accountant' is a ......
person who wants a job
machine which adds, deletes, etc.
person who keeps money records
company manager
'Firm' here means ....
strong person
business company
shop manager
important decision
A 'chairman' is a person who .....
sells or buys chairs
controls a meeting
answers phone calls
says the latest news
A fortnight is ......
one month
one year
twenty days
two weeks
'Appoint' here means to ......
interview someone
choose a person for a job
call a person to come
let a person visit a place
Questions for Discussion
What did the chairman mean by the last sentence?
How true can such a story be?
Why do you think should an accountant make such a mistake?
Activities
Now you can ask your student to tell the story in his/her own words.
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