A Honest Wood-cutter TOEFL junior Reading

The Honest Woodcutter

Deep within a dense forest, lived a poor woodcutter named Kai. One day, while chopping wood by the river, his axe accidentally slipped and fell into the water. Dejected, Kai realized he could not afford to replace it and his livelihood was gone. He sat on the riverbank, head hung low, lamenting his misfortune.

Suddenly, a beautiful voice echoed from the river. A graceful woman emerged, shimmering with otherworldly light. She introduced herself as the River Spirit and inquired about Kai's sorrow. Kai, hesitant at first, poured out his heart about his lost axe.

Touched by his honesty, the River Spirit dived into the water and resurfaced holding three axes. One was made of gold, another of silver, and the last one, simple but sturdy, looked familiar. "Choose one, woodcutter," she said.

Tempting as the gold and silver were, Kai recognized his own worn axe and, with deep gratitude, chose that one. Impressed by his honesty, the River Spirit smiled and vanished.

Returning home, Kai continued his work with renewed vigor. News of his honesty and fortune spread far and wide. Soon, he received more work offers than he could handle, even sharing his newfound wealth to help others.

Moral: Honesty, even in the face of temptation, is always rewarded in the long run.

MCQs:

1. What was Kai's initial problem? 

a) He lost his way in the forest. 

b) His axe broke. 

c) He lost his job. 

d) He was attacked by an animal.

2. When the River Spirit offered him a choice, what did Kai choose? 

a) The most expensive-looking axe. 

b) The simplest-looking axe, but his own. 

c) He refused all the axes. 

d) He asked for more time to decide.

3. What lesson does this story teach? 

a) It is okay to lie to get ahead. 

b) Hard work is the key to success. 

c) Honesty is always the best policy. 

d) Taking risks leads to prosperity.

4. From this story, we can infer that Kai was: 

a) Greedy. 

b) Dishonest.

c) Resourceful. 

d) Honest. 

5. The River Spirit's actions in this story can be described as: 

a) Punishing. 

b) Testing. 

c) Ignoring. 

d) Warning.

1. c) He lost his job. 2. b) The simplest-looking axe, but his own. 3. c) Honesty is always the best policy 4. d) Honest.  5. b) Testing