CLERICAL ERROR

 

LESSON THIRTEEN 

CLERICAL ERROR

In this lesson you are going to study a story called Clerical Error. Read and find out if it really was a clerical error. However, first do the following exercises to help you with the meanings.

Puzzle out the meanings. The number after each meaning shows the paragraph where the word is found in the story.

cut very short (1)

Answer : cropped

a formal report of someone's death (1)

 Answer : obituary

looked angrily (9)

Answer : scowled

damaged (12)

Answer : battered

spoke in a low voice, not clearly (12)

Answer : muttered

lessen one's value (13)

Answer : debase

no longer living (14)

Answer : deceased

cause shame, dishonor (16)

Answer : disgrace

had the right to (16)

Answer : entitled 

secret (18)

Answer : confidential 

a quick, light movement (21)

Answer : agilely 

pulled suddenly (22)

Answer : jerked 

calmness (23) 

Answer : composure

fell and made such a noise (24)

Answer : clattered

hold tightly (25)

Answer : clasped

drawing back suddenly in fear (25)

Answer : wincing

Below is a word web. Fill each circle with a word used to describe Mr Joreth. The meanings given below will help you. The number after each meaning shows the paragraph where the word is found.

1. lacking deep and serious thinking (1)

Answer : narrow

2. wicked, dishonest person (15)

Answer : scoundrel

3. dishonest person (17)

Answer : rascal

4. dishonest man (21)

Answer : knave

5. dishonourable character (21)

Answer : blackguard

READ CAREFULLY

Read paragraphs 1 to 10 and decide whether each of the following statements are true or false.

The store was below the road level.

True

The store was a book shop.

True

The manager was expecting Colonel Ingalls.

False

Colonel Ingalls drew his stick to remind Mr. Joreth who he was.

True

Colonel Ingalls was angry because the sheet of paper was folded.

False

Mr. Joreth failed to recognize Colonel Ingalls because he did his business by correspondence.

True

Colonel Ingalls  himself was Mr. Joreth's customer.

False

 

READ FURTHER 

Read paragraphs 11 to 21 again and complete the statements given below.

1. Colonel Ingalls said that the bill was an error because he knew that his late brother would never have ordered, or wished to read any of these works and also no such volumes were found among his belongings. 

2. Mr. Joreth tried to prove that the bill was not an error by checking the records in his vast battered register. 

3. Mr. Joreth was trying to bill the colonel's brother on books not read by decent people. Ingall's words which also hint about the books being indecent are (para 11) Naturally no such volumes were found among his belongings

and (para13) If you chose to debase yourselfby secretly and dishonestly selling works of that sort that is your business.

4. Mr. Joreth further said that people who read such books were likely to be kept in a private place and read privately.

5. Mr. Joreth said that he'd been mailing the books for eight successive months  and on not receiving payment he had threatened to take legal action.

6. Colonel Ingalls calls him a rascal and a scoundrel because Mr. Joreth claimed that Dr. Ingalls ordered the books from him. 

7. Mr. Joreth tries to justify his action by saying that he do not mean to disgrace the buyer 

and that he is entitled to payment for the books he supplied.

8. Mr. Joreth says to Colonel Ingalls that the list of his confidential customers would surprise him because he had a long list of decent customers who ordered the books. 

9. Colonel Ingalls demands Mr. Joreth prove that his brother had actually ordered the books by showing the original order. 

10. Colonel Ingalls is quite determined that Mr. Joreth is trying to cheat, so he whipped the stick from under his arm to thrash him. 

READ AGAIN

Read paragraphs 22 to 26 and answer the following questions. 

1. What did Mr. Joreth do when Colonel Ingalls tried to attack him?

Answer : Mr. Joreth slid agilely from his seat, caught the telephone off the desk, and kicked a chair into the Colonel's path when Colonel Ingalls tried to attack him.

2. What did Mr. Joreth tell Colonel Ingalls?

Answer : Mr.Joreth told him to leave at once and send him a cheque for the amount due or wait for the arrival of the police officer.

3. Why do ypu think Colonel Ingalls says that he will wait for the police officer to come?

Answer : Colonel Ingalls says that he will wait for the police officer to come because he knew that Mr. Joreth was cheating.

4. How did Colonel Ingalls succeed in making Mr. Joreth drop the gun?

Answer : Colonel Ingalls succeeded in making Mr. Joreth drop the gun with the help of his stick. The stick in hand leaped and caught Mr. Joreth over the wrist. The revolver clattered on the floor and Colonel Ingalls kicked the revolver behind him.

5. What according to Colonel Ingalls is Mr. Joreth's clever scheme?'

Answer : According to Colonel Ingalls, Mr. Joreth's clever scheme is to blackmail the deceased Ingalls family into paying for the 'purchase' in order to avoid the unfixable image of impropriety.

6. What information about Rev. Ingalls did Mr. Joreth not have?

Answer : Mr. Joreth did not knew that for fifteen years previous to his death Rev. Ingalls had the misfortune to be totally blind.

7. Who do you think the policeman actually arrested?

Answer : I think the policeman actually arrested Mr. Joreth.