A short story extract
Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.
Preparation
Sam squinted against the sun at the distant dust trail raked up by the car on its way up to the Big House. The horses kicked and flicked their tails at flies, not caring about their owner's first visit in ten months. Sam waited. Mr Carter didn't come out here unless he had to, which was just fine by Sam. The more he kept out of his boss's way, the longer he'd have a job.
Carter came by later while Sam was chopping wood. Carter lifted his hat as if he were waiting for an appointment with the town priest, and then removed it completely as if he were talking to his mother. He pulled out a pile of paper from his back pocket and held it out.
'Don't pick up your mail often, do you?'
Sam took it without a glance and dropped the envelopes onto the bench.
'Never,' he replied and waited for Carter to say why he was here. The fact it was Carter's house was no explanation and they both knew it. Carter twisted his hat round and round, licking his lips and clearing his throat.
'Nice work fixing those fences,' he said finally.
'I'll be back to the beginning soon,' Sam said. It wasn't a complaint. A fence that took a year to repair meant another year's work to the man who did it well.
'Don't you ever want to take a holiday?'
'And go where?' A holiday meant being back out in the real world, a place even people like Carter travelled to escape from. Sam's escape was his reality and he wasn't going back.
Mr Carter wiped the sweat from the back of his neck. The damp patches on his shirt drew together like shapes in an atlas. His skin was already turning ruddy in the June sun. Otherwise he had the indoor tan of a man that made money while other people did the work.
'I've brought my son with me on this trip. He's had some trouble at school.' Mr Carter's eyes flicked up, blinked rapidly and then shifted back to the hat occupying his hands. 'Not much trouble out here for a young boy.' He attempted a laugh but it came out like a dog's bark.
The two men looked towards the northern end of the property. It stretched as far as the eye could see. Even the fences were barely visible from where they stood. However bored and rebellious a teenage boy might get, it wasn't possible to escape on foot. Sam looked at the biggest of the horses, kicking at the ground with its heavy hooves. Could the boy ride? he wondered. There was a whole load of trouble a good rider could get into out here, miles away from anyone. But maybe there was even more trouble for someone who knew nothing about horses and wanted to get away from his father.
Why do you think Mr Carter has brought his son to the farm?
There are two reasons why Mr carter brought his son to the farmhouse. First, it mentioned in the story that his son was in trouble at school, so Mr carter wants to distance he son from the terrible environment because if he stays there would cause more issues. Second, Mr carter brought his son to the farm to acquire new skills and see what real life is.
It is a brilliant idea for children to have the opportunity to see the real world and how things work, rather than attempting to teach them everything only at school.
I think the main cause that made Mr Carter to bring his son to the farm is that the new environemnt might change the wrong behaviour of the son and make him responsible and also educate him new life tricks
I agree with your opinion. The quiet farm environment could help Mr Carter’s son change his bad behavior, become more responsible, and learn important life skills that he cannot gain at school.
Why do you think Mr Carter has brought his son to the farm?
As I see it, Mr Carter has brought his son to his farm to keep him away from a problematic environment and bad influences. I think he believes a quieter life on the farm could help his son improve his behaviour. Besides, Mr Carter's son could work on the farm and learn about humility and hard work.
Mr. Carter brought his son to the farmhouse in an effort to remove him from a problematic environment and give him a space to reset. The boy had gotten into some trouble at school, and Carter likely saw the isolation and discipline of rural life as a way to distance him from distractions or bad influences. The farmhouse, far removed from the chaos of the outside world, offered structure, space, and silence all things the boy might need to reflect and possibly change.
Carter’s awkwardness and hesitation during the conversation with Sam suggest that he isn’t sure if this decision will work, but he doesn’t have many better ideas. He sees the vast property, hard work, and solitude as a kind of quiet rehabilitation a place where his son can’t easily run away from his problems but might instead learn to face them.
I think Mr.Carter wants to show his son what a meaningful life.
In my opinion, I believe Mr. Carter brought his son to the farm to teach him a lesson about what real life is truly about and to show him what it means to be a real man.
Because his son has had some problems in school, he brought him to the farm in order to teach him how to deal with life in certain circumstances. He wanted him to engage with the workers and livestock on the farm, and as a result, gain knowledge from farming life.
As far I see it, Mrs. Carter had problems with his son. To my mind, he wanted to show other ways of life and interest to engage him in other subjects.
In my opinion, Mr. Carper brought his son to the farm, because he is a rebel boy and your fahter want he to learn how to do the hard work of the farm, for example, building and mending fences, because your son often had been trouble in the school.