A Question of Trust - Reading Comprehension

 Home / Reading Comprehension  /Grade 10 

A Question of Trust- Reading Comprehension Passages

Reading Comprehension 1

     EVERYONE thought that Horace Danby was a good, honest citizen. He was about fifty years old and unmarried, and he lived with a housekeeper who worried over his health. In fact, he was usually very well and happy except for attacks of hay fever in summer. He made locks and was successful enough at his business to have two helpers. Yes, Horace Danby was good and respectable — but not completely honest.

 

     Fifteen years ago, Horace had served his first and only sentence in a prison library. He loved rare, expensive books. So he robbed a safe every year. Each year he planned carefully just what he would do, stole enough to last for twelve months, and secretly bought the books he loved through an agent.

1. Horace Danby’s profession was:
A) A lock-maker
B) A banker
C) A librarian

2. Why did Horace Danby steal once every year?
A) To pay his debts
B) To buy rare, expensive books
C) To give money to the poor

3. If Horace Danby had not loved rare books, what crime would he most likely avoid?
A) Forging documents
B) Robbing safes
C) Smuggling goods

4. Horace appeared respectable to society, but in reality he was:

A) Both honest and generous
B) Dishonest in business and secret life
C)Honest in business but dishonest in secret life

5. Do you think Horace’s love for books justified his stealing?
A) Yes, because passion should be fulfilled
B) No, because stealing is always wrong
C) Maybe, because he harmed no one directly

Reading Comprehension 2

 

     Now, walking in the bright July sunshine, he felt sure that this year’s robbery was going to be as successful as all the others. For two weeks he had been studying the house at Shotover Grange, looking at its rooms, its electric wiring, its paths and its garden. This afternoon the two servants, who remained in the Grange while the family was in London, had gone to the movies. Horace saw them go, and he felt happy in spite of a little tickle of hay fever in his nose. He came out from behind the garden wall, his tools carefully packed in a bag on his back.

 

     There were about fifteen thousand pounds’ worth of jewels in the Grange safe. If he sold them one by one, he expected to get at least five thousand, enough to make him happy for another year. There were three very interesting books coming up for sale in the autumn. Now he would get the money he wanted to buy them.

 

     He had seen the housekeeper hang the key to the kitchen door on a hook outside. He put on a pair of gloves, took the key, and opened the door. He was always careful not to leave any fingerprints.

1. Where was the house that Horace planned to rob?
A) Silverwood Hall
B) Greenfield Manor
C) Shotover Grange

2. Why was Horace so confident about this robbery?
A) He had bribed the servants
B) He had studied the house carefully for two weeks
C) He had an inside partner

3. If Horace managed to sell the jewels one by one, how much did he expect to earn?
A) Ten thousand pounds
B) Five thousand pounds
C) Fifteen thousand pounds

4. What precaution did Horace take while opening the kitchen door?
A) He wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints
B) He used fake keys
C) He broke the lock silently

5. Do you think Horace’s careful planning made him a “professional” thief, or was he just a book-lover trapped in crime?
A) A professional thief because he was skilled and cautious
B) Just a book-lover who stole only for passion
C) Both, since he mixed skill with personal desire

Reading Comprehension 3

 

     A small dog was lying in the kitchen. It stirred, made a noise, and moved its tail in a friendly way.

 

     “All right, Sherry,” Horace said as he passed. All you had to do to keep dogs quiet was to call them by their right names, and show them love.

 

     The safe was in the drawing room, behind a rather poor painting. Horace wondered for a moment whether he should collect pictures instead of books. But they took up too much room. In a small house, books were better.

 

     There was a great bowl of flowers on the table, and Horace felt his nose tickle. He gave a little sneeze and then put down his bag. He carefully arranged his tools. He had four hours before the servants returned.

1. What was the name of the dog in the kitchen?
A) Jimmy
B) Sherry
C) Tommy

2. How did Horace manage to keep the dog quiet?
A) He called it by name and showed love
B) He gave it food
C) He locked it in another room

3. Where was the safe hidden?
A) In the kitchen cupboard
B) Behind a painting in the drawing room
C) Under the floor in the bedroom

4. Why did Horace prefer collecting books instead of paintings?
A) Books were cheaper
B) Books took less space in his small house
C) Paintings were not valuable

5. Do you think Horace’s careful time management (four hours before servants returned) shows discipline or greed?
A) Discipline, because he worked with planning
B) Greed, because he risked everything for books
C) Both, since he mixed discipline with selfish desire

Reading Comprehension 4

 

     The safe was not going to be hard to open. After all, he had lived with locks and safes all his life. The burglar alarm was poorly built. He went into the hall to cut its wire. He came back and sneezed loudly as the smell of the flowers came to him again.

 

     How foolish people are when they own valuable things, Horace thought. A magazine article had described this house, giving a plan of all the rooms and a picture of this room. The writer had even mentioned that the painting hid a safe!

 

     But Horace found that the flowers were hindering him in his work. He buried his face in his handkerchief.

 

     Then he heard a voice say from the doorway, “What is it? A cold or hay fever?”

 

     Before he could think, Horace said, “Hay fever,” and found himself sneezing again.

 

     The voice went on, “You can cure it with a special treatment, you know, if you find out just what plant gives you the disease. I think you’d better see a doctor, if you’re serious about your work. I heard you from the top of the house just now.”

1. Why did Horace think opening the safe would be easy?
A) He had worked with locks and safes all his life
B) He had the keys
C) He had inside help from the servants

2. What made Horace sneeze repeatedly while working?
A) The dog’s fur
B) Dust from the safe
C) The smell of flowers

3. How did Horace know about the safe hidden behind the painting?
A) He overheard the servants
B) He read about it in a magazine article
C) He discovered it while searching the house

4. What was Horace’s immediate reply when the mysterious voice asked about his condition?
A) “It’s a cold.”
B) “It’s hay fever.”
C) “I’m perfectly fine.”

5. Do you think the house owner’s carelessness (safe details in a magazine, weak alarm) or Horace’s weakness (hay fever) played a bigger role in his trouble?
A) The owner’s carelessness
B) Horace’s weakness
C) Both equally contributed

Reading Comprehension 5

 

     It was a quiet, kindly voice, but one with firmness in it. A woman was standing in the doorway, and Sherry was rubbing against her. She was young, quite pretty, and was dressed in red. She walked to the fireplace and straightened the ornaments there.

 

     “Down, Sherry,” she said. “Anyone would think I’d been away for a month!” She smiled at Horace, and went on, “However, I came back just in time, though I didn’t expect to meet a burglar.”

 

     Horace had some hope because she seemed to be amused at meeting him. He might avoid trouble if he treated her the right way. He replied, “I didn’t expect to meet one of the family.”

 

     She nodded. “I see what an inconvenience it is for you to meet me. What are you going to do?”

 

     Horace said, “My first thought was to run.”

 

     “Of course, you could do that. But I would telephone the police and tell them all about you. They’d get you at once.”

1. What colour dress was the young woman wearing?
A) Blue
B) Green
C) Red

2. How did the dog, Sherry, behave when the woman entered?
A) Barked loudly at her
B) Rubbed against her lovingly
C) Hid under the table

3. What was Horace’s first thought when the woman asked what he would do?
A) To fight her
B) To hide in the room
C) To run away

4. What was the woman’s immediate reaction to Horace’s presence?
A) She seemed amused and calm
B) She screamed for help
C) She fainted in shock

5. Do you think Horace’s polite and hopeful reply (“I didn’t expect to meet one of the family”) shows cleverness or nervousness?
A) Cleverness, as he tried to flatter her
B) Nervousness, as he was desperate to escape trouble
C) Both, because he mixed wit with fear

Reading Comprehension 6

 

     Horace said, “I would, of course, cut the telephone wires first and then...,” he hesitated, a smile on his face, “I would make sure that you could do nothing for some time. A few hours would be enough.”

 

     She looked at him seriously. “You’d hurt me?”

 

     Horace paused, and then said, “I think I was trying to frighten you when I said that.”

 

     “You didn’t frighten me.”

 

      Horace suggested, “It would be nice if you would forget you ever saw me. Let me go.”

 

     The voice was suddenly sharp. “Why should I? You were going to rob me. If I let you go, you’ll only rob someone else. Society must be protected from men like you.”

 

     Horace smiled. “I’m not a man who threatens society. I steal only from those who have a lot of money. I steal for a very good reason. And I hate the thought of prison.”

1. What did Horace first say he would do before running away?
A) Break the alarm system
B) Cut the telephone wires
C) Hide in the garden

2. How did the woman react when Horace said he might hurt her?
A) She cried out in fear
B) She laughed at him
C) She said he didn’t frighten her

3. What reason did Horace give for stealing?
A) To help the poor
B) To buy rare books
C) To enjoy luxuries

4. Why did the woman refuse to let Horace go?
A) Because she thought society must be protected from thieves
B) Because she needed the jewels herself
C) Because she wanted to test his honesty

5. Do you think Horace’s claim “I steal only from the rich” makes him less guilty?
A) Yes, because he avoids harming the poor
B) No, because stealing is wrong in any case
C) Maybe, because his reason was personal, not cruel.

Reading Comprehension 7

     She laughed, and he begged, thinking that he had persuaded her, “Look, I have no right to ask you for anything, but I’m desperate. Let me go and I promise never to do this kind of thing again. I really mean it.”

 

     She was silent, watching him closely. Then she said, “You are really afraid of going to prison, aren’t you?”

 

     She came over to him shaking her head. “I have always liked the wrong kind of people.”

 

     She picked up a silver box from the table and took a cigarette from it. Horace, eager to please her and seeing that she might help him, took off his gloves and gave her his cigarette lighter.

 

     “You’ll let me go?” He held the lighter towards her.

 

     “Yes, but only if you’ll do something for me.”

 

     “Anything you say.”

 

     “Before we left for London, I promised my husband to take my jewels to our bank; but I left them here in the safe. I want to wear them to a party tonight, so I came down to get them, but…”

 

     Horace smiled. “You’ve forgotten the numbers to open the safe, haven’t you?”

 

     “Yes,” replied the young lady.

 

     “Just leave it to me and you’ll have them within an hour. But I’ll have to break your safe.”

 

     “Don’t worry about that. My husband won’t be here for a month, and I’ll have the safe mended by that time.”

 

     And within an hour Horace had opened the safe, given her the jewels, and gone happily away.

1. What did the young woman ask Horace to do for her?
A) Steal jewels from another house
B) Break open the safe and get her jewels
C) Hide the jewels in his bag

2. Why did the woman say she came back from London?
A) To get her jewels for a party
B) To catch the burglar
C) To meet her husband

3. What mistake did Horace make when trying to please the woman?
A) He gave her his gloves
B) He handed her his cigarette lighter with bare hands
C) He told her his real name

4. How long did Horace take to open the safe for her?
A) Less than an hour
B) Exactly two hours
C) The whole night

5. Do you think Horace was fooled because of his weakness for kindness, or because of overconfidence in his skills?
A) Weakness for kindness
B) Overconfidence in his skills
C) Both together led to his downfall

Reading Comprehension 8

     For two days he kept his promise to the kind young lady. On the morning of the third day, however, he thought of the books he wanted and he knew he would have to look for another safe. But he never got the chance to begin his plan. By noon a policeman had arrested him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange.

 

     His fingerprints, for he had opened the safe without gloves, were all over the room, and no one believed him when he said that the wife of the owner of the house had asked him to open the safe for her. The wife herself, a gray-haired, sharp-tongued woman of sixty, said that the story was nonsense.

 

     Horace is now the assistant librarian in the prison. He often thinks of the charming, clever young lady who was in the same profession as he was, and who tricked him. He gets very angry when anyone talks about ‘honour among thieves’.

1. How many days did Horace keep his promise before thinking of robbery again?
A) One day
B) Two days
C) Three days

2. Why was Horace easily caught by the police?
A) He left fingerprints on the safe
B) The servants reported him
C) He confessed the crime himself

3. What did the real wife of the house owner look like?
A) Young and pretty in red dress
B) Middle-aged, calm and friendly
C) Old, gray-haired, sharp-tongued

4. What job did Horace get in prison?
A) Lock-maker
B) Assistant librarian
C) Cleaner

5. What does Horace’s anger at the phrase “honour among thieves” show about him?
A) He feels betrayed by one of his own kind
B) He admires clever thieves
C) He never wanted to be a thief