Q: There seems to be a general assumption that brilliant people cannot stand routine ; that they need a varied , exciting life in order to do their best . It is also assumed that dull people are particularly suited for dull work . We are told that the reason the present-day young complain so loudly about the dullness of jobs is that they are better educated and brighter than the young of the past .

Actually , there is no evidence that people who achieve a lot desire , let alone live , colorful lives . The opposite is nearer the truth . Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while serving as a clerk in a Swiss patent office . Immanuel Kant's daily life was a dull routine . The housewives of Konigsberg set their clocks when they saw him pass , on his way to the university . He took the same walk each morning , rain or shine . The greatest distance Kant ever traveled was sixty miles from Konigsberg .

It may be true that work on the assembly line dulls the abilities and empties the mind , and the cure is only fewer hours of work at higher pay . But during fifty years as a workingman , I have found dull routine coexisting with an active mind . While doing dull , repetitive work by the water , I could talk with my partners and compose sentences in my mind , all at the same time . Chances are that had my work been too interesting I could not have done any thinking and composing at work or even on my own time after returning from work .

People who find dull jobs unbearable are often dull people who do not know what to do with themselves at leisure . Children and mature people will get used to dull routine , while the adolescent , who has lost the child's ability for concentration and is without the inner resources of the mature , needs excitement and novelty to get rid of boredom .

Answer the following questions:
1. Who needs excitement and novelty?
2. What is the general assumption?
3. What else?
4. Do you think it is true?
5. What is true
6. Who is someone that proves this?
7. How?
8. How long did the author work?
9. What did he find out?
10. What could he do while working?
11. What else?
12. What does he say about people that find dull jobs bad?
13. Who can get use to it?
A: 1. adolescent
2. brilliant people cannot stand routine
3. dull people are particularly suited for dull work
4. No
5. The opposite
6. Einstein
7. worked out his theory of relativity while serving as a clerk in a Swiss patent office
8. fifty years
9. dull routine coexists with an active mind
10. I could talk with my partners
11. compose sentences in my mind
12. dull people who do not know what to do with themselves at leisure
13. Children and mature people
Q: CHAPTER XXIII

"But why should Mrs. Grant ask Fanny?" said Lady Bertram. "How came she to think of asking Fanny? Fanny never dines there, you know, in this sort of way. I cannot spare her, and I am sure she does not want to go. Fanny, you do not want to go, do you?"

"If you put such a question to her," cried Edmund, preventing his cousin's speaking, "Fanny will immediately say No; but I am sure, my dear mother, she would like to go; and I can see no reason why she should not."

"I cannot imagine why Mrs. Grant should think of asking her? She never did before. She used to ask your sisters now and then, but she never asked Fanny."

"If you cannot do without me, ma'am--" said Fanny, in a self-denying tone.

"But my mother will have my father with her all the evening."

"To be sure, so I shall."

"Suppose you take my father's opinion, ma'am."

"That's well thought of. So I will, Edmund. I will ask Sir Thomas, as soon as he comes in, whether I can do without her."

"As you please, ma'am, on that head; but I meant my father's opinion as to the _propriety_ of the invitation's being accepted or not; and I think he will consider it a right thing by Mrs. Grant, as well as by Fanny, that being the _first_ invitation it should be accepted."

"I do not know. We will ask him. But he will be very much surprised that Mrs. Grant should ask Fanny at all."

Answer the following questions:
1. What did Mrs Grant want?
2. to do what?
3. Who doesn't want her to go?
4. Why?
5. Who thinks she should go?
6. Whom is he?
7. Who did Mrs Grant ask before?
8. What did Edmund suggest?
9. who is his father?
10. Who did not let Fanny answer?
A: 1. Fanny
2. to dine somewhere
3. Lady Bertram
4. she cannot spare her
5. Edmund
6. her cousin
7. his sisters
8. ask his father's opinion
9. Sir Thomas
10. Edmund
Q: CHAPTER XIV.

INVALIDED HOME.

Two days after the battle of Albuera, Lord Wellington himself arrived, and from the officers of his staff Tom heard the details of the battle of Fuentes d'Onoro, which had been fought a few days previously, and which had been nearly as hardly contested as had Albuera itself, both sides claiming the victory.

The next day, the bulk of Beresford's army returned to the neighborhood of Badajos, which they again invested, while a long convoy of wounded started for Lisbon. The Scudamores accompanied it as far as Campo Major, where a large hospital had been prepared for those too ill to bear the journey. Peter was still unconscious. Fever had set in upon the day after the battle, and for three weeks he lay between life and death. Tom's arm was mending very slowly, and he would have had hard work indeed in nursing Peter had it not been for the arrival of unexpected assistance. A large villa had been taken close to the main hospital for the use of officers, and one of the rooms was allotted to the Scudamores.

Upon the evening of the second day after their arrival, Tom was sitting by Peter's bedside, when, after a preliminary tap, the door opened, and to Tom's perfect amazement Sambo entered. The negro hurried forward, threw himself on his knees, seized Tom's hand and kissed it passionately, and then looking at the thin and fever-flushed face of Peter, he hid his face in his hands and sobbed unrestrainedly.

Answer the following questions:
1. Who visited Peter while Tom was by his bed?
2. Is he happy to see them?
3. What race is Sambo?
4. Who starts to cry?
5. Where does most of Beresford's troops go?
6. Had they been there before?
7. Where did the injured go?
8. was there a lot of them?
9. What was at Campo Major?
10. Was it for all the injured?
11. Who could stay there?
12. Where did the Scudamores leave the convoy?
13. Who was sick?
14. Was he awake?
15. How long had he had a high temperature?
16. Was it possible he could die?
17. What was wrong with Tom?
18. Did they have their own room?
19. What type of building were they in?
20. Who was taking care of Peter?
A:
1. Sambo
2. yes
3. negro
4. Sambo
5. Badajos
6. yes
7. Lisbon
8. yes
9. a hospital
10. no
11. those too ill to bear the journey
12. Campo Major
13. Peter
14. no
15. three weeks
16. yes
17. his arm is injured
18. yes
19. a villa
20. Tom