Jack Hawkins was the football coach at an American college, and he was always trying to find good players, but they weren't always smart enough to be accepted by the college.

One day the coach brought an excellent young player to the dean of the college and asked that the student be allowed to enter without an examination. "Well," the dean said after some persuasion, "I'd better ask him a few questions first."

Then he turned to the student and asked him some very easy questions, but the student didn't know any of the answers.

At last the dean said, "Well, what's five times seven?"

The student thought for a long time and then answered, "Thirty-six."

The dean threw up his hands and looked at the coach in despair, but the coach said earnestly, "Oh, please let him in, sir! He was only wrong by two."

A     Answer these questions:

1. Why did the football coach want the dean to let the student enter college without an examination?
2. What question did the dean ask the student?
3. What was the student's answer?
4. What did the dean do then?
5. What did the coach say to the dean?
6. Who was better at arithmetic, the student or the coach?

B     Which words in the story mean the same as:

1. permitted

1. very good
2. lack of hope
3. very seriously
4. trying to get someone to agree

C     Write the sentence for each picture, choosing the correct word under each blank space.

1. The results of all the examinations were ___________ (confident) (confidential) 

2. The coach was ________ (confident) (confidential) that the young player would be admitted to the college. 

3. The college was in the middle of a__________ (wooded) (wooden) park. 

4. The coach lived in a _________ (wooded) (wooden) house near the college. 

5. The football player was an _________(imaginary) (imaginative) man: he told very funny stories to his friends. 

6. The young player often dreamed of winning __________ (imaginary) (imaginative) football games.