Description

GED Test RLA Actual Questions

The Beekeeper
by Elizabeth Graver

1. Someone was stealing his honey. He had no idea how long it had been going on; he didn’t keep close track of the stand. But one morning, as Burl turned into his driveway after making a delivery in town, he noticed that the jars were lined up in a neat row like soldiers standing at attention. He pulled over, figuring one of the widows must have come by, bought a jar and done a little housekeeping. He had started helping them with odd jobs after their husbands died, and now they seemed to see him as a fix-up project of their own. But when he went over and shook the cashbox, he found it empty. There were six jars that day (for some reason he counted), with three inches between each jar and their fronts perfectly aligned, the sample jar standing in front of them like their captain.
2. The next day he walked down the driveway with three more jars—honey from last year’s flow, but people knew the season was about to start and would be stopping by. This time he found four jars set apart from one another in two neat pairs, with the sample jar off by itself.
3. “Looky here, an artiste,” he said to Lissa, who was sniffing after something in the grass. Two jars sold, he supposed, only when he shook the cash box, he found that it was, once again, empty. “I take it back. Someone took them. Who would do that?”
4. It wasn’t a big deal, only six dollars and each year he gave away pounds of honey anyway. Probably the person had been out of cash and would bring the money by later. At the end of the day, though, he checked again—still nothing. Anyone who knew him would have left a note scrawled on the back of a napkin or old receipt—Hi B. IOU 6. No, this visitor had fiddled around with his jars, then taken two.

Read this excerpt from the story.

He pulled over, figuring one of the widows must have come by, bought a jar and done a little housekeeping. He had started helping them with odd jobs after their husbands died, and now they seemed to see him as a fix-up project of their own.

In this excerpt, the author suggests that Burl needs help

• making personal improvements.
• cleaning out his honey stand.
• working at his honey stand.
• solving a mystery that troubles him.

Answer Selected: Making personal improvements.

GED Test RLA Actual Questions