ZERMANI LYNDA G163

• Answer the following questions:

• Where did the conversation take place?

The conversation probably took place in a public space where the homeless man was living,
such as a park or a street corner.

• The reporter was interested in three main aspects of homelessness. What are they?

The reporter was interested in what happened to the homeless man, what he lived on, and
what it was like to live from hand to mouth.

• How was the homeless man doing in his earlier career?

The homeless man was doing well in his earlier career. He worked for a big company and
became a manager. He earned more money as he moved up the ladder.

• What was the homeless man’s wife’s impression about how he was doing at work?

The homeless man’s wife was not happy about how he was doing at work. She told him that
he was getting burned out and had no time for a life. She complained that he never saw his
family and asked him to take a vacation.

• Based on the context of occurrence, what is the meaning of each of the following
expression/word?
1. This neck of the woods = this area or neighborhood
2. From hand to mouth = with barely enough money to survive
3. Dead wrong = completely mistaken
4. Turn over in their grave = be very upset or angry (used for dead people)
5. Keep up with = manage or cope with
6. Move up the ladder = advance or progress in one’s career
7. Let up = stop or decrease
8. Burnt(ed) out = exhausted or stressed from overwork
9. At stake = in danger or at risk
10. Live on = survive on or depend on
11. That’s wishful thinking! = that’s unrealistic or unlikely
 • State whether the following statements are true or false. Justify your answer

1. He reported asked the man many questions. False. The reporter only asked one question
at the beginning and then listened to the man’s story without interrupting.
2. When the man’s parents were alive, he had a job and a family. True. The man said that
his parents would turn over in their graves if they could see him now, implying that they
knew him when he had a job and a family.
3. The man worked for 13 hours a day because he loved his job. False. The man worked for
13 hours a day because that was the only way he could keep up with all the work. He did
not express any passion or enjoyment for his job.
4. The man is not optimistic about starting over. True. The man said that starting over was
wishful thinking and that he had no hope for his future.