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The following exercise can be printed out and completed in a traditional fashion. Click here for a self-marked version of this exercise.

THE MAIN IDEA
Circle the letter of the sentence which best describes the main idea of the article about Timothy Eaton. Be prepared to support your answer.
  1. The importance of having a good catalogue
  2. A man who revolutionized trade practices
  3. The early life of merchants in downtown Toronto
  4. Canada's first elevator
INTERPRETATION

  1. Pretend you own a store. Write a short composition describing your store, what you sell, and your policies. Share your ideas with the rest of the class.

  2. With a partner, develop a conversation between a salesperson and a customer in the days before prices were fixed. You can choose what you are buying, or if you are not buying something, you can choose what you are trying to return. How do you or did you pay the goods? By barter? If so, for what? Do your role plays for the rest of the class.

  3. How could Eaton be described as "A Man with a Mission"? Discuss.
INFERENCES
Based on the article, circle the letter which best completes each sentence.
  1. Because of Eaton's policies...
    1. other merchants felt betrayed by Eaton.
    2. eventually other merchants were forced to match Eaton or lose business.
    3. prices fell drastically.
    4. he had to publish a catalogue.

  2. Eaton gave his employees better working conditions because...
    1. he found good salespeople difficult to find.
    2. he did not want them to go through what he had.
    3. his brothers thought it would be a good idea.
    4. he wanted his customers to admire him.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU READ
If you can, answer these questions from memory. If you cannot, look back at the article.
  1. What did Timothy Eaton invent over a century ago when he was a young merchant in Toronto?
  2. In those days, why did customers have trouble when they went shopping?
  3. What was Eaton's slogan?
  4. Why was the Eaton's Catalogue so important to people on farms?
REMEMBERING DETAILS
Write TRUE or FALSE under each statement. If the statement is false, write the statement correctly.
  1. When he arrived in Canada, Timothy Eaton set up his own store immediately.
  2. Eaton's employees had much better working conditions than people working in other stores.
  3. Eaton's originally started as a tobacco shop.
  4. People were anxious to use the new elevator.


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