Question

The Forestry Branch of the Public Works Department was out, looking for diseased elm trees and flagging them with tape. When Martin came home from work on his lunch hour, he saw the department's red trucks parked next to his neighbor's house. He walked over to find out whether the men were marking trees because they were going to be cut down.

"We don't have much choice once Dutch elm disease takes over trees in a neighborhood," the inspector replied, pointing to trees along the street.

"You just pointed out three elm trees that border my front yard," Martin said, trying to picture his yard without them.

Martin asked the inspector if spraying the trees or injecting them with chemicals would help. He had heard that these efforts worked in other parts of Manitoba.

The inspector said, "Sorry, but we can only take those approaches with healthier trees. We'll be back in a week to cut them down." Martin shook the man's hand and walked away. He knew that they had to take down the trees to slow the spread of the disease.

As promised, the foresters returned and Martin watched them take the giant beauties down, limb by limb. A week ago he wouldn't have given those trees a second glance, but now he thought about how the elms had been a part of his family's life. The thick leaves of the trees provided shade for the yard and house. His children played games by the trunks and they had learned to ride their bikes on the tree-lined street.

When the men finished hauling away the last remnants of wood, Martin went into his yard and started digging holes for silver maple saplings. He would watch the maple trees grow, knowing that someday, someone else would enjoy their shade.

Question 9 of 12
Select the correct answer.

How does the character feel?

tree falls in a forest
Angry with the foresters for cutting down his trees
Not concerned about the trees
Sad to see the trees cut down

Answer 1

Sad to see the trees cut down