The LEGO Story - How it all started part one

The LEGO Story How it all started part one

Lesson created by

Simply English​

Multiple Choice

You've probably seen one of these. A Lego brick. But have you ever wondered how it all started, and why it's called Lego? Actually, the name is much older than this plastic brick. Are you curious? Let me tell you how it all began. Many years ago, there was a skilled and hard-working _____ named Ole Kirk Christiansen.

• bricklayer

• plumber

• carpenter

• labourer

Multiple Choice

Come on in. I've closed down the workshop and packed my things.

Thank you. I suppose that I better _____ you a pay-check. Take care.

• write

• wrote

• written

• writes

Multiple Choice

Well, that was the last one. I just didn't imagine it would come to this. I know, it's hard to understand... but at least now it can't get much worse. But it did get worse. Shortly after Ole _____ his wife. But Ole was a special person. He wasn't the type that gave up. And with the responsibility of his four sons. He had to think of something.

• lose

• lost

• loose

• loses

Multiple Choice

Ole had got an idea, and for him, it never took long to put an idea into action. Ole's little invention made his boys so happy but he thought, "Maybe he should start making toys." Ole decided to give it a try. Luckily, he had saved up a lot of _____ from the carpentry production. He can now use it to make toys.

• metal

• plastic

• iron

• wood

Multiple Choice

Time _____ by. And even though Ole was a skilled carpenter and had a good eye for quality and detail, sales were very slow. Luckily, one of his sons, Godfrey started helping out his dad after school. Together, they just barely managed to keep up the production.

• passed

• passes

• past

• pass

Multiple Choice

Eventually, word began to spread that wooden toys of the finest quality were being made in the little workshop in Billund. One day, a man drove into town. A man who would change Ole's future. He was a wholesaler from Fredericia. I've _____ that you're making some very nice wooden toys. Well, one does his best. The wholesaler was very impressed with all the wooden toys. And placed out big order before he left.

• hear

• hearing

• hears

• heard

Multiple Choice

Now there's finally someone who can see the opportunities in what we're doing. Look at this. The wholesaler wants to put a lot of our toys into a store for the holidays. It's going to be a good _____ this year. But we'll be busy. Now, there was a lot to do in the little workshop.

• Holiday

• Christmas

• Easter

• Summer

Multiple Choice

And Ole can _____ his former workers. Ole only used the highest quality wood, which was handpicked and very carefully prepared. They work day and night to get the order finished. So the wholesaler could get the toys out in stores before Christmas.

• hire

• rehire

• hired

• hires

Multiple Choice

Is there something wrong, Dad? I'm afraid that we're in big trouble. In the middle of their work, Ole received a letter, saying that wholesaler had filed for bankruptcy and couldn't buy the toys that he had ordered. But what are you gonna do? What about Christmas? Now we can't even afford food? I'll do it. What are you gonna do, Dad? I'll do it myself. I'll drive _____ selling the toys. There was no time to lose. Ole packed the car with all the toys and drove off.

• everywhere

• in town

• somewhere

• around

Multiple Choice

Ole was a very good toy maker, but was not a very good salesman. He didn't like praising himself or talking about how carefully the toys had been made, but he _____ to keep trying if he was going to sell anything. This is going to be a blast. Is there anything you're interested in?

• had

• have

• has

• can

Multiple Choice

It looks exciting, but I don't have a lot of money right now. Maybe we could trade and call it even. Well, I would prefer money, but... In the end, he succeeded in selling all the toys. He didn't receive as _____ money as he had hoped. But the family managed, and they had plenty of food for Christmas.

• a lot

• many

• much

• very

Multiple Choice

Time passed by. But the toys didn't sell as quickly as they had expected. Ole thought perhaps the company needed a good name. What should it be? It has to be a short word. I wanted to convey "Playing _____." In Danish, Playing _____ is called Leg Godt. What should it be? What should it be? Yeah, if only I could get some sort of a sign. Lego.

• Good

• Now

• Well

• Fair

Multiple Choice

As you can see, Ole himself ended up finding a very suitable name. But what he didn't know was that in Latin the word Lego means "I _____ together." The name Lego was well received, and the company's slowly started to move forward. We have made three thousand crowns this year. And we have more orders than usual, Did you say three thousand crowns?

• stick

• place

• put

• connect

Multiple Choice

Then you need to see what I've been looking at. Even though Godtfred wasn't comfortable spending money on a milling machine, he could see that it was useful and the quality of work of toys improved. Could you finish the last batch and get it ready for shipping? I _____.

• can

• will

• shall

• can't

Multiple Choice

Dad, Dad, I saved a lot of money for the company today! Really? How? I think we could save money in the _____. I only coated the ducks twice instead of three times. You, what? Unfortunately, Godtfred's idea didn't go over well with Ole. Ole made Godtfred unpack all the ducks himself, give him the last layer of _____, and bring them back to the train station.

• paint

• varnish

• spray

• lacquer

Multiple Choice

Ole believed in high quality and not cheating his customers. When Godtfred returned, Ole explained that wasn't the way to create a good brand. This little lesson opened Godtfred's eyes to the fact that every detail matters. And only the best is good enough. In the late _____, Lego was making a profit. Even when the second World War broke out, they tried to make the best out of a difficult time. It seemed like nothing could go wrong.

• 1920's

• 1930's

• 1940's

• 1950's

Multiple Choice

But a stormy night in _____ changed their luck. "There's a fire! The workshop is on fire! But when the firemen arrived, they were unable to save the workshop. It burned to the ground, and all the drawings, and models were destroyed.

Ole was beginning to lose hope. All that he had worked for was gone, and he almost lost his company. But being responsible for his children and workers inspired him to rebuild Lego.

• 1940

• 1941

• 1942

• 1943

Multiple Choice

A new factory was constructed. Soon, the production of wooden toys started again. The little company fought its way back into the market. Gradually, the Lego factory began to run smoothly, and Ole started looking for new challenges One day, he went to Copenhagen to look at a new machine that has just arrived at _____. It was a plastic moulding machine, and Ole was very excited about it.

• Norway

• Sweden

• Iceland

• Denmark

Multiple Choice

"Should we buy it?" "It sure is a good bargain, and it will give us a lot of opportunities." "Well? It does sound interesting, but it is a lot of money." "I'll take that as a yes." When the plastic moulding machine finally _____, Ole started making little plastic teddy bears and rattles. But, he still had the plastic bricks he had received at the fair. There was something about them he couldn't stop thinking about.

• arrived

• arrives

• arrive

• arriving

Multiple Choice

And even though no one else could see the potential in them, Ole decided to _____ and put them into production. But it was when Lego first launched the grey Fergus and tractor that the plastic toys became a success. Unfortunately, the sales were dropping during the summer. And the company had too many toys in stock. "This can't be right! Of course our products can be sold the whole year! Not only for Christmas."

• design

• designed

• designs

• redesign