Scene to read · Motivation, Empathy
Tuesdays in the library corner
You volunteer at a care home, where you have run a weekly reading hour for two years.
Twelve residents used to come; now only Ulises, who is eighty-six, still does. The activities coordinator, Somchai, wants to move your hour to the dining room, where twenty residents need help at lunch and he is short of volunteers. He joins you and Ulises in the library corner as you close the book.
The scene
Somchai: It's one listener now. At lunch I've got twenty people and two helpers.
Ulises: One listener who hasn't missed a Tuesday. This hour is the week, for me.
Somchai: I know, Ulises. I hate asking. But I can't staff both.
Ulises: Then let the reader say. What are we starting next week?
The two questions
- 1What would you say to Ulises and Somchai?
- 2Describe a time you had to decide whether to keep going with something that mattered to only a few people. What did you do?
What raters look for
- Motivation
- Shows genuine, sustained drive and a clear reason for choices, including when work is unglamorous.
- Empathy
- Recognizes what others feel and need, and lets that shape the response without losing judgment.
Answer scenarios like this on the real timers
Answer both questions on the clock, and get each one scored 1–9 the way raters score. Your first set is free, no card.
Practice free
