diff --git a/Lib/test/test_shutil.py b/Lib/test/test_shutil.py
index df35abfcea0..da71fa83bcd 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_shutil.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_shutil.py
@@ -74,31 +74,51 @@ class TestShutil(unittest.TestCase):
             except:
                 pass
 
-
     def test_copytree_simple(self):
+        def write_data(path, data):
+            f = open(path, "w")
+            f.write(data)
+            f.close()
+
+        def read_data(path):
+            f = open(path)
+            data = f.read()
+            f.close()
+            return data
+
         src_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
         dst_dir = os.path.join(tempfile.mkdtemp(), 'destination')
-        open(os.path.join(src_dir, 'test.txt'), 'w').write('123')
+
+        write_data(os.path.join(src_dir, 'test.txt'), '123')
+
         os.mkdir(os.path.join(src_dir, 'test_dir'))
-        open(os.path.join(src_dir, 'test_dir', 'test.txt'), 'w').write('456')
-        #
+        write_data(os.path.join(src_dir, 'test_dir', 'test.txt'), '456')
+
         try:
             shutil.copytree(src_dir, dst_dir)
             self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test.txt')))
             self.assertTrue(os.path.isdir(os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test_dir')))
-            self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test_dir', 'test.txt')))
-            self.assertEqual(open(os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test.txt')).read(), '123')
-            self.assertEqual(open(os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test_dir', 'test.txt')).read(), '456')
+            self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test_dir',
+                                                        'test.txt')))
+            actual = read_data(os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test.txt'))
+            self.assertEqual(actual, '123')
+            actual = read_data(os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test_dir', 'test.txt'))
+            self.assertEqual(actual, '456')
         finally:
-            try:
-                os.remove(os.path.join(src_dir, 'test.txt'))
-                os.remove(os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test.txt'))
-                os.remove(os.path.join(src_dir, 'test_dir', 'test.txt'))
-                os.remove(os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test_dir', 'test.txt'))
-                os.removedirs(src_dir)
-                os.removedirs(dst_dir)
-            except:
-                pass
+            for path in (
+                    os.path.join(src_dir, 'test.txt'),
+                    os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test.txt'),
+                    os.path.join(src_dir, 'test_dir', 'test.txt'),
+                    os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test_dir', 'test.txt'),
+                ):
+                if os.path.exists(path):
+                    os.remove(path)
+            for path in (
+                    os.path.join(src_dir, 'test_dir'),
+                    os.path.join(dst_dir, 'test_dir'),
+                ):
+                if os.path.exists(path):
+                    os.removedirs(path)
 
 
     if hasattr(os, "symlink"):