Walking around the corner and into the hall at three in the morning, lost in thought and dragging a mop bucket, I raised my eyes to the front counter in indifference. A man, looking to be in his mid 40’s, stood in a pink dress. A wide-edged hat stuck out over his massive frame resembling an umbrella that was a little too shabby and worn-out, making him look like a woman. The shock at seeing such a strong proud man in a cheap disgusting dress broke my heart, as well as frightened me.
Dropping my mop on the floor in surprise and picking up my face that had temporarily fallen off, I
confidently walked over to the desk.
“I’m sorry,” I began to say but was confused on whether sir or madam was appropriate. “Can I help you?”
“I need a room,” he said in a gruff (粗啞的) powerful voice.
“Sure thing,” I said bringing up the registry. “Can I get your last name?”
“Hurgan,” he said briefly.
“And your first name?”
“Amanda.”
Suddenly I had to direct all of my concentration on holding back a smile. A ten second pause of silence passed while I tried to stay calm.
“Okay,” I said getting back to the job, “can I get your phone number, Amanda?”
All of the information was acquired and stored and Amanda received her room key for the night. All was well as I returned to the neglected mop bucket. Suddenly a low throaty cough drew me out of my temporary mental disorder. Looking over at the desk where Amanda stood touching her thick biceps (二頭肌) I once again dropped the mop in shock.
“I’m sorry about that,” I said coming around to the desk. Amanda stared with unease twisting her sleeve with her right index finger.
“I have a cat,” she said in a low voice.
“I’m sorry you what?” I asked leaning in closer. She drew back a bit as if I was some kind of threat.
“I have a cat.”
Looking up into her tall frame, I replied, “That’s fine. We just need to add an extra $10 fee.” She handed me her credit card once again. I swiped it, returned it, and grabbed the printing receipt.
“You just need to sign here,” I said handing over the pen. She hesitantly grabbed it from my hand and signed. As she began to return it, my hand came a bit too close to connecting with hers. Scared and possibly a little disgusted she dropped the pen, causing it to bounce off the counter and onto the floor.
“Sorry,” she said, looking down. “I have to go get my cat.”
While Amanda was getting her cat, an unpleasant thought was circling around my head. Here I was just doing my job a
nd this, this WO-MAN was acting as if I was the monster! He was wearing a pink dress! And I was the monster? Was he even still a man? The sliding doors opened and in came Amanda passing the front desk without even giving me a polite nod.
小題1: The story most probably happened at a ________.
| A．pub | B．hotel | C．hospital | D．shop |
小題2:We can conclude that the author’s attitude towards the man is _______.
| A．objective | B．indifferent | C．critical | D．considerate |
小題3: Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．The author was on the edge of smiling when he heard the man’s first name. |
| B．When the man checked in, he tipped the author $10. |
| C．After signing, the man grasped the author’s hand and thanked him. |
| D．The man gave the author a friendly nod while going toward his room. |
小題4: What might be the best title of this passage?
| A．A disgusting cat | B．A considerate waiter |
| C．A fierce monster | D．A strange-looking WO-MAN |
加固) that cement.
ve to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing.
would explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his 46 to me.
le family. I went to the show’s website to see for myself. My mom was right. At a time when even Barbara Walters says she’s really bored with celebrities interviews, this one will not disappoint.
his talent isn’t limited to just learning things by heart. Derek is a true musical genius and artist who plays beautifully in a wide range of styles and can make his own music.
