When I was quite
young, I discovered that somewhere inside the telephone lived an amazing person
- "Information Please" and there was nothing she did not know.
One day while my mother was out, I hit my
finger with a hammer. The pain was terrible, but there was no one home to give
me any sympathy. I walked around the house, finally arriving at the telephone!
Quickly, I called “Information Please" and told her what
happened. She told me to open the icebox and hold a little piece of
ice to my finger.
After that, I called "Information Please" for everything.
When my pet bird died, I told
"Information Please" the sad
story. She tried to comfort me, she said quietly, "Paul, always remember
that there are other worlds to sing in." Somehow I felt
better. Another day I was on the telephone, “How do you spell ‘grateful’?
". All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. When I
was 9, we moved to Boston.
A few years later, on my way to college, my
plane put down in Seattle. I had about half an
hour or so between planes. Without
thinking, I dialed my hometown operator and said, "Information,
please."
Surprisingly, I heard the small, clear
voice I knew so well, "Information." I hadn't planned on
this but I heard myself saying, "Could
you please tell me how to spell ‘grateful’?"
There was a long pause. Then came the
soft-spoken answer, "I guess your finger must have
healed by now." I
laughed. "So it's really still you," I said, "I wonder if you
have any idea how much you meant to me during that time." I
told her how often I had thought of her over the years and asked if I could
call her again. "Please do," she said, "Just ask for
Sally."
Three months
later I was back in Seattle. A different voice answered me. I was told that
Sally
passed away five weeks
before.
Before I could hang up she told me that Sally left a message for
me—“Tell him I still say
there are other worlds to sing in. He'll
know what I mean.” I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally
meant.
Never underestimate the impression you may
make on others. Whose life have you touched
today?
1.
What does “Information, Please” refer to in the passage?
A. An amazing girl.
B. A special kind of telephone.
C. A communication system.
D. A service that helps telephone users.
2.
What happened to the little boy one day when he was at home
alone?
A. He was amused by the telephone.
B. He hurt his finger with a hammer.
C. He found an amazing telephone.
D. He got a piece of ice from an icebox.
3.
What did “Information, Please” give the little boy whenever he was
in trouble?
A. Information and conversation.
B. Good memories and happiness.
C. Sympathy and information.
D. Friendship and cheers.
4.
When did the author get in touch with “Information, Please” again
after he moved to
Boston?
A. When he was in trouble on his way to college.
B. When his plane stopped in Seattle for half an hour.
C. When he went back to Seattle to visit his sister.
D. Three months later after he moved to Boston.
