When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my
mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated
unfairly. People in department stores, at banks and at restaurants did not take
her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her,
or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother has realized the limitations of her English
as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to
pretend I was she. I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at
people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker(股票经纪人). I said in an adolescent voice that was not very
convincing, “This is Mrs. Tan.”
And my mother was standing beside me, whispering
loudly, “Why he don’t send me cheek already two week long.”
And then, in prefect English I said, “I’m getting
rather concerned. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t
arrived.”
Then she talked more loudly. “What he want? I come to
New York tell him front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again,
“I can’t tolerate any more excuse. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I
am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was
sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss
in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English
embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is
perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I
hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the
language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made
sense of the world.
1. Why was the author’s mother poorly served?
A．She was
unable to speak good English.
B．She was often
misunderstood.
C．She was not
clearly heard.
D．She was not
very polite.
2. After the author made the phone call, __________.
A．they forgave
the stockbroker
B．they failed
to get the check
C．they went to
New York immediately
D．they spoke to
their boss at once
3. What does the author think of her mother’s English
now?
A．It confuses
her.
B．It
embarrassed her.
C．It helps her
understand the world.
D．It helps her
tolerate rude people.
4. We can infer from the passage that Chinese English
_________.
A．is clear and
natural to non-native speakers
B．is vivid and direct
to non-native speakers
C．has a very
bad reputation in America
D．may bring
inconvenience in America
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