I’m seventeen. I worked as a box boy at a supermarket in Los Angeles. People came to the counter (柜台) and I put things in their bags for them and carried things to their cars. It was hard work.

While working, I wore a plate with my name on it. I once met someone I knew years ago. I remembered his name and said, “Mr. Castle, how are you?” We talked about this and that. As he left, he said, “It was nice talking to you, Brett.” I felt great, he remembered me. Then I looked down at my name plate. Oh, no. He didn’t remember me at all, he just read the name plate. I wish I had put “Irving” down on my name plate. If he’d have said, “Oh yes, Irving, how could I forget you?” I’d have been ready for him. There’s nothing personal here.

The manager and everyone else who were a step above the box boys often shouted orders. One of these was: you couldn’t accept tips(小费). Okay, I’m outside and I put the bags in the car. For a lot of people, the natural reaction(反应)is to take a quarter and give it to me. I’d say, “I’m sorry, I can’t.” They’d get angry. When you give someone a tip, you’re sort of being polite. You take a quarter and you put it in their hand and you expect them to say, “Oh, thanks a lot.” When you say, “I’m sorry, I can’t.” they feel a little put down. They say, “No one will know.” And they put it in your pocket. You say, “I really can’t.” It gets to a point where you almost have to hurt a person physically to prevent him from tipping you. It was not in agreement with the store’s belief in being friendly. Accepting tips was a friendly thing and made the customer feel good. I just couldn’t understand the strangeness of some people’s ideas. One lady actually put a tip in my pocket, got in the car, and drove away. I was puzzled and didn’t know what to do. Should I d have had to throw the quarter at her or eaten it or something?

I decided that one year had been enough. Some people needed the job to stay alive and fed. I guess I had the means and could afford to hate it and give it up.

1.. From the second paragraph, we can infer (推断) that ________.

A. the writer didn’t like the impersonal part of his job

B. people can easily start talking with a name plate

C. Mr. Castle mistook Irving for Brett

D. Irving was the writer’s real name

2.. The box boy refused to accept tips because ________.

A. customers only gave small tips to

B. some customers had strange ideas about tipping

C. he didn’t want to fight with the customers

D. the store didn’t allow the box boys to take tips

3.. The underlined phrase “put down” in the third paragraph probably means ________.

A. relaxed B. upset

C. bored D. surprised

4.What can be the best title for this text?

A. How I Could Find a Job

B. How I Got along with Customers

C. Why I Gave up My Job

D. Why I couldn’t Take Tips

 

It was a cold winter afternoon before Christmas. My parents and I sat on the bench in Washington, D.C.’Union Station, waiting for the train. Inside the waiting hall were many people.

A boy sat nearby. His worn jacket, pale face, dirty hands all seemed to tell me that he was homeless.

“He must be cold and hungry. Maybe I should help him,” I said to myself.

Just at that moment, a well-dressed young couple walked towards him.

“Excuse me,” the man bent down. “My wife and I bought two meal boxes but one was enough for us. We hate to waste good food. Can you help us out and put this to use?” he handed the boy a meal box.

The boy thanked them and opened the box with joy and care. Suddenly he stopped. In the direction to which he looked, I saw an old man in rags-in a worn sweater, worn trousers and open shoes, entering the hall.

Putting the meal box aside, the boy stood and helped the old to his seat. He took off his jacket and covered it on the old man’s shoulders, saying, “A gentleman brought me this warm meal but I just finished eating. I hate to waste good food. Can you help me out?” He placed the still-warm meal box in the old man’s hands without waiting for an answer.

“Sure, son, but if only you share that sandwich with me. It’s too much for a man at my age. ”

We were all touched. Dad went away and soon returned with cups of hot chocolate and a big pizza. Mum and dad went up to those rags, “Excuse me…”

I rushed into a KFC and took out my pocket money. It was so cold that afternoon but I felt much warmer than I had ever thought possible.

1.Who gave the boy a meal box?

A. The young woman.   B. The old man.

C. The young man.   D. Mum and Dad.

2.Why didn’t the boy have the meal?

A. He was not hungry.

B. He wanted to help the old man.

C. He didn’t like the food.

D. He saw a sandwich in the meal box.

3.What did the writer most probably do at the end of the story?

A. He bought some food for the homeless.

B. He told his story to the people in the KFC.

C. He gave his pocket money to the homeless.

D. He asked the other passengers to help the homeless.

 

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