The elderly Chinese man in the small booth (售票口) behind the thick glass shook his head. I didn't need to know a word of Chinese to understand there were
beds available for the Thursday night train from Beijing to Shanghai. I had a Friday morning
with my college friend. I must be on that train. Desperate times
desperate measures. So I squatted(蹲下). I assumed that this was the international
for “Are there any hard seats available?”
, there were. It was seat 109. Very quickly, I found it. The Chinese man sitting in it, however, seemed to beg to differ.
I panicked. I am a man who usually avoids conflicts(冲突) and so I
my seat, as if still looking, to buy myself more time. I had two options: The first is to be a
and ask for what was rightfully mine. The second was to
23 and spend the next 13 hours staying in a corner.
Well, nine out of ten times I choose the second option. But at that moment, every square inch of
had already been claimed. There wasn’t
a corner in which to cower(退缩). So, I mustered up(聚集) some
and presented the man with my proof of ownership. He looked at my ticket and
.
About midnight my
became heavy and I was ready for the lights to dim and my date
Ms ZZZZ to start. But the room
bright and hot. I tried to persevere and was even able to work
into a sleeping position.
It is here I must admit: I have a
bladder (膀胱). The man next to me drank a Coca-Cola, a bag of milk and a bottle of water and
the course of 13 hours he did not move once. I drank
but finally, I made my way to the bathroom at 3:02 am.
After waiting in a thick cloud of cigarette smoke, I finally used the bathroom. The philosophy(原则) of my sleeping
was right: if you get a seat on a train, don’t move.
| 小题2: | | A.discussion | B.appointment | | C.debate | D.conversation |
|
| 小题3: | | A.take up | B.call for | | C.keep away | D.bring in |
|
| 小题4: | | A.habit | B.custom | | C.symbol | D.style |
|
| 小题5: | | A.Naturally | B.Luckily | | C.Indeed | D.Suddenly |
|
| 小题6: | | A.rushed towards | B.jumped upon | | C.pushed into | D.walked past |
|
| 小题7: | | A.man | B.human | | C.fellow | D.hero |
|
| 小题8: | | A.give up | B.lie down | | C.wait for | D.sit still |
|
| 小题9: | | A.seats | B.beds | | C.space | D.corners |
|
| 小题11: | | A.information | B.support | | C.confidence | D.force |
|
| 小题12: | | A.moved | B.refused | | C.accepted | D.admitted |
|
| 小题13: | | A.body | B.eyelids | | C.arms | D.legs |
|
| 小题15: | | A.remained | B.turned | | C.stuck | D.continued |
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| 小题17: | | A.sick | B.wrong | | C.healthy | D.small |
|
| 小题19: | | A.everything | B.something | | C.nothing | D.anything |
|
| 小题20: | | A.neighbour | B.friend | | C.colleague | D.partner |
|