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 |
|
| 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 |
|
