Question

When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of (感到難為情) my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her Chinese 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(假裝) not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.

My mother realized that she was poor at English. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she. I was made to ask for information or even to shout at people who had been rude(粗魯?shù)? to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker(股票經(jīng)紀(jì)人). I said in an adolescent(青少年的) voice that was not very certain, “This is Mrs. Tan.” My mother was standing beside me saying, “Why he doesn’t send me check, already two weeks late.”

And then, in perfect English I said: “I’m getting rather worried. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.”

My mother then talked more loudly. “What he want? I come to New York to tell him in front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t accept 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(令人尷尬) 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 me see things, express ideas, and make sense of the world.

1. Why was the writer’s mother poorly served?

A. She was unable to speak good English.

B. She was often treated unfairly.

C. She was not clearly heard.

D. She was not very polite.

2.From Paragraph 2, we know that the writer was ________.

A. good at pretending

B. rude to the stockbroker

C. ready to help her mother

D. not willing to phone for her mother

3.After the writer made the phone call, the writer and her mum ________.

A. received the check at once

B. still failed to get the check

C. went to New York immediately

D. spoke to the stockbroker’s boss at once

4.What does the author think of her mother’s English now?

A. It confuses her.

B. It embarrasses her.

C. It helps her understand the world.

D. It helps her accept rude people.

5.We can infer from the passage that Chinese English ________.

A. is clear and natural to native speakers

B. is well received by native speakers

C. is widely used in America

D. may bring inconvenience in America

Answer 1