Question

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 her. 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 check already two weeks ago？”And then, in perfect 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 me 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 not very polite.

B. She was often misunderstood.

C. She was not clearly heard.

D. She was unable to speak good English.

2.From paragraph 2, we know that the author was .

A. good at pretending

B. unwilling to phone for her mother

C. rude to the stockbroker

D. ready to help her mother

3.After the author made the phone call, .

A. they failed to get the check

B. they went to New York immediately

C. they forgave the stockbroker

D. they spoke to their boss at once

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

A. It helps her understand the world.

B. It embarrasses her.

C. It helps her tolerate rude people.

D. It confuses her.

Answer 1