When milk arrived on the doorstep
When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering(递送) milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn't take my eyes off the coin changer(硬币夹) fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.
Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note-"Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery"-and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically(魔术般)appear.
All of this was about more than convenience. There existed(存在) a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn't freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk,thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete (竞争). Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practiced to have a delivery service.
Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊). Every so often my son's friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.
29. Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer ______.
A. to show his magical power
B. to pay for the delivery
C. to please his mother
D. to satisfy his curiosity(好奇心)
30. Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?
A. Nobody wants to be a milkman now.
B. Its service is getting poor.
C. It has been driven out of the market.
D. It is forbidden(禁止) by law.
31. Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?
A. He needed it for his milk bottles.
B. He wanted to tell interesting stories.
C. He missed the good old days.
D. He planted flowers in it.
DCC
A. Profits enlarging B. Technology developing C. Education investing D. Benefits transferring E. Dominance disappearing F. A nation rising |
The following is an imaginary diary entry written by US president. This diary is part of Global Trends 2025, which was written by the US National Intelligence Council
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The
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Global wealth and economic power will shift from West to East.
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The transition from old fuels to new will be slow, as will the development of new technologies that present feasible alternatives to fossil fuels or help eliminate food and water problems. All current technologies are inadequate, and new ones will probably not be commercially possible by 2025