A
Since my family were not going to be helpful about my taking a cooking job, I decided I would look for one all by myself and not to tell them about it till I'd got a permanent one.
I had seen an agency advertised in a local paper, so as soon as there was no one about to say “Where are you going？” I rushed out of the house in search of it. I was wildly excited, and as nervous as if I were going on the stage. Finding the place quite easily, I tore up three flights of stairs, and swung breathlessly through a door which said“Enter without knocking, if you please.”
The simple atmosphere of the office calmed me, and I sat down on the edge of a chair. The woman at the desk opposite looked carefully at me. Then she questioned me in a low voice. I answered softly and started to feel helpless. She wondered why I was looking for this sort of job, so I felt I had to give her the idea of a widowed mother struggling against poverty. But I felt more helpless when she told me that it would be difficult to get a job without experience or references. Suddenly, the telephone on her desk rang. While having a mysterious conversation, she kept looking at me. Then I heard her say，“In fact, I've got someone here who might suit.”She wrote down a number, and my spirits rose as she held out the paper to me, saying，“Ring up this lady. She wants a cook immediately. Cook a dinner for ten people tomorrow. Could you manage that, I wonder？”
“Oh, yes，”said I — never having cooked for more than four. Then I rushed out and called the lady — Miss Cathy. I said confidently that I was just what she was looking for.“Are you sure？”she kept saying. Anyway she decided to employ me and offered a permanent position if I carried out the promise of my selfpraise. I asked her what tomorrow's menu was to be.
“Just a small, simple dinner: lobster cocktail, soup, turbot Mornay, fruit salad and a savory.”In a rather shaken voice I promised to turn up in good time tomorrow and rang off.
语篇解读：本文是一篇记叙文。主要叙述了作者独自去应聘一份厨师工作的经历。
1．Why did the author decide to look for a job on her own?
A．Because she believed that her family were not willing to help her.
B．Because she was a widowed mother struggling against poverty.
C．Because she wanted to get some professional experience by herself.
D．Because she thought her family didn't want her to become a cook.
解析：选D 推理判断题。根据第一段“Since my family were ... got a permanent one.”可推知，因为作者认为她的家人不想让她从事厨师这份工作，所以她决定独自去找工作。故答案选D。
2．What did the author feel on her way?
A．Excited but worried.
B．Nervous and excited.
C．Easy and curious.
D．Helpless but excited.
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第二段第三句“I was wildly excited, and as nervous as if I were going on the stage.”可知，作者一路上既兴奋又紧张。故答案选B。
3．Why didn't the woman give the author the job at first?
A．Because the woman found that the author didn't respect her.
B．Because the woman realized that the author made up a story.
C．Because the author hadn't been a cook before or got a reference.
D．Because the woman had already hired a more suitable cook.
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第三段第六句“But I felt more helpless ... experience or references.”可知，作者之前没有做过厨师也没有推荐信。故答案选C。
4．According to the text, what would the author most probably do after the call?
A．Read some cookery books.
B．Call her family and tell them the news.
C．Go to the woman's house.
D．Buy what the woman told her at once.
解析：选A 推理判断题。根据最后两段可知，作者答应了这项差事，可是她从没做过超过四人份的正餐。因此作者知道了菜谱之后，应该是阅读一些烹饪书来做准备。故答案选A。
