Section B

Passage 1

　　Since I started working part-time at a grocery store, I have learned that a customer is more than someone who buy something. To me, a customer is a person whose memory fails entirely once he or she starts to push a shopping card. One of the first things customers forget is how to count. There is no other way to explain how so many people get in their express line, which is clearly marked 15 items or less, with 20, 25 or even a cart load of items. Customers also forget why they came to the store in the first place. Just as I finish ringing up an order, a customer will say, “Oops, I forgot to pick up a fresh loaf of bread. I hope you don’t mind waiting while I go get it.” Five minutes later, he’s back with the bread, a bottle of milk, and three rolls of paper towels. Strange is that seems customers also seem to forget that they have to pay for their groceries. Instead of writing a check or looking for a credit card while I am ringing up the groceries, my customers will wait until I announce the total. Then, in surprise, she says, “Oh no, what did I do with my check book?” After 5 minutes of digging through her purse, she borrows my pen because she’s forgotten hers. But I have to be tolerant of customers because they pay my salary, and that’s something I can’t afford to forget.

　　Q26. What does the speaker say about customers’ entering the grocery store?

　　答案：A. They behave as if their memories have failed totally.

　　Q27. Which customers are supposed to be in the express line?

　　答案： D. Those with 15 items or less.

　　Q28. What does the speaker say some customers do when they arrive at the check-out counter?

　　答案：B. Go back and pick up more items.

　　Q29. What does the speaker say about his job at the end of the talk?

　　答案： A. It requires tolerance.

　　點評：本篇短文主要講述了作者在一家雜貨店兼職工作的經歷和感受，并深刻地體會到顧客不僅僅是來商店買東西的人。作者認為，當顧客推起一輛購物車時，所有的事情就拋之腦后了。他們不會算計一件商品值多少錢，他們忘了自己來商店要買什么，他們甚至忘記要為商品付錢，他們不知道東西買夠沒有就去收銀臺排隊結賬，當收銀員開始掃顧客的商品時，顧客又會跑回去拿很多商品回來，更需要收銀員提醒付錢，但這都是作者作為收銀員所應忍受的，因為“顧客是上帝”，這是作者不敢忘記也是從這次經歷中學到的事情。

　　這篇文章基本上沒有生僻的詞匯，以敘述為主。但是其中有幾個短語需要關注：grocery store意為“雜貨店”；ring up意為“用收銀機記錄收入的錢，收銀機掃條形碼”；credit card意為“信用卡”。理解了這些詞，對聽力的整體理解會有提升。