I was walking along the main street of a small seaside town in the north of England looking for somewhere to make a phone call.My car had broken down outside the town and I wanted to contact the AA Company.Low grey clouds were gathering across the sky and there was a cold damp wind blowing off the sea which nearly threw me off my feet every time I crossed one of the side streets.It had rained in the night and water was dropping from the bare trees that lined the street.I was glad that I was wearing a thick coat.
There was no sign of a call box, nor was there anyone at that early hour whom I could ask.I had thought I might find a shop open selling the Sunday papers or a milkman doing his rounds, but the town was completely dead.The only living thing I saw was a thin frightened cat outside a small restaurant.
Then suddenly I found what I was looking for.There was a small post office, and almost hidden from sight in a dark narrow street.Next to it was the town’s only public call box, which badly needed a coat of paint.I hurried forward, but stopped in astonishment when I saw through the dirty glass that there was a man inside.He was fat, and was wearing a cheap blue plastic raincoat.I could not see his face and he didn’t raise his head at the sound of my footsteps.
Carefully, I remained standing a few feet away and lit a cigarette to wait for my turn.It was when I threw the dead match on the ground that I noticed something bright red trickling from under the box call door.
At what time was the story set?
A.An early winter morning. | B.A cold winter afternoon. |
C.An early summer morning. | D.A windy summer afternoon. |
Which of the following words best describe the writer’s impression of the town?
A.Cold and frightening. | B.Dirty and crowded. |
C.Empty and dead. | D.Unusual and unpleasant. |
The underlined word “trickling” in the last paragraph means _____..
A.rushing out suddenly | B.shining brightly |
C.flowing slowly in drops | D.appearing slowly |
Why didn’t the man raise his head when the writer came near?
A.He was annoyed at being seen by the writer. |
B.He was angry at being disturbed by the writer. |
C.He was probably fast asleep. |
D.He was probably murdered. |