Istillremember---myhandsandmyfingersstillremember---whatusedtolieinstoreforusonourreturntoschoolfromtheholidays.Thetreesintheschoolyardwouldbeinfullleafagainandtheoldleaveswouldbelyingaroundlikeamuddyseaofleaves.
“Getthatallsweptup!”theheadmasterwouldtellus.“Iwantthewholeplacecleanedupatonce!”Therewasenoughworktheretolastoveraweek.Especiallysincetheonlytoolswithwhichwewereprovidedwereourhandsourfingersournails.“Nowseethatit’sdoneproperlyandbequickaboutit”theheadmasterwouldsaytotheolderpupils“oryou’llhavetoanswerforit!”
Soatanorderfromtheolderboyswewouldalllineuplikepeanutsabouttocutandgatherincrops.Iftheworkwasnotgoingasquicklyastheheadmasterexpectedthebigboysinsteadofgivingusahelpinghandusedtofinditsimplertobeatuswithbranchespulledfromthetrees.Inordertoavoidtheseblowsweusedtobribe(贿赂)theolderboyswiththejuicycakesweusedtobringforourmiddaymeal.Andifwehappenedtohaveanymoneyonusthecoinschangedhandsatonce.Ifwedidnotdothisifwewereafraidofgoinghomewithanemptystomachoranemptypursetheblowswereredoubled.Theyhitussoviolentlyandwithsuchevilenjoymentthatevenadeafanddumbpersonwouldhaverealizedthatwewerebeingwhippedsomuchnottomakeusworkharderbutrathertobeatusintoastateofobedience(服从)inwhichwewouldbeonlytoogladtogiveupourfoodandmoney.
Occasionallyoneofuswornoutbysuchcalculatedcrueltywouldhavethecouragetocomplaintotheheadmaster.Hewouldofcoursebeveryangrybutthepunishmenthegavetheolderboyswasalwaysverysmall---nothingcomparedtowhattheyhaddonetous.Andthefactisthathowevermuchwecomplainedoursituationdidnotimproveintheslightest.Perhapsweshouldhaveletourparentsknowwhatwasgoingonbutsomehowweneverdreamedofdoingso;Idon’tknowwhetheritwasloyaltyorpridethatkeptussilentbutIcanseenowthatwewerefoolishtokeepquietaboutitforsuchbeatingwerecompletelyforeigntoournature.
小题1:Thestatement“myhandsandmyfingersstillremember”(Para.1)meansthat___________.A.theauthor’shandswereseverelyinjuredinthecleaningupB.theauthorseldomdidsuchhardwork