WhenIwasincollegetwenty-fiveyearsagoIspentfoursummersworkingin36ataluxuryhotelindowntownChicago.37Iwasamaid.
Ididnotentertheworldofhousekeepingenthusiastically.Myfriendshad38jobssuchasmakingicecreamsellinggoodsatthemallorlifeguardingattheoutdoorpool.Ihadbeenhopingtogetajobasanofficeladyforafamouscompany:39payair-conditionedofficethegoldstandardforsummerjobsasmostofusdreamedof.Whenthat40theonlyoptionleftwastotakeatrainridedowntowneachmorningtoworkasamaid.
Itwastiringworkcleaninguptoeighteenroomsaday.My41attitudereflectedmydisdain(鄙视)forcleaningtoilets42bedsheetsdustingeighthoursadayforthecomfortoftotalstrangerswho43leftatip.Ithoughtitwasbeneathme.Mymaidworkwasaverage44 thedayIwasassignedtotheeighteenthfloor.
ThatwasLorena’sregularfloor.TheonlytimeanothermaidsetfootonitwasonLorena’sdayoff.Ifyouleftanywater45onthemirrororahaironthebedLorenawouldhuntyoudownwhenshe46asIfoundoutfirsthand.She’dendedherlecturetomewith“47someprideinyourwork.”
Shedid.AndsodidRosalieHelenAnnetteandalltheotherexperiencedmaids.Theirdevotiontodoingagoodjobandtheirbeliefthattheirworkwasa48oftheircharacterstuckwithmethroughoutmy49careeraftergraduation.Ilearnedalotfromthemduringthosefoursummers.
Notaweekwouldgowithoutoneofthem50somefirmbutfriendlyadvice:“Where’syourcommodebrush?Youdon’thaveone?Howdoyouexpecttogetthatbowlclean?”
Theirprideinajobwelldonewasreflectedinhowtheytreated51.Theyleftthebuildingattheendofthedayinnicedressesand52makeup.Theylookedliketheycouldhavebeenattendinganafternoontea.And53oftentheyweresmilingandlaughingcheerfullygreetingtheirco-workersagoodevening.Whenyouworkwithhappinessand54ajobwillbewelldone.Ibelievethereis55inanyjobifyouworkhardandtryyourbest.
1. A.cleaning B.housekeeping C.serving D.managing
2. A.Inshort B.Inbrief C.InotherwordsD.Ontheotherhand
3. A.winter B.summer C.awfulD.permanent
4.