Start 2/5/2000

長文問題 1999センター本試験 RETOLD

　It was Mimi's first date. Robert Revere had just arrived to take her to a dance. She could hardly believe it was happening. Robert looked beautiful to her.

　As they stepped out of the door, Mimi's mother came out of the family's grocery store next to the house and said hello to Robert. Then she put a package into Mimi's hand, telling her it was Limberger cheese and that she had promised Sally Tompson it would be delivered to her that night.

　"Tonight!" said Mimi.
　"Why not tomorrow?"
　"Because I promised her," said her mother.
　"Oh well, Robert, let's go," said Mimi.

　Her first date ever, her first date with Robert Rovere, and she was stuck with a smelly package of cheese!
　"That cheese smells!" said Robert.

　Mimi didn't know Sally's house number but thought she would recognize the house when she saw it. "Oh, here it is," she said, and went to ring the doorbell. Nobody answered. Then she noticed that the name under the bell wasn't Thompson. She put the cheese back in her pocket and rejoined Robert.

　"Wrong house," she said.
　"What do we do now?" Robert asked.

　Mimi bit her lip. They couldn't go home again, so the cheese would just have to go to the dance with them. She felt miserable and couldn't think of anything to say to Robert. The silence was as thick as the bad smell of cheese.

　When they arrived they went straight to the dance floor. Mimi noticed that Robert smelled sweet, but she smelled of Limberger cheese. After dancing for a while they went to the snack bar. Robert seemed bored and Mimi felt that the smell of cheese was growing stronger.

　A redheaded boy stopped to talk to Robert. "Something smells", he said.

"Who took off their shoes?"
　Mimi's heart sank. She couldn't look at Robert.

"I don't smell a thing," Robert said. "Do you, Mimi?"
Robert was smiling at her in a special way. She stared at him in astonishment.

　"Must be your imagination," Robert said to the boy.
　Mimi couldn't believe it. Robert was sticking up for her. It was wonderful. The cheese had suddenly become their secret.

　As they walked home, close together, Mimi and Robert hummed one of the songs they had danced to. The moon was high now, riding cheerfully above them.

　"I'm sorry about the cheese," Mimi said.
"Cheese?" smiled Robert. "What cheese?"

1999 センター本試験　True or False

1. Mimi could hardly believe it was Robert because he looked beautiful.

2. Mimi's mother gave her the cheese because she didn't like Robert.

3. Mimi was upset because she had to carry a smelly package of cheese on her first date.

4. Mimi couldn't find Sally's house because it didn't have a number.

5. The redheaded boy thought the smell came from the shoes he found.

6. Robert never complained about the cheese the whole evening.

7. Robert liked Sally, so he pretended that he couldn't smell the cheese.

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