Passage Eight

Since my family were not going to be helpful， I decided I would look for one all by myself and not tell them about it till Id got one.

I had seen an agency advertisement in a local newspaper. I rushed out of the 1 in search of it. I was wildly excited ， and as 2 as if I were going on the stage. Finding the 3 quite easily， I ran breathlessly through a door which said “Enter without knocking， if you please.”

The simple atmosphere of the office 4 me. The woman 5 carefully at me for a while through her glasses， and then 6 me in a low voice. I answered softly. All of a sudden I started to feel rather 7 . She wondered why I was looking for this sort of 8 . I felt even more holpless when she told me that it would be 9 to get a job without 10 . I wondered 11 I ought to leave， when the telephone on her desk rang. I 12 her say：

“As a matter of fact， Ive got someone in the 13 at this very moment who might 14 .” She wrote down a 15 ， and held it out to me， saying： “Ring up this lady. She wants a 16 immediately. In fact， you would have to start tomorrow by cooking a dinner for ten people.”

“Oh yes，” said I. 17 having cooked for more than four in my life. I 18 her again and again， and rushed out to the nearest telephone box. I 19 my thoughts， took a deep breath， and rang the number. I said confidently that I was just what she was looking for.

I spent the next few hours 20 cookbooks.

1. A. school B. house C. agency D. office

2. A. proud B. pleased C. nervous D. worried

3. A. family B. door C. place D. stage

4. A. calmed B. excited C. frightened D. disturbed

5. A. glanced B. looked C. pointed D. smiled

6. A. advised B. examined C. informed D. questioned

7. A. encouraged B. dissatisfied C. hopeless D. pleased

8. A. place B. job C. agency D. help

9. A. difficult B. helpless C. impossible D. unusual

10. A. ability B. experience C. knowledge D. study

11. A. how B. where C. when D. whether

12. A. saw B. heard C. noticed D. found

13. A. family B. house C. office D. restaurant

14. A. hire B. accept C. suit D. offer

15. A. letter B. name C. note D. number

16. A. cook B. helper C. teacher D. secretary

17. A. Almost B. Never C. Nearly D. Really

18. A. answered B. promised C. thanked D. told

19. A. spread B. abandoned C. recognized D. collected

20. A. borrowing B. buying C. reading D. writing