Учим иностранные языки

(продолжение)

When I left my native country eighteen years ago, I knew I would make something of myself. I grew up in war-torn Lebanon and lived in a three-room apartment with my four siblings and my parents. It took years before my father saved enough money to send me to the United States. I was ambitious and adventurous and vowed that in time, I would send for them to join me.

I took a high-speed boat to the island of Cypress where I boarded the plane. I could not leave from the capital city, Beruit, because it was divided between two different religions. It was too dangerous for me to travel there, since I belonged to one of the religions and not the other.

The plane touched down on the New York City tarmac in the summer of 1984. I disembarked with wide eyes and a pounding heart—I was unsure if it was beating quickly out of fear or excitement. Speaking virtually no English, it took countless hand gestures by airport attendants to direct me to the proper gate. Within hours, I was in Providence, Rhode Island, being hugged and kissed by my aunt and uncle. It was a bittersweet reunion, a decade overdue.

I immediately started work at my uncle's restaurant. Middle Eastern foods dominated the menu and I felt great comfort surrounded by the aromas of dishes from home. It was in the kitchen that I learned to speak English. When not washing dishes, the cooks had me fetching ingredients, chopping vegetables, and stirring their savory concoctions. If asked for cucumbers, I incorrectly brought them tomatoes. If it was flour they wanted, I mistakenly gave them salt. Though embarrassed by my blunders, my vocabulary grew at lightning speed.

I saved every penny I earned. My routine was like clockwork: I walked to school, took a bus to work as soon as the final bell rang, washed dishes until the restaurant closed, completed my homework, and went to bed. That schedule did not vary a smidgen for five years. The thought of my family and the promise I made kept my spirits high for I knew that every day was a step closer to being together again.

A multicultural festival in the city of Boston proved to be my big break. My uncle prepared enormous trays of falafel, a ball-like Middle Eastern favorite made from ground chickpeas and garlic. I set up a small stand and sold pita wraps with falafel, hummus, and tabouleh by the dozen. The food was a hit, and I was secretly pleased that my uncle was too under the weather to run it himself. At five dollars a sandwich, I returned to the restaurant with my head in the clouds and my pants pockets stuffed with cash. Never in my life had I seen so much money at once; it took grueling work and several months to make the same amount at my father's bakery.

I informed my uncle that night that I could only work for him for another two months. Armed with my broken English, I was ready to go it alone. I found a small shop on a rural college campus, bought kitchen equipment, a few small tables, and a hodgepodge of stools. With a hand-written sign in the window advertising my authentic Middle Eastern dishes, I hoped for the best. What I earned by working every day without a single night off was entirely invested in the four walls surrounding me.

The restaurant was an instant success. Students and faculty devoured the food. Being so different from the well-established pizza and sandwich shops they were accustomed to, my unique little store was a hit. In no time at all, I saved enough money to bring my entire family over from Lebanon. My father sold the bakery and as I promised six years earlier, my family was gloriously reunited.

With more people to work, I expanded the size of my business and extended the menu to include additional Lebanese and Syrian dishes. My Arabic name, Bahij, was difficult for customers to remember. In an attempt to fit into the American culture, I began to tell people that my name was Dave. It was nice and simple and easy to pronounce. I am now affectionately referred to by most of the community as Falafel Dave.

I know that people see a successful restaurant and assume I always lived comfortably. It is a rarity to have someone inquire about my youth, or what I did before coming to this campus. I will never forget, however, the struggles and obstacles I overcame to get here. My love for Lebanon lives on in my soul and in my cooking. I am satisfied knowing within myself what can be accomplished through hard work, an iron will, and the love of family.
What is the meaning of the underlined portion in the following sentence?

At five dollars a sandwich, I returned to the restaurant with my head in the clouds and my pant pockets stuffed with cash.
A. hungry
B. pleasantly surprised
C. feeling wealthy
D. frightful

Which of the following settings was not mentioned in the story?
A. Boston, Massachusetts
B. Damascus, Syria
C. Beirut, Lebanon
D. New York City, New York

How many years had it been since Dave last saw his aunt and uncle?
A. five years
B. ten years
C. fifteen years
D. six years

Why did Dave give his uncle notice on the same day he worked the festival?
A. Dave wanted to be outdoors working festivals rather than indoors washing dishes.
B. Dave was tired of washing dishes and wanted to find a way to get his family to the United States faster.
C. Dave enjoyed working at the festival more than he enjoyed working at his uncle's restaurant.
D. Dave realized he could make much more money selling Middle Eastern food than washing dishes at his uncle's restaurant.

Which of the following is not a job listed as something Dave did?
A. bake bread
B. wash dishes
C. cut vegetables
D. sell falafel

What is the tone of the following sentence?
I know that people see a successful restaurant and assume I always lived comfortably.
A. tragic
B. sarcastic
C. direct
D. humorous

You can conclude that the anesthesia __________.
A. is supposed to make Robin fall asleep
B. is supposed to numb only Robin's mouth
C. is supposed to make the procedure slightly less painful
D. is supposed to numb Robin's whole body while she is awake

What is the main idea of this passage?
A. On the way to the dentist's office, Robin worries about having her teeth pulled.
B. Almost everyone has to have their wisdom teeth taken out when they become a teenager.
C. Robin is very nervous about having her wisdom teeth pulled until the anesthesia puts her to sleep.
D. Robin was too nervous to tell Dr. Carruthers how scared she really was.

What does the word reverie mean in the second paragraph?
A. daydream
B. mood
C. opinion
D. argument

After reading this story, you can predict that __________.
A. Robin will not be able to relax enough and will not fall asleep
B. Robin falls asleep and will not feel any pain while her teeth are pulled
C. Robin will speak up in time to tell the doctor that she does not want her wisdom teeth removed
D. the anesthesia will not work and Robin will not have her teeth extracted

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