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One of the things I really looked forward to in my retirement was the weekly shopping expedition. I imagined pushing the trolley slowly, around the supermarket and picking out odd items that took my fancy. But, alas, my innocent dreams were rudely shattered.
First it is necessary to secure a shopping trolley. Carefully designed not only to hold all shapes and sizes of purchases but also all ages and types of small children, a single trolley is hard to get out of the line of trolleys where it is parked. Each trolley defies separation from its fellows without sharp jerks or the assistance of two strong men.
The next lesson is that women never follow a logical route when shopping. Your wife has disappeared. After ten minutes of searching, when you eventually find her in a far comer, she enquires rather tersely: “Where have you been all this time, dear?”
Supermarket managers are sent on courses to learn how to tempt the customers and persuade them to buy goods they do not really need, at prices they are not able to afford. As a newcomer, I was a sucker for their clever techniques and took many goods off the shelves. But my innocence was soon curbed by my wife. “Put it back, dear.” “You’ve tried that before and didn’t like it”. “No, it’s too expensive.” I soon learnt to be a wheeler of trolleys and not a dealer in goods.
But the most frightening hazard is supermarket trolleys driven by the so-called weaker sex. These women adhere to no code and give no quarter, and constant evasive action is necessary to avoid skinned knuckles, crushed toes or bruised shins. Their usual parking methods are either sideways across the aisles, or side by side with a friend to exchange gossip, and a polite “Excuse me” from traffic usually meets with no response.
After the week’s groceries have been collected the last trial is passing through the checkout. Never join the shortest queue. It usually contains several shoppers who pay by writing out a personal check and who wait until all their purchases have been totaled up before beginning a frantic search through bulging handbags for elusive checkbooks. When the book eventually emerges, the customer never knows the date, asks again for the forgotten total and omits to put the address on the back.
Don’t be fooled, either, by thinking that this is the end of the exercise. When the check has been carefully examined by the cashier a bell rings, a red light flashed overhead and there is a further wait until a supervisor arrives to confirm that the check can be accepted. Then it is our turn and the checkout girl is so quick and efficient that we don’t have time to get out own checkbook ready. But the people who are packing our shopping are kind and give us cheery smiles.
When we emerge once more into the great outside world eggs are running down my trousers. Just before the eggs are crushed by the collision between two trolleys, I hear the voice of my wife call out: “Oops, dear, mind the trolley.” Shopping!
21. What does the author want to tell us in the passage?
A. The weekly shopping expedition in his retirement was exciting.
B. His joy of shopping was broken by many annoyances.
C. It is necessary to know how to use the shopping trolley properly.
D. People easily get lost in a big supermarket.
22. Which of the following is NOT true of a weekly shopping?
A. It is difficult to take a trolley from the line of trolleys.
B. It is difficult to go shopping with a woman following an illogical route.
C. It is difficult to resist the temptation of the promotion of goods.
D. It is difficult to avoid hurting the women.
23. The italicized word “curbed” (Para.4) probably means “______”.
A. corrected B. blamed
C. checked D. shattered
24. In the eyes of the author, supermarket managers are only too pleased ______.
A. to introduce the function of their goods
B. to promote their goods to the customers
C. to deal with the checks in doubt
D. to help the customers find the goods they need
25. According to the passage, the author’s attitude towards women is ______.
A. ironical B. logical
C. elusive D. respective
