96 學年度學測英文 第 36 題

An old man who lived in a small side street of Mumbai had to put up with the nuisance of boys playing cricket and making a lot of noise outside his house, at night. One evening when the boys were particularly 31 , he went out to talk to them. He explained that he had just retired and was happiest when he could see or hear boys playing his 32 game, cricket. He would therefore give them 25 rupees each week to play in the street at night. The boys were thrilled, for they could hardly believe that they were being paid to do something they 33 ! At the end of the first two weeks, the boys came to the old man’s house, and went away 34 with their 25 rupees. The third week when they came back, however, the old man said he had 35 money and sent them away with only 15 rupees. The fourth week, the man said he had not yet received his 36 from the government and gave them only 10 rupees. The boys were very 37 , but there was not much they could do about it. At the end of the fifth week, the boys came back again and knocked at the old man’s house, waiting for their 38 . Slowly, the door opened and the old man appeared. He apologized that he could not afford to pay them 25 rupees as he had 39 , but said he would give them five rupees each week without fail. This was really too much for the boys. “You expect us to play seven days a week for 40 five rupees!” they yelled. “No way!” They stormed away and never played on the street again.