I’m not a tea person. I do keep a box of assorted (什锦) teas on hand for company and for being sociable. One day, feeling troubled, I pulled out the tea box.
Camomile (洋甘菊) is one of the teas that always get left over after people have picked out their favorites. I gave the neglected camomile a sniff. It didn't really smell like anything. According to the box, it promotes relaxation. So does a cup of hot water, which is most similar to camomile tea. Over a cup of camomile tea, something happened.
I was transported to someplace very specific: my uncle Cliff’s farm. Uncle Cliff was one of the best land farmers in North Dakota. Scents (气味) help evoke memories. I found the cats hanging around the farm always showed up at milking time, waiting for Uncle Cliff to lose a drop of milk. But he never lost a drop.
At Grandma’s house, you could never be in trouble. You could do anything that interested you. Even if you rolled in the mud, everyone still thought you were good enough. Everyone laughed as often as they could. Even if they were laughing at you, it was OK. Grandma has soft wrinkly skin, and she loves you so much. She's right here, in the steam.
There will always be troubles in life, and I won't solve them all. But if I can bury my face in Grandma’s flowered apron, if I can be a 6-year-old girl again, just by drinking a cup of camomile tea, that’s what I'm going to do.
【小题1】Why does the author keep a box of assorted teas on hand?| A．To get relaxed. | B．To keep awake. | C．To treat visitors. | D．To enjoy the teas. |
| A．She dreamed a nice dream. | B．She recalled her childhood. |
| C．She called on her grandma. | D．She paid a visit to her uncle. |
| A．Refresh. | B．Release. | C．Transport. | D．Expand. |
| A．She introduces camomile tea to friends. |
| B．She loves the cats on uncle Cliff's farm. |
| C．She finds a way to solve troubles in life. |
| D．She misses her happy childhood badly. |
