Keeping up seemed so important when I was a teenager. Back in 1973, if you weren’t wearing Penn Loafers (乐福鞋) you’d just as soon go around in your bare feet. There was only one problem that year, I had bought Oxfords—but Penny Loafers were in.
“I need some money for Penny Loafers.” I told my dad one afternoon at the place where he worked as a car mechanic.
Dad looked at me for a full minute before he answered, “Wear those shoes one more day. Look at every pair of shoes you see at school. If you can tell me that you are worse off than the other kids, I’ll buy new shoes for you.”
The next day, I did what Dad said. I saw many schoolmates wore torn shoes of the likes I’d never had to wear, and shoes with holes in them, but I had no intention of telling him the results.
When school was out, I rushed to the place where Dad worked. It was quiet. Only an occasional clank (叮当声) of metal could be heard as Dad worked under a car. Then dad’s shoes came into my sight. They were old and black, the kind mechanics and service-station attendants wore. I saw the mended soles (鞋底) and the spliced laces (拼接的鞋带) .
“You do what I told you today?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, what do you want to do?” He looked as though he might know what my answer would be.
“I still want the Penny Loafers.” I forced myself not to look at his shoes.
Dad handed me ten dollars. I took the money and went to the store two blocks down the street. A rack (货架) on a far wall appeared as if it had a million pairs of black Penny Loafers resting on it. On a rack next to it was a sign that reads “CLEARANCE 50% OFF”.Below the sign sat several “young” versions ofDad’s shoes.
注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 词左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My mind was playing Pingpong
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I ran back to the shop and put Dad’s new shoes on the seat in his car.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
