阅读理解

　　Have you ever had an embarrassing(尴尬的)experience? Last week we asked readers to tell us about embarrassing experiences．We received thousands of letters! Here is a selection．

　　My most embarrassing experience happened when I had just left university．I had just started teaching in a Liverpool secondary school．One morning my alarm clock didn’t ring．I woke up at half past eight and school began at nine．I quickly washed, dressed, jumped into my car and rushed to school．When I arrived, the students had already gone into class．I didn’t go to the office, but went straight into class．After two or three minutes the students began laughing, and I couldn’t understand why! Suddenly I looked down and understood．I had put on one black shoe and one brown shoe!

　　The most embarrassing experience I’ve ever had happened two years ago．After seeing a film, my wife and I had lunch in our favourite restaurant in town．Then we decided to take a walk along the street．The street was very busy and we started holding hands．Suddenly my wife saw a dress that she liked in a shop window, and stopped．I started looking at some watches in the next window．After a minute or two I reached for my wife’s hand．There was a loud scream, and a woman slapped my face．I hadn’t taken my wife’s hand．I’d taken the hand of a complete stranger!

　　My wife and I had decided to buy a new house, and I’d made an appointment to see our bank manager．I’d never met him before and I was a bit nervous．I went into town in my car and I was lucky enough to find a parking space outside the bank．I’d just started reversing(倒车)into the space when another car made its way into it．I was irritated! I opened my window and shouted at the man in the car, I rushed back to the bank．I was ten minutes late for my appointment．I went to the manager’s office, knocked and walked in．The manager was sitting behind his desk．He was the man who had taken my parking space!

阅读理解

　　Each spring brings a new blossom of wildflowers in the ditches along the highway I travel daily to work．

　　There are some particular blue flowers that have always caught my eye．I’ve noticed that they bloom only in the morning hours and the afternoon sun is too warm for them．Every day for about two weeks, I see those beautiful flowers．

　　This spring, I started a wildflower garden in our yard．I can look out of the kitchen window while doing the dishes and see the flowers．I’ve often thought that those lovely blue flowers from the ditch would look great in that bed alongside other wildflowers．Every day I drove past the flowers thinking, “I’ll stop on my way home and dig them．” “Gee, I don’t want to get my good clothes dirty…” Whatever the reason, I never stopped to dig them．My husband even gave me a folding shovel(铲子)one year in my car to be used for that expressed purpose．

　　One day on my way home from work, I was shocked to see that the highway department had destroyed the ditches and the pretty blue flowers were gone．I thought to myself, “Way to go, you waited too long．You should have done it when you first saw them blooming this spring．” A week ago we were shocked and saddened to learn that my oldest sister has a terminal brain tumor(肿瘤)．She is 20 years older than me and unfortunately, because of age and distance, we haven’t been as close as we all would have liked．I couldn’t help but see the connection between the pretty blue flowers and the relationship between my sister and us．I do believe that God has given us some time left to plant some wonderful memories that will bloom every year for us．

　　And yes, if I see the blue flowers again, you can bet I’ll stop and transplant them to my wildflower garden．