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阅读理解
The beautiful Gothic stone dormitories(宿舍)in which the college freshmen lived were surrounded by a very high but equally beautiful black iron fence.This was to keep the City out.
Jersey led herself into the quadrangle(四方院子)with a key.Inside, the landscaping was cool and green.Immense old wooden doors, heavy as coffin lids, led into the Commons.
Four weeks before the end of freshman year, and Jersey was still in awe of the campus.Still thrilled that she was here, attending the best college in the nation.Her father had graduated back when the school was all men, and she had been brought up on his college stories.
Jersey went to her mail slot, opened it, and found a letter from home.Jersey loved mails.Going to college was worth it just for the mail.She ripped open the letter, which had only one word.ENJOY!said Dad’s handwriting.Wrapped in his letterhead was a hundred dollar bill.Jersey laughed to herself.Dad was so tickled that his little girl was attending his Alma Mater(母校).All year long he had been celebrating by sending money.
Oh, goody!she thought.I’m going to get those shoes Mai found at the Downtown Mall.
Mai was one of Jersey’s two roommates, a serious competitor for World’s Best Shopper.While lesser shoppers found anything in any store, Mai zeroed in on terrific bargains at every counter.And Jersey’s other roommate, Susan, had unbelievably good fashion sense.Susan could take some disgusting(令人厌恶的)orange-and- turquoise(青绿色)scarf(围巾)-not fit for a preschooler’s bath towel-pair it with just the right shirt and necklace, and make herself look like a million dollars.
Jersey’s proud father was under the impression that she was enjoying classes, boys, dorm life, and the coast-and she was-but better than anything, Jersey enjoyed shopping with Mai and Susan.
Unfortunately, Mai and Susan had labs on Mondays and, being dedicated future research scientists, would work right through dinner.Shopping alone rots, thought Jersey, who cares about shoes unless Mai and Susan are along to giggle and criticize and compare?
The hundred dollars burned, dying to be spent…
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