I’ve been in the taxicab business for thirty-five years, and I know there is a lot about it that is not so good. Taxicab drivers have to be tough fellows to be able to work in New York. You’ve got to fight the New York traffic eight hours a day these days, so people get the wrong impression that they are bad.
Actually, taxi drivers are just like other people. Most of them will behave as honest fellows. You read in the papers almost every week that a taxi driver turns in money or jewels that people leave in their cabs. If they weren’t honest, you wouldn’t be reading those stories in the papers.
One time in Brooklyn, I found a diamond ring in my cab. I remembered helping a lady with a lot of packages that day, so I went back to where I had dropped her. It took me almost two days to trace her down in order to return her ring to her. I didn’t get as much as ―thank you‖. Still I felt good because I had done what was right. I think I felt better than she did. I was born and raised in Ireland and lived there until I was nineteen years old. Then Icame to this country where I had a family and bought my own cab. Life hasn’t been too easy at times, but my wife takes care of our money and we have a good bit put away for a rainy day.
When I started driving a cab, Park Avenue was mostly a bunch of coal yards. Hoofer’s Brewery was right next to where the Waldorf-Astoria is now. I did pretty well, even in those days. In all my years of driving a taxicab, I have never had any trouble with the public, not even with drunks.
I believe honesty is one of the greatest gifts. I know they call it a lot of fancy names these days, like integrity (正直), etc. But it doesn’t make any difference what they call it; it’s still what makes a man a good citizen. This is my code, and I try to live by.
21. Why do people think taxicab drivers are bad according to the passage?
A. They have been cheated by taxicab drivers before.
B. Taxicab drivers are dishonest.
C. Most taxicab drivers are tough fellows.
D. Some taxicab drivers did not return their lost properties.
22. How did the author return the diamond ring to the lady?
A. By giving her a call and visiting her.
B. By sending her a letter asking her to claim the ring in person.
C. By advertising in the papers.
D. By going back to where she got off and traced her down for almost 2 days.
23. The underlined phrase ―a rainy day‖ in paragraph 4 refers to ______.
A. a day when it rains
B. a time when a family has financial problems
C. a day when the author can’t drive a taxi
D. a time when the author has trouble with drunks
24. How does the author feel as a taxicab driver?
A. Proud and satisfied. B. Annoyed and stressful.
C. Disappointed and discouraged. D. Unwilling and regretful.
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