When I stepped out the plane from Miami into Charlotte, North Carolina, airport for a connecting flight home, I immediately knew something was wrong. Lots of desperate people crowded the terminal. I quickly learned that flights headed to the Northeast were called off because of a storm. The earliest they could get us out of Charlotte was Tuesday. It was Friday. A gate agent stood on the counter and shouted, “Don’t ask us for help! We cannot help you!”
I joined a crowd that ran from terminal to terminal in search of a flight out. ually, I found six strangers willing to rent a van with me. We drove through the night to Washington, where I took a train the rest of the way to Providence.
The real problem, of course, is that incidents like this happen every day, to everyone who flies, more and more often. It really gets to me, though, because for eight years I was on the other side, as a flight attendant for Trans-World Airlines (TWA).
I know the days are gone when attendants could be written up if we did not put the lines napkins with the TWA logo in the lower right-hand corner of the first-class diners’ trays. As are the days when there were three dinner options on flights from Boston to Los Angeles in economy class. When, once, stuck on a tarmac（机场停机坪）in Newark for four hours, a planeload of passengers got McDonald’s hamburgers and fries by thoughtfulness of the airline. I have experienced the decline of service along with the rest of the flying public. But I believe everything will change little by little, because I remember the days when to fly was to soar (翱翔). The airlines, and their employees, took pride in how their passengers were treated. And I think the days are sure to come back one day in the near future.
小题1:Many people crowded the terminal because _______. A．they were ready to board on the planesB．something was wrong with the terminal C．the flights to the Northeast were canceledD．the gate agent wouldn’t help the passengers小题2: How did the writer get to Providence at last?___A．by airB．by vanC．by trainD．by underground小题3:Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?______A．Incidents happened to those who fly quite often.B．The writer used to be a flight attendant for Trans-World Airlines.C．Even a small mistake might cause complaints from passengers in the past. D．McDonald’s hamburgers and fries were among regular dinner options.小题4:What can be implied from the passage?____A．The writer lived in Charlotte, North Carolina.B．The writer thought the service was not as good as it used to be.C．The writer with other passengers waited to be picked up patiently.D．Passengers would feel proud of how they were treated on the plane.