Passage 2
It was one of those days, anordinary October day. I woke up weary and all of the routines of life werechores, the people in it irritants. I wasn't feeling any sense of gratitude formy comfortable home or lovely family. I dropped my two older children at schoolwith a sense of relief and reluctantly headed to the supermarket to buygroceries with my youngest.
I was feeling resentful athaving to go in the first place(why do they have to eat?) and my son, just fouryears old at the time and responding to my mood, was being difficult. I racedaround with the trolley, thoughtlessly tossing items in with no regard to cost,while trying to control my naughty child whose behavior had now becomecompletely unacceptable. Yet, I was that mother, shouting, threatening, anddespairing at a small child. The kind of behavior you see in others before youhave children and think, I will never be one of those people.
We eventually made it to thecheckout, and stood in the queue waiting our turn. After a short time, Inoticed that someone had joined the line behind us. I turned around and saw anold man. He was stooped(驼背) over and wore dirty overcoat, tied around the middle with rope.His shoes were split and his trousers flapped around sockless ankles on thiscold, wet day. In his hands he carried a small carton of long-life milk.
As I had trolley full ofgroceries, I asked him if he'd like to go ahead of me. It wasn't an act ofkindness on my part, rather an automatic reaction, deeply rooted in me since childhoodfrom the times I went shopping with my mother. Perhaps I just did it out of asense of obligation or guilt. Perhaps I just wanted him gone. After all, hispresence made me uncomfortable, in the same way feel uncomfortab and turn awaymy eyes when passing a homeless person.
He looked shocked anduncertain. "No, I couldn't possibly, are you sure? How kind ofyou,"he stuttered. Reluctantly he went ahead, paid for his milk, and tookhis change.
Then, to my amazement, heturned to my little boy and gently pressed the change into his hand. Iprotested that it wasn't necessary but he was insistent. And my son, who had upto this minute been a thorn in my side, smiled his most beautiful smile,looked at this stranger frankly, and without judgment or hesitation,bear-hugged him around his dirty legs. The man gave a sheepish, gummy smile,then walked off turning again to say thank you and wave.
I wondered at his life and athis reaction Was he so rarely shown any humanity? Did he feel he needed to payfor being acknowledged?
I felt shame at my earlierself-pity. This humble, kind stranger had made me resolve to be more thankful—and made my littleangel skip out of the supermarket with joy.
I never saw the man again butI think about him often.
What did the writer mean by 'my son...a thorn in my side'in Paragraph 6?
A.The boy was a rude child.
B.The boy was selfish kid.
C.The boy was annoying her.
D.The boy was threatening her.
正确答案是C