Hallmark arrived in my hometown of Calcutta, India when I was 16. On Valentine’s Day(情人节), I waited in line with many other teenagers just for a chance to get into the store. I remember wishing two things. One of them is that the good-looking boy whom I could see through the store window was picking out a gift for me. Unfortunately, Valentine’s Day passed and I received nothing but a lecture from my father on how Western capitalism(资本主义) was ruining your culture.
The next Valentine’s Day, I still didn’t have a boyfriend, but I did receive a greeting card from a secret admirer. I can’t remember what it exactly said inside the card, but it hardly mattered. I know I’m not the only one who’s had the blues because of being single on Valentine’s Day.
It’s not just on Valentine’s Day that I’m reminded of these feelings. One night, my friend and I were at the subway station in New York City waiting for the local to arrive. The station was mostly full of college students, and later an older couple walked in. Just at that moment, a street musician started playing She’s Only a Woman to Me. The couple began dancing around the station and lost in their own world. On the train, I found myself recalling the time when I was with a date at the subway station, and there he picked me up in his arms like I was a ballerina(芭蕾舞女演员).
My view of romance has changed from when I was 16 in Calcutta to now, 23, and living in Manhattan. This year, I won’t focus all my romantic expectations on one particular day. I’ll spend Valentine’s Day with friends in New York Ci ty. But I won’t try to hide somewhere or turn off my cellphone. Instead, I’ll help my coupled-up friends pack for their weekend trips to Rome.
55. The underlined word “Hallmark” in Paragraph 1 probably refers to a .
A. city B. street C. store D. man
56. We can infer that in the opinion of the writer’s father .
A. his daughter should have received a gift
B. people in India shouldn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day
C. people in India should welcome Western culture
D. his daughter should know more about capitalism
57. According to Paragraph 2, if someone has the blues, he or she is probably .
A. lucky B. angry C. excited D. sad
58. What is implied in the passage?
A. The writer now has a boyfriend.
B. The writer now is afraid of Valentine’s Day.
C. The writer will go to Rome with her coupled-up friends.
D. The writer’s attitude towards Valentine’s Day has changed.