When it is Tom’s turn for a cut, Mr. Smith places a wooden board covered with a piece of red leather across the arms of the chair, so that the barber doesn’t have to bend to cut the boy’s hair.
“Hey, young man, you’re 1 , you won’t need this soon, you’ll be able to sit in the chair.” the barber says.
“Wow,” says Tom, turning round to look at his dad. “Dad, Mr. Smith said I could be sitting in the chair soon, not just on the 2 !”
“So I hear,” his father replies. “I expect Mr. Smith will start 3 me more for your hair then.”
In the 4 Tom sees a little head sticking out of a long nylon cape. Occasionally he 5 glances at the barber as he works. He smells a(n) 6 of smelly sweat and aftershave as the barber moves around him, combing and cutting.
Tom feels like he is in another world, 7 except for the sound of the barber’s shoes rubbing on the plastic carpet and the 8 of his scissors. In the 9 from the window he could see through the window, a few small clouds moved slowly through the frame, moving to the 10 of the scissors’ click.
Sleepily, his eyes dropping to the front of the cape where his hair 11 softly as snow and he 12 sitting in the chair just like the men and older boys, the special 13 left leaning against the wall in the corner.
When Mr. Smith has 14 , Tom hops down from the seat. 15 , he sees his own thick, 16 hair mixed among the browns, greys and blacks of the men who have sat in the chair before him. For a moment he wants to reach down and 17 the broken blonde hair, to 18 them from the others, but he does not have time.
They reach the pavement outside the shop. “I tell you what, boy, let’s get some fish and chips to take home, 19 your mum from cooking tea,” says Tom’s dad.
Tom is excited and catches his dad’s hand. He is surprised to find, warming in his father’s palm, a handful of his own 20 .
1. A. building up B. sending up C. bringing up D. shooting up
2. A. desk B. board C. couch D. sofa
3. A. paying B. blaming C. charging D. accusing
4. A. mirror B. book C. shelf D. catalogue
5. A. steals B. discovers C. returns D. transforms
6. A. lack B. memory C. mixture D. expression
7. A. helpless B. noiseless C. fearless D. thoughtless
8. A. control B. direction C. effect D. click
9. A. immigration B. opposition C. reflection D. assumption
10. A. rhyme B. trail C. pattern D. sound
11. A. falls B. covers C. melts D. explodes
12. A. considers B. succeeds C. approves D. imagines
13. A. package B. bench C. scissors D. carpet
14. A. treated B. compromised C. finished D. entertained
15. A. Looking into B. Looking forward C. Looking up D. Looking down
16. A. blonde B. red C. black D. white
17. A. send for B. find out C. gather up D. show off
18. A. punish B. separate C. deliver D. confirm
19. A. persuade B. save C. excuse D. relax
20. A. money B. tip C. fish D. hair