Are you running a restaurant but can’t afford to hire waiters? Well, you could learn from this Japanese restaurant that hires monkeys for the job. In order to make them look more human, the restaurant owner even masks(用面具遮掩) their faces.
The restaurant is Kayabuki, which a traditional Japanese restaurant. They have hired a couple of monkeys named Yat-chan and Fuku-chan to work as waiters (or waitresses, we’re not sure). 16-year-old Yat-chan is the older of the two, but he moves quickly between tables as he takes the customers’ drink orders. Fuku-chan gives customers a hot towel and helps them clean their hands before they order their drinks, as is the custom in Japan. Believe it or not, the pair is actually certified(授予执照) by local authorities to work at the restaurant. The customers like them as well, so they give them beans as tips. One customer, Takayoshi, said, “The monkeys are actually better waiters than some really bad human ones.”
Yat-chan and Fuku-chan were once the household pets of the restaurant owner, Kaoru Otsuka. But the older one started imitating him in restaurant duties, and that was when he realized they were actually capable of working there. “Yat-chan first learned by just watching me working in the restaurant,” he said. “It all started when one day I gave him a hot towel and he brought the towel to the customer.”
Some customers even feel that the little monkeys are just like children, or even better. 62-year-old Shiochi Yano, a regular at Kayabuki, says, “Actually, they’re better. My son doesn’t listen to me, but Yat-chan will.” Customers also say that Yat-chan is able to understand exact orders and remember them. “We called out for more beer,” said one customer, “and he just brought us some beer. It’s amazing how he seems to understand human words.”
5. What can we learn about Yat-chan and Fuku-chan?
A. They both get beans as tips.
B. Fuku-chan is older than Yat-chan.
C. Yat-chan helps customers clean their hands.
D. Fuku-chan takes the customers’ drink orders.
6. According to Takayoshi, the two monkey waiters .
A. can understand exact orders
B. listen to him very carefully
C. can remember the regular customers
D. behave better than some human waiters
7. What does the underlined word, “imitating” in the 3rd paragraph mean?
A. surprise B. copy
C. laugh D. frustrate
8. Why did Kaoru Otsuka let the monkeys work in the restaurant?
A. He couldn’t afford to hire waiters.
B. He thought monkeys worked better than humans.
C. He found his monkeys were able to work like waiters.
D. The officials encouraged him to hire the monkeys.