Complete the following passage by choosing A, B, C or D to fill in each blank. Stamp collecting! What a wonderful hobby! I began when I was only five. I used to (1) ______ for the postman's arrival, always (2) ______ to seize unwanted envelopes and tear off the corner with the stamp stuck on it. Once – I remember it was too clearly – my mother and father were sunning themselves in the garden when the post (3) _____ on the doormat. I heard the clatter of the letter flap and ...

Complete the following passage by choosing A, B, C or D to fill in each blank.

Stamp collecting! What a wonderful hobby! I began when I was only five. I used to (1) ______ for the postman's arrival, always (2) ______ to seize unwanted envelopes and tear off the corner with the stamp stuck on it.

Once – I remember it was too clearly – my mother and father were sunning themselves in the garden when the post (3) _____ on the doormat. I heard the clatter of the letter flap and hurriedly went to (4) ______. There were four or five envelops, all with very exciting stamps.

Even at the (5) ______ age of five I knew one doesn't open mail addressed to other people. However, tearing just the corners off the envelops (6) ______ me as perfectly fair and allowable, and just what I did. I carefully tore as (7) ______ to the stamps as (8) _______, feeling that even the envelopes, which were addressed to my parents and not to be, should be treated with (9) _______.

There were nothing furtive in what I did. I knew my parents would see what I'd done, and I didn't think there was any (10) ______ in it. They always let me (11) ______ the corners after they'd opened them. Why should I think there was any harm in doing it first, (12) ______ in mind that they weren't on hand to be (13) ______. Wouldn't they rather be left to doze in their summer deckchairs?

(14) ______, though, my father solemnly showed me his letters. They looked distinctly moth-eaten, with bites taken out of the corners and sites. I began to (15) ______ what I've done.