ACT English Practice Test 44

My Favorite Lunch Spot

A few blocks south of the apartment, I’m renting, Q1 Joe’s Lunch Bucket serves up amazing sandwiches. The owner runs the place, so he stays open as late as he has customers, usually until some time after midnight. The restaurant is Q2 at the end of an alley, and if you sit on the last stool by the window, you can see the big public fountain, in Q3 the adjacent square. There are usually swarms of children and teenagers milling around the area; no one really enforces the curfew, especially in the summer when the nights are warm and families stroll around the shops and public spaces downtown.

[1] Joe has a menu stuck to the front window with masking tape that is yellowed and cracked from years in the sun. [2] Never mind the dingy interior, noisy kitchen, and lack of parking. [3] I just go there for the food. [4] I’ve never stopped to read it and, as far as I can tell, neither have the other regulars. [5] I like to sit at the bar along the window and relax with the sinfully deliciousness Q4 of Joe’s Special Rueben. [6] Newcomers to Joe’s who have never seen his creations Q5 marvel at the stack of corned beef and sauerkraut; spilling Q6 from the bread onto my paper plate. Q7

Joe’s is my home away from home. Q8 The sign outside is hardly eye-catching and the restaurant always appears to be dimly lit, but one can’t help noticing the large smiley face decal affixed to the front door that reads “Keep Smiling!” The sandwiches certainly make me smile, but I can’t say they do the same for Joe himself. His constant ugly expression belies, the Q9 care that he takes with his meats, breads, and cheeses. So, too, does his quirky restaurant. The counters are dented and scratched from years of knife abuse. The old refrigerator case clicks and whines Q10 constantly. As I savor my sandwich, my gaze always drifts toward the caulk along the window panes, once white, which is slowly deteriorating with the rest of the place. In fact, I’ve often thought to offer Joe my painting services in exchange for some sustenance. Q11

The food is, after all, the only charm this little place needs. A lot of people pay daily visits to the sandwich shop. I know much Q12 of their faces by now, but I could more easily recall their tastes in sandwiches. Older people like the classics—chicken salad, corned beef, and the like. Q13 Kids come in after school for grilled cheeses or Joe’s tuna salad. Back home, as I am reminiscing on this place, I picture all these people with their favorite meals. Q14 Perhaps it’s the familiarity that makes Joe’s my favorite sandwich shop. I know that I can come in whenever I please and someone would look away from a savory sandwich and offer a friendly hello. It’s nice to know that Joe’s Lunch Bucket. And Q15 its neighborly ambience are just a short walk away.