高三AP English Language and Composition课考完AP后最后一篇作文。原题为仿John Steinbeck的小说Cannery Row开头两段的格式及写作风格（因此第二段过长）。文中所提是我高中时的第二个寄宿家庭。写于2016年五月下旬。

Microcosm Paper   

The Ehrgotts’ house in Concord in New Hampshire is a painting, an old motion picture, a charming aroma, a disturbing noise, a character of peace and turmoil, a ray of light, and a jigsaw. The house is separated and united, piles of clothing and stacks of mails and packs of food, blossoming flowers and dusted wooden steps and soft rugs, cheery dogs and crushed grass and ruined carpet, shiny glasses and plates and silverwares, counters and chairs, and comfy sofas, and beds and curtains. Its residents are, as one might say, “the insane, the weird, the annoying, and the hyperactive.” Had that person looked from a different angle he might comment, “the intelligent, the commoner, the adorable, and the peaceful,” and he would mean the same thing. 

As the sun rises above the ground, and its kind smile expresses itself through the windows, the twisted shapes unfold themselves and gently emerge from the hilly landscape. From the fluffy cloth comes the furry creature who excitedly rushes to the glass door while her loyal servant opens the gate upon the queen’s arrival. The Australian cattle dog surveys her domain, and out of her throat, a burst of powerful and enthusiastic remarks tears the silence of early morning. Mumford, her royal friend and abominable rival, follows Penelope’s footsteps and expresses his agitation at the queen’s order. Meanwhile, Barry, the caretaker of the two, comments on their behaviors, “Penelope! And Mumford! Stop barking! People are still sleeping!” Soon, as the light herds the darkness toward the other side of the horizon, drowsy figures in pajamas and slippers appear in the kitchen and prepare food for themselves. The bathrooms’ doors are opened and closed, with the sound of water running down the sink audible in all rooms. Music in the basement shakes the wooden floor, and the morning runners come back with wet hairs and soaked shirts and heavy breaths and rash. Then men and women set off to work and school, leaving the whining dogs behind: Penelope on her declared part of the floor, and Mumford in his gloomy little crate. The house resolves into silence, with the occasional outbreak of anger the queen dumps at passersby of daring to step upon her royal territory. As the darkness reclaims its lost lands, the residents return to the house one by one, and each is greeted with a welcoming speech delivered by the queen. The noble lords, worn by a day’s work, return to their country and are delighted at the sight of the pleasant greeting of the queen. When Danielle, master of Penelope’s dearest enemy, releases the evil monster from the cell, the outraged queen screams at Mumford for diverging the attention of her servants, and the two warriors begin the daily practice of their fighting skills. Mariah, princess of her own castle, enters with her typical smile and brings a blow of fresh air into the house with her enchanting spirits. Mary Jane, the mother of Danielle and Mariah, cooks food and yells at the dogs and feeds the queen and listens to the two sisters’ arguments. When dinner is ready, Mary Jane calls everyone, and one by one people start to gather around the dining table. The inhabitants eat with peace and joy except the interruption by the whining of the dogs while the queen and her follower observe with their talking eyes. Later at night Barry arrives, and the queen and her friend receive him with kisses and hugs and requests for belly rubs. As each resident returns to his or her own palace, the house dissolves in darkness.