WAITERS HAVE FUN ON THE STREETS OF PARIS

On a sunny day in March last year, Paul Lamar woke up early. He put on black trousers, a white shirt, and an apron. Paul is a waiter at a famous restaurant in Paris. Like all waiters in the city, he must wear these special clothes when he works. However, on that day, Paul did not go to work. Instead, he joined* 200 other waiters in the Paris Waiters' Race.(lines 1–6)
In this unusual race, each waiter walks two kilometers as fast as he can along the streets of Paris. While he walks, he holds a large tray. On the tray, there is a full glass of water. "A waiter must hold his tray with only one hand, which is difficult," explains Paul. "And he must not spill any water from his glass. If he spills water, then he must leave the race."(lines 7–12)
The first Paris Waiters' Race was in 1914. "It was much more difficult then," says Paul. "Each waiter walked eight kilometers with a heavy bottle on his tray instead of a glass of water. He also had to wear a special waiter's jacket that made him very hot."(lines 13–15)
Paul is happy that Paris has a race that is only for waiters. "The waiters in Paris are special," he explains. "They are different from waiters in other cities. In Paris, waiters must know how the chef prepares each meal. They also must know the ingredients in every meal. But most waiters in other cities don't know anything about the food that they serve. Usually, they are just students in school or university."(lines 16–20)
Waiters in Paris have two years of training. They can start to work in restaurants only after they finish their training. "Being a waiter is hard work," says Paul. "But I really enjoy helping our customers have a wonderful meal. And, of course, I enjoy the Paris Waiters' Race. I want to be in it again next year."(lines 21–24)