One day, I was in front of the mall cleaning my car. A man was coming my way from across the parking lot.
From the1of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. He sat down in front of the bus stop, but looked like that he had no money to2the bus. "That's a very3car," he said. He was ragged (衣衫褴褛的) but looked satisfied. I answered, "Thanks." and then4cleaning my car. He sat there 5when I worked. The expected beg (乞讨) 6money never came. After a while, I said to7, "Ask him if he needs help." I was8that he would say "yes". "Do you need any help?" I asked. He answered in two9but meaningful words "And you?". I had been feeling high, successful and important10those two words 11me. I did need help, and maybe it was not for a bus ticket or a place to sleep. I12my wallet and gave him not only enough money for a bus ticket, but enough to get a warm meal and a place to sleep for the day.
Later, I realized the man was not just a homeless stranger but a teacher who taught me that being comfortable with oneself is the best way to live better. How great and wise he is!
And those two simple words still sound13. No matter how much you14and you have achieved, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how you are filled with15, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help.
As a volunteer teacher, I travelled a long way to a small village school in Longzhou, Guangxi. On my way there, I thought about the village, the school, and the children there. However, my heart sank when I arrived there. It wasn't what I expected. It didn't look like a school at all. The school had only 3 classrooms, one for Grades 1, 2 and 3, and another for Grades 4, 5 and 6. There was a third one for me.
The children welcomed me warmly on my first day. They asked me a lot of questions, and I told them stories and my life in Shanghai. The next day, I gave them a test to find out their level. To my surprise, although the test was very easy, over half of them failed it, and yet they all wanted to learn new things. I knew they needed me.
I was busy preparing lessons, and reading test papers every night. I enjoyed teaching these lovely and hard—working children, and I could see that they were making progress with my help. I have also learned a lot from them. I understand their lives better and we are now good friends.
I have worked in Longzhou for a year by now. I'm very happy, and the experience has been very useful for me. I love the small village and the children. In fact, I would like to continue working here.
Six-year-old girl Iris was born with autism (自闭症). She doesn't like to talk or be with others and she often feels nervous. When Iris was three years old, her mother gave her some art lessons. There she found Iris had great talent for painting. From then on, Iris often spends her day painting.
However, Iris still felt lonely. Iris' parents learned that animals were good for children with autism, so they introduced some animals to Iris. Before Thula, they introduced horses, dogs and other cats to Iris, but that didn't help. Until the cat Thula arrived, they got along very well in just a few weeks. Iris often draws about the cat's eyes and nose in her paintings.
Iris' mother said, "When Iris is painting, she tells Thula to sit if she jumps up onto the table. Thula stays there watching Iris with great interest."
Iris and Thula are always together, eating, sleeping, playing…Iris' mother found that it was easier to make Iris speak with others when Thula was around. "Thanks to Thula, Iris found a way to show her feelings and communicate with the world. She is happier than ever before."
A woman was collecting money for a church charity. The money she collected was going to be given to poor children who had no parents to take care of them. She went from apartment to apartment and from house to house. She knocked on doors and asked for money. She always said the same thing, "Good morning, I'm collecting for a church charity. Please give generously. We need $5,000." Then she held out a collecting box. Most people put a few coins in the box.
An artist lived in one of the apartments. He opened the door. "Good morning," she said. "I'm collecting for a church charity. Please give generously. We need $5,000." The artist thought for a moment, then he said, "I'm sorry, but I don't have any money. However, I'll give you a painting. It's worth $ 400." The woman thanked the artist and took the painting away.
A week later she called on him again. "I'm sorry to trouble you again," she said, "but we still need more money. We need another $100. Can you help?" "Of course," the artist said. "I`ll increase the value of my painting to $500."
A doctor entered the hospital hurriedly after being called in for important surgery (外科手术). He found the boy's father waiting worriedly.
On seeing him, the father cried out, "Why did you take all this time to come? Don't you know that my son is in danger? Don't you have any sense of duty?"
The doctor said, "I am sorry. I wasn't in the hospital and I came as fast as I could and now, I wish you could calm down so that I can do my work quietly."
"Calm down? What if your son were in this room right now? If your son dies while you are waiting for a doctor, what will you do?" said the father angrily. The doctor smiled and replied, "We'll do our best and you should also pray (祈祷) for your son."
The surgery took some time before the doctor went out, saying happily, "Thank goodness! Your son is saved!" And without waiting for the father's reply, he ran away, saying, "If you have any question, ask the nurse."
"Couldn't he wait some minutes so that I can ask about my son's state (状况)?" shouted the father. The nurse answered, tears coming down her face, "His son died yesterday in a road accident. He was at the burial (葬礼) when we called him for your son's surgery. And since he saved your son, he left running to finish his son's burial."
Mr Grey was the manager of a small office in London. He lived in the country, and went to worktrain. He liked (walk) from the station to his office unless it was raining, because it (give) him some exercise.
One morning he was walking along the streeta stranger stopped him and said to him, "You may not remember me, sir,seven years ago I came to London without a penny in my pockets. I (stop) you in this street and asked you (lend) me some money and you lent me ￡5, because you said you were willing to take a chance so as to give a man a start on the way to (succeed)."
Mr Grey (think) for a few minutes and then said, "Yes, I remember you. Go on with your story!" "Well," (say) the stranger, "are you still willing to take a chance?"
Have you ever put your old clothes into the donation box in your neighbourhood? If not, you can do it right now because the clothes donation is becoming a trend (趋势) in Urumqi.
"You know, we teenagers are growing fast. I think it's a good way to help others," Lin Tao, a junior student says.
"I often pick out some of my clothes which are out of style after going shopping. Then I'll put them into the donation box," Miss Li, a pretty young lady says.
"That seems like a good idea. People can either wear them or use them to make things such as handbags and pencil cases," Mrs Wang, an old woman says. "Sometimes I also look through the box for some nice clothes."
Recently, a UTV reporter has made a survey. Here are the results:
The box is full of clothes in a short time. There is no more room for people to give away clothes.
Some people sell the clothes in the donation box for making money instead of wearing them.
So there are few clothes in it
Many clothes are too old and shabby (破烂的) .
"What's worse," one of the staff in a community added, "we quite often see people throw rubbish into the box when they pass by. It has been the most serious problem since we set the box."
In order to make the donation box work in an efficient (高效的) way, our government is taking action. Clothes donation will be better-organized and it'll be more convenient for people in need to take the clothes away.
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A. Some clothes in the box are quite new. B. We've tried to stop them several times but failed. C. Some communities set the box in unsuitable places. D. However, there are some problems along with the popularity of clothes donation. E. From time to time, my mother clears out the clothes which I no longer wear. |
1）出发及返回时间；
2）活动：和老人一起包饺子（make Chinese dumplings）、为老人表演节目等。
Dear Lucy,
Our class plans to visit the nursing home this Sunday in order to help the old there and I would like to invite you to come with us.
…
Best wishes!
Yours,
Li Hua
