When Maria Beall sees trash on the ground, she picks it up with joy. “It's your workout as well as keeping your community clean,” says Beall, a sports exercise physiologist. She and her husband, Mike, recently moved to Richmond's Manchester neighborhood. While walking their dog, she noticed someone had dumped(倾倒)a sofa and a microwave in an alley, and she saw fast-food wrappers(外包装) and plastic bottles on the sidewalks. Beall was concerned about the impact on the environment. So she decided to organize a regular cleanup to keep Manchester beautiful.
Beginning in March, volunteers began meeting at Legend Brewing Co. for a monthly Saturday-morning cleanup. Open to everyone, the effort has attracted 20 to 75 people monthly. On a recent Saturday, volunteers wearing gloves and carrying trash bags were divided into smaller groups, and for two hours, spread across all parts of Manchester.
“I've always found that getting involved with projects like this is a win-win," says Ann Kramer, one of the volunteers, who moved to Manchester in 2019. “I meet great people, and my community gets stronger.”
“I think the cleanup sends a message to new residents that Manchester is a neighborhood that cares,” Kramer adds. “This area is exploding in growth, with many new people moving in each month, so we hope that the regular commitment to ensuring Manchester's streets are clean will be another reason why people would choose Manchester.”
New businesses are also opening here, and some are monthly cleanup sponsors, including Dandelion Health Direct Primary Care. Family physician Joe Fields-Johnson says he opened his practice in Manchester "because of the critical need for primary care access in this neighborhood”. Fields-Johnson says beautiful green spaces and clean neighborhoods benefit people's health.
Beall feels grateful to live in Manchester and appreciates how neighbors come together for the cleanups. “I like the sense of community,” she says. “I'm also hoping it inspires other neighborhoods and that there will be more cleaner neighborhoods, because we're all in this together.”
4. What did Beall see during her walk in her new neighborhood?
A.Normal recycling. | B.Casual littering. |
C.Regular cleanup efforts. | D.Rare exercising activities. |
5. Why did the author mention Ann Kramer's words?
A.To show the power of being friendly. |
B.To warn about the pollution problems. |
C.To speak highly of the regular cleanup. |
D.To tell the advantages of doing exercise. |
6. What is the influence of the regular cleanup in Fields-Johnson's opinion?
A.It can attract more new residents. |
B.It can expand primary care access. |
C.It can raise a sense of community. |
D.It can bring positive health benefits. |
7. What does Beall expect of the regular cleanup?
A.It should be expanded. | B.It should be monitored. |
C.It should be stopped. | D.It should be awarded. |