文章大意:本文为一篇记叙文,文章讲述了Glaub和妻子所租住的公寓会收到很多寄给圣诞老人的信件,他们邀请客人一起,建立了一个组织Miracle on 22nd Street,帮助写信人完成心愿的故事。
Jim Glaub and his wife just moved into their new Manhattan apartment on 22nd Street when the previous houseowner said something curious: “Just so you know, there’s this thing where letters addressed to Santa come to the apartment. It has been coming for years and no one knows why. But it’s not that big a deal. ”
Then in the months leading to Christmas, letters from kids or parents to Santa came flooding in, asking for gifts they could not otherwise afford. Glaub and his wife responded to as many as they could, writing notes, even buying gifts. But they could do only so much.
Glaub, of course, is not Santa. He runs a marketing company. But one night, when the couple threw a Christmas party, a solution appeared. The guests noticed the hundreds of letters they’d yet to act upon piled in the corner of their dining room and asked about them.
“I told them the story, ” Glaub said. His guests were very interested. “A lot of people were like, ‘I’ll take a letter. I’ll fulfill it. ”
And so was born Miracle on 22nd Street, a community-based volunteer organization that responds to children’s letters to Santa with season’s greetings and gifts. Working with other nonprofits that help those in need, Glaub invited families from around the country to go online and request gifts for their children. Meanwhile, donors can sign up to buy gifts for a child or family, accompanied by a signed note.
Letters typically request popular items, such as toys, coats, a doll for little kids, makeup and bikes for older ones. One child suffering back pain from sleeping on the living room couch in a crowded household asked for a bed.
Some letters are heartbreaking. One child wrote: “Dear Santa, for Christmas, I want my brother to get better. My younger brother has a hard time walking and has to use his wheelchair. I wish he could play like me.”
That’s a tough ask. But Glaub did send the children gift cards and a kind note.
Last year, Glaub and the organization helped more than 800 families. One beneficiary wrote: “…you gave my babies a reason to smile and enjoy their Christmas after everything we’ve been through. All I wanted was to see them happy and I got just what I wanted.”
Glaub no longer tries to figure out why the letters come to the apartment. Putting in the long hours to help the families is what it’s all about for him.
24. At the beginning, what did the couple do with the letters to Santa?
A.They paid no attention to them. |
B.They asked their guests to help. |
C.They just piled them in the corner. |
D.They responded to as many as possible. |
25. Miracle on 22nd Street was set up to _____.
A.let more people know their story |
B.get more needy families and donors involved |
C.find out why the letters came to the apartment |
D.provide a platform for people to express their appreciation |
26. How will Glaub probably feel about what they did for the senders of the letters?
A.Worthwhile. | B.Relieved. | C.Curious. | D.Grateful. |