Camille Mahlknecht, 9, has some big fun planned for this weekend. She and other residents of Agoura Hills, California, plan to pick up trash during their city’s annual cleanup. At the same time, Wissam Raed,12, will be busy volunteering too. Thousands of miles away in Lebanon, Wissam plans to put on a play at an orphanage and bring potted plants to elderly people at a senior citizen center.
Some other children like Nathan White, 10, have personal reasons for volunteering. Nathan’s grandmother died of a heart attack. To help raise money for medical research, Nathan participated in Jump Rope for Heart. He and five other boys took turns jumping rope for two and half hours and collected more than US$1200 in donations for the American Heart Association.
Millions of children around the globe lend a hand to their communities every year. Schools and parents also contribute to the rise in youth service. For example, many schools offer community service activities for students to join. Teachers either combine volunteer work with classroom lessons or make service work a requirement. Parents, on the other hand, encourage their kids to volunteer and do it with them.
Community service is particularly important in this depression time. As the need for monetary support and other aid has increased, many charitable organizations have experienced a significant drop in donations. Camille and other children who volunteer thousands of hours annually can fill in some of the gaps.
According to research, kids who start volunteering are twice as likely to continue doing good deeds when they are adults. So, grab a paintbrush, a trash bag, or whatever you need to help your community. You’ll love how you feel after helping others. Even dirty work can be lots of fun, if it’s for a good cause.
1. What’s the writer’s purpose of writing this passage?| A．To recommend youth service programs to schools. |
| B．To ask charity organizations to serve the community. |
| C．To urge children to take part in volunteering activities. |
| D．To propose alternatives for doing community services. |
| A．Community service is gaining popularity among children. |
| B．Families and schools help to make community service popular. |
| C．Children now depend more on their teachers than on their parents. |
| D．Nathan White had a special reason to raise money for medical research. |
| A．It raises money for school activities. |
| B．It teaches children to take care of the sick. |
| C．It gives charity organizations some needed help. |
| D．It encourages parents and teachers to work together. |
| A．Community service can help prevent juvenile delinquency (青少年犯罪)． |
| B．Children will probably leave school and work as volunteers. |
| C．Organizing sports events for the school is a kind of community service. |
| D．Children who do volunteer work are more likely to grow up to be caring adults. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to bleed red ink. It reported a net loss of $5.6 billion for fiscal 2016, the 10th straight year its expenses have exceeded revenue. Meanwhile, it has more than $120 billion in unfunded liabilities, mostly for employee health and retirement costs. There are many bankruptcies. Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, first-class mail, and a regulatory structure that denies management in the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new reality.
And interest groups ranging from postal unions to greeting-card makers exert self-interested pressure on the USPS’s ultimate overseer-Congress-insisting that whatever else happens to the Postal Service, aspects of the status quo they depend on get protected. This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation have failed in recent years, leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by deferring vital modernization.
Now comes word that everyone involved—Democrats, Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the system’s heaviest users—has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. Legislation is moving through the House that would save USPS an estimated $28.6 billion over five years, which could help pay for new vehicles, among other survival measures. Most of the money would come from a penny-per-letter permanent rate increase and from shifting postal retirees into Medicare. The latter step would largely offset the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and its union.
If it clears the House, this measure would still have to get through the Senate—where someone is bound to point out that it amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to keep the Postal Service afloat, not comprehensive reform. There’s no change to collective bargaining at the USPS, a major omission considering that personnel accounts for 80 percent of the agency’s costs. Also missing is any discussion of eliminating Saturday letter delivery. That common-sense change enjoys wide public support and would save the USPS $2 billion per year. But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in the House. The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they’re getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 21st century.
1. The financial problem with the USPS is caused partly by __________.| A．its unbalanced budget | B．its rigid management |
| C．the cost for technical upgrading | D．the withdrawal of bank support |
| A．removing its burden of retiree health care |
| B．making more investment in new vehicles |
| C．adopting a new rate-increase mechanism |
| D．attracting more first-class mail users |
| A．respect | B．tolerance | C．discontent | D．gratitude |
| A．The USPS Starts to Miss Its Good Old Days. |
| B．The Postal Service: Keep Away from My Cheese. |
| C．The USPS: Chronic Illness Requires a Quick Cure. |
| D．The Postal Service Needs More than a Band-Aid. |
【推荐2】There is something to be said for being a generalist, even if you are a specialist. Knowing a little about a lot of things that interest you can add to the richness of a whole, well-lived life.
Society pushes us to specialize, to become experts. This requires commitment to a particular occupation, branch of study or research. The drawback to being specialists is we often come to know more and more about less and less. There is a great deal of pressure to master one’s field. You may pursue training, degrees, or increasing levels of responsibility at work. Then you discover the pressure of having to keep up.
Some people seem willing to work around the clock in their narrow specialty. But such commitment can also weaken a sense of freedom. These specialists could work at the office until ten each night, then look back and realize they would have loved to have gone home and enjoyed the sweetness of their family and friends, or traveled to exciting places, meeting interesting people. Mastering one thing to the exclusion(排除)of others can hold back your true spirit.
Generalists, on the other hand, know a lot about a wide range of subjects and view the whole with all its connections. They are people of ability, talent, and enthusiasm who can bring their broad perspective(视角)into specific fields of expertise(专长). The doctor who is also a poet and philosopher is a superior doctor, one who can give so much more to his patients than just good medical skills.
Things are connected. Let your expertise in one field fuel your passions in all related areas. Some of your interests may not appear to be connected but, once you explore their depths, you discover that they are. My editor Toni, who is also a writer, has edited several history books. She has decided to study Chinese history. Fascinated by the structural beauty of the Forbidden City as a painter, she is equally interested to learn more about Chinese philosophy. “I don’t know where it will lead, but I'm excited I'm on this pursuit.”
These expansions into new worlds help us by giving us new perspectives. We begin to see the interconnectedness of one thing to another in all aspects of our life, of ourselves and the universe. Develop broad, general knowledge and experience. The universe is all yours to explore and enjoy.
1. To become a specialist, one may have to ________.| A．narrow his range of knowledge |
| B．avoid responsibilities at work |
| C．know more about the society |
| D．broaden his perspective on life |
| A．treasure their freedom |
| B．travel around the world |
| C．spend most time working |
| D．enjoy meeting funny people |
| A．is fully aware of his talent and ability |
| B．is a pure specialist in medicine |
| C．should love poetry and philosophy |
| D．brings knowledge of other fields to work |
【推荐3】The conflict(争执) over what or how much homework should be comes partly from the fact that people can't seem to agree on the purpose of homework.
What teachers think?
Some teachers think that homework is necessary to reinforce(巩固)what is learned in school. And so they ask their students to memorize what was discussed in class through homework..
Some teachers think the point of homework is to cover material that the class didn't have time to get to, so their homework is to let students learn additional things.
Other teachers like homework simply because they want students to form work habits and still others believe homework is necessary because it is the best way for parents to learn what their children do in school.
Parents' Ideas.
But many parents seem to have different ideas.
Elissa Cohen,who has twins at Lafayette Elementary School, doesn't like the fact that third-grade students in DC elementary schools are asked to write about 25 book summaries a year. “They do the same thing over and over without really getting into alternate(交替) ways of thinking about books and thinking about reading and writing. ”
Experts' opinions.
Some education reformers (改革者), such as Howard Gardner, a Harvard University, professor well-known for his theory on multiple intelligence(智力), think that Cohen is on the right track. But it is often hard to persuade overworked teachers to give much thought to homework tasks.
1. How many opinions do the teachers have on "homework"?| A．3. | B．4. |
| C．5 | D．6 |
| A．teachers should give necessary work to the students |
| B．teachers should not work too hard or too long |
| C．teachers should let the students repeat what they didn't have time to get in class |
| D．what Cohen's thinking about is correct |
| A．They find homework really hard. |
| B．They simply copy one repeatedly. |
| C．They aren't given much thinking about what they read. |
| D．They get different ways of thinking about their work. |
| A．prosperous | B．aimless |
| C．troublesome | D．improving |
| A．increasing homework | B．changing schools |
| C．changing teachers | D．reducing homework |
【推荐1】Timothy Harrison had planned to attend his high school graduation. He’d even told his manager who runs a Waffle House (a kind of cake shop) that he would take time off. But when the day began, Harrison found himself unable to go there.
Once Hampton heard the details, he immediately organized his Waffle House workers for action. “I could see in his eyes that he really wanted to go, and I was going to get him there no matter what,” Hampton said. “
Within twenty minutes, Harrison was carried to school to bring back his cap and gown and then back at the Waffle House. To his surprise, he also received a new suit of clothes for his high school graduation.
Meanwhile, a couple of generous shoppers contributed as well to help him celebrate this day.
Harrison was now properly dressed.
| A．Harrison did not know what to do next. |
| B．He should have told me his plan earlier. |
| C．No kid should miss their high school graduation. |
| D．Harrison was thankful to his parents for their efforts. |
| E．It was picked up and paid for by his coworkers. |
| F．The next problem was how to get him to the hall on time. |
| G．The hall in which the event was being held was too far away. |
【推荐2】A simple haircut can be a major stress or for someone with cognitive or physical disabilities. Loud noises from hair dryers and strong smells can trigger a person with autism (自闭症), and just getting in the door can be tough for anyone in a wheelchair. But one Minnesota stylist is looking to change that by opening an accessible salon.
With a nine-year-old stepdaughter, Maddy, who uses a wheelchair because of spina-bifida (脊柱裂), Cat Rongitsch knows firsthand how inaccessible spaces like hair salons can be. “We’ve been dragged through back doors or expected to carry her down stairs or use freight elevators because they’re not prepared to accommodate her,” says Rongitsch, who also has a three-year-old daughter who might have high-functioning autism, though she hasn’t been tested yet.
Rongitsch already makes haircut house calls to kids who find traditional salons stressful. “Everyone is desperate for a safe place that will not be a crazy meltdown experience, and oftentimes that means calling down to someone’s house,” she says. “Going anywhere else seems unimaginable.” But Rongitsch dreams of a place where anyone can feel safe and comfortable getting a haircut outside the home.
Rongitsch is making plans to open Dignified Beauty in St. Paul, Minnesota. The doors and walkways would have plenty of room for wheelchairs, and textured floors would make it easy for visually impaired people to navigate.
A spa-like atmosphere at Dignified Beauty would be less triggering to people with autism. Loud top-40 hits would be replaced with soft classical music (if anything). Stylists would use quiet hair dryers and soft voices. Fidget toys (解压玩具) and blankets would be on hand to help people stay calm. Safe spaces would be available if anyone felt overwhelmed by sound, smell, or touch.
As for the staff, Rongitsch would look to hire people with “a heart full of love for each individual,” she says. Stylists would learn how to handle customers who don’t like others touching their hair. They would also give every client the same level of dignity, which is particularly important to Rongitsch, who’s seen strangers ignore Maddy. “They’re not sure if it’s a physical disability or mental disability loo, so they will talk to me and not her,” says Rongitsch. “That issue is the biggest with her: just being acknowledged as a person.”
1. What can we know about Rongitsch from the first 3 paragraphs?| A．She has a nine-year-old daughter who uses a wheelchair. |
| B．She sometimes calls on at someone’s house to make haircuts. |
| C．She owns an available Dignified Beauty in St. Paul, Minnesota. |
| D．Her daughter has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism. |
| A．Passionate music. |
| B．Devices for relieving stress. |
| C．Immoderate equipment. |
| D．Thrilling movies with tense plots. |
| A．Positive and selfless. |
| B．Elegant and ambitious. |
| C．Optimistic and devoted. |
| D．Considerate and insightful. |
| A．Rongitsch — A Kindhearted Stylist with Love for Individual |
| B．People with Disabilities Deserve Dignity as Healthy People |
| C．A Salon Accessible to People with Disabilities to Be Opened by a Woman |
| D．Rongitsch and Her disabled Daughters Long for Being Acknowledged as a Person |
【推荐3】One afternoon I was sitting at home feeling so bored. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I wanted to meet people and have new experiences so I decided to start volunteering. I searched on my computer and found a website where I could volunteer on a farm in France.
My time working on a farm was a new experience for me. It was basically a free holiday as food and accommodation were provided. However, it was not my typical holiday as I had to look after fifteen horses and sleep at the top of a tower in a castle! I was an awful farmer but it did not matter because I made some great friends. However, you do not need to go abroad to volunteer. I have had plenty of adventures at home as volunteering can become a hobby. For example, I love singing so I had a good laugh waving my arms in an attempt to conduct my local choir. I did slowly improve and it felt great to conduct the choir in a concert. At university, I organized a concert for charity with my friends. It was really fun finding bands and raising money for a cause we believe in.
It is true that you feel good volunteering but there are also other advantages. I once volunteered as a server at a charity sports event where the organizers gave me cupcakes to thank me for my services. I also volunteered in a charity shop so I found loads of nice cheap clothes to update my wardrobe(衣柜).
While this is all fun, my favorite aspect of volunteering is creating and sharing stories. My terrible attempts at farming have given me hilarious stories to tell! Talking to volunteers from different countries and backgrounds has also helped me learn more about the world. I feel thankful to have had so much fun with many nice people thanks to volunteering.
1. Why did the author want to be volunteer?| A．He felt ashamed of himself. | B．He wanted to taste new life and make friends. |
| C．He wanted to be a farmer. | D．He wanted to go abroad. |
| A．Taking care of sheep. | B．Helping in an Italian farm. |
| C．Helping in a charity shop. | D．Conducting a choir in a sports event. |
| A．Sad. | B．Critical. | C．Awful. | D．Funny. |
| A．Grateful. | B．Anxious. | C．Curious. | D．Cautious. |
