David Gill might be the richest man in Sebastopol, California. The semi-retired health care administrator is banking the most valuable currency in the world：Time. Gill currently has 480 hours in his savings account at the local time bank.
In brief, a time bank does with time what other banks do with money: It stores and trades it. “Time banking means that for every hour you give to your community, you receive an hour credit,” explains Krista Wyatt, executive director of the nonprofit TimeBanks.
In Sebastopol, 250 residents have time bank accounts where they save and withdraw hours as needed. For instance, Gill, who is also the main local time bank coordinator, likes to offer his expertise with computer programming, editing and financial planning. In return, he asks for help when he needs a ride to the airport or someone to transport heavy furniture. The time banks are building social capital (资金). “I’ve made wonderful friends I wouldn’t have met otherwise and we now invite each other to our garden parties,” says Gill. “It’s about making community and being a part of the community. You can’t put a price on that stuff.”
Some cities look to time banks as a model to support an aging population. In St. Gallen, Switzerland, only members over the age of 50 may join the local time bank Stiftung Zeitvorsorge. While Sebastopol’s time bank is more geared toward practical services to fill a gap other community services don’t address, members in St. Gallen regularly help seniors run errands, shop for groceries, take them to the doctor or simply keep them company. “Even if only five people were enabled to enter care homes a year later,” the foundation’s executive director Jurg Weibel recently told the German magazine Der Spiegel, “the investment would have already recovered itself.” “The reality is that grown-up kids live in other areas,” Weibel said. “Also, many seniors are consciously looking for a new purpose.”
1. Why does the author mention David Gill in paragraph 1?| A．To announce the news. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To show his richness. | D．To present his new job. |
| A．A manager who devotes his time to the company. |
| B．A teacher who spends time instructing his students. |
| C．A doctor who offers free advice to seniors in a community. |
| D．A police officer who bravely saves a kid in a fighting. |
| A．Positive. | B．Ambiguous. | C．Objective. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Anyone can join the local time bank Stiftung Zeitvorsorge. |
| B．Members in St. Gallen can offer mental support to seniors. |
| C．One can make a fortune through the investment in time banks. |
| D．Seniors in St. Gallen are unwilling to live with their children. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】
Life has not been easy for three-year-old Leah, living in East Africa. Unable to see, every morning she sits on an old car tyre, hearing the sounds of her brother and cousins going to school. She feels left out and alone.
Leah's mother is heartbroken that her daughter is needlessly blind. The surgery to restore sight can take just 45 minutes, but many families in low-income countries cannot afford the £ 95 for surgery.
You can change that with a gift to CBM today. £ 95 could fund eye surgery for not one but two children like Leah. That's because every pound you give will have double the impact — you could fund twice as much equipment and medical supplies, medication and a skilled surgeon's time, as well as any follow-up care, including eye drops and glasses.
You can call 0800 567 7000 to make your donation today, or visit our website seetheway.org.
1. How much money will your £10 donation turn into?| A．£ 10 | B．£ 20 | C．£ 45 | D．£ 95 |
| A．Follow-up care | B．Medical supplies |
| C．Reliable surgeries | D．Chances of schooling |
| A．By visiting the website seetheway.org |
| B．By contacting the UK government officials |
| C．By calling 08005677000 on 13rd May 2020 |
| D．By booking a skilled surgeon's time for Leah online |
【推荐2】Many students are involved in social practice besides study. On Monday, April 17, 2017, a unique partnership between Saint Agatha and Phalanx Family Services began. Saint Agatha is a primary school and day care program. Phalanx Family Services is a full-service, nonprofit （非盈利的）organization offering various programming for in-need families living in Chicago.
Thirteen in-school youths, between the ages of 16~18, started training as young reporters in an eight-week camp organized by the two organizations. The program is designed to teach them how to become city reporters. After completing the program successfully, they will receive a job reporting for one of nine online news about the project.
The very thought of 13 youths’ improving reading and writing levels and hunting for career opportunities in journalism（新闻业）is exciting! Imagine, Chicago youths report positive and inspiring stories about the happenings around Chicago’s black and brown communities, which are much better than frightening stories coming from local and national medium.
I admire Saint Agatha and Phalanx Family Services for training youths in a needed skill set. As I see it, technology has harmed youths’ reading and writing abilities. My father often says, “Youth is wasted on the young.” It sounds like the wisdom of the old. But Saint Agatha offers training and the opportunity for youths to take an active part in reporting the happenings and events they experience day to day in order to prove students don’t waste youth.
1. What is the main purpose of the eight-week camp?| A．To improve students’ interest in study. |
| B．To help students become more independent. |
| C．To teach youths how to become city reporters. |
| D．To let youths know about their local culture and customs. |
| A．What our father said is right. |
| B．Youth is not wasted by students. |
| C．Technology harms youths’ reading and writing abilities. |
| D．Technology provides the youth with more opportunities. |
| A．Youth is wasted on the young | B．Reporting the happenings and events |
| C．Youth | D．Technology |
| A．The history of the city is mainly recorded by youths. |
| B．Phalanx Family Services is aiming to make money. |
| C．The author is in favor of the eight-week camp. |
| D．The thirteen in-school youths refused the program. |
【推荐3】LaKeicee was trying to plan a party, but Jaxson hadn’t made up his mind on how he wanted to celebrate. “Tell me what you want to do for your birthday,” LaKeicee said as his son’s birthday approached. She remembered her son looking at her for a moment before saying, “Let’s feed the homeless.” She thought he meant that he wanted to donate cans, or spend a day volunteering at a soup kitchen. But Jaxson had something bigger in mind.
“They need a full Easter meal like we do,” he said. LaKeicee asked him how many people he wanted to feed. “As many as possible,” Jaxson replied. “That’s how it all began,” LaKeicee recalled. “He’s been going ever since.”
Jaxson Turner, now 13, is the founder of his own charity—N2Y2C, a nonprofit he has been running with his mother’s help for three years. He has four main projects: feeding the homeless, domestic violence awareness, back to school supplies for classmates in need, and a Christmas project in partnership with Samaritan Inn.
Jaxson’s inspiration came from seeing people on corners begging for food. He saw it throughout the city and realized that people in need were everywhere. He also grew up cooking with his mother, who made a big Sunday dinner every week, and he wanted to give that experience to other people.
Jaxson raised money through grassroots efforts like lemonade stands and GoFundMe pages. Some of it was used to buy school supplies for over 100 kids a year, and some was used for a Christmas party he threw for the kids staying at Samaritan Inn, a homeless shelter in McKinney.
In total, he has raised $72,444 for N2Y2C project. N2Y2C doesn’t have a website, but it’s coming. Most of the words are spread over social media, but Jaxson has big plans for the future. As LaKeicee says, there’s always someone out there who needs help, and she is honored to help her son do it.
1. What did Jaxson want for his 10th birthday?| A．Holding a party |
| B．Supplying the homeless with food |
| C．Donating cans |
| D．Volunteering at a soup kitchen |
| A．The desire to care for the beggars |
| B．The need to set up a website |
| C．The demand for raising money |
| D．The thirst for partners |
| A．It makes great profits |
| B．It is intended for stay-at-home children |
| C．It turns out to be a success |
| D．It gains popularity among the young |
| A．Hard Work Pays Off |
| B．Never Too Young to Care |
| C．One Good Turn Deserves Another |
| D．A Good Heart Is Better Than a Noble Position |
【推荐1】It is interesting when you think about how Japan is a nation that appreciates the virtues of silence and good manners, and yet when it comes to eating noodles, Japanese people can be the loudest in the world.
According to lifestyle website grapee.jp, slurping (发出“哧溜”声) when eating noodles is encouraged in Japanese culture. It is believed that taking air into your mouth can enhance the flavor of the noodles, and that it helps cool down the noodles. It is also considered to be a way to show appreciation for the dish. Sometimes, just making the noise alone seems to make the noodles more enjoyable.
It was not until a new expression “noodle harassment (骚扰)” ,or “hu-hara” in Japanese - came out last year on social media that Japanese people started to realize that the slurping noise is making some foreign visitors uncomfortable.
As a response, Japanese instant noodle maker Nissin introduced a so-called noise-canceling fork last month. The fork, which looks like an electric toothbrush, is connected wirelessly to a smartphone. When the person using the fork starts to slurp, the fork sends a signal to the person’s phone, making it play a sound to mask the slurping noise. “The fork is a solution to the ‘noodle harassment’ issue, particularly as the number of tourists visiting Japan increases,” said the company, according to Euro News.
But is it really necessary?
Dining traditions do vary. What is considered to be proper table manners in one country is likely to be seen as rude in another. (In India, for example people eat with their hands because they think in this way they build a connection with the food. However, people who are used to eating with utensils might find it uncomfortable to get their hands covered in oil and bits of food. But this eating method is part of India’s culture, just like Japan’s slurping. It is common and an everyday part of the nation’s culture.
“So, if you are eating noodles, whether that is ramen, udon, or soba, please slurp,” wrote reporter Brian Ashcraft on blog Kotaku. “If anyone gets annoyed while you are doing that, pay them no mind because they are missing the point entirely.”
1. Which of the following is NOT a reason for Japanese people to slurp when eating noodles?| A．Slurping can make the noodles seem more delicious. |
| B．Slurping can make the dining experience more pleasant. |
| C．Slurping shows thanks for the noodles. |
| D．Slurping can keep the noodles warm in their mouth. |
| A．introduced a special fork |
| B．designed an app to remind people not to slurp |
| C．improved their noodle products |
| D．advised playing music to mask the slurping sound |
| A．give an example of different dining traditions |
| B．show a more annoying eating habit than slurping |
| C．compare Indian and Japanese table manners |
| D．criticize the outdated tradition there |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Embarrassed. | C．Shocked | D．Supportive. |
【推荐2】How many bicycles do you need in your life? For 67-year-old Chai Lin, the answer is 1,300 and counting.
Chai s passion for bicycles dates back to the 1960s when he saw some people riding the two-wheeled vehicle in his home city of Lanzhou, capital of north-west China’s Gansu Province. However, in that era, a bicycle was still a luxury for ordinary Chinese. To get enough money sooner, Chai made use of his talent in calligraphy and painting — a skill he started to learn from six years old — by selling artworks on the street. Thanks to all the efforts and “crowd-funding” in his family, Chai got his first bike in 1980.
After becoming a businessman years later and earning enough to buy fancy motorbikes and cars, Chai’s passion for bikes, however, didn’t dwindle at all. He began to collect bikes of various brands and ages, especially antiques, from around the world through auctions and other ways.
After 10 years’ efforts, the Gansu Sanmu Bicycle Museum, located in Chengguan District of Lanzhou, finally opened to the public in January 2019 free of charge.
The museum has been designated as an off-campus research centre for local primary and middle school students and is also popular with tourists. In the first half of this year alone, it received more than 900,000 tourists. Due to limited space, a large part of Chai’s collection is not yet exhibited and has to be stored in the warehouse, driving him to improve the museum.
“Bikes carry unique and precious memories of our generation. I hope to expand the scale of the displaying area of the museum and provide a comfortable ‘home’ for my bikes,” he said.
1. What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?| A．Chai has a talent for calligraphy and painting. |
| B．Chai has a unique love for bicycles more than others. |
| C．Chai knew the skill of life when he was very young. |
| D．Chai managed to get his first bicycle through all efforts. |
| A．Decrease. | B．Exist. |
| C．Strengthen. | D．Develop. |
| A．By giving data. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By the order of time. | D．By comparison with others. |
| A．Chai will make more speeches in various occasions. |
| B．Chai’s Bicycle Museum will be open to visitors from the world. |
| C．Chai will expand the museum to treasure the memory of bikes. |
| D．Chai’s Bicycle Museum will display all collections in the warehouse. |
【推荐3】Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) will soon test a new oven for making chocolate chip cookies. A spaceship carrying the cooking equipment and other supplies was launched on Saturday from the Wallops Flight Facility in the United States. The shipment, weighing 3,700 kilograms, reached the space station on Monday. The goal is to explore the possibility of making freshly baked cookies for space travelers.
American company Nanoracks designed and built the oven and helped with organizing the flight to the space station. Hilton Double Tree hotels supplied the cookie dough (生面团) the astronauts will use.
In the past, space station crews have created their own pizzas using a thin, fiat piece of bread known as flatbread. Astronauts have tried other creative ways to make food, such as creating salads from vegetables grown in the space station. Results have been mixed.
The cookie baking will be a slow process. The oven can heat just one cookie at a time. The test could take weeks before the astronauts have chance to try out freshly baked cookies.
Five unbaked cookies have been in a space station freezer for several weeks. Each is in its own individual clear bag made out of silicone. The oven can heat foods to temperatures as high as 177°C. That is twice the temperature of the U.S. and Russian food warmers on the space station. The oven uses electric heating elements.
Mary Murphy is with Nanoracks. Murphy says she expects a baking time of 15 to 20 minutes for each cookie when the oven is heated to about 163°C. She adds that the smell of baking cookies should fill the space station each time a cookie comes out of the oven.
The oven’s first use will be the real test. Without the force of gravity, the astronauts do not know exactly how the cookie will look. Three of the space-baked cookies are to be returned to Earth for testing.
1. Why were the cooking equipment and other supplies sent to ISS?| A．To promote the products from Hilton Double Tree hotels. |
| B．To find possible ways to make freshly baked cookies there. |
| C．To test the equipment’s cooking efficiency for of baking cookies. |
| D．To discover the potential of making bread by using a special dough. |
| A．They must be heated to over 177℃. |
| B．They were no different from those on the earth. |
| C．All the foods were brought with them from the earth. |
| D．Not all the planting experiments on ISS were successful. |
| A．Environmental-friendly. | B．Energy-efficient. |
| C．Far-reaching. | D．Time-consuming. |
| A．A newly-invented cooker is widely used on ISS. |
| B．A new oven is to be tested to make cookies on ISS. |
| C．Dessert-lovers will soon enjoy cookies coming from ISS. |
| D．Astronauts have found creative ways to make food on ISS. |
