On the night of December 8, 1992, when he was standing in a parking lot talking to friends, Tracy March jumped to the top of a car, as he had done a hundred times before. This time, though, Tracy lost his balance. His head struck the ground, hard.
All night, Cory, Tracy’s mother, stood next to her son, who was lying in a hospital bed, his brown eyes fixed in a lifeless stare. She remembered that Tracy had once mentioned organ donation. Maybe I can spare another family this pain, she thought. When the time came, she and her husband Bill signed the forms permitting his organs to be donated.
Tracy was declared dead the next day. Twenty-four hours later, in a Boston hospital, Tracy’s liver was made part of my husband, David, who was suffering from a hopeless liver disease.
Months later, we learned from the local organ bank that the donor’s parents wished desperately to meet someone who had gained life through the gift from their son. A meeting was arranged by the organ bank to bring together two families linked by the most bittersweet ties imaginable.
The meeting was risky, but worth it. We talked for 3 hours. They showed us a picture of Tracy. We learned how he had lived and died. We learned something about Bill and Cory too.
For the Marches, seeing David and knowing he was well seemed to ease their suffering. I’ll never forget seeing David’s tall figure stopped over Cory, her arms around his waist, as a mother would hug a son. For a long time they held each other tight. It was hard to know if she was saying hello or good-bye. Maybe she was saying both.
1. We learn from the passage that Tracy died _______.| A．of brain damage | B．on December 8, 1992 |
| C．24 hours after he fell off the roof of a car | D．in a car crash |
| A．Tracy told them to do so just before he died |
| B．they wanted to save others the pain of seeing dear one die |
| C．David’s life could continue in a meaningful way |
| D．they knew David was suffering from a hopeless liver disease |
| A．they saw that David looked very much like their son |
| B．they now knew for sure they had done the right thing |
| C．they now had someone to share their memories of Tracy |
| D．they saw that David had regained health with Tracy’s liver |
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【推荐1】Have you ever found yourself waiting at the stop for your bus to arrive and have a stranger ask a commonplace (普通的) question? Or have you stood in line waiting for a coffee and feel the need to just look over to the person next to you and ask about the weather?
This is small talk, and despite the name, it’s actually a big part of daily life.
“Small talk may seem trivial (微不足道的), but it’s a natural way for people to connect. It may seem like a waste of time. But it serves a vital role in our social interactions (交往). Big relationships are built on small talk,” Lindy Pegler, who has a master’s degree in psychology, wrote on Medium.
In fact, we spend a lot of our time making small talk. Often, we find ourselves making small talk with the same people on a regular basis. Coming up with small conversations is the foundation (基础) of these relationships.
The benefits of such conversations can actually contribute to our happiness and benefit our lives as a whole. In a study cited by The New York Times, researchers found that having a healthy number of acquaintances (相识的人) and maintaining these relationships contribute to one’s sense of belonging to a community.
So how does one start making small talk? It can be as simple as complimenting (称赞) one’s shirt, asking about their day or commenting on the traffic. “First and foremost, small talk is an act of politeness,” Pegler noted. “Our small talk at our first meeting is our chance to show who we are,” she added.
Who knows where this can lead? Nowadays, the small connections we make can lead to big results. You might find someone who has a common interest, or maybe even someone who turns out to be a close friend. There is one thing for sure: making small talk can brighten our day – even if it’s just a nice comment or a thoughtful question.
So the next time you find yourself waiting for the bus or checking your watch while you wait in a line, take the opportunity to look up and talk to someone around you. After all, it takes a small connection to lead to a larger one.
1. What does the writer intend to do by asking questions in paragraph one?| A．To show his confusion on the theme | B．To argue over the seriousness of talking |
| C．To attach importance to talking | D．To lead to the topic of the passage |
| A．It is a pointless conversation. | B．It wastes too much time. |
| C．It is connected with your social status. | D．It contributes to good relationships. |
| A．They help people develop communication skills. |
| B．They bring people happiness and a sense of belonging. |
| C．They allow people to improve their manners. |
| D．They help people find out who they are. |
| A．Start with casual topics | B．Start with serious topics |
| C．Make it important and deep. | D．Choose pleasant surroundings. |
【推荐2】Wanting to be more responsible is admirable. Being responsible can seem hard at first, but if you keep at it, it will become second nature to you! Below are some tips on how to become responsible.
Place others’ needs before your own. When you have a family, friends, or pets, being responsible may mean placing their needs above your own. That doesn’t mean you don’t take care of yourself.
Learn to think about other people’s thoughts and feelings. Empathy is feeling what other people feel. When you say something or do something, think about how it will make the other person feel. If you’re not sure, consider how it would make you feel.
Make a schedule to plan your time. Whether you have a daily planner or use a phone app, a schedule helps you stay on top of your responsibilities. It reminds you of what you need to be doing.
Keep your long-term commitments. When something is fun and new, it’s easy to be committed to it.
| A．Your personal feelings aren’t an issue. |
| B．Take care of your tasks before having fun. |
| C．Pick a few goals that you want to achieve. |
| D．In addition, it shows you where you’ re spending your time. |
| E．However, it becomes a little more difficult when the novelty wears off. |
| F．If it would make you feel bad, reconsider what you were thinking about doing or saying. |
| G．It does mean you may need to take care of yourself later if someone you love has a need now. |
【推荐3】What makes a person a giver or a taker? The idea of "give vs. take" takes shape in all interactions (互动)and relationships of our lives. We're either giving advice, making time for people, or we're on the receiving end. We keep changing between the two based on different situations on a daily basis, if not an hourly one.
According to Adam Grant, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, most people are matchers. They make careful observations on takers and make it a point for them to pay something back. They hate to see people who act so generously towards others not receive any rewards. Actually, most matchers will try hard to improve and support givers so that they can get the good they deserve.
Is there a gender factor (性别因素) that plays a part in this?
A study led by Hannah Riley Bowles, a professor at Harvard University, focused on this question. She asked 200 senior managers to sit down in pairs where one person would act as the boss and the other as an employee to discuss salary rise. Male "employees" asked for an average salary of $146 k while the females asked for only $141 k. But why did they not bargain as hard as the men? Simply because they were more likely to be givers.
As a woman, I do enjoy the act of giving up my time, my knowledge, and my care and attention to others. I expect anything in return, but I do tend to pull myself away when I feel like I'm being taken for granted(被认为当然). I also tend to get upset when I see a loved one's continuous actions of kindness go unnoticed. So, it's safe to say I'm 50% giver, 35% matcher and 15% taker.
I do know someone, however, who is 99% giver. They're continually devoting their time, sharing valuable insights (见解) and going out of their way for everyone who crosses their path. Although they've changed the lives of many people, they hardly see any of it returned. But the universe is slowly repaying them; they're now extremely successful, well known for what they do.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Most people think they are givers. |
| B．People are not always givers or takers. |
| C．An individual is born to be a giver or a taker. |
| D．Few differences exist between givers and takers. |
| A．Most people hate takers. |
| B．Most people prefer giving to taking. |
| C．Most people enjoy relying on themselves. |
| D．Most people balance giving and taking. |
| A．The role of giving and taking in jobs. |
| B．The gender difference in giving and taking. |
| C．The role of men and women in society. |
| D．The salary difference between women and men. |
| A．Giving is the shortest path to success. | B．Sharing is the greatest human quality. |
| C．No good deed goes undone. | D．Givers are worth respecting. |
