【推荐1】Charities

These days there are thousands of charities around the world and it is possible to donate money to help people, animals and places.

Mencap is a charity which is dedicated to fighting against discrimination towards those people who suffer from any kind of learning disability. Most of Mencap’s work is campaigning. People with learning disabilities are disadvantaged because of discrimination and lack of funding for community care. Mencap raises awareness by working at local, national and European levels to deal with those issues that affect people with disabilities. It also provides services of education, housing and employment as well as support and advice for families and carers of sufferers.

EveryChild is a relatively new charity which was created in 1983. EveryChild identifies the needs of a particular community and then sets up projects to ensure that children in these communities have basic rights such as healthcare, education, social services and community development. EveryChild sets up the projects so that they are self running. The organization then moves on to new projects, leaving things in the hands of locals.

The RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is the first organization dedicated to the well-being of animals anywhere in the world. The RSPCA was set up in London in 1824. At this time it was considered strange that people should care about cruelty to animals. In 1840 Queen Victoria gave the organization permission to be called a royal society: The RSPCA. These days there are almost two hundred branches in the UK.

The TBG (Tidy Britain Group) is an independent national charity fighting to improve the quality of the local environment. They aim to get everyone involved in doing their bit to keep Britain clean. The work of the TBG is done mainly through campaigning. Volunteers work closely with governments and businesses to organize educational programmes designed to raise awareness of the problems. The TBG’s sister organization, Going for Green, concentrates on pollution issues. The two groups have the same chief executive.

1. What’s the main purpose of Mencap?

A．To improve community care.	B．To provide educational services.
C．To help people with learning disabilities.	D．To fight against and kind of discrimination.

2. What was Queen Victoria’s attitude towards the SPCA?

A．Disapproving.

B．Doubtful.

C．Worried.

D．Approving.

3. Going for Green shares a similar object with ________.

A．Mencap

B．EveryChild.

C．the RSPCA

D．the TBG

【推荐2】“You can use me as a last resort(选择), and if nobody else volunteers，then I will do it.” This was an actual reply from a parent after I put out a request for volunteers for my kids lacrosse(长曲棍球)club.

I guess that there's probably some demanding work schedule, or social anxiety around stepping up to help for an unknown sport. She may just need a little persuading. So I try again and tug at the heartstrings. I mention the single parent with four kids running the show and I talk about the dad coaching a team that his kids aren’t even on … At this point the unwilling parent speaks up,“Alright. Yes, I’ll do it.”

I’m secretly relieved because I know there’s real power in sharing volunteer responsibilities among many. The unwilling parent organizes the meal schedule, sends out emails, and collects money for end-of-season gifts. Somewhere along the way, the same parent ends up becoming an invaluable member of the team. The coach is able to focus on the kids while the other parents are relieved to be off the hook for another season. Handing out sliced oranges to bloodthirsty kids can be as exciting as watching your own kid score a goal.

Still, most of us volunteers breathe a sigh of relief when the season comes to a close. That relief is coupled with a deep understanding of why the same people keep coming back for more: Connecting to the community(社区)as you freely give your time, money, skills, or services provides a real joy. Volunteering just feels so good.

In that sense, I’m pretty sure volunteering is more of a selfish act than I’d freely like to admit. However, if others benefit in the process, and I get some reward too, does it really matter where my motivation lies?

1. What does the underlined phrase“tug at the heartstrings”in paragraph 2 mean ?

A．Encourage team work.

B．Appeal to feeling.

C．Promote good deeds.

D．Provide advice.