8 . One day in Bronx, a first-grade teacher sat down in a barbershop for a trim (修剪) and one of his students walked in, sat down and started looking antsy. He thought to himself that it was a perfect opportunity to practice reading, a thought that changed Alvin Irby’s life, and he’s filling many barbershops around the US with free books to decrease childhood illiteracy (文盲). His non-profit, Barbershop Books, has delivered 50,000 free books to more than 200 barbershops in major black neighborhoods in 24 states, revealing the fact that in Black American communities, barbershops are like community centers where people get together naturally.
Irby’s program may seem straightforward, but there’s a lot of thought behind it. He puts a colorful, kid-sized bookshelf in each shop, making it inviting to children. The books displayed are all carefully chosen based on recommendations from his target audience. The bookshelves display the covers of the books, helping kids who may be interested in reading seize the opportunity for themselves, whether they’re in the barber’s chair or they’re waiting on their dad or friend. And, Irby involves the barbers in his mission—training them to engage kids about reading. “We want them to encourage kids to use the reading spaces,” he said. “Then they can talk to them about how they like reading, how funny a book was, or tell them about another book another kid was reading.”
Denny Moe was the first barber to work with Irby. Moe had previously offered video games at his Harlem shop, to bring in extra income, but he was willing to abandon that to help the community. “I decided to pay it forward by getting rid of the video games, putting books in here, just to get the kids’ minds going” he said. “I want to make an impact.”
“These books, I would say, have power,” 8-year-old boy Chance said. That’s what keeps Irby motivated. “I’m just excited that we get to create a safe space for boys to do something that’s really life changing, “he said. “That’s what I really believe reading is. It unlocks potential.”
1. Why is Irby’s program appealing to children?
| A．It stimulates children’s efforts. | B．It guarantees children’s security. |
| C．It responds to children’s requests. | D．It caters to children’s preferences. |
2. What made Denny Moe the first barber to cooperate with Irby?
| A．His desire to make a big fortune. |
| B．His ambition to make a difference. |
| C．His hope of meeting business demands. |
| D．His motive for attracting more customers. |
3. Why does the author mention Chance in the last paragraph?
| A．To prove Irby’s efforts successful. |
| B．To stress great importance of books. |
| C．To show human unlimited potential. |
| D．To urge children to read more books. |
4. What is the real meaning of Irby’s act of kindness?
| A．Reading can change children’s life. |
| B．Hairdressers can earn more money. |
| C．Children are completely independent. |
| D．Barbershops are good gathering places. |
