Suppose you become a leader in an organization. It’s very likely that you’ll want to have volunteers to help with the organization’s activities. To do so, it should help to understand why people undertake volunteer work and what keeps their interest in the work.
Let’s begin with the question of why people volunteer. Researchers have identified several factors that motivate people to get involved. For example, people volunteer to express personal values related to unselfishness, to expand their range of experiences, and to strengthen social relationships. If volunteer positions do not meet these needs, people may not wish to participate. To select volunteers, you may need to understand the motivations of the people you wish to attract.
People also volunteer because they are required to do so. To increase levels of community service, some schools have launched compulsory volunteer programs. Unfortunately, these programs can shift people’s wish of participation from an internal factor (e.g. “I volunteer because it’s important to me”) to an external factor (e.g. “I volunteer because I’m required to do so”). When that happens, people become less likely to volunteer in the future. People must be sensitive to this possibility when they make volunteer activities a must.
Once people begin to volunteer, what leads them to remain in their positions over time? To answer this question, researchers have conducted follow-up studies in which they track volunteers over time. For instance, one study followed 238 volunteers in Florida over a year. One of the most important factors that influenced their satisfaction as volunteers was the amount of suffering they experienced in their volunteer positions. Although this result may not surprise you, it leads to important practical advice. The researchers note that attention should be given to “training methods that would prepare volunteers for troublesome situations or provide them with strategies for coping with the problem they do experience”.
Another study of 302 volunteers at hospitals in Chicago focused on individual differences in the degree to which people view “volunteer” as an important social role. It was assumed that those people for whom the role of volunteer was most part of their personal identity would also be most likely to continue volunteer work. Participants indicated the degree to which the social role mattered by responding to statements such as “Volunteering in Hospital is an important part of who I am.” Consistent with the researchers’ expectations, they found a positive correlation(正相关) between the strength of role identity and the length of time people continued to volunteer. These results, once again, lead to concrete advice: “Once an individual begins volunteering, continued efforts might focus on developing a volunteer role identity....Items like T-shirts that allow volunteers to be recognized publicly for their contributions can help strengthen role identity”.
1.People volunteer mainly out of __________.
A.academic requirements B.social expectations
C.financial rewards D.internal needs
2.What can we learn from the Florida study?
A.Follow-up studies should last for one year. B.Volunteers should get mentally prepared.
C.Strategy training is a must in research. D.Volunteers are provided with concrete advice.
3.What is most likely to motivate volunteers to continue their work?
A.Individual differences in role identity. B.Publicly identifiable volunteer T-shirts.
C.Role identity as a volunteer. D.Practical advice from researchers.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A.How to Get People to Volunteer B.How to Study Volunteer Behaviors
C.How to Keep Volunteers’ Interest D.How to Organize Volunteer Activities
Empathy (同理心)is one of those strange qualities—something almost everyone wants, but few know how to truly give or receive it. In a world where self-satisfaction is emphasized, it is in short supply but high demand. This is all the more reason to teach the next generation what it means to have empathy for those around them.
What Is Empathy?— Many people confuse sympathy and empathy, but they are two distinct values. Empathy is not just the ability to understand someone's feelings; criminals often take advantage of people by appearing to understand their feelings and subsequently gaining their trust. Empathy is more than that. Not only is it the ability to recognize how someone feels, but it also values and respects the feelings of another person. It means treating others with kindness, dignity, and understanding.
Kids Need To See Adults Show Empathy—While some children are gifted with naturally kind hearts, in most cases kids need to see empathy modeled by the adults around them. It begins with the way parents relate to their children. Parents who show an interest in the things that matter to their kids and respond to emotions in a positive and caring way are teaching the skill of empathy.
Meet Emotional Needs—When children have their emotional needs met, two things happen. They learn how to meet the emotional needs of others and they are anchored in what they are receiving, meaning that they are secure enough to give to others when the need arises but first they need to receive. An empty jug cannot fill a cup.
It's a good idea to talk to kids about emotions and how other people experience them. Give their emotions names (for example, jealousy, anger, and love) and teach them that these are normal. Talk to them about how to handle emotions in a positive way and point out situations where other people are experiencing emotions. Teach them about respecting the emotions of others and show them how to act in a situation where a response is required.
1.Why is it that the next generation are taught to have empathy?
A.Because people tend to center themselves. B.Because everyone lacks empathy.
C.Because empathy is a strange quality. D.Because it's better to give than to receive.
2.Which situation can empathy be used in?
A.When a mathematician is calculating the area of a farmland.
B.When a teacher is comforting a student about his failure in exams.
C.When a criminal is cheating a victim.
D.When a dancer is dancing to music.
3.What does the underlined sentence "An empty jug cannot fill a cup" mean?
A.An empty jug is too small to hold a cup.
B.It's a must to talk to kids about emotions.
C.Adults should set an example to kids.
D.Kids give empathy with their emotional needs met first.
4.What is the main topic of the passage?
A.How to train kids to have empathy.
B.How to distinguish sympathy and empathy.
C.How to help kids finish empathy-related tasks.
D.Whether kids can be trained to be more empathetic.
When I was a kid, I was the girl who kept the training wheels on my bike as long as possible. Even my younger sister had got rid of them much earlier than me. But as I began to grow older, this changed.
All this happened on the Bike Safety Day. It is supposed to be a fun day at school when all of us kids bring our bikes to school and the school provides us with the opportunity to ride outside and learn proper bike safety. Sounds like fun, right? No. In fact, it caused me to panic. What was I going to say when my friends asked me about my training wheels?
With the pressure of everyone seeing my training wheels, I determined to let them go. This was the first big change I’d ever made on my own.
I went to my parents and told them all about my dilemma. They were more than happy to help. We went outside and got my bike. Instead of running away and hiding behind, I stood in front of my bike and took great pride in my decision as my dad removed the training wheels.
I got on and steadied myself. My heart raced but my feet and hands were calm. My dad started to push before my feet even moved and suddenly I was off. The fear faded away and a relaxed mind came into its place. It was crazy to think how quickly I learned something that took so long for me to even try!
My confidence soared. This was going to be the start of a brand new world for me. My accomplishment would carry me forth to new goals and wins. I realized that if I set my mind to something, I could achieve it.
1.What does the school expect the students to do on Bike Safety Day?
A.Have their bikes checked. B.Ride outside for fun.
C.Acquire bike safety skills. D.Remove the training wheels.
2.What does the underlined word "them'’(in Paragraph 3)refer to?
A.The author's friends. B.The author's parents.
C.The safety problems. D.The training wheels.
3.What happened when the author finally rode without the training wheels?
A.She felt extremely embarrassed. B.Everything turned out to be easy.
C.She ended up flat on the ground. D.Her sisters followed her example.
4.What does the author think is necessary for her to achieve a goal?
A.Patience. B.Determination. C.Pressure. D.Concentration.
Bright Side did some research on many places throughout the world where you can buy a house for 1 dollar or for free!
Roubaix, France
If you like France, Roubaix located in the north of France is just for you. The local authorities want it to be populated and attractive. You can buy a small house in the industrial district for just $1. The buyer is supposed to live in this house for 3 years.
Buffalo. USA
Buffalo offers whoever qualifies to buy a house for $1. All you need is to be a lawful citizen of the city and invest amount of money into its decoration. Doing this, the authorities are hoping to make the city beautiful again without spending money.
Liverpool, Great Britain
In Liverpool, most of houses were abandoned (遗弃）by the working class during the years of unemployment. The government is trying to sell the houses for just $1. If you want to buy such a house, it has to be your first deal on buying property（房产）.
Candela, Italy
If you still have any doubts about spending $1 on a house, you should know: the government will pay you some money, if you move to Candela. In order to be paid, you need to become a permanent（永久的）citizen and have an income of $7500 per year. If moving alone, you will get $800, and if you are going with your family, the pay can be four times as much as only one person.
For more information of other cities, please Click Here.
1.Why do the authorities of Buffalo provide a house for people with 1$?
A.To improve the lives of poor people.
B.To make the city attractive at no cost.
C.To solve the problems of employment.
D.To attract people to the industrial areas.
2.What is required to buy a house for 1 dollar in Liverpool?
A.You need to be an unemployed citizen.
B.You should live in the house for 3 years.
C.It must be your first house purchase.
D.You have to repair and decorate the house.
3.How much money can you get if moving to Candela with a whole family?
A.$3200 B.$9600
C.$800 D.$7500
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Where can one probably see a spider?
A.23,000 feet above sea level.
B.2,200 feet below the earth's surface.
C.On Mount Qomolangma.
2.What can we conclude from the talk?
A.Spiders deserve more respect of us.
B.Spiders are dying out of the earth.
C.People should raise spiders to destroy insects.
3.Why would human life be in danger if there's no spider?
A.Because spiders catch and eat insects.
B.Because spiders can protect our environment.
C.Because spiders can help reduce air pollution.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How many credits should the man get for a master degree in education?
A.15. B.30. C.45.
2.Why does the man want a lighter program at the beginning?
A.Because he doesn't want to fail any classes.
B.Because he wants to have time for social experience.
C.Because he doesn't need to take more courses.
3.What do we know about the man?
A.He has got a Bachelor of Science.
B.He can get 3.5 credits for each course.
C.He has taken English Literature.
