A year ago August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan.His wife, Gerrie, was still working in the local school cafeteria, but work for Dave was scarce, and the price of everything was rising.The Fusses were at risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years.Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift—$7,000,a legacy (遗产) form their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch, who died in an accident .“It really made a difference when we were going under financially.” says Dave.
But the Fusses weren’t the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches.Dozens of other families were touched by the Hatches’ generosity.In some cases, it was a few thousand dollars ; in other, it was more than $100,000.
It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than $3 million—they were an elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm .
Children of the Great Depression, Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving.They thrived on(喜欢)comparison shopping and would routinely go from store to store, checking prices before making a new purchase .
Through the years, the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camp when their parents couldn’t afford it.“Ish and Arlene never asked whether you needed anything,” says their friend Sand Van Weelden, “They could see things they could do to make you happier, and they would do them.
Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches had their farmland distributed.It was the Hatches’ wish that their legacy—a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cents —should enrich the whole community and Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story.
Neighbors helping neighbors ——that was Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story.
1.According go the text, the Fusses_______________.
A.were employed by a truck company |
B.were in financial difficulty |
C.worked in a school cafeteria |
D.lost their home |
2.Which of the following is true of the Hatches?
A.They had their children during the Great Depression. |
B.They left the family farm to live in an old house. |
C.They gave away their possessions to their neighbors. |
D.They helped their neighbors to find jobs. |
3.Why would the Hatches routinely go from store?
A.They decided to open a store. |
B.They wanted to save money. |
C.They couldn’t afford expensive things. |
D.They wanted to buy gifts for local kids. |
4.According to Sand Van Weelden, the Hatches were_________.
A.understanding |
B.optimistic |
C.childlike |
D.curious |
5.What can we learn from the text?
A.The community of Alto was poor. |
B.The summer camp was attractive to the parents. |
C.Sandy Van Weelden got a legacy form the Hatches. |
D.The Hatches would like the neighbors to follow their example. |
We often talk about ourselves as if we have permanent genetic defects (缺陷) that can never be changed.“I’m impatient.” “I’m always behind.” “I always put things 21 !” You’ve surely heard them.Maybe you’ve used them to describe 22 .
These comments may come from stories about us that have been 23 for years—often from 24 childhood.These stories may have no 25 in fact.But they can set low expectations for us.As a child, my mother said to me, “Marshall, you have no mechanical (操作机械的) skills, and you will never have any mechanical skills for the rest of your life.” How did these expectations 26 my development? I was never 27 to work on cars or be around 28 .When I was 18, I took the US Army’s Mechanical Aptitude Test.My scores were in the bottom for the entire nation!
Six years later, 29 , I was at California University, working on my doctor’s degree.One of my professors, Dr.Bob Tannbaum, asked me to write down things I did well and things I couldn’t do.On the positive side, I 30 down, “research, writing, analysis, and speaking.” On the 31 side, I wrote, “I have no mechanical skills.”
Bob asked me how I knew I had no mechanical skills.I explained my life 32 and told him about my 33 performance on the Army test.Bob then asked, “ 34 is it that you can solve 35 mathematical problems, but you can’t solve simple mechanical problems?”
Suddenly I realized that I didn’t 36 from some sort of genetic defect.I was just living out expectations that I had chosen to 37 .At that point, it wasn’t just my family and friends who had been 38 my belief that I was mechanically hopeless.And it wasn’t just the Army test, either.I was the one who kept telling myself, “You can’t do this!” I realized that as long as I kept saying that, it was going to remain true. 39 , if we don’t treat ourselves as if we have incurable genetic defects, we can do well in almost 40 we choose.
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–-- I’m afraid you’d better go to the seaside and enjoy a good holiday.
---I can’t follow your advice, ____, thank you very much.
A.instead |
B.therefore |
C.nevertheless |
D.besides |
Sometimes, the entrance tickets are _____ free of charge from the university.
A.available |
B.valuable |
C.imaginable |
D.accessible |
People are advised to be _____ towards the health concerns of their dear ones while burning firecrackers to celebrate the festival, for they contain harmful chemicals.
A.accessible |
B.aware |
C.cautious |
D.sensitive |
We had planned to finish the work before dark, but the heavy rain _____ us _____.
A.build, up |
B.put, up |
C.bake, up |
D.hold, up |