Why I Don’t Spare “Spare Change”
“Poor but honest. ” “The deserving poor.” These words always come to my mind when I think of “the poor”. But I also think of people who, perhaps through alcohol or drugs, have ruined not only their own lives but also the lives of others in order to give way to their own pleasure. Perhaps alcoholism and drug addiction really are “diseases”, as many people say, but my own feeling－ based, of course, not on any serious study－is that most alcoholics and drug addicts belong to the “undeserving poor”. And that is largely why I don’t give spare change to beggars.
But surely among the street people there are also some who can rightly be called “deserving”. Deserving what? My spare change? Or simply the government’s assistance? It happens that I have been brought up to believe that it is proper to make contributions to charity（慈善机构）, but if I give some change to a beggar, am I making a contribution to charity and thereby helping someone, or, am I perhaps simply encouraging someone not to get help? Or, maybe even worse, am I supporting a cheat?
If one believes in the value of private charity, one can either give to needy people or to charitable organizations. In giving to a beggar one may indeed be helping a person who badly needs help, but one cannot be certain that one is giving to a needy person. In giving to an organization, on the other hand, one can feel that one’s money is likely to be used wisely. True, facing a beggar one may feel that this particular unfortunate person needs help at this moment－a cup of coffee or a sandwich－and the need will not be met unless I put my hand in my pocket right now. But I have come to think that the beggars whom I meet can get along without my spare change, and indeed perhaps they are actually better off for not having money to buy alcohol or drugs.
I know nothing about these beggars, but it’s my impression that they simply prefer begging to working. I am not generalizing about street people. I am talking about the people whom I actually meet. That’s why I do not give “spare change”, and I don’t think I will in the future.
53. What does the author think of beggars who take drugs?
A. They should be given a check-up. B. They really need money to live.
C. They have no pleasure in life. D. They are not worth helping.
54. Why doesn’t the author give money to street people?
A. He doesn’t think they need help.
B. He doesn’t have enough money to give.
C. He is not convinced they will use it rightly.
D. He believes they can get help from the government.
55. In the second paragraph, the author presents his idea by_____.
A. asking questions for people to think about B. giving examples to support his argument
C. raising questions and answering them D. expressing his opinions directly
56. Which of the following opinions does the author accept?
A. Drug addiction is a disease.
B. Some street people are poor and needy.
C. Most beggars have received enough help.
D. Charitable organizations handle money properly.
阅读快车系列答案科目：高中英语 来源：2011-2012学年度江苏省石庄高级中学高一第二次月考英语卷 题型：阅读理解
A thief entered the bedroom of the 30th President of the United States, who met him and helped him escape punishment.
The event happened in the early morning hours in one of the first days when Calvin Coolidge came into power, late in August, 1923. He and his family were living in the same third-floor suite(套房) at the Willard Hotel in Washington that had occupied several years before. The former President’s wife was still living in the White House.
Coolidge awoke to see a stranger go through his clothes, remove a wallet and a watch chain.
Coolidge spoke, “ I wish you wouldn’t take that.”
The thief, gaining his voice, said, “ Why?”
“ I don’t mean the watch and chain, only the charm(表坠). Take it near the window and read what is impressed on its back,” the president said.
The thief read, “ Presented to Calvin Coolidge.”
“ Are you President Coolidge?” he asked.
The president answered, “ Yes, and the House of Representatives（众议院）gave me the watch charm. I’m fond of it. It would do you no good. You want money. Let’s talk this over.”
Holding up the wallet, the young man said in a low voice, “ I’ll take this and leave everything else.”
Coolidge, knowing there was 80 dollars in it, persuaded the young man to sit down and talk. He told the President he and his college roommate had overspent during their holiday and did not have enough money to pay their hotel bill.
Coolidge added up the roommate and two rail tickets back to the college. Then he counted out 32 dollars and said it was a loan(借款).
He then told the young man, “ There is a guard in the corridor.” The young man nodded and left through the same window as he had entered.
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：2014届广东省韶关市高一下学期期末考试英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
I would like to talk to you about one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. I was born and raised there and now I visit it from time to time. My family moved to the city, so I only go back to see friends or to camp and fish.
I grew up in a small town called Antonito Co. It is surrounded by mountains. So camping is a big source of happiness in the valley. There are so many beautiful places to hike.
The town itself is very small. It is said that if you blink when you’re going through it, you’ll miss it. This has some truth in it considering the size of the town. We have one grocery store, a tiny post office, and a tiny bank. There are also a few gas stations, bars, some excellent restaurants, a small hospital and of course several schools. However, for clothing and shoes, you have to drive thirty miles to Alamosa to shop there.
Everyone in the town is nice and we all know each other. The crime rate is zero unless you count some weekend fights that break out because some people drink too much. The classes in school are small, so you get a lot of attention from the teacher.
You’re probably wondering why I don’t live there. Well, I can’t get a job there. A lot of the businesses are family-owned. And they never fire their employees. So the employees work there usually until they retire. Most people have to go to other places to get a job .
1.What is this passage mainly about?
A. An introduction to the writer’s hometown.
B. A travel guide of the writer’s hometown .
C. The history of the writer’s hometown .
D. The scenery of the writer’s hometown .
2.By the underlined part in paragraph 3, the writer wants to show that the town is .
A. beautiful B. small C. exciting D. faraway
3.What can you find in the writer’s hometown ?
a bank b. a post office c. some gas stations and bars d. a clothing store
e. a shoe shop f. some restaurants and a hospital
A. abce B. bdef C. abcf D. cdef
4.What do we know about the classes given at the schools in the writer’s hometown ?
A. The classes are usually very short .
B. Students usually don’t get much attention .
C. One teacher has to teach many classes
D. Each class has just a small number of students .
5.We can learn from the last paragraph that in the writer’s hometown .
A. not many job opportunities are provided
B. employees don’t make much money
C. most people live a very hard life
D. only the old still live there
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：北京市2010年高考考前预测卷（英语） 题型：七选五
第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，共10分）
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
If you walk into W. Lloyd Jerome’s dental surgery(手术) in Glasgow, you’ll see bright paintings and a fashionable blue couch which patients sit on while he checks their teeth. Jerome says, ‘That’s because they’re frightened.’
71 ‘That’s why I don’t wear a white coat. I find that’s one of the things that people associate with pain. In fact, my philosophy is that dental treatment should take place in an atmosphere of relaxation, interest and, above all , enjoyment.’
Which is all highly shocking for anyone who associates dental treatment with pain, or at the very least, formal, chinical visits. He says, ‘If people are relaxed, entertained and correctly treated, they will forget such previous unpleasant experiences.’
Virtual - reality headsets are one of his new relaxation techniques, ‘ 72 The headsets are used for the first check – up, where the patient sits on the blue couch and watches an underwear film while I look at their teeth. “Then the headset switches to a special camera, to give the patient a visual tour around their mouth.’
Another key point is that the surgery smells more like a perfume shop than a dentist’s. Today there is the smell of orange. “When people walk in, I want them to realize with all their senses that it’s not like going to dentist’s. Smell is very important. 73 ’
Known as Clasgow’s most fashionable dentist, Jerome is keen to point out that he takes his work very seriously. ‘ 74 ’
For example, Jerome uses a special instrument which sprays warm water on the teeth to clean them, rather than scraping them. ‘It feels a bit strange, but as long as people are relaxed, it’s not painful.’
75 ‘One of the things I found out there was that when you make it easier for the patient, you make it easier for yourself’ He sees his patient – centred attitude as the start of a gradual movement towards less formality in the conservative British dentistry profession.
At that moment, a patient arrives. Jerome rushes over, offers him a cup of tea, askes him what video he’d like to watch and leads him gently towards the chair.
A. Five years ago, Jerome went to the United States to do research.
B. He has tried to create an environment where people are not afraid.
C. The relaxation techniques are important but the quality of the treatment is the most important thing.
D. We were the first practice in Britain to introduce them.
E. Now they look forward to their visits here.
F. That dental smell of surgical spirit can get the heart racing in minutes if you’re frightened of dentists.
G. Fifty percent of the population only go to the dentist when they’re in pain.
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：20102011学年浙江省高二第一学期期末英语卷 题型：单项填空
He _______ a sense of humor. This is why I don’t like being friends with him.
A. is lack of B. is lacking in C. lacks of D. is lacking of
查看答案和解析>>
湖北省互联网违法和不良信息举报平台 | 网上有害信息举报专区 | 电信诈骗举报专区 | 涉历史虚无主义有害信息举报专区 | 涉企侵权举报专区
违法和不良信息举报电话：027-86699610 举报邮箱：58377363@163.com
