C

Why I Don’t Spare “Spare Change”

“Poor but honest.” “The deserving (值得帮助的) poor.” These words always come to my mind when I think of “the poor.” But I also think of people who, perhaps through alcohol (酒) 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 (上瘾) 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 about whom I acturally meet. That’s why I do not give “spare change,” and I don’t think I will in the future.

64. 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.

65. 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.

66. 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

67. 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.

B

I was 9 years old when I found out my father was ill. It was 1994, but I can remember my mother’s words as if it were yesterday: “Kerrel, I don’t want you to take food from your father, because he has AIDS. Be very careful when you are around him.”

AIDS wasn’t something we talked about in my country when I was growing up. From then on, I knew that this would be a family secret. My parents were not together anymore, and my dad lived alone. For a while, he could take care of himself. But when I was 12, his condition worsened. My father’s other children lived far away, so it fell to me to look after him.

We couldn’t afford all the necessary medication for him, and because Dad was unable to work, I had no money for school supplies and often couldn’t even buy food for dinner. I would sit in class feeling completely lost, the teacher’s words muffled as I tried to figure out how I was going to manage.

I did not share my burden (负担) with anyone. I had seen how people reacted to AIDS. Kids laughed at classmates who had parents with the disease. And even adults could be cruel. When my father was moved to the hospital, the nurses would leave his food on the bedside table even though he was too weak to feed himself.

I had known that he was going to die, but after so many years of keeping his condition a secret. I was completely unprepared when he reached his final days. Sad and hopeless, I called a woman at the nonprofit National AIDS Support. That day, she kept me on the phone for hours. I was so lucky to find someone who cared. She saved my life.

I was 15 when my father died. He took his secret away with him, having never spoken about AIDS to anyone, even me. He didn’t want to call attention to AIDS. I do.

60. What does Kerrel tell us about her father?

　 　A. He had stayed in the hospital since he fell ill.

　 　B. He depended on the nurses in his final days.

　 　C. He worked hard to pay for his medication.

　 　D. He told no one about his disease.

61. What can we learn from the underlined sentence?

　 　A. Kerrel couldn’t understand her teacher.

　 　B. Kerrel had special difficulty in hearing.

　 　C. Kerrel was too troubled to focus on the lesson.

　 　D. Kerrel was too tired to bear her teacher’s words.

62. Why did Kerrel keep her father’s disease a secret?

　 　A. She was afraid of being looked down upon.

　 　B. She thought it was shameful to have AIDS.

　　 C. She found no one willing to listen to her.

　 　D. She wanted to obey her mother.

63. Why did Kerrel write the passage?

　 　A. To tell people about the sufferings of her father.

　 　B. To show how little people knew about AIDS.

　 　C. To draw people’s attention to AIDS.

　 　D. To remembered her father.

A

How to Make a Budget (预算)

Most likely, you aren’t the family breadwinner. But doing a small job or getting a weekly allowance (零花钱) would put some money in your pocket. For kids and grown-ups alike, money is easy to spend. If you aren’t careful, it can be going in no time.

Being responsible with your money is an important skill to learn --- and the sooner you start the better. Whether you are tracking your spending or saving for something special, creating a budget can help you deal with your expenses and plan for the future. All you need are paper and a pencil --- and some self-control.

First, take a look at our sample monthly budget. Then, use a separate sheet of paper to plan your own. In the first two columns (栏), list your sources (来源) of income and how much you expect to earn from them. In the third and fourth columns, list what you expect to spend your money on and the amount.

The left-hand total should be more than or equal to the right-hand total. If it is, you have an effective budget.

Budgets are not complex, but sticking to them can be tough. When planning your budget, be realistic about your expenses. If you know that you drop $18 at a movie, don’t write $12 in that space simply because you wish you were spending less.

If you are eyeing a big purchase, such as a $150 skateboard, spend less and save more until you have the total amount. No matter how attractive it may be, avoid spending your savings. One day, you will thank yourself!

56. Who is the passage written for?

　 　A. Children.　　　 B. Parents.　　　　 C. Breadwinners.　　　 D. Bank managers.

57. The purpose of making a budget is to help people _________.

　 　A. learn to be realistic　　　　　　 B. increase their saving

　 　C. manage their money well　　　　 　　D. test their power-control

58. What should people do when planning a budget?

　 　A. Fill in the expenses as they really are.

　 　B. Avoid spending money on expensive things.

　 　C. Set aside a fixed amount of money as savings.

　 　D. List income and expenses on two pieces of paper.

59. Which of the following budgets is effective?