I was nineteen years old the first time I saw my own true character.
My trip to and from work each day included a ten-minute walk through the heart of downtown, where the
36 often gathered. Like most busy citizens, I learned to
37 those nameless faces. When it came to homeless beggars, my
38 life experience had led me to one
39 that they are on the street because they choose to be, probably due to alcohol or drugs.
It was an extremely cold day. When I passed the groups of beggars as usual, I heard a shaky voice target me.
“Spare some change?” he asked.
I didn’t even
40 looking up at his nameless face. I briefly
41 him walking into a liquor store and buying whiskey with the money we spared him. Like most teenagers, it took me only moments to
42 him.
“I have no money on me,” I said quickly.
Looking back now, I feel as if God had set out that day to teach me a lesson. And God
43 . Just a few feet past him, I managed to find the only ice patch on the sidewalk. I
44 and landed heavily on my right knee. The
45 was almost killing me as I tried to get up. Then I heard a shaky voice only inches above me.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I knew immediately this was the man I had just rushed past. Even in pain, I
46 took a quick moment to sniff for the smell of alcohol on his breath. There was none. He wasn’t
47 . I saw the
48 in his eyes. I
49 to get to my feet. He held my arm as I walked difficultly to the nearby bus stop.
“My name is Mike,” he said. “That’s quite a fall you took, and you really need to get it checked by a doctor,” he said with deep
50 .
“This bus goes past the hospital,” I said.
Mike paused, and a look of sudden
51 crossed his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cup. He took out all the change and held it out toward me.
“I think there’s just enough here for you to take the bus,” he said.
I was highly embarrassed as I remembered my
52 . I reached for my purse and took out my change. At least ten dollars. I offered Mike all my change.
“Thank you and take care of yourself,” I said. Both of us knew that few minutes earlier I couldn’t have
53 what happened to him.
Mike held his cup tightly,
54 it as if it were the first gift he had ever received.
A half cup of change seemed too small a gift for the man who gave a
55 to every nameless face I’ve ever seen.
| 小题1: | | A．doctors | B．beggars | C．citizens | D．sellers |
|
| 小题2: | | A．pity | B．observe | C．forgive | D．ignore |
|
| 小题3: | | A．limited | B．painful | C．meaningful | D．rich |
|
| 小题4: | | A．fact | B．rule | C．assumption | D．suggestion |
|
| 小题5: | | A．mind | B．bother | C．avoid | D．bear |
|
| 小题6: | | A．imagined | B．followed | C．noticed | D．heard |
|
| 小题7: | | A．judge | B．stop | C．tease | D．blame |
|
| 小题8: | | A．signed | B．succeeded | C．responded | D．approached |
|
| 小题9: | | A．skipped | B．dashed | C．slipped | D．hesitated |
|
| 小题10: | | A．regret | B．scare | C．cold | D．pain |
|
| 小题12: | | A．honest | B．reliable | C．drunk | D．shabby |
|
| 小题13: | | A．greed | B．surprise | C．sorrow | D．sympathy |
|
| 小题14: | | A．failed | B．struggled | C．hurried | D．chose |
|
| 小题15: | | A．relief | B．satisfaction | C．understanding | D．concern |
|
| 小题16: | | A．confusion | B．realization | C．excitement | D．sadness |
|
| 小题17: | | A．lie | B．injury | C．promise | D．experience |
|
| 小题18: | | A．known | B．predicted | C．cared | D．accepted |
|
| 小题19: | | A．treasuring | B．protecting | C．making | D．showing |
|
| 小题20: | | A．lesson | B．name | C．chance | D．fortune |
|