A few moments later she returned and put a dollar bill next to where I was sitting. “I found this in the laundry room,” she said. “Why are you giving this to me?” I asked. “Oh, because you were being a good person to me, so Im just returning the favor.”
Its just a dollar, but I felt moved. More so because I hadnt given that quarter with such nice thoughts, the way she gave that dollar to me. I felt like it was the first time I ever received something greater in return for something so small that I had given. I saw the power of kindness and generosity5 in a new way.
【生词注释】
1. basementn. 地下室；地下层2. intentn. 意图；意向
3. vending machinen. 自动贩卖机4. underwearn. 内衣
5. generosityn. 慷慨；大方
1. What was the girls problem?
A. She didnt know the time.
B. She didnt have enough money.
C. She couldnt operate the dryer.
D. She didnt know where the dryer was.
2. What does the underlined word “laundry” most probably mean in this passage?
A. Place where clothes are washed.
B. Machine with which to wash clothes.
C. Clothes that are washed.
D. Place where clothes are sold.
3. What can we infer from the passage?
A. The author hesitated to accept her request at first.
B. The author was willing to help the girl at first.
C. The girl always asked the author for help.
D. The girl and the author were good friends.
4. How much did the girl have?
A. One quarter.
B. Two quarters.
C. Three quarters.
D. One dollar.
5. How did the author feel when the girl gave him the money?
A. Pleased.
B. Worried.
C. Excited.
D. Surprised.
As much as you care about your friends, you probably dont always get along with them. Sometimes you might even start hitting each other. Usually, it ends with a laugh, and you play together again the next day. “Through play, youngsters of all ages learn the rules of social conduct1,” says Magic Beck, an American expert on animal behavior. Beck has spent years studying similarities between play behavior in animals and people.
By studying how animals interact2 with each other, especially during play, Beck and other researchers hope to explain how people learn to play fair. It is the most important factor3.
Beck says play is a serious business. Some studies even suggest that playing more leads to bigger brains that are better at reasoning and learning. Through play, animals discover limits, such as how hard they can hit one another before their playmates get upset. And they learn how to apologize, forgive, and trust each other, just like children do.
Beck has been studying wolves and dogs for more than 15 years. “Animals have to negotiate fairness,” Beck says. As another way to maintain4 fair play, Beck has found animals sometimes try not to hit or bite, especially when they are playing with a weaker partner. Other times, two animals change their roles. The weak acts strong, and the strong acts weak. For social animals, learning to cooperate and work together is a matter of survival, Beck says.
As important as cooperation is, conflict will always be a fact of life for both animals and people. And thats not a bad thing. Friendship can be built on a healthy spirit of rivalry5.
【生词注释】
1. conductn. 行为；举止2. interactvi. 相互作用；相互影响
3. factorn. 因素4. maintainvt. 保持；坚持
5. rivalryn. 敌对；竞争
1. What should we follow when playing according to the first paragraph?
A. Laugh.
B. Similarities.
C. Rules.
D. Behaviors.
2. What is an important factor during play?
A. Playing fair.
B. A serious business.
C. Bigger brains.
D. Studying similarities.
3. How many persons are exactly mentioned in the text?
A. One.
B. Two.
C. Three.
D. Four.
4. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?
A. Sometimes friendship ends up with their hitting each other.
