巨额支票的背后

陕西 邱麟茸

埃尔默是一个无家可归的人，在捡到一张巨额支票后，他的生活会发生怎样的转折呢？

?主题语境：人与社会 篇幅：350词 建议用时：7分钟

1Elmer Alvarez was a homeless man when he found a $10,000 cheque in New Haven, Connecticut. Instead of cashing it in for himself, he looked for its rightful owner.

2The owner of the large cheque was a real estate (房地产) agent named Roberta Hoskie.She was on a busy schedule doing business around town when her cheque slipped away in a busy crossing. She didn't realize she had lost it until the next day.

3They settled the day they met to hand over the cheque. Elmer came with a friend. It turned out that he couldn't speak English well and he asked for the help of a stranger to translate what he wanted to do. Roberta also found something about Elmer that shocked her—Elmer was homeless.

4And since Roberta was in the real estate business, she realized she could send Elmer to the real estate school to be a part of her company. Not only that, she also rewarded him with an apartment and paid seven months' worth of rent to help him get back on his feet. Roberta's heart was drawn to Elmer's story because it reminded her of her own past.

5She once lived in a shelter, as a single mom with only around $400 to raise her son—until one day, someone blessed her with a job that led her to her success right now.Her experience of being homeless reminded her that she could be a blessing to someone and change his or her life, too. A year after they met, Roberta and Elmer started Outreach Foundation, a transitional home for homeless teenagers, providing some necessary services and education.

6Elmer's honesty is something that should be applauded. And in the end, he went from not having a roof over his head, to being capable of lending a hand to others who were really in need.

Reading Check

1. What do Roberta and Elmer have in common?

A. They both found a cheque.

B. They were both single parents.

C. They were both ambitious.

D. They had a similar experience.

2. Which of the following can best describe Elmer?

社区公共卫生护理干预是根据患者的情况制定的针对性的护理措施。本次研究发现,加强社区健康教育,包括定期发放关于疾病基本知识的书籍和开展预防疾病的知识讲座,可以在增长患者基础认知的情况下,提高患者的治疗依从性;实施对症心理护理,即医护人员通过和患者的交流了解患者的心里变化,从而利用自身的所学知识对患者进行心理疏导,可以最大化的降低患者的心理压力,增加患者的信任感;制定合理的康复训练计划,包括患者的日常用药、饮食、休息以及运动等,不仅可以让患者养成一个良好的生活习惯,还可以提高患者的身体免疫程度,降低并发症的发生机率,有利于患者的身体恢复。

A. Honest. B. Enthusiastic. C. Sensitive. D. Brave.

3. What's the purpose of Outreach Foundation?

A. To provide a shelter for single moms.

B. To offer homeless teenagers support.

C. To pay rent for those poor workers.

D. To educate those homeless children.

4. What can be learned from the text?

B. Seeing is believing.

C. One good turn deserves another.

D. One man's meat is another man's poison.

Language Study

Difficult sentences

1. And since Roberta is in the real estate business, she realized she could send Elmer to the real estate school to be a part of her company. 由于罗伯塔从事的是房地产行业，她意识到她可以把埃尔默送到房地产学校（学习），以便成为她公司的一员。

【点石成金】该句中，since引导原因状语从句，意为“因为；由于”，she realized she could send Elmer to the real estate school to be a part of her company为主句部分。

2. And in the end, he went from not having a roof over his head, to being capable of lending a hand to others who were really in need. 最后，他从没有住所变成一个能够向其他真正需要帮助的人伸出援手的人。

【点石成金】该句中，not having a roof over his head意为“没有住所”，be capable of doing意为“能够做……”。