Supplementary Reading

Most of us will have had the experience at one time or another of walking past beggars without giving them anything. We probably think up excuses for not reaching into our pockets, as did the author of this text. Yet one day when she hurried past a beggar in the street something happened that led her to look at those seeking help with completely new eyes.

Nameless Faces[1]

Alexandera Simone

1   I was nineteen years old the first time I saw my own true character. I wish I could say I was proud of what I saw, but that would be a lie. At least I can say that my true character changed that day. My overall outlook on people managed to take a 180-degree turn in less than ten minutes. Who would have thought that the first person to change the way I viewed humanity would be a complete stranger?

2     For about a year, my voyage to and from work each day included a subway ride followed by a ten-minute walk through the heart of downtown Toronto. As with most large cities, the homeless population of Toronto often congregated on downtown corners, asking pedestrians for their spare change. Like most busy citizens, I learned to ignore the nameless faces who begged me for money each day. When it came to homeless beggars, my limited life experience had led me to one assumption — you are on the streets because you choose to be, probably due to drugs or alcohol.

3     I remember noting how particularly cold the weather had been that season. It was mid-December, and the temperature was a chilly minus 20-degrees Celsius. I walked with my head down, desperately wishing that my office was closer to the subway stop. I passed the usual mobs of homeless beggars, ignored all of them, and continued walking. As I crossed the intersection of Queen and Yonge streets, I saw him sitting against a building, wrapped in several layers of thin cloth, holding a white cup in front of him. I heard his shaky, pathetic voice target me as I sped past him.

4     “Spare some change?” he asked. “I would really appreciate it.”

5     I didn’t even bother looking up at his nameless face.  I briefly pictured him walking into the closest liquor store and stocking up on whiskey with whatever money he managed to conjure up that day. Or, maybe he needed another hit of cocaine.[2] (1) Clearly, if he had ever been married, his wife would have literally kicked him to the curb when he couldn’t get his habit under control. See, like most teenagers, it took me only moments to pass judgment on his life.

6     “I have no money on me,” I said quickly.

7     (2) Looking back now, I feel as though fate had set out that day to teach me a lesson. And it succeeded. Just a few feet past him, I managed to find the only ice patch on the sidewalk.[3] As I slipped, I tried to position myself so the impact would occur on my hip and thigh, but unfortunately my aim was about as good as my judgment of character, and I managed to land square on my right knee. The pain seared through me as I lay on the ground for several moments wondering if I had fractured my kneecap. (3) As I tried to come to grips with the notion of actually getting up, I heard a familiar, gruff voice only inches above me.

8   “Are you all right?” he asked.

9     I knew immediately that this was the man I had just rushed past. Even in pain, I still took a quick moment to sniff for the faintest smell of alcohol on his breath.  There was none. (4) Before my eyes began to well up with tears, I saw the smooth, sympathetic look in his eyes. He wasn’t drunk or high.[4]

10   I held his hand as I struggled to get to my feet. He held my arm as I hobbled to the nearby bus stop and quickly sat on the bench. The pain in my leg told me that I had definitely done more than simply bruised my knee. I needed an x-ray.

11   “My name is Mike,” he said, as I tried to find a comfortable position on the bench. “You really shouldn’t try walking on that leg. That was quite a fall you took, and you really need to get it checked by a doctor,” he said with deep concern.

12   “This bus goes past the hospital,” I said quickly, pointing to the bus sign above me.

13   Mike paused, and a look of sudden realization crossed his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his small white cup. He dumped the meager amount of change into the palm of his hand and counted it. He held his only money out toward me, and after a few confusing moments I looked up at him in sheer bewilderment.

14   “I know you don’t have any change on you,” he said, “but I can always give you this. I think there’s just enough here for you to take the bus.”

15   I was overwhelmed with guilt as I remembered the lie I had told him only a few short minutes earlier. I turned away from his offering hand and reached for my purse. I pulled out my wallet and dumped my own change into the palm of my hand. I felt Mike’s eyes on me as I counted through the money that I had told him didn’t even exist. I had at least ten dollars worth of change in my hand. I counted out enough money for me to take the bus to the hospital and then turned to Mike to offer him the rest. He held out his cup as I placed the handful of change in it. I wished I had some bills to give him, but I hadn’t been to the bank yet that day.

16   “Thank you,” he said quietly. It was by far the most sincere “thank-you” I had ever heard in my life. Just behind him, I heard the bus approaching. He held out his hand to help me stand up.

17   “Thank you,” I said as the bus slowed down in front of me. “You take care of yourself,” I said sheepishly.  Both of us knew that five minutes earlier I couldn’t have cared less what happened to him.

18   “I will,” he said. “And you take care of that leg.”

19   “I will.”

20   I hobbled onto the bus and took a seat by the window. I watched Mike as he clung to his cup of change, cherishing it as if it were the first gift he had ever received. Despite his gratitude, I didn’t feel absolved for my actions. A half cup of change seemed too small a gift for the man who gave a name to every nameless face I’ve ever seen.  

1. Culture Note

Homelessness in Canada:

☆  one of the defining social issues

☆  the leading cause: poverty

☆  more women, children and teenagers in the homeless population than before

(In recent years homeless people have been increasingly evident on the streets in Canada. Homelessness is becoming one of the defining social issues. According to statistics from a wide range of organizations, the leading cause of homelessness in Canada is poverty, rather than substance abuse or mental illness. In the past, men used to comprise the majority of homeless people. But now women, children and teenagers are becoming more and more prominent in the homeless population.)

Toronto:

☆  the largest city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario

☆  the fifth most populous municipality in North America

☆  Canada’s economic capital

(Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America. Toronto is at the heart of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and is part of a densely populated region in Southern Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe, which is home to over 8.1 million residents—approximately 25% of Canada’s population. As Canada’s economic capital, Toronto is also one of the top financial centers in the world.)

Language Study     

at one time or another: on various occasions

       * At one time or another, all children misbehave or do things that could be harmful.

       我在不同的场合都曾考虑过更换家具，但到目前为止，还没动作。

(=At one time or another I’ve considered replacing the furniture, but so far I haven’t.)

think up: devise or invent

* Jeff can always think up a great idea or business strategy.

       她试图想出能不去开会的好理由。

      (=She tried to think up a good reason for not attending the meeting.)

assumption: n. sth. that one accepts as true without proof

     * Healthy communication is based on the assumption that we should express our feelings in ways that respect others.

       你会基于他人说话的方式推测他们的为人么？

(=Do you make assumptions about people based on the way they speak?)

layer: n. a piece (of a substance) covering a surface or lying between two other things

       * The city is shrouded in a thick layer of dust, cutting visibility and casting an orange glow.

       一部好电影就像洋葱，有很多层意思。

(=A good movie is like an onion with many layers of meaning.)

shaky: adj. weak and unsteady because of old age, illness or shock

       * Six months after surgery, she started walking but was still shaky on her feet.

       首相的助手在医院前用颤抖的声音宣布首相去世了。

(=The Prime Minister's assistant announced in a shaky voice in front of the hospital that the Prime Minister was dead.)

conjure up: bring into existence as if by magic

       * To solve the problem in an economical and practicable way, Williams conjured up a novel solution.

       我们不期而至，Harrison太太用一些蔬菜和一块火腿给我们变出了一顿饭。

(=When we arrived unexpectedly, Mrs. Harrison conjured up a meal from some vegetables and a piece of ham.)

Clearly, if he had ever been married, his wife would have literally kicked him to the curb when he couldn’t get his habit under control.

   Translate the sentence.

   (=显然，如果他结了婚的话，他妻子因他改不掉恶习，真会把他一脚踹到马路边上去。)

literally: adv. (used as an intensive) seemingly but not really

       * This new book offers literally thousands of travel tips.

       风很强劲，我简直一整天都冻住了。

(=The wind was fierce and I was literally freezing the entire day.)

get under control: handle or manage with success

   * Put your dog on a leash, otherwise you may not keep it under control when you walk it near other dogs.    

        家里给消防队打了电话，他们在房子着火前控制了火情。

(=The family called the fire department, which got the situation under control before the house caught fire.)

pass judgment on: state an opinion on

       * I am not in position to pass judgment on what she has done.

       遗憾的是，一些人都没看过这部电影就对它做出了评价。

(=Unfortunately, some people have passed judgment on the movie without having seen it.)

Looking back now, I feel as though fate had set out that day to teach me a lesson. And it succeeded.

   Paraphrase the sentence.

   (=When I think back what happened that day, I feel I was doomed to be punished by fate. And I was really punished.)

fate: n. the power that is believed to control everything

       * I hope these birds will not meet the same fate as many of our native birds who no longer are found flying through our forests.

       法庭会在1月20日决定她的命运，那可能是她狱中无期徒刑生涯的开始。

(=The court is expected to decide her fate on Jan. 20, which could be the beginning of a life sentence behind bars.)

teach sb. a lesson: punish sb.

       * The teacher was trying to teach the boy a lesson, but she went too far.

       自行车被偷着实给了我一个教训——我再也不会不锁车了。

(=Having my bike stolen really taught me a lesson — I'll never leave it unlocked again.)

As I tried to come to grips with the notion of actually getting up, I heard a familiar, gruff voice only inches above me.

   Paraphrase the sentence.

   (=I tried my best to get up, at that time I heard a voice just above me, which was familiar and cracked.)

come to grips with: meet or deal with sth. difficult

       * Ongoing research at the university promises to help public-health authorities come to grips with swine flu patterns.

      我最终面临的事实是我得把公司关了。

(=I finally came to grips with the fact that I needed to close my company.)

Before my eyes began to well up with tears, I saw the smooth, sympathetic look in his eyes.

   Translate the sentence.

   (=看到他眼中和蔼的、怜悯的神情，我泪水盈眶。)

well up: (of a liquid) rise to the surface and start to flow

       * Dirty water welled up out of the damaged pipe.

       “最后也是最重要的一点是，我要感谢我的家人，”他流着眼泪说道。

(=“Last but not least I want to thank my family,” he said as tears welled up.)

get to one’s feet: stand up

       * The victim bravely got to her feet and tried to chase after the attacker while shouting for help.

       Tina站起来跑开了，能跑多快便跑多快。

(=Tina got to her feet and ran away as quickly as her feet could take her.)

dump: vt. put (sth.) down carelessly, heavily or in a mass

       * Coming back from the supermarket, she dumped all the grocery bags on the floor.

       一家当地的小工厂被控向下水管道倾倒有毒化学物质。

(=A small local factory was accused of dumping toxic chemicals into the sewage system.)

sheer: adj. complete and total

   * The company’s humble beginning started from the sheer determination and hard work of two bright and enterprising young men.

       这整套方案完全没有意义。

(=This whole scheme is sheer nonsense.)

be overwhelmed with: be deeply affected by (a strong emotion)

    * If you feel yourself overwhelmed with sorrow, take some time to calm down, reflect on the situation, and center your energy

       Sarah对John的提议深感高兴。

(=Sarah is overwhelmed with joy at the proposal from John.)

guilt: n. remorseful awareness of having done sth. wrong

       * For a moment Ruth felt a pang of guilt about the way she was treating her colleague.

       如果对渴求帮助的人，我们不能做些什么，那可能会感到内疚。

(=If we can do nothing for someone in desperate need of help, we may experience feelings of guilt.)

reach for: stretch out one’s hand for

     * Miss White reached for her overcoat, only to find that it had been taken away.

        这男的没有力气去拿手机来寻求帮助。

(=The man didn’t have the strength to reach for his cell phone to seek help.)

by far: to a great extent or degree

       * Sammy is by far the best player in our football team.

          她是我班上最最聪明的学生。

(=She is by far the smartest student in my class.)

Comprehension Task

1. Listen and Correct Mistakes

(Directions:) Listen to the passage carefully, underline the wrong word and write down the correct word in the bracket. There is a mistake in each sentence.

1) We should be judged by our appearance in this world. (merit)

2) Quite often people we pass by in a crowd will judge us in more than two seconds. (less)

3) Weight is a problem that is usually common in men. (Height)

4) Short guys are thought to be superior to tall guys. (inferior)

5) Having more height gives a person an advantage in tennis. (basketball)

We live in a world in which we are constantly judged by our appearance despite the ideal “judgment by merit.” People we pass by in a crowded city will size us up and immediately form an idea in their head of whom they think we are in less than two seconds; often times, this idea is completely wrong, as many people judge solely on a few factors of a person’s appearance. One of the most common attributes I’ve seen people be judged by is their height. For one reason or another, many tall and average-sized people seem to have it in their heads that people who aren’t quite as tall as them are somehow “inferior” to them. Folks, a person cannot control his or her height; tall people didn’t “earn” their height, and shorter people weren’t “unqualified” for it. Now, this is a problem that is usually common in men; after all, many girls like to date the tall guys, so the short guys are automatically taken out of the dating pool for no good reason. Additionally, people seem to have it in their heads that tall people are better athletes, and while having more height gives you an advantage in basketball, a tall person isn’t a better tennis player than a short person. When coaches use this mentality, many smaller kids are cast aside before the second round of try-outs.

2. Oral Work --- Short Play

Text B tells us a story about how a girl began to look at the beggars seeking help with completely new eyes by a small incident. It is a good article to be adapted into a short play. Act out the play in class. Think of the following questions when you are making the adaption.

1)    How did the girl think of the beggars in the past?

2) What kind of beggar did she meet that day?

   3) What did the beggar want from her?

   4) What was the weather like that day?

   5) What happened to the girl?

   6) What did the beggar do?

   7) What was the girl’s response?

[1] The text is taken from Chicken Soup for the Soul: Celebrating People Who Make a Difference, published by Health Communications, Inc. in 2007.

[2] a hit of cocaine: a single dose of cocaine

[3] managed to find the only ice patch on the sidewalk: 偏偏专挑了人行道上唯一的一块结了冰的地方走；“ manage to do sth.” here means to do sth. that causes problems, often used humorously.

[4] high: under the influence of drugs