Compassion is a desire within us to help others. With effort, we can translate c

   Compassion is a desire within us to help others. With effort, we can translatecompassion into action. An experience last weekend showed me this is true. Iwork part-time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly. These oldpeople are our main customers, and it’s not hard to lose patience over theirslowness. But last Sunday, one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuablelesson. This untidy man walked up to my register(收款机) with a box of biscuits. He said he wasout of cash(现金), had just moved into his room, and hadnothing in his cupboards. He asked if we could let him have the food on trust.He promised to repay me the next day.

   I couldn’t help staring at him. I wondered what kind of person he had been tenor twenty years before, and what he would be like if luck had gone his way. Ihad a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul, all alone in the world. Itold him that I was sorry, but store rules didn’t allow me to do so. I feltstupid and unkind saying this, but I valued my job.

   Just then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up. If anything, helooked more pitiable. “Charge it to me,” was all he said.

   What I had been feeling was pity. Pity is soft and safe and easy. Compassion,on the other hand, is caring in action. I thanked the second man but told himthat was not allowed either. Then I reached into my pocket and paid for thebiscuits myself. I reached into my pocket because these two men had reachedinto my heart and taught me compassion.

1.Theaged gentleman who wanted to buy the biscuits ______.  

 A. promised to obey the store rules          

B.forgot to take any money with him

 C. hoped to have the food first and pay later    

D. couldnot afford anything more expensive

2.Whichof the following best describes the old gentleman?

 A. kind and lucky                         B.poor and lonely

 C. friendly and helpful                       D.hurt and disappointed

3.Thewriter acted upon the store rules because ______.  

 A. he wanted to keep his present job             

B. hefelt no pity for the old gentleman

 C. he considered the old man dishonest           

D. heexpected someone else to pay for the old man

4.Whatdoes the writer learn from his experience?

 A. Wealth is more important than anything else.      

B.Helping others is easier said than done.

 C. Experience is better gained through practice.     

D.Obeying the rules means more than compassion.

试题答案

【答案】

1.C

2.B

3.A

4.B