If you have had a volunteer experience, share it with other readers. Also you can tell us about the worst volunteer experience you’ve had. And tell us how to improve.

Volunteering is inspiring. Volunteering is inspiring. I never had the interest to volunteer until I was in my late 20s. Volunteering gave me the best experience in social life. Now I’m confident to do my challenging work. I thank volunteering more and more. --Guest Wilton

Animal rescue (營救) 11 years ago, as a member of our local Great Dance Club, I volunteered to help with animals. Now I am the founder of Animal rescuers. And it covers all Texas. I’ve placed the homeless dogs in homes from Maine to California, and have met some of the worst and some of the best people on the planet. I only regret that I didn’t volunteer sooner. --Guest Jerry Dunham

Terrible experience I was asked to help out in the computer lab because I was a computer expert. When I arrived, a person (another volunteer) there was very rude to me, said she didn’t need any help. I was speechless and left. It really made me sad and I didn’t offer to volunteer again. --Guest Rebecca

 

Helen Monson has always been interested in helping her community. Her first volunteer experience was for the American Red Cross when she was in high school. When she was a school teacher, she also found time to volunteer. One year, she organized a Super Saturday fun day for kids in the community. She also used to volunteer at the mint festival every year, One summer she served food, another year she organized an art programme.

After she retired, she started volunteering to help the old. When her father was older, he was not able to see as well as he used to, which made her sad because he had always enjoyed reading.

She decided it would be fun to read to elderly people in her community. She also helped one woman write her stories. Ann was almost 100 years old, and Helen wrote down information about her life when she visited her. She put the information in a book and got it published. Ann was very excited to share her life story with her children and grandchildren.

  After a hurricane( 颶風(fēng) ) destroyed some southern cities, Helen volunteered again for the American Red Cross. She prepared food and answered phones in a care centre. She says,” I have always liked the Red Cross because the organization helps people in need no matter what.”

  One day Helen read an article in the newspaper about refugees( 難民 ) who needed to learn English. Now, she meets once a week with Sahra, a 38-year-old woman from Somalia. Sahra is reading and writing skills. Helen gave Sahra a camera and asked her to take pictures of her daily life. She developed the pictures, and then asked Sahra questions about them. In the end, they wrote a book  together and used the photos in the book. This helped Sahra learn many new words about

her everyday life.

   Helen says, “The most rewarding( 有益的 ) part of volunteer work is becoming friends with the people I help, They enrich my life as well as I enrich theirs.”

1.When was Helen’s first volunteer experience for the American Red Cross?

2. What did Helen do after she retired?

3. Why was Ann excited when her book got published?

4.Where did Helen work when she volunteered again for the American Red Cross?

5. How far is Sahra living and working from Helen’s home?

6.Did Helen help Sahra to learn English?

7. What can you learn from Helen?

 

 

Volunteering means that you work to help people without being paid. There are many different volunteers. They help people who really need help. There are many places where you can be volunteers. Here are just a few places for you.

Hospital---ask if you can go and visit people who are really sick. Sometimes what they need is someone to talk to, or someone to give them hope.

Orphanage (孤兒院) ---the children living there really need someone to play with them.

Food Shelter---many food shelters need people to clean up the shelters and help give out food or water to those who need it.

Home for the elderly ---help the elderly people clean up their homes.

Community (社區(qū)) Center ---a lot of community centers are very well run. However, some of them really need extra help, especially cleaning and repairs.

As a student you can also do a lot of things to help others at school. Maybe you could start a support group.

Here is some advice:

Help students give up smoking, drinking or other bad habits.

Help students who come from poor families.

Help new students get used to their school life soon.

Provide seniors with information on future studies.

1. Volunteers can’t get      when they help others.

   A. everything        B. money           C. some presents D. a job

2.How many places are mentioned for you to be volunteers in according to this passage?

   A. Six               B. Five             C. Four           D. Three

3.The volunteers can      in the community center.

A. make the sick hopeful                     B. give out food or water

C. play with the children                  D. clean up the center

4.Which of the following volunteer jobs can be done at school except      .

A. helping students who come from poor families            

B. helping the students who have bad habits

C. helping the student to copy others’ homework

D. helping the students in trouble with their studies

 

In every country, there are thousands of people who want to help out. Many join organizations run (管理) by their governments, for example, the Peace Corps in the United States and Voluntary Service Overseas in Britain. Since the powerful (猛烈的) earthquake took place in Sichuan, more than 200 thousand volunteers across China have been helping there! They do all kinds of work or come up with ways to help improve life. Some offer their professional skills for free. Others have no qualifications (資歷), but they love to work hard to help.
One of the most famous volunteers in the world was Mother Teresa. She could be the best volunteer because she gave her life to helping the poorest people of Calcutta. She helped the homeless, cared for the sick, gave out food, and became the mother of those without families.
Now more and more teenagers actively look for volunteering opportunities, too. They volunteer because they think it will be fun or they will learn something. They also like the idea of being helpful to others, even if it is just handing out books for the teacher. As they get older, these reasons are still the same, but there are other important reasons for volunteering such as learning on-the-job, getting work experience, and improving their social life.
All volunteers bring joy to the people they help in so many ways. They might read books to the blind, fix up broken homes, find ways to get water for villages. Could you be a volunteer? What kind of volunteer work could you do? There is someone in the world who needs you.
【小題1】The Peace Corps is   __   in the United States.

A．a(chǎn) city

B．a(chǎn)n organization

C．a(chǎn) volunteer

D．a(chǎn) school

【小題2】The word those in the passage means   __  .

A．the homeless

B．the sick

C．the poor

D．the kids

【小題3】What is NOT the reason for teenagers to be volunteers according to the passage?

A．They want to make more friends.

B．They want to be helpful.

C．It helps them get work experience.

D．It can improve their social life.

【小題4】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Volunteers need qualifications.

B．Volunteers offer their help without any pay.

C．Young kids can’t be volunteers.

D．Some volunteers bring joy to others.

【小題5】What is the main idea of this passage?

A．The world needs volunteers.

B．Mother Teresa was a great volunteer.

C．Volunteers do all kinds of work.

D．There are different ways of volunteering.

Answer the questions (根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容回答下列問題)
1．Helen Monson has always been interested in helping her community. Her first volunteer experience was for the American Red Cross when she was in high school. When she was a school teacher, she also found time to volunteer. One year, she organized a Super Saturday Fun Day for kids in the community. She also used to volunteer at the Mint Festival every year. One summer, she served food, another year she organized an art programme.
2．After she retired, she started volunteering to help the old. When her father was older, he was not able to see as well as he used to, which made her sad because he had always enjoyed reading. She decided it would be fun to read to elderly people in her community. She also helped one woman write her stories. Ann was almost 100 years old, and Helen wrote down information about her life when she visited her. She put the information in a book and got it published. Ann was very excited to share her life story with her children and her grandchildren.
3．After a hurricane(颶風(fēng)) destroyed some southern cities, Helen volunteered again for the American Red Cross. She prepared food and answered phones in a care centre. She says, “I have always liked the Red Cross because the organization helps people in need no matter what.”
4．One day, Helen read an article in the newspaper about refugees(難民) who needed to learn English. Now, she meets once a week with Sahra, a 38-year-old woman, from Somalia. Sahra is living and working in a town about 30 minutes’ walk from where Helen lives. They work on reading and writing skills. Helen gave Sahra a camera and asked her to take pictures of her daily life. She developed the pictures, and then asked Sahra questions about them. In the end, they wrote a book together and used the photos in the book. This helped Sahra learn many new words about her everyday life.
5．Helen says, “The most rewarding(有益的) part of volunteer work is becoming friends with the people I help. They enrich my life as well as I enrich theirs.”
【小題1】When was Helen’s first volunteer experience for the American Red Cross?
【小題2】What did Helen do after she retired?
【小題3】Why was Ann excited when her book got published?
【小題4】Where did Helen work when she volunteered again for the American Red Cross?
【小題5】How far is Sahra living and working from Helen’s home?
【小題6】Did Helen help Sahra to learn English?
【小題7】What can you learn from Helen?