No.8

　　In 1995, Oseola McCarty gave a present of $150 000 to the University of Southern Mississippi. She wanted to help poor students. It was a very generous thing to do. But her friends and neighbors were surprised. McCarty was a good woman. She went to church. She was always friendly and helpful. But everyone in her town knew that McCarty was not rich. In fact, she was poor.

　　How did a poor 86-year-old woman have so much money? Oseola McCarty was born in 1908 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She had to leave school when she was eight years old to help her family. She took a job washing clothes. She earned only a few dollars a day. Oseola washed the clothes by hand. Then she hung the clothes to dry. She did this for nearly 80 years. In the 1960s, she bought an automatic washer and dryer. But she gave them away. She did not think they got the clothes clean enough! At that time, many people started to buy their own washers and dryers. McCarty did not have much work, so she started to iron clothes instead.

　　McCarty never married or had children. Her life was very simple. She went to work and to church. She read her Bible (圣經). She had a black-and-white television. But she did not watch it very much. It had only one channel.

　　McCarty saved money all her life and eventually had about $250 000. When she was 86, a lawyer helped her make a will. She left money to the church, her relatives, and the university. McCarty just wanted to help others. She did not think she was a special person. But then people found out about her present to the university. She received many honors (榮譽). She even flew in an airplane for the first time! Oseola McCarty died in 1999. She was a shy and ordinary woman who became famous.

　　根據以上短文內容，然后從每題所給的四個選項中選擇最佳選項。

　　1. Oseola McCarty gave $150 000 to the University of Southern Mississippi _______.

　　A. to help the poor students                 B. to surprise her friends and neighbors

　　C. to show her generosity                   D. to be a good and rich woman

　　2. From the story we know _______.

　　A. McCarty was born in a poor family near the University of Southern Mississippi

　　B. everyone was surprised because they thought McCarty had no education

　　C. washers and dryers brought a change in McCarty’s life

　　D. McCarty gave half of her money to the church and her relatives

　　3. Which of the following is true?

　　A. McCarty had to work to help her family after school every day.

　　B. McCarty learned to read the Bible by herself in the school.

　　C. McCarty made one third of her money by washing and ironing clothes.

　　D. McCarty did not have her own family because she had no husband or children.

　　4. From which of the following can we tell McCarty lived a simple life?

　　A. She worked hard all her life.            B. She didn’t think she was special.

　　C. She didn’t have many interests.       D. She had a TV set with many channels.

　　5. Which of the following is true?

　　A. McCarty died at the age of eighty-six.

　　B. McCarty did the job of washing for more than eighty years.

　　C. McCarty gave her presents to both universities and churches.

　　D. McCarty was given many honors because of her good deeds.

　　【答案與解析】

　　1. 選A。第1段解釋了她這一舉動的用意：She wanted to help poor students.她這樣做都是為了要幫助貧困學生，所以答案為A。

　　2. 選A。從第2段我們知道Oseola McCarty是一個poor 86-year-old woman。她在8歲時就不得不離開學校來幫助養家，可知她的家里也是貧窮的。她出生在Hattiesburg, Mississippi.可見這里應該離the University of Southern Mississippi不遠。所以A項是正確的。

　　3. 選D。在第3段我們知道McCarty never married or had children. 她一直自己一個人生活，因此D項是正確的。

　　4. 選C。在第3段作者介紹了她的簡單生活。她只工作和去教堂，她只讀她的圣經，她有一部黑白電視機但不怎么看，而且它只有一個頻道。可見她并沒有很多的愛好，所以說她的生活是simple life。答案選擇C。

　　5. 選D。McCarty出生在1908年，死于1999年，享年91歲，所以選項A錯誤；在第2段可以知道她洗衣服for nearly 80 years，所以選項B錯誤；最后一段我們知道She left money to the church, her relatives, and the university.所以選項C也是錯誤的；而因為她所做的這些貢獻，She received many honors. 所以D是正確的。