A
Tim Richter and his wife, Linda, had taught for over 30 years near Buffalo, New York—he in computers, she in special education. “Teaching means everything to us,” Tim would say. In April 1998, he learned he would need a heart operation. It was the kind of news that leads to some serious thinking about life’s purpose.
Not long after the surgery, Tim saw a brochure describing Imagination Library, a program started by Dolly Parton’s foundation (基金会) that mailed a book every month to children from birth to age five in the singer’s hometown of Sevier, Tennessee. “I thought, maybe Linda and I could do something like this when we retire”, Tim recalls. He placed the brochure on his desk，“as a reminder”.
Five years later, now retired and with that brochure still on the desk, Tim clicked on imaginationlibrary.com. The program had been opened up to partners who could take advantage of book and postage discounts.
The quality of the books was of great concern to the Richters. Rather than sign up online, they went to Dollywood for a look-see. “We didn’t want to give the children rubbish,” says Linda. The books --- reviewed each year by teachers, literacy specialists, and Dollywood board members ---- included classics such as Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day and newer books like Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama series.
Satisfied, the couple set up the Richter Family Foundation and got to work. Since 2004, they have shipped more than 12,200 books to preschoolers in their area. Megan Williams, a mother of four, is more than appreciative: “The program introduces us to books I’ve never heard of.”
The Richters spend about $ 400 a month sending books to 200 children. “Some people sit there and wait to die,” says Tim. “Others get as busy as they can in the time they have left.”
1. According to the text, Dolly Parton is .
A. a well-known surgeon B. a mother of a four-year-old
C. a computer programmer D. a singer born in Tennessee
2. Why did the Richters go to Dollywood?
A. To see if the books were of good quality.
B. To meet Dollywood board members.
C. To make sure the books were the newest.
D. To avoid signing up online.
3. What can we learn from Tim’s words in the last paragraph?
A. He considers his efforts worthwhile.
B. He wonders why some people are so busy.
C. He tries to save those waiting to die.
D. He needs more money to help the children.
【答案】1. D 2. A 3. A
【解析】
文章通过介绍Richter夫妇从接触一个名为Imagination Library的项目到成立自己的基金会的历程并找到生活的真正价值。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据a program started by Dolly Parton’s foundation (基金会) that mailed a book every month to children from birth to age five in the singer’s hometown of Sevier, Tennessee.可知Dolly Parton是一名出生在田纳西州的歌手，所以选D。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据The quality of the books was of great concern to the Richters. Rather than sign up online, they went to Dollywood for a look-see.可知选A。
【3题详解】
推理判断题。文章通过介绍Richter夫妇从接触一个名为Imagination Library的项目到成立自己的基金会的历程并找到生活的真正价值。“Some people sit there and wait to die,” says Tim. “Others get as busy as they can in the time they have left.”，所以选A。
