Oseola McCarty

　　LATE ONE SUNDAY AFTERNOON in September 1999，Oseola McCarty，an elderly cleaning lady passed away in the little wooden frame house where she had lived and worked most of her life. It may seem like an ordinary end to a humble life，but there was something quite exceptional about this woman. 1

　　In the summer of 1995 ，McCarty gave $ 150，000，most of the money she had saved throughout her life，to the University of Southern Mississippi in her hometown. The money was to help other African Americans through university. She had started her savings habit as a young child when she would return from school to clean and iron for money which she would then save.

　　She led a simple，frugal existence，never spending on anything but her most basic needs. 2 Her bank also advised her on investing her hard-earned savings.

　　When she retired，she decided that she wanted to use the money to give children of limited Means the opportunity to go to university. 3 She had wanted to become a nurse，but had to leave school to look after ill relatives and work. When asked why she had given her life savings away，she replied，“I’m giving it away so that children won't have to work so hard，like I did. ” After news of her donation hit the media，over 600 donations were made to the scholarship fund. One was given by media executive，Ted Turner，who reputedly gave a billion dollars.

　　She didn't want any fuss made over her gift，but the news got out and she was invited all over the United States to talk to people. Wherever she went ，people would come up to her to say a few words or to just touch her. She met the ordinary and the famous，President Clinton included. In the last few years of her life，before she died of cancer，McCarty was given over 300 awards：she was honoured by the United Nations and received the Presidential Citizen' s Medal. Despite having no real education，she found herself with two honorary doctorates：one from the University of Southern Mississippi and the other from Harvard University. Her generosity was clearly an inspiration to many and proof that true selflessness does exist.

　　詞匯:

　　frugal   adj. 節約的，儉樸的，花錢少 的，物質的，廉價的

　　fuss  n. 慌亂，小題大做，抱怨爭吵 V. 忙

　　donation   n. 捐贈，捐款，捐贈的 亂，(為小事)煩惱抱怨

　　注釋:

　　1. It mayseem like an ordinary end to a humble life，but there was something quite exceptional about this woman. 這位老婦人看似平凡的一生卻有著非同尋常的意義。

　　2. She led a simple，frugal existence，never spending on anything but her most basic needs. 她一生過著簡單、節儉的生活，除了生活必需品外她從不在其他事情上花錢。

　　3. When she retired，she decided that she wanted to use the money to give children of limited means the opportunity to go to university. 當她退休的時候，她決定用錢給那些條件有限的孩子提供上大學的機會。

　　練習:

　　1. This woman shocked and inspired the world because _______.

　　A) she had managed to save so much money

　　B) she gave her money to African Americans

　　C) she gave her life savings to help others through university

　　D) she only spent money on cheap things

　　2. She managed to save so much mOI1y because_______.

　　A) she had ironed and washed clothes all her life

　　B) she had worked hard ，saved hard and invested carefully

　　C) she had opened a good向 bank account

　　D) she knew how to make money

　　3. She gave her money away because_______.

　　A) she wanted to help -the university

　　B) she wanted others to have the chance to become nurses

　　C) she wanted others to have the opportunity to escape a hard life

　　D) she want to be remembered after her death

　　4. When her generosity was made_______.

　　A) people donated billions

　　B) hundreds of students got scholarships

　　C) hundreds of people put money into the fund

　　D) she was sent to university

　　5. McCarty became famous because _______.

　　A) of her generosity

　　B) of her exceptional skills

　　C) she had saved $ 150，000

　　D) she travelled all over America

　　答案與題解:

　　1. C 本題的問題是:這個女人震撼和鼓舞世界的原因是什么?從文章的第一段最后一句看出 這個女人有不同于尋常人的地方，第二段第一句直接給出了她不同尋常有著卓越意義的原因，即捐款 150000 美元。故此題答案為 C。A、B 項不切題。D 選項未提及。

　　2. B本題的問題是:她能夠攢下如此多的錢的原因是什么?從文中第二段最后一句話與第三 段第一句話可以得出結論，她從年輕的時候便開始有積蓄的習慣并且除了生活必需品外幾乎沒有開銷，故本題答案為 B。A 項不切題，C，D 項未提及。

　　3. C本題的問題是:她把錢捐出來的原因是什么?由第四段中間她的回答可知，她是想讓孩 子們擺脫苦難的生活，不用生活得如此艱辛。故此題答案為 C。

　　4. C 本題的問題是:她的慷慨行為公之于世后有什么樣的影響?由第四段最后兩句可得出答案，原文只提及一個名為 Ted Turner 的人捐款十億美元，所以 A 選項不正確，B 選項不切題，D 選項未提及，故本題正確答案為 C。

　　5. A本題的問題是：McCarty 因什么而聞名?總覽全文可知A為正確答案C，D 選項不切題，B 選項未提及。

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