21世纪大学英语读写教程第四册 Unit2-21世纪大学英语读写教程

Unit 2

Text A

Pre-reading Activities

First Listening
Before listening to the tape, have a quick look at the following words.

fare
乘客

buck
（俚）（一）元

trace
找到

glare
盯视

gratitude
感激

gracefully
得体地

Second Listening
Listen to the tape again and choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

1. How did the man who had lost his wallet react to it being returned?
A) He acted hostile towards the cabdriver.
B) He took it without a word, but smiled his thanks.
C) He gave the driver some money, but no thanks.
D) He thanked the driver, but gave him no reward.
2. What does the story of the cabdriver show?
A) Cabdrivers are usually honest people.
B) People need to be shown gratitude.
C) You should always give a tip for good service.
D) It's not worthwhile to help other people.
3. Which of the following is NOT an example of expressing gratitude?
A) returning a wallet someone has left behind
B) gracefully receiving an act of kindness from another person
C) thanking and praising coworkers, family, and friends
D) making a small gesture of appreciation
4. Why does the author consider gratitude so important?
A) It keeps people from getting angry.
B) It helps you to get what you want.
C) It makes others like you more.
D) It makes the world a more pleasant place to live.

The Gratitude We Need

A.J. Cronin

On a fine afternoon in New York, I got into a taxi. From the driver's expression and the way he slammed in his gears, I could tell that he was upset. I asked him what was the trouble. "I've got good reason to be sore," he growled. "One of my fares left a wallet in my cab this morning. Nearly three hundred bucks in it. I spent more than an hour trying to trace the guy. Finally I found him at his hotel. He took the wallet without a word and glared at me as though I'd meant to steal it."
"He didn't give you a reward?" I exclaimed.
"Not a cent. But it wasn't the dough I wanted..." he fumbled, then exploded, "If the guy had only said something..."
Because his helpful, honest act had not been appreciated, that cabdriver's day was poisoned, and I knew he would think twice before rendering a similar service. The need for gratitude is something we all feel, and denial of it can do much to harm the spirit of kindness and cooperation.
During World War II a mother in Cincinnati received a letter from her son in the army in which he spoke of a woman in a village in Normandy who had taken him into her home when he was wounded and hungry, and hidden him from the Germans. Later on, unhappily, the boy was killed in the Ardennes offensive. Yet the mother was moved by an irresistible intention. She saved up for two years, crossed the Atlantic and located the village referred to by her son. After many inquiries, she found the woman who had sheltered her son—the wife of an impoverished farmer—and pressed a package into her hand. It was the gold wristwatch her son had received on his graduation, the only object of real value the boy had ever possessed. The mother's act of gratitude so touched people's hearts that it has become something of a legend in and around the village. It has done more than fine speeches to foster good feeling toward Americans.