Voluntary work in fact, brings many personal benefits. My personal experiences have affirmed my belief in this.

To begin, voluntary work has provided me with the opportunity to gain more insight into the lives of the less fortunate. I once volunteered to clean up one-room flats where the less fortunate lived in. When I first entered the flat, I was astonished at the state of the living conditions — it was overcrowded with people, messy household items, and newspapers. I was critical about the owners of the flat. However, as the cleaning proceeded, I learned more about their misfortunes and difficulties. I was regretful of my initial judgement of them. This incident has allowed me to learn more about people. Moreover, it has made me realise that many underprivileged communities are unjustifiably judged and discriminated against. I learnt that life is a lot more complex than I had imagined, and that I should always try to display empathy.

In addition, my experience with volunteer work has reminded me to be more thankful for the little things. When I volunteered at a school to teach basic life skills to students with cerebral palsy (脑瘫), I found that the students were very appreciative of the teachers, teacher assistants and even the school attendants. The students often said “thank you” and smiled politely. I felt that as much as I had taught them, the students too had taught me: they taught me a lesson on gratitude.

Finally, doing voluntary work has given my life more meaning. After doing voluntary work, I feel more connected to the rest of mankind, and now have a stronger sense of purpose in my life. Instead of just being absorbed in my own wants and needs, now make use of the abilities I have to extend a helping hand to those in need.

【小题1】What can be inferred about the author’s first judgement on the people in the flat?

A．Inspiring.

B．Interesting.

C．Pitiful.

D．Rude.

【小题2】Who taught the author to be more appreciative of life?

A．The teachers.	B．The volunteers.
C．The teacher assistants.	D．The disabled students.

【小题3】Which statement best describes the author’s attitude towards voluntary work?

A．Do as you would be done by.

B．Kill two birds with one stone.

C．All things are difficult before they are easy.

D．A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

【小题4】How does the author mainly prove his idea?

A．By quoting others’ words.

B．By using parallel sentences.

C．By giving opinions and facts.

D．By listing examples and numbers.