The Savitzs who move to Newton had found themselves welcomed into the neighborhood with truly open arms. Glenda was pregnant before the move and within three months, they gave birth to Samantha. About a week after Glenda and RaphiSavitz welcomed their daughter Samantha to the world, they learned that she was deaf. “We knew right away that we had to get involved in the deaf community, learn about the culture, and start getting fully lost in American Sign Language,” Glenda says. What the new parents didn’t know was that their neighbors in Newton, Mass., would decide they needed to start learning sign language, too.
“We really wanted to communicate with her and play with her,” says McNeil, who lives across the street from the Savitzs. “And since she couldn’t learn our language, we thought we wanted to learn hers.” McNeil and three other neighbors quietly signed up for local adult education classes in American Sign Language. “We met a teacher there that we really loved, and we asked him if he would come here and teach more neighbors,” McNeil explains. “So that’s how it started.” About 20 neighbors immediately signed up for the class. With the help of their instructor, Rhys McGovern, the neighbors are able to help Samantha feel like she belongs.
“We know how to say, ‘Are you riding your bike?’ or ‘You have pretty new pink sneakers.’ There’s a dog across the street that she loves to play with. So we all know the sign for ‘dog.’” McNeil adds, “Her parents translate for us because her fingers are very small right now and she signs very fast, so we’re trying and we’re getting better. ... Her first sign to all of us is ‘friend,’ which feels very good.”
The classes have been such a hit that there are now two offerings, on two different weeknights, bringing the number of neighbors learning the language to about 40. As a result of that neighborly effort, Samantha moves with ease where her family lives. She’ll stop in at neighbors’ homes just to draw pictures and chat.
【小题1】When did Glenda and RaphiSavitz find Samantha deaf?| A．Within three months of her pregnancy. |
| B．About a week after their learning ASL. |
| C．When Samantha was about one week old. |
| D．Three months before their move to Newton. |
| A．A teacher who instructs Savitz’s neighbors to learn ASL. |
| B．A neighbor who helps Savitzinteract with her neighbors. |
| C．A neighbor hired an instructor for Savitz’s neighbors. |
| D．An organizer who calls on Savitz’s neighbors to help her. |
| A．Bike. | B．Sneakers. | C．Dog. | D．Friend. |
| A．Good neighbors, a piece of treasure. |
| B．Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. |
| C．Better to be friendly with a neighbor than to wear a fur jacket. |
| D．Communication is one of the most efficient ways to understand. |
