David Gill might be the richest man in Sebastopol, California. The semi-retired health care administrator is banking the most valuable currency in the world：Time. Gill currently has 480 hours in his savings account at the local time bank.
In brief, a time bank does with time what other banks do with money: It stores and trades it. “Time banking means that for every hour you give to your community, you receive an hour credit,” explains Krista Wyatt, executive director of the nonprofit TimeBanks.
In Sebastopol, 250 residents have time bank accounts where they save and withdraw hours as needed. For instance, Gill, who is also the main local time bank coordinator, likes to offer his expertise with computer programming, editing and financial planning. In return, he asks for help when he needs a ride to the airport or someone to transport heavy furniture. The time banks are building social capital (资金). “I’ve made wonderful friends I wouldn’t have met otherwise and we now invite each other to our garden parties,” says Gill. “It’s about making community and being a part of the community. You can’t put a price on that stuff.”
Some cities look to time banks as a model to support an aging population. In St. Gallen, Switzerland, only members over the age of 50 may join the local time bank Stiftung Zeitvorsorge. While Sebastopol’s time bank is more geared toward practical services to fill a gap other community services don’t address, members in St. Gallen regularly help seniors run errands, shop for groceries, take them to the doctor or simply keep them company. “Even if only five people were enabled to enter care homes a year later,” the foundation’s executive director Jurg Weibel recently told the German magazine Der Spiegel, “the investment would have already recovered itself.” “The reality is that grown-up kids live in other areas,” Weibel said. “Also, many seniors are consciously looking for a new purpose.”
【小题1】Why does the author mention David Gill in paragraph 1?| A．To announce the news. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To show his richness. | D．To present his new job. |
| A．A manager who devotes his time to the company. |
| B．A teacher who spends time instructing his students. |
| C．A doctor who offers free advice to seniors in a community. |
| D．A police officer who bravely saves a kid in a fighting. |
| A．Positive. | B．Ambiguous. | C．Objective. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Anyone can join the local time bank Stiftung Zeitvorsorge. |
| B．Members in St. Gallen can offer mental support to seniors. |
| C．One can make a fortune through the investment in time banks. |
| D．Seniors in St. Gallen are unwilling to live with their children. |
