Normally, we talk about the spirit of giving, and it is important to do this. But we hardly hear any talk about the spirit of receiving. Very few people know how to receive a gift kindly. Therefore, while we are receiving a gift, we are actually rejecting it. And we turn off the flow（流动）of love by refusing to allow the other person to experience the joy of giving.
A man knew that his wife dreamed of having a fur coat, but he couldn’t afford to buy her such a coat. He loved his wife very much and he wanted to make her happy. Finally, he decided to start a fur-coat-buying project. He saved money in every way that he could. Two years later, he bought her a fur coat, not one of the most expensive ones, but a nice fur coat. He gave it to his wife on her birthday. When she saw the coat, she said, “Oh, Bill, how could you? You know how much we need a new sofa.” Then after a while, she said, “But it is nice, thank you.” But the husband’s feelings were hurt. Two years of love was hurt by her words—she didn’t accept a gift kindly.
Do we often act this way when we receive a gift? Are we sometimes too proud, or too cold? Or are we not strong enough to let the other person do the giving?
Are you unwilling（不情愿的）to allow the other person to experience the joy of giving? After reading this passage, you may know what to do when you receive a gift next time.
【小题1】The underlined word “rejecting” means________ in Chinese.| A．接受 | B．答应 | C．传递 | D．拒绝 |
| A．the man had a very good job |
| B．the man saved money in order to buy his wife a gift |
| C．the woman started a sofa-buying project |
| D．the woman thought the fur coat was not as nice as her friend’s |
| A．sad | B．happy | C．relaxed | D．shy |
| A．giving is more important than receiving |
| B．we should be proud of what we have |
| C．receiving a gift kindly is very important |
| D．the man and his wife should learn how to get along with each other |
