单选题 The idea of helping people comes naturally to most of us. If we see a blind person getting off a bus, we watch to make sure that he is in no danger of falling. Members of a family help one another, with particular care for the very young and the elderly.
There are many people who have nobody near to see their need for help and often nobody to give it even when the need is known. The old, the handicapped, the homeless and friendless — these are the people for whom help may not come, because nobody sees. It may not have occurred to you that you are in a position to help. Community service means helping the people around you. Organizations exist which try to make sure that someone sees when help is needed and does something about it. These organizations depend on voluntary help to carry out a wide variety of tasks, volunteers giving up a little of their spare time to lend a hand.
If you wish to take part in this worthwhile activity, what sort of things would you do? Think of the people most in need of help and the ways in which help can be given. Much of the work of community service is concerned with the care of the elderly and the handicapped. Old people cannot always redecorate their homes. Household repairs, cleaning, preparing food or taking care of the garden may all prove difficult. Elderly people with failing eyesight are delighted if a friend comes in to read or to write letters for them. A helping hand and a friendly face can mean a great deal to a lonely elderly person.
Handicapped people may be young or old. People confined to wheelchairs cannot go out unless somebody takes them. Blind children may love swimming but they need a sighted swimmer to go with them. Some handicapped people may be unable to go out at all and a visitor is then more than welcome. Voluntary help is needed in hospitals. There are library and shop trolleys to be taken round the wards and at Christmas time decorations to be put up and parties and concerts to be organized. Some volunteers help to run playgrounds for young children during school holidays and also look after children in preschool play groups.
What do you do if you want to help? Your school may have contact with an outside organization or, indeed, run a community service scheme itself. In many towns there is a committee called the Council of Social Service or the Guild of Social Welfare and they will be able to tell you about voluntary activities in the area. The Citizens' Advice Bureau and the Women's Royal Voluntary Service are other sources of information, as is the public library. Churches, the Scouts and other youth organizations can tell you about their activities. Most large cities in the United Kingdom have youth groups for community service, for it is here that the need is greatest. If you join such a group, you will bring pleasure and hope to people who need your help.

单选题 The author's purpose in writing this passage is to explain ______.
[A] why it is necessary for us to help others [B] who can help others
[C] who most need help [D] what community service is
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】主旨题。文章从帮助别人是我们的一种自然想法、需要帮助的人有很多等入手,引出了community service(社会服务)这一概念,介绍了社会服务的组织构成和运作方式,以及读者如何参与社会服务等内容,因此[D]最能概括全文主旨。其余三项都只是文章的部分内容。
单选题 The main idea of Paragraph 2 is that ______.
[A] many people need help, but nobody sees and gives it
[B] the organizations must depend on voluntary help
[C] special help should be given to those who cannot easily give help
[D] it is necessary to form organizations to give help to those who need it
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】主旨题。第二段首先指出需要帮助的人很多,但没有人去帮助或者注意到他们需要帮助,然后引出了社会服务的概念,介绍了社会服务机构的功能和运作方式。由两者之间的逻辑关系可以推知,后者的出现正是为了解决前面所说的问题,说明的是这种机构出现的必要性,因此本题答案选[D]。
单选题 Which of the following statements is NOT true?
[A] The work of community service takes volunteers little time.
[B] It is natural for most people to help others.
[C] Voluntary help is needed in many places.
[D] Community service means a lot to those who need help.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】细节题。本题为细节比对题。[A]中的little time与第二段最后一句中的a little意思相反,因此是本题答案。其余三项都与文意相符。
单选题 Those who most need help from community service are ______.
[A] the old and young [B] the old and handicapped
[C] the homeless and friendless [D] old women
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】细节题。第三段第二句指出,如果想参与社会服务,首先要考虑哪些人最需要帮助及如何帮助他们。紧接着第三句对前一个问题进行了说明:Much of the work...the elderly and the handicapped,即这两种人最需要帮助,所以社会服务的大部分工作都集中在对这两种人的护理上,故选[B]。
单选题 If you want to lend a hand and need the necessary information, you may go to ______.
[A] your school [B] a social service committee
[C] the Citizens' Advice Bureau [D] any of the above
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】细节题。文章最后一段指出了想参与社会服务的志愿者获得相关信息的渠道。对照四个选项,发现[A]、[B]、[C]三项都在该段中提到了,因此答案是[D]。