A. items B. universal C. excess D. characteristic E. determined F. confirmed G. random H. annoyance l. supplied J. empathy K. immoral |
A. Community spirit has a lot to do with food banks. B. It's estimated that 500, 000 people in the UK have turned to food banks, just to get by. C. Food banks are seen as a gesture of goodwill from the international community. D. We do occasionally get fresh produce but it's very rare, especially in the winter months. E. There are checks and referrals to make sure nobody is abusing the system. F. Anyone who is in need of food can submit an application form to the local church. |
Feed the Belly Feed the Soul
When looking at Western Europe, we don't usually think about poverty—but in fact, some people in modern-day Britain are so hard up that they can't afford to buy food.
Back in 2008, the financial crisis caused a lot of redundancies(裁员). Then there were the cuts to the welfare system in 2013 which added to the problem—and many British people fell into debt.
Steph Hagen, who works in a Nottingham food bank, says, "People do not go to a food bank because it's an open door. It's a case of they going to it because they need to. With our food bank—we are an independent one, and we have limited stocks—everyone who comes through our door has no income whatsoever. "
lf a doctor or a social worker thinks someone needs to use a food bank—even for a short time—they can give them vouchers. Then the people in need take the vouchers along to the food bank and they get handouts for three days.
Churches and individual donors provide most of the food in the banks. But some businesses might help out too.
As for the food offered in food banks, Hagen says: "Basically, we've got porridge. It's like, tinned fruit, tinned ready meals. We have to give out 'no-cooking' food parcels because people can't afford the gas and electricity. "
Volunteers say they are a great meeting place for people who are lonely and depressed. And when facing a crisis, some beneficiaries (受益人)might need to feed not only their belly—but also their soul.
A. emergency B. exactly C. fortunately D. heading E. indecisive F. instructions G. obvious H. room l. surprisingly J. testing K. underwater |
It Really Happened to Me!
A few minutes after take-off there was a loud explosion. I was in seat 10F next to the exit. Everybody gasped and there were a few screams. Then, , it went very quiet-everyone was assessing the situation.
It soon became we weren't going back to LaGuardia Airport, we were for the water. I started thinking this was it. Then I heard the announcement. "This is the captain, brace for impact," and everything suddenly got very clear. I had to stop thinking about death and start thinking about what I was going to do once the pilot landed in the water. "You sat in this seat," I thought," you've got to get this door open. "
At about 300 feet, I started reading the . There were six steps, and I read them two or three times, myself on each step and trying to imagine myself opening the door. Suddenly, we hit the water. My first thought was, "This plane is sinking, we have to get everybody off as soon as possible."
Someone next to me was trying to pull the door in and I said, "No, it's got to go out. ", I'd just read that. I managed to get the door open and I grabbed the hand of a woman sitting next to me. We walked out onto the wing, which was sinking lower and lower. We walked as far along as we could to make for other people. Everyone was helping each other. It was freezing, and nobody had a jacket. Some people were to their waists.
It felt like half an hour before we saw the first ferry. Fortunately, everyone had survived the crash.
I got through it by following the directions: get the door open, throw the door out, figure out if you're sinking. I just kept on doing that until I reached solid ground. Only then did I go into the men's room and cry for a few minutes.