Moving can bring out the best and the worst in people, I’m finding. And I’ve discovered where a very generous spirit lives: Defiance, Ohio.
After suffering through many months of unemployment, my wife and I had to move this week from Colorado to Ohio, where she would work as a sales assistant. Not knowing a person there, we were pretty concerned about all the work, including how we’d get all the things unloaded without killing ourselves.
We decided to pay a couple of college students to help with all the heavy lifting once we got there. But one neighbor after another stopped by and joined in. “What? Have we moved to some other country? Maybe we’ve died and gone to heaven!” I thought.
Unloading actually became fun as we connected with so many wonderful new friends as we worked. The more people that helped, the easier the work became. A job we were afraid might take days for the two of us alone was done in just a few hours. Many total strangers would either walk by or drive by to ask us if we were moving in. Many were delighted that this fine old house that had sat empty for so long was coming to life again. We were invited to an outdoor meal yesterday by neighbors on the same street.
All the while, my brain was on this new sense of hope that people could be outgoing and kind to strangers. Among all the conversations were lots of offers to be of help to one another in a variety of ways. It’s wonderful to live in such a kind little town. I feel so grateful to be here, and wish the rest of the world could see how an entire society can be a model for what it’s like to look out for one another. I used to stay away from friendships with strangers, but now I live in Defiance!
小题1:The author and his wife moved to Defiance because ________.
A．they thought moving often brought out the best
B．a couple of students had promised to help them
C．they liked this little town
D．his wife had found a job小题2:When offered help, the author at first felt________.
A．grateful
B．surprised
C．embarrassed
D．excited小题3:The neighbors did all of the following EXCEPT________.
A．help them unload
B．invite them to a dinner
C．offer to drive them around
D．welcome their coming小题4:What can we know about the author’s past life?
A．He hated to live in a little town.
B．He liked to make friends with strangers.
C．He usually offered some help to others.
D．He refused to make friends with strangers.小题5:The author mainly wants to tell us ________.
A．we don’t know what is good until we have lost it
B．kindness is the sunshine of social life
C．where there is a will, there is a way
D．there is no place like home
