Most of us were taught that generosity (慷慨) is about giving freely, and putting others’ needs before our own. Although there is nothing wrong with this definition, it remains somewhat incomplete. To think of generosity only in terms of giving can limit us.
Being truly generous is also about being open to receiving graciously （落落大方地） from others. Allowing others to “give” to us whether it may be a compliment, emotional support or even material help in times of need is, interestingly, the same act of kindness as trying our best to give to others.
Besides, we need to be aware that giving can sometimes be a thinly disguised (伪装的) power trip! It’s time we began to understand generosity as a kind of two-way street.
With all the talk about how “selfish” we are today, it’s pretty amazing to see how many people have real difficulty being able to receive.
There may be at least four reasons why people have trouble receiving. Maybe they simply haven’t learned how to graciously receive a gift or help from others. Or it could be that they don’t want to feel under obligation to the giver. It’s also possible that they consider receiving a weakness, and want to always come across as the strong part of a relationship; to receive, for some, is to admit that they have needs, or are weak, and they find this very hard. Or perhaps, most sadly, they don’t feel they deserve what they receive.
Unfortunately, all of these reasons put the focus on the receiver rather than on the joy of the person giving the gift. But it helps to recall the joy we feel when we ourselves give and to allow others opportunities for experiencing the same joy.
67. The author thinks that receiving _____.
A. is more important than giving B. is seldom seen in our daily life
C. means as much as giving does D. limits us more than giving
68. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that people usually believe that giving _____.
A. is the obligation of the rich B. shows the giver’s powerfulness
C. determines people’s relationship D. usually needs to be taught
69. According to the passage, most people have trouble receiving _____.
A. mainly because of their own personality
B. mainly because of their own culture.
C. because they only think of themselves
D. because they are addicted to giving
70. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Generosity: a two-way street
B. To receive, not to give
C. Give freely, receive occasionally
D. New definition of giving
