全新版综合-4-Unit-5-Text-B

Unit5TextBNamelessFacesSR_mainCultureNotesReadingComprehensionTaskHomelessnessinCanadaTorontoCultureNotesSR_CN_mainSR_CultureNotes1.1HomelessnessinCanadaSR_CultureNotes1.2☆oneofthedefiningsocialissues☆theleadingcause:poverty☆morewomen,childrenandteenagersinthehomelesspopulationthanbeforeSR_CultureNotes1.2_popInrecentyearshomelesspeoplehavebeenincreasinglyevidentonthestreetsinCanada.Homelessnessisbecomingoneofthedefiningsocialissues.Accordingtostatisticsfromawiderangeoforganizations,theleadingcauseofhomelessnessinCanadaispoverty,ratherthansubstanceabuseormentalillness.Inthepast,menusedtocomprisethemajorityofhomelesspeople.Butnowwomen,childrenandteenagersarebecomingmoreandmoreprominentinthehomelesspopulation.SR_CultureNotes2.1TorontoSR_CultureNotes2.2☆thelargestcityinCanadaandtheprovincialcapitalofOntario☆thefifthmostpopulousmunicipalityinNorthAmerica☆Canada’seconomiccapitalSR_CultureNotes2.2_popTorontoisthelargestcityinCanadaandtheprovincialcapitalofOntario.ItislocatedinSouthernOntarioonthenorthwesternshoreofLakeOntario.Withover2.5millionresidents,itisthefifthmostpopulousmunicipalityinNorthAmerica.TorontoisattheheartoftheGreaterTorontoArea(GTA),andispartofadenselypopulatedregioninSouthernOntarioknownastheGoldenHorseshoe,whichishometoover8.1millionresidents—approximately25%ofCanada’spopulation.AsCanada’seconomiccapital,Torontoisalsooneofthetopfinancialcentersintheworld.SR_Reading_text1Mostofuswillhavehadtheexperienceatonetimeoranotherofwalkingpastbeggarswithoutgivingthemanything.Weprobablythinkupexcusesfornotreachingintoourpockets,asdidtheauthorofthistext.Yetonedaywhenshehurriedpastabeggarinthestreetsomethinghappenedthatledhertolookatthoseseekinghelpwithcompletelyneweyes.SR_Reading_text2NamelessFacesAlexanderaSimoneIwasnineteenyearsoldthefirsttimeIsawmyowntruecharacter.IwishIcouldsayIwasproudofwhatIsaw,butthatwouldbealie.AtleastIcansaythatmytruecharacterchangedthatday.Myoveralloutlookonpeoplemanagedtotakea180-degreeturninlessthantenminutes.WhowouldhavethoughtthatthefirstpersontochangethewayIviewedhumanitywouldbeacompletestranger?SR_Reading_text3Foraboutayear,myvoyagetoandfromworkeachdayincludedasubwayridefollowedbyaten-minutewalkthroughtheheartofdowntownToronto.Aswithmostlargecities,thehomelesspopulationofTorontooftencongregatedondowntowncorners,askingpedestriansfortheirsparechange.Likemostbusycitizens,Ilearnedtoignorethenamelessfaceswhobeggedmeformoneyeachday.Whenitcametohomelessbeggars,mylimitedlifeexperiencehadledmetooneassumption—youareonthestreetsbecauseyouchoosetobe,probablyduetodrugsoralcohol.SR_Reading_text4Iremembernotinghowparticularlycoldtheweatherhadbeenthatseason.Itwasmid-December,andthetemperaturewasachillyminus20-degreesCelsius.Iwalkedwithmyheaddown,desperatelywishingthatmyofficewasclosertothesubwaystop.Ipassedtheusualmobsofhomelessbeggars,ignoredallofthem,andcontinuedwalking.AsIcrossedtheintersectionofQueenandYongestreets,Isawhimsittingagainstabuilding,wrappedinseverallayersofthincloth,holdingawhitecupinfrontofhim.Iheardhisshaky,patheticvoicetargetmeasIspedpasthim.SR_Reading_text5“Sparesomechange?”heasked.“Iwouldreallyappreciateit.”Ididn’tevenbotherlookingupathisnamelessface.Ibrieflypicturedhimwalkingintotheclosestliquorstoreandstockinguponwhiskeywithwhatevermoneyhemanagedtoconjureupthatday.Or,maybeheneededanotherhitofcocaine.Clearly,ifhehadeverbeenmarried,hiswifewouldhaveliterallykickedhimtothecurbwhenhecouldn’tgethishabitundercontrol.See,likemostteenagers,ittookmeonlymomentstopassjudgmentonhislife.“Ihavenomoneyonme,”Isaidquickly.SR_Reading_text6Lookingbacknow,Ifeelasthoughfatehadsetoutthatdaytoteachmealesson.Anditsucceeded.Justafewfeetpasthim,Imanagedtofindtheonlyicepatchonthesidewalk.AsIslipped,Itriedtopositionmyselfsotheimpactwouldoccuronmyhipandthigh,butunfortunatelymyaimwasaboutasgoodasmyjudgmentofcharacter,andImanagedtolandsquareonmyrightknee.ThepainsearedthroughmeasIlayonthegroundforseveralmomentswonderingifIhadfracturedmykneecap.AsItriedtocometogripswiththenotionofactuallygettingup,Iheardafamiliar,gruffvoiceonlyinchesaboveme.“Areyouallright?”heasked.IknewimmediatelythatthiswasthemanIhadjustrushedpast.Eveninpain,Istilltookaquickmomenttosniffforthefaintestsmellofalcoholonhisbreath.Therewasnone.Beforemyeyesbegantowellupwithtears,Isawthesmooth,sympatheticlookinhiseyes.Hewasn’tdrunkorhigh.IheldhishandasIstruggledtogettomyfeet.HeheldmyarmasIhobbledtothenearbybusstopandquicklysatonthebench.ThepaininmylegtoldmethatIhaddefinitelydonemorethansimplybruisedmyknee.Ineededanx-ray.SR_Reading_text7SR_Reading_text8“MynameisMike,”hesaid,asItriedtofindacomfortablepositiononthebench.“Youreallyshouldn’ttrywalkingonthatleg.Thatwasquiteafallyoutook,andyoureallyneedtogetitcheckedbyadoctor,”hesaidwithdeepconcern.“Thisbusgoespastthehospital,”Isaidquickly,pointingtothebussignaboveme.Mikepaused,andalookofsuddenrealizationcrossedhisface.Hereachedintohispocketandpulledouthissmallwhitecup.Hedumpedthemeageramountofchangeintothepalmofhishandandcountedit.Heheldhisonlymoneyouttowardme,andafterafewconfusingmomentsIlooke