VOA标准英语2011--Charities Spread Holiday Cheer to Poor Children, Homeless

Charities Spread Holiday Cheer to Poor Children, Homeless

The Christmas holiday season for many Americans is a time for giving and helping¹ those who are less fortunate.

Hundreds of children in this low-income neighborhood come to an annual holiday party at the Children's Institute, a private charity. They meet Santa Claus and take home gifts donated by the toymaker Mattel and other companies.

Mary Collins is a retired² business executive and longtime volunteer who serves on the charity's board of trustees. She says the party is the highlight of the year for the children.

"They aren't able to have Christmas presents under their tree on Christmas morning," said Collins. "And because of all the wonderful companies and people who volunteer, they're able to come and pick out a present and a book and participate."

Katherine Martinez, 11, comes here often for after-school programs, and her mother, Rosa, takes a class on parenting skills. Rosa Martinez says the moms and kids are enjoying the party.

"We have fun, and they can have presents and enjoy with other friends and other people around us," said Martinez.

The party is a chance for kids to forget the many social problems they face in their neighborhood, says Nina Revoyr, the institute's executive vice³ president.

"Community violence, things happening in their neighborhoods, also things like child abuse and neglect, domestic violence," said Revoyr. "Even kids that might be traumatized just because something terrible has happened in their families."

The Institute offers counseling for children traumatized by violence, or those who have lost parents. There are also arts and enrichment programs after school.

In another part of town, known as Skid⁴ Row, homeless men live in small encampments, and community workers come by to offer food and other help.

The homeless come to the Los Angeles Mission, a religious charity, for shelter and a meal. There is a room of computers, where they can look for work on the Internet.

Jason Hemming⁵ was homeless once and got help at the mission. He says it's rough on the streets at Christmas.

"You get sentimental⁶ about your family, looking back on childhood opening presents under the tree, things like that. And it brings back a lot of memories," said Hemming.

The homeless live a world apart from those who crave⁷ expensive gifts, says mission president Herb Smith. He says they have simple wants for the holidays - a warm pair of gloves, for example.

"Or they would like to get reunited with their family, a very basic human desire, if you will," said Smith. "Not a lot of Maseratis and Ferraris and all the special baubles⁸ that some of us think about at Christmas, but very basic human need and human desire."

Those who run these charities say the holiday season reminds people to reach out to others throughout the year.

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 skid   

v.打滑 n.滑向一侧；滑道 ，滑轨

参考例句：

• He braked suddenly,causing the front wheels to skid.他突然剎车，使得前轮打了滑。
• The police examined the skid marks to see how fast the car had been travelling.警察检查了车轮滑行痕迹，以判断汽车当时开得有多快。

5 hemming   

卷边

参考例句：

• "Now stop hemming and hawing, and tell me about it, Edward. "别再这个那个的啦，跟我说说吧，爱德华。 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡
• All ideas of stopping holes and hemming in the German intruders are vicious. 一切想要堵塞缺口和围困德国侵略军的办法都是错误的。

6 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

7 crave   

vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求

参考例句：

• Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
• You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。

8 baubles   

n.小玩意( bauble的名词复数 )；华而不实的小件装饰品；无价值的东西；丑角的手杖

参考例句：

• The clothing category also includes jewelry and similar baubles. 服饰大类也包括珠宝与类似的小玩意。 来自互联网
• The shop sells baubles as well. 这家商店也销售廉价珠宝。 来自互联网