I always experienced guilt when I passed by without giving a coin or two to a beggar.
My conscience was pricked again on a tour of Venice in 2010. I had taken refuge from the crowds in a quiet canal-side café. Outside the café was an old woman kneeling on the ancient cobbled stones, begging. Steady streams of tourists were walking past her. A lone young back-packer stood away from the crowds drinking something, but I noticed he was also observing the woman.
A tourist group glanced at the woman and walked on. Another group of tourists arrived and, again, walked past her. The backpacker watched. Then, as I prepared to leave, I stopped at the sight of the backpacker stepping forward and placing some money in the woman’s cup. He did this rather ostentatiously(炫耀地), just before the arrival of another tourist group. I watched as the leader of the group stopped and put some money in the cup. Having been shown the way, other tourists followed suit and added more coins to the woman’s cup.
The young backpacker repeated this process in front of the next tour party going past. Once again, the subtle peer (同伴)pressure worked on the tourists, who all added coins to the cup. His work done, the young man walked over to the old beggar woman, patted her shoulder and said, “I hope that helps a bit.”
I don’t know if the woman understood his English or realized what had just happened, but I did. I placed some money in the woman’s cup and continued my travels, light-hearted after witnessing such an act of caring.
The backpacker placed some money in the woman’s cup rather ostentatiously because______.
A.he wanted to stop the tourists by doing this |
B.he wanted people to know that he was rich and kind |
C.he wanted to help the woman by himself |
D.he wanted the tourist group to follow him |
The author went to a quiet canal-side cafe to_______ .
A.avoid meeting the beggar |
B.get away from the crowds |
C.take a rest |
D.watch the woman beggar |
We can infer from the passage that ________ .
A.tourists can be cheated by beggars |
B.people usually have pity on an old beggar |
C.tourists are willing to help beggars |
D.people can do kind acts due to peer pressure |
Before the backpacker dropped some money in the woman’s cup, the tourists ______ .
A.all showed pity for the woman |
B.didn’t notice the woman |
C.walked by without giving any money |
D.gave a little money to the woman |