帮助无家可归者
帮助无家可归者

Denver, Colorado is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. It also has one of the biggest populations of homeless young people. A Denver coffee shop is seeking to resolve the problem. The Purple Door Coffee Shop employs and trains homeless young people, giving them a second chance to make a new start.

Kevin: "Welcome! What can I get for you guys?" For many years of his life, Kevin Persons lived on the street. Today, he is working behind the counter of a coffee bar, serving coffee. He is also working to move off the streets and into a home.

What makes it a little easier is the mission of the Purple Door Coffee shop. It does not just serve a cup of coffee; it turns lives around.

The owners of the two-year-old nonprofit hire three to four young adults per year. "When someone has lived in terrible stress and harm for as long as these young people have, every day fighting for survival, they haven't had the opportunity of how to learn conflict management, how to manage money, and how to pay their rent on time."

Those skills are exactly what employment at Purple Door offer.

Madison Chandler is a co-founder of Purple Door. She and her partner meet with their workers individually each week. They talk about topics ranging from mental health, finance, hygiene(卫生) and customer service. They also provide a life coach to make sure the workers have the support and skills that will set them up for success.

Madison Chandler says at the end of Purple Door's first year, their four graduates were ready to start a new part of their lives. The experience at the coffee shop helped them get jobs.

Kevin recognizes that he is learning what he needs to leave the struggles of homelessness and learn the skills to live a full life. "They seem to have the philosophy that they don't want to change us, they want to help us change ourselves."

For Madison Chandler, providing these young adults with employment and education and helping them become confident and independent is the most rewarding part of her job.

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1.What does The Purple Door Coffee Shop do for the homeless young people?

A It seeks a coffee shop for them.

B It employs them to do the hard work.

C It offers them a place to live.

D It hires and trains them to start a new life.

解析:选D。D。细节理解题。由第一段可知,紫门咖啡店雇佣并培训流浪者,给他们机会学到重新生活的技能。

2.From the second paragraph,we know Kevin Persons was once__________.

A a homeless person

B a coffee bar owner

C a servant in a coffee bar

D a bar tender

解析:选A。A。推理判断题。由第二段For many years of his life, Kevin Persons lived on the street…可知, 他以前住在街上,由此推出他以前是一个无家可归的人。

3.The Purple Door offers young adults the opportunity to learn to__________.

A live in stress

B fight with others

C rent a house

D deal with conflict

解析:选D。D。推理判断题。过去年轻人生活压抑(A选项),不知道如何求生存,不知道如何处理一些冲突,也不知道如何花钱,如何做到按时交房租等。紫门咖啡店给他们机会学会这些技能。所以D选项,‘学会如何处理矛盾’是正确选项。

4.Why do they provide the workers with a life coach?

A To care about their mental health.

B To make sure they have the support and skills.

C To talk with them individually each week.

D To talk to them about their health, finance, hygiene and customer service.

解析:选B。B。细节理解题。由第六段最后一句话可知,他们为员工提供生活辅导老师,目的是能确保他们获得支持,并学会取得成功的基本技能。

5.What can be inferred from the underlined sentence in the last but two paragraph?

A Kevin has learned what he needs to live a full life.

B At the Purple Door, workers learn to change themselves.

C At the Purple Door, workers are forced to change themselves.

D Kevin has learned the philosophy to change himself.

解析:选B。B。句子理解题。他们在教学上,不是采用的逼迫式,而是让员工感觉到自己愿意去改变自己(B选项)。