11．Social worker Cathy Heying noticed a growing tendency among the homeless and unemployed people she served for nearly a decade at St．Stephen's Catholic Church in Minneapolis．"At least twice a week，someone would mention car trouble as a reason for missing a job interview or not getting the kids to day care，"says Cathy，44．"I thought if I could offer car repairs，I could prevent these problems．"So in December 2012，with little more automotive experience than making small changes to improve her own motorcycle，Cathy signed up for a mechanics（機械學）program．After two years of taking a full-time course，Cathy obtained a part-time degree in auto technology from Dunwoody College of Technology．
Then she opened the Lift，a nonprofit garage offering affordable car repair for needy people．"I had no mechanics，no volunteers，and only a few tools，"says Cathy．She operated from a partly closed area in a friend's garage．But she made itwork．
One of Cathy's first customers，Linda Granger，was unemployed when her social worker referred her to the Lift．Her 20-year-old pickup truck had a new heater，timing belt，and brakes fixed by Cathy and a volunteer for 600total，which Lindai spaying off in 20 monthly installments．The same repairs would have cost at least $1，800 at a typical garage．
"There's no way I could have afforded it otherwise，"says Linda．
"It's been a hard journey from social worker to mechanic，"says Cathy．"But compared with other people's struggles，I have nothing to complain about．"
21．What motivates Cathy Heying to open the Lift？A
A．The car trouble of the homeless and unemployed．
B．Ten years of hard work with poor people like her．
C．The growing tendency of more job interviews．
D．The joy of getting the kids to day care in her car．
22．The underlined"it"in Para.3 most probably refers toC．
A．a(chǎn) partly closed area
B．a(chǎn) friend's garage
C．the Lift
D．free car repair
23．Linda's experience was mentioned in the passage to show thatB．
A．Cathy helped her fix the truck
B．the Lift did manage to help the needy
C．her truck did need a thorough repair
D．a(chǎn) typical garage cost 3 times as much
24．Which of the following could be the best title for the passage？D
A．Free Car Repairs for All
B．Home to the Unemployed
C．Come for the Mechanics Program
D．She's Lifting Cars and Spirits．
分析 本文講述Cathy做社工時，發(fā)現(xiàn)很多生活困難的人因為汽車的故障而導致生活更加艱難，盡管自己維修經(jīng)驗不足，但她依然創(chuàng)辦了一家維修廠以低廉的價格來幫助那些有生活困難的人修車，其目的不是盈利，而是幫助那些需要幫助的人們，其精神之高尚值得我們學習．
解答 21．答案 A 細節(jié)理解題 根據(jù)At least twice a week，someone would mention car trouble as a reason for missing a job interview or not getting the kids to day care，"says Cathy，44．"I thought if I could offer car repairs，I could prevent these problems．可知，當她看到那么多有困難的人由于車的故障而找不到工作或送不了孩子，因此她開了汽車修理廠，故答案為A
22．答案 C 詞義猜測題 根據(jù)Then she opened the Lift，a nonprofit garage offering affordable car repair for needy people．"可知下文，she made it work．她讓它運轉(zhuǎn)起來了，it 此處應該指的是上文的the Lift，故答案為C
23．答案 B 推理判斷題 根據(jù)Then she opened the Lift，a nonprofit garage offering affordable car repair for needy people．"可知，她開辦汽車修理廠的目的不是盈利，而是幫助那些需要幫助的人們，故答案為B
24．答案 D 主旨歸納題 根據(jù)全文可知，Cathy做社工時，發(fā)現(xiàn)很多生活困難的人因為汽車的故障而導致生活更加艱難，盡管自己維修經(jīng)驗不足，但她依然創(chuàng)辦了一家維修廠以低廉的價格來幫助那些有生活困難的人修車，其目的不是盈利，而是幫助那些需要幫助的人們，其精神之高尚值得我們學習．D選項概括最為全面到位，故答案為D
點評 社會文化類是英語閱讀中常見的題材，掌握該類的英語閱讀理解技巧十分重要．主旨大意題在歷史文化類文章中是常考的題型．解答這類試題的英語閱讀理解技巧：
1．讀首句抓大意．文化教育類閱讀理解文章多采用說明文、議論文體裁，而這類文章大都采用文章段落的中心，即主題句在文章開頭．因此，要尋找這類文章的主旨大意就需要研究文章的首句．
2．讀尾句抓大意．有時這類文章的主題句安排在文章的結(jié)尾，作為對全篇的總結(jié)．
3．讀首段抓大意．有些文章或段落的開頭和結(jié)尾部分都有主題句．這種結(jié)構(gòu)是為了突出主題思想而使用兩次點題的寫作方法．這兩個主題句在句子結(jié)構(gòu)和用詞上有所不同，而且在內(nèi)容上前句和后句也不重復．
4．從段落中抓大意．有些文章或段落的主題句在文章中，這種文章或段落往往以一句話或幾句話引出要表達的主題，在主題句出現(xiàn)后，再舉例子陳述細節(jié)或繼續(xù)論證．
5．歸納要點抓大意．有些文章或段落無明顯的主題句，只是暗示性地體現(xiàn)主題．這就要求同學們在閱讀過程中根據(jù)文中所敘述的事實或線索來概括總結(jié)主旨大意．
