四、閱讀測驗
Paul Newman began acting in 1954 and appeared in more than fifty films in his lifetime. He won an Oscar for
best actor in 1986 for The Color of Money, and in 1993, Newman received a special Oscar for humanitarian service.
These two awards reflect his dual success as actor and philanthropist.
In 1982, Newman and a friend, A. (E) Hotchner, established Newman’s Own, a not-for-profit food products
company, and launched their first product: a salad dressing that Newman and Hotchner made at home themselves.
Newman was told that this sauce would sell only if his face were on the label. Though he didn’t want to call
attention to himself, he agreed because he planned to donate all profits to charity. The salad dressing was a huge
success: In the first year, Newman contributed approximately US$1,000,000 to charitable organizations.
Newman’s Own expanded, and the company now makes many other food products. Every year, Newman
donated 100% of the profits from the sale of Newman’s Own products to thousands of educational and non-profit
groups. And since Newman’s death in 2008, Newman’s Own, Inc. has continued this practice and donated over
US$295 million to charities in the U.S. and 31 other countries.
One of Newman’s special projects was the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, the world’s only network of camps
for children with life-threatening illnesses. At these camps, children participate in many outdoor activities where
they can temporarily forget their health problems. The project has sponsored more than 100,000 children to attend
these camps free of charge. When asked why he gave so much to kids with serious diseases, Newman said, “I’ve
had such a string of good fortune in my life……Those who are most lucky should hold their hands out to those who
aren’t.”
Paul Newman didn’t think that being a philanthropist was an exceptional quality. To him, generosity was
simply a human trait, a common-sense way of living. “I respect generosity in people. I don’t look at it as
philanthropy,” said Newman. “I’m not running for sainthood. I just happen to think that in life we need to be a little
like the farmer who puts back into the soil what he takes out.”
【題組】24. What does the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps do for children with serious illnesses?
(A) They help the kids forget their discomfort for a short time by having fun outdoors.
(B) They offer the kids a big party with delicious foods that they don’t usually have.
(C) They allow the kids to dig holes on the wall so as to peek on other patients in hospital.
(D) They organize the kids into a gang and fight their diseases by encouraging each other.