Using a 2-foot-tall sign that says, “Talk to me.” They attract conversationalists, who one evening included a mental patient, and men in business suits.
They don’t collect money. They don’t push religion(宗教). So what’s the point?
“To see what happens,” said Liz, “We simply enjoy life with open communication.”
Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, they decided to walk from New York City to Washington, a 270-mile trip. They found they loved talking to people along the way and wanted to continue talking with strangers after their return.
“It started as a crazy idea,” Liz said. “We were so curious about all the strangers walking by with their life stories. People will talk to us about anything: their jobs, their clothes, their childhood experiences, anything.”
Denise wanted to talk about an exam she was about to take. She had stopped by for the second time in two days, to let the two listeners know how it went.
Marcia had lost her husband in a serious disease, “That was very heavy on my mind,” Marcia said. “To be able to talk about it to total strangers was very good,” she explained.
To celebrate a year of talking, the two held a get-together in a city park for all the people they had met over the past year. A few hundred people showed up, as well as some television cameramen and reporters.
They may plan more parties or try to attract more people to join their informal talks. Some publishers have expressed interest in a book, something they say they’ll consider.
48.What did Liz and Bill start doing after September 2001?
A. Chatting with people.
B. Setting up street signs.
C. Telling stories to strangers.
D. Organizing a speaker’s corner.
49.What they have been doing can be described as __________.
A. pointless
B. normal
C. crazy
D. successful
50.Why are Denise and Marcia mentioned in the text?
A. They knew Liz and Bill very well.
B. They happened to meet the writer of the text.
C. They organized the get-together in the city park.
D. They are examples of those who talked to Liz and Bill.
51.What will Liz and Bill do in the future?
A. Go in for publishing.
B. Do more television programs.
C. Continue what they are doing.
D. Spend more time reading books.
E
Weekend one-day out
A walk along the Wall
Beijing Hikers is organizing a hike in a village along the Great Wall in Changping District, north of downtown Beijing.
The walk will take around three hours covering a distance of 10 kilometres.