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    Dating back to 2002, this is the fifth time that I have traveled overseas to work with Roma people, whom you probably know better as “gypsies”. Every time I came home feeling as though I had gotten far more than I gave.

The Roma live mostly in central and eastern Europe and to some extent in the Americas. Due to some reasons, throughout their history they are usually the last to be hired and the first to be fired, generally speaking. They live far away from town normally and in relative poverty.

Getting education is a common subject. That is where we come in. This time, I, along with three other men, was working in a village in Slovakia. Most Roma people there can’t speak English well, and we went to help out with that, hoping to make a difference to their life.

Staying with the Roma, I have learned anyone can help others. The first time I went abroad was to work with a Roma charity. When we arrived in a small village in Hungary, we found that several of the Roma were missing. They would return the next day, because they had traveled a few hours away to serve in a prison. That is, these who we thought needed us were off helping some other people who needed them.

We may think we are traveling over to “give” to them. Actually, we also received warm hospitality. Some small gifts would sometimes come our way, as they expressed their thanks. On the last day of this trip, the local Roma warmly invited us to stay for a coffee with home-baked sweets. These poor people always find some ways to welcome trusted visitors.

Here what I want to say is that the Roma people that I have worked or talked with are just as smart and able as we are. They are wise Roma people in many ways, though having lived quite differently from most of us. There is nothing fault born with them. They are in every way that matters. We are all the same human beings.

1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell about?

A. The disadvantaged backgrounds of the Roma.

B. The traditional cultures of the Roma.

C. The healthy lifestyle of the Roma.

D. The long history of the Roma.

2. In the author’s fifth time traveling abroad, he helped the Roma _______.

A. develop the local tourism               B. get more work opportunities

C. protect their living environment          D. improve their English language skills

3. What can we learn about the Roma from paragraphs 4 and 5?

A. They never trust outsiders easily.

B. They pay great attention to charity.

C. They are very kind and warm-hearted.

D. They dislike expressing their feelings directly.

4. Which of the following may the author agree with according to the text?

A. We should help the weak as much as possible.

B. The Roma should be treated fairly.

C. The Roma are special.

D. It is never too late to pay a visit to Europe.