A Useful Gift
Written by Studio AM.
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A useful gift can seem less exciting than a surprising one. Socks, a cooking pot, or a transit card may not produce a dramatic photograph. Yet usefulness can carry careful attention. The giver has noticed how another person actually moves through a day.
There is also a danger. A gift chosen only to correct someone can feel like an assignment. A cookbook for a person who dislikes cooking serves the giver's imagined version of that person. Usefulness must begin with listening, not with deciding what another life should need.
The best practical gifts often remove a small, repeated burden. They replace the broken umbrella, make a favorite task easier, or return a little time. Their meaning grows through use. Each ordinary morning becomes a quiet reminder that someone paid attention. A gift need not be useless to feel generous; it needs to respect the person who will receive it.
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Questions
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Question 1 of 4
What is the main idea of the essay?
The answer is D: A useful gift shows care when it reflects the recipient's real needs and interests.
The essay says useful gifts show care when the giver listens and respects the recipient.
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Question 2 of 4
Why can a practical gift become a poor gift?
The answer is A: It can reflect the giver’s wishes instead of the recipient’s interests.
The cookbook reflects what the giver wants the recipient to become.
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Question 3 of 4
What does “burden” mean here?
The answer is B: a recurring difficulty or demand
The gift removes something small that repeatedly makes daily life harder.
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Question 4 of 4
What is one useful gift named in the first paragraph?
The answer is C: a transit card
The opening list includes socks, a cooking pot, and a transit card.
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