The Red Cross is an international organization which cares for people who are in need of help. A man in Paris hospital who needs blood, a woman in Mexico who was injured in an earthquake, and a family in India that lost their home in a storm may all be aided by the Red Cross.
The Red Cross exists in almost every country around the globe. The world Red Cross organizations are sometimes called the Red Crescent, the Red Mogen David, the Sun, and the Red Lion. All of these agencies (机构) share a common goal of trying to help people in need.
The idea of forming an organization to help the sick and wounded during a war started with Jean Henri Dunant. In 1859, he observed how people were suffering on a battle field in Italy. He wanted to help all the wounded people regardless of which side they were fighting for. The most important result of his work was an international treaty（条约）called the Geneva Convention. It protects prisoners of war, the sick and wounded, and other citizens during a war.
The American Red Cross was set up by Clara Barton in 1881. Today the Red Cross in the United States provides a number of services for the public, such as helping people in need, teaching first aid and providing blood.
1. A good title for this selection is ______ .
A. People in Need of Help
B. Safety and Protection
C. The International Red Cross
D. Forming an Organization to Help the Soldiers
2. The underlined word "aided" in Paragraph 1 means " ______ ".
A. needed B. helped C. caught D. protected
[答案与解析]
1. C。本题也属于概括文章主旨大意题。本文主要讲述了国际红十字会的起源和作用。
2. B。根据本文第一句话：The Red Cross is an international organization which cares for people who are in need of help.由此可猜测出该划线单词的意思是"帮助"。
