Here’sasurprisingfact:Ofthe1.1millionfirefightersintheUnitedStatesabout780000arevolunteers.Roughlyathirdofthepopulationis 41 bymostly-orall-volunteerfiredepartments.

Also 42 perhaps.Sometimestheyhavetopayfortheirowngear.

I 43 thisbecauseIvolunteerasafirefighterinDurangoColorado.Irespondedtomorethan50callsin2014everythingfrom 44 tocaraccidents.InthatperiodIspentcloseto$1000onoptionalgearnotsuppliedbymy 45 thingslikehigher-qualityflashlightsknivesandbettergloveswhichmakemy 46 easier.

Yesterdaya 47 wasintroducedinCongressthatwouldgiveasignificanttaxbreaktothosewhovolunteertheirtimeas 48 responders.Ihopeitpassesnotbecauseitwillputsomemoneyinmypocket( 49 heythat’llbenice)butbecauseitwilleasethefinancialburdenonvolunteersandacknowledgetheirtimecommitment.Ibelieveitwill 50 morepeopletohelp.

Andwe 51 that.

In 52 areaswherepopulationdensityislowandcallsforfireandEMSservicesarerelativelyrareitjustdoesn’t 53 tohavecareerfirefightersonthestaff24/7(全天候). 54 volunteersareusedtofillinthe 55 .Wearereadytoputourregularlivesasidetohelpsomeoneonwhatisthe 56 dayoftheirlife.Wehavelikelynevermetbeforeandmightneveragainbutitdoesn’t 57 inacrisis.Withoutvolunteersthewholesystemwouldcollapse.

There’saT-shirtthat’spopularamongusreading“ForPrideNot 58 .”Wevolunteerbecauseweknowour 59 needus.Wedon’tneedasmalltaxbreak.Withoutonewe’llstillputonourgearwhenthealarmgoesoffwithoutany 60 .Butwe’dappreciateoneandifitencouragesmorepeopletojoinusit’sworthit.

41.A.taught B.inspired C.supported D.protected

42.A.surprising B.amusing C.pleasing D.worrying

43.A.appreciate B.know C.prove D.analyze

44.A.wildfires B.wars C.lightning D.embarrassments

45.A.company B.department C.team D.family

46.A.manner