No one knows how many shopping-bag ladies there are in New York. The figure is going up. Some priests， nuns and researchers spend a great deal of time shepherding or observing shopping-bag ladies and are doing what they can to better the life of the lady hermits who are down.

    NEW WRODS

    hermit n.  person who avoids other people and lives alone  隐士

    shift vi. move from one place， position， etc. to another 转移，移动

    vagrant n.  person who lives a wandering life with no steady home or work 流浪者

    appetite n.  desire or wish， esp. for food 食欲，胃口

    attract vt. draw towards oneself 吸引

    attraction n.

    attractive a.

    peculiar a.  unusual； strange 奇特的；奇怪的

    populace n.  population； the common people

    lone a.  without other people or things 孤独的

    isolate vt. separate from others 使隔离，使孤立

    mistrustful a.  lacking confidence or trust

    shopping-bag n.  购物袋

    huddle vi. crowd together 挤作一团

    warmth n.  the state or quality of being warm

    companionship n.  伴侣关系，友谊；一群伙伴

    companion n.

    bum n.  wandering beggar 游民，叫化子

    keen a.  eager， anxious to do things 热心的，渴望的

    conventional a.  following accepted practices， customs， and standards 习俗的，寻常的

    convention v.  习俗，惯例

    sociologist n.  a person who studies societies and human behavior in groups 社会学家

    neighborhood n.  a group of people and their homes forming a small area within a larger place 街坊，四邻

    inexplicably ad. in a way not capable of explanation

    leftovers n.  （used with a pl， v.） food remaining uneaten after a meal

    garbage n.  waste material； rubbish； scraps of food to be thrown away

    garbage can dustbin 垃圾桶

    resident n.  person living in a place permanently， not just a visitor 居民

    slip vt. give or pay secretly 悄悄给

    overtly ad. publicly 公开地

    collection n.  the gathering of money at a religious service； money collected 募捐；募金

    collection box a box for the collection of money， esp. one passed from hand to hand in church 奉献箱

    doorway n.  门口；门道

    morally ad. with regard to right behavior 道德上

    category n.  class 种类

    claim vt. declare to be true； ask for as a right； take as a rightful owner 声称；要求；认领

    constraint n.  sth. that limits one's freedom of action 拘束

    rent n.  money paid regularly for the use of a room， building， or piece of land 租金vt. pay at regular times for the use of （property）租用

    payment n.  the amount of money （to be） paid

    relief n.  help given to people in trouble 救济

    quasi a.  half； seeming 半，准

    anchor n.  锚；依靠

    layer n.  层

    stuff vt. fill tightly with 把……塞满

    protection n.  the act of protecting or the state of being protected

    protective a.

    cope vi. deal successfully with a difficult situation 对付，应付

    volunteer vt. tell or say without being asked； make a willing offer 主动讲；自愿提供

    voluntary a.

    soup n.  汤