C

The Amish are often called the “Plain People.” Their home have no pictures on the walls, and no soft, comfortable furniture. The men wear dark trousers with white or blue shirts, and the women wear long dresses in dark colors. They ride in carriages pulled by horses.

The Amish have a saying: “The old way is the best way.” Although the Amish accept some new ideas- they use new medicines, for example- their way of life has not changed much in 300 years. They do not use electric lights, telephones or TVs.

Almost all Amish live on farms. They do not use modern machinery (机器)，yet their farms are successful because the Amish work hard and take good care of their land and animals. Their farms are always small. The Amish think it is wrong to have more land or more money than they need to live upon. A few years ago some Amish farmers discovered oil on their land. They immediately sold their land moved away, without telling anyone about the oil.

The Amish will not buy insurance (保险) of any kind. When there is trouble, they help one another. If an Amish farmer gets sick, friends and neighbors will milk his cows and plant his fields. If a house burns down, as many as 200 men will come and build a new house in one day.

People are curious about the lives of the Amish. Every year thousands of people visit the part of Pennsylvania where most Amish live. Usually the Amish are not happy about the visitors, but they tolerate(容忍) them. Perhaps the Amish understand that the visitors want to experience, at least for a few days, the quieter, simpler Amish way of life.