When memory began for me, my grandfather (“Gramp”) was past sixty. The little marks of laughter at the corners of his eyes were the product of a kindly and humorous nature. The years of work which had bent his shoulders had never reduced his humor or his love of a joke. Everywhere he went, Gramp made friends easily. At the end of half an hour you felt you had known him all your life. I soon learned that he hated to give orders, but that when he had to, he tried to make his orders sound like suggestions.
One July morning, as he was leaving to go to the cornfield, he said: “Edwin, you can pick up the potatoes in the field today if you want to do that.” Then he drove away with his horses. The day passed, and I did not have any desire to pick up potatoes. Evening came and the potatoes were still in the field. Gramp, dusty and tired, led the horses to get their drink.
“How many potatoes did you pick up?” Gramp inquired. “I didn’t pick any.” “Not any! Why?” “You said I could pick them up if I wanted to. You didn’t say I had to.” In the next few minutes, I learned a lesson I will not forget: when Gramp said I could if I wanted to, he meant that I should want to.
My grandmother (“Gram”) worked hard all day, washing clothes, cleaning the house, making butter, and even working in the field when help was scarce. In the evening, though, she was not too tired to read books from the community library. For more than forty years, Gram read aloud to Gramp almost every evening. In this way, she and Gramp learned about all the great battles of history and became familiar with the works of great authors and the lives of famous men.
She also had a deep love of beauty. When she was almost seventy-five and had gone to live with one of her daughters, she spent a delightful morning washing dishes because, as she said, the beautiful pattern on the dishes gave her pleasure. The birds, the flowers, the clouds –– all that was beautiful around her –– pleased her. She was like the father of the French painter, Millet, who used to gather grass and show it to his son, saying, “See how beautiful this is!”
In a pioneer society it is the harder qualities of mind and character that are of value. The softer virtues are considered unnecessary. Men and women struggling daily to earn a living are unable, even for a moment, to forget the business of preserving their lives. Only unusual people, like my grandparents, managed to keep the softer qualities in a world of daily struggle.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about Gramp according to the passage?| A．He wouldn’t listen to others. | B．He was difficult to get along with. |
| C．He gave his suggestions in the form of orders. | D．He was eager to learn. |
| A．to earn a living. | B．to find beauty in everyday life. |
| C．to stay curious about new things. | D．to stay positive in a world of daily struggle. |
| A．“softer qualities” were thought necessary but often ignored. |
| B．“harder qualities” were much harder to keep than “softer qualities”. |
| C．average people found it a piece of cake to earn a living. |
| D．not all people understood how to appreciate beauty in life. |
| A．Life of My Grandparents. | B．Harder Qualities VS Softer Qualities. |
| C．Stay Soft in a Hard World. | D．An Unforgettable Person. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】I’m racing on the 1,500-metre track (跑道) with my friend, Mary. I’m tired and my throat is giving me much pain. I want to stop but a voice repeating in my head keeps me running: “No one knows what the result will be. Everything is still possible.” Today, I have to fight with myself.
Nine years ago, when I was a 6-year-old girl, my mother took me on a trip. We went to the foot of a high mountain which she told me that we would climb. I had never done this before and the thought of it made me very happy.
At the beginning, I climbed fast. But half an hour later, when I was thirsty and tired, I just stopped and sat upon the ground, completely silent. My mom came and sat next to me.
She said, “Get up and go on!”
Almost shouting, and with tears in my eyes, I replied, “No, I don’t want to do this. It’s too tiring and I am thirsty. I don’t like it. I want to go back home now.”
Patiently she explained, “Listen, my dear. If you try your best, anything is possible. If you don’t try, your dreams will never come true. However hard the task is, we must finish it. You will never know how beautiful the scenery looks unless you reach the top of the mountain.”
Hearing her words, I stopped crying and started to climb again. Finally I made it; I did reach the top of the mountain and enjoyed the glorious view.
Today I’m on the racing track. I’m going to keep running because I know its always worthwhile (值得做的) to finish.
And in the end I managed it; I got through the finish line. Although it was really difficult and I did not win, I did make it. As former Indian President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (1931-2015) said, “Never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined (命定的) place — that is, the unique you.”
1. What event is the author taking part in?| A．Jumping. | B．Running. | C．Boxing. | D．Climbing. |
| A．Sweet. | B．Simple. | C．Beautiful. | D．Strange. |
| A．The author won the race in the end. |
| B．The author got through the finish line in the end. |
| C．The author climbed the mountain with her parents. |
| D．The author disliked the splendid view on the top of the mountain. |
| A．No pains, no gains. | B．A small act makes a difference. |
| C．Hard work is the key to success. | D．To reach our aims, never give up. |
【推荐2】Despite being labeled a “fool”，Feng Yaning has never stopped taking care of her adopted son.
In the winter of 2003, Feng found a baby boy at a spot near her home in Ancun township in Lantian county, Shaanxi province. She took the abandoned child back home. “The boy looked cute, and I hoped he could become a companion for my daughter,” Feng said. She called the boy Feifei. When Feifei was one year old, however, he was found to “neither be able to turn over nor crawl, and his head would fall back when he cried.” He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in the hospital. Upon learning the diagnosis, Feng burst into tears.
Despite being called a “fool” by people around her, Feng insisted on raising Feifei. “He has been abandoned once, so how cruel would it be if I abandoned him again?” she said. The woman surmounted many difficulties in taking care of Feifei as the boy could not walk, eat, or relieve himself. At the time, Feng’s husband was working in neighboring Henan province, and she farmed 4 mu (0.26 hectares) of land on her own to make a living. When she went to labor in the field, Feng put the boy on her back while leading her daughter by hand. Whatever their jobs are, the couple never leave Feifei alone at their rented home in suburban Xi’an and they take care of the boy in turns around the clock.
Feifei, now 14, has learned to walk, how to count and can whisper some simple sentences. Feng said she was happy to see her daughter, who is 20 years old, also shows her love to Feifei. Her husband said they would not abandon the boy, no matter what difficulties face them in the future.
1. What do we know about Feifei?| A．He was abandoned at the age of one. |
| B．He is an abandoned boy with brain disease. |
| C．He was taken away by a policeman in 2003. |
| D．There is something wrong with his leg. |
| A．Feifei was such a cute disabled baby. |
| B．Feng wanted to have a boy very much. |
| C．Feifei could accompany her daughter. |
| D．Feng hoped to receive people’s praise. |
| A．overcame | B．met with | C．complained about | D．gave up |
| A．Ambitious and responsible. | B．Determined and kind. |
| C．Patient and dutiful. | D．Stubborn arid selfish. |
【推荐3】I was in Houston a few weeks ago, and needed to be back home in Austin by midmorning the next day. Though I usually left in the evening, for some reason last time I had to choose to set off after midnight.
I was on my way back to Austin when I realized I left an important file, and knew I had to return to get it. I took the first exit I could, but when I rounded the corner, an 18-wheeler was stopped dead in the exit lane. I swerved to avoid it, and then I realized that there was something wrong with my car. So I pulled into a small parking lot and unsurprisingly found the area deserted at 3:15 am. I’ve lived in urban areas most of my life. I’m fairly street-wise and don’t become frightened easily, but I knew I was in a pretty tough neighborhood.
There was no one in Houston to pick me up. I immediately locked the doors and picked up my phone to call a tow truck. Soon a young man knocked on my driver’s side window and asked if he could help me. Judging from his appearance, he was far from a mad man, but I knew he was far more likely to rob than help me. So I lied to him. After a while, he asked again, but this time I politely refused and told him the tow truck was due any minute. He finally said, “Madam, you need help. A tow truck in Houston will arrive anywhere between 45 minutes and approximately never (which I knew was true), and you aren’t going anywhere until you change your flat tire.”
After considering thoroughly, I got out. He looked surprised, but got right to work. He changed the tire, returned the seat to its place and said, “Thank you for letting me help you. You gave me a chance when most people would never open the door to someone like me. Would it be okay if I gave you a hug?” When I recovered, I gave him a giant hug. I left with a new tire and a renewed faith in human nature.
1. What’s the matter with the author’s car?| A．It couldn’t get started. | B．Its oil ran out. |
| C．It was out of control. | D．Its tire burst. |
| A．Because she thought the man was playing jokes. |
| B．Because she thought the man might be a bad man. |
| C．Because she thought the man wanted to get a lift. |
| D．Because she thought the man was a mad man. |
| A．Stubborn but brave. | B．Impolite and dishonest. |
| C．Cautious and brave. | D．Generous but dishonest. |
| A．Attitude Determines Everything | B．Help in the Dead of Night |
| C．The Fight against Robbing on My Way | D．An Unexpected Traffic Accident |
| 27 December, 2007 This morning I read an email about a boy in hospital looking for his father and I finally thought of a way to help. I took my camera to the hospital and took photos of the boy. Now I’m going to set up a website on my dad’s computer, upload the photos and add his name and information of the hospital. Hopefully it will help! | 2 January, 2008 At the end of the trip, I learned that the boy found his father! His Swedish uncle saw the email on my webpage and arranged the meeting. Is it my website that has made such a success? But at least I’ve done something. We’re returning home tomorrow but I will remember the experience and tell my friends: No matter what we are. We can think of a way to help others. |
1. Tony thought of the way to ______.
| A．forget the experience | B．take photos of the travelers |
| C．set up a website for the hospital | D．help the boy find his father |
| A．The boy’s uncle | B．Tony | C．Tony’s father | D．The doctor |
| A．living | B．studying | C．shopping | D．traveling |
| A．people are willing to set up websites |
| B．Tony’s father worked in the hospital there |
| C．people can do something to help each other |
| D．Tony went there to look for his family members |
【推荐2】You have the ability to decide if you are happy or not. Happiness is a choice. You can't on someone else to make you happy.
You can choose your emotions（情感）. True happiness comes from within; it can't be forced by outside forces. So how do you choose happiness? The same way you choose a new pair of shoes. When you're buying new shoes, you choose a pair that you like and feel good. You wouldn't buy a pair of shoes that you don’t like or that don't fit well, right? You choose it because that's what you want to experience in your life. So why do we keep choosing emotions and feelings that don’t make us feel good?
Choosing to be after you realize your anger has shown up can be beneficial. We choose our feelings; no one can do that for us. If we let others influence our emotions, we are giving them power over us. When others cause us anger or pain, we are giving them our power.
We need to keep in check our feelings and not react immediately to what is thrown at us. We need to think our actions out instead of just reacting to what someone says or does.
Remember that we can always choose happiness. At first it will be difficult to just change your thoughts and feelings from anger, self-doubt, or fear to joy and happiness. But it is only a thought away. Don’t be lost in what happens to you unnecessarily but realize what is causing you to feel that way. Realize that thoughts, feelings and emotions can change. Then move on and choose to be happy.
1. How did the author develop her idea in Paragraph 2?| A．By making a comparison. | B．By referring to a social problem. |
| C．By giving reasons. | D．By describing her own experience. |
| A．We're making others happy | B．We're better controlling our feelings. |
| C．We're getting to know our emotions. | D．We’re sharing power with others. |
| A．Express. | B．Set down. | C．Improve. | D．Hold back. |
| A．How to choose our feelings. | B．Where to find happiness. |
| C．Making decisions to be cheerful. | D．Thinking twice before actions. |
【推荐3】A lot of us lose life’s tough situations by mounting a frontal attack when a touch of humor might well enable us to chalk up a win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine, Sam, who hit a traffic jam on the way to work. Although there was a good reason for Sam’s constant lateness-serious illness at home, he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn’t work any longer. His boss was probably already pacing up and down with a dismissal speech prepared.
He was. Sam entered the office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as a locker room. Sam’s boss approached him. Suddenly, Sam reached out his hand. “How do you do!” he said. “I’ m Sam Maynard. I’m applying for a job which I understand became available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?” The room exploded in laughter. The boss smiled and walked back to his office. Sam Maynard saved his job with the only tool that could win a laugh.
Here is another example. An English hostess was giving a formal dinner for eight distinguished guests. She had asked her son to serve a large roast turkey. The boy only succeeded in dropping the bird onto the dining-room floor. Moving only her head, the hostess smiled at her son, “No harm, Daniel,” she said, “just pick it up and take it back to the kitchen”, she said clearly so he would think about what she was saying and bring in the other one. Some humorous words changed the dinner from a red-faced embarrassment to a ton of fun.
Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected(忽视)means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for making up differences, saying sorry, saying no, criticizing, and getting the other person to do what you want without his losing face. Also, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people are in any other places.
Of course, humor is often more than a laughing matter. In its potent guises(有效的伪装), it has a Trojan-horse(特洛伊木马)nature: no one goes on guard against a laugh; we let it in because it looks like a little wooden toy. Once inside, however, it can turn a city to reform, to rebellion(反抗), to resistance.
1. What can the underlined words “chalk up” in Paragraph 1 be replaced by?| A．pay for | B．respond to | C．think of recording | D．succeed in getting |
| A．By using examples. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By introducing study results. | D．By setting clown general rules. |
| A．It is but a toy. | B．It catches us unaware. |
| C．We usually resist its effect. | D．We seldom really understand it. |
【推荐1】Be a good tourist
Tourism can be both good or bad. Yes, it brings in money for the local economy and creates lots of jobs for locals, but it may also bring some problems.
One growing problem is tourists who want to prove that they have visited someplace. Tourists have used paint, rocks or even keys to write on the Luxor Temple in Egypt, the Colosseum in Rome, Stonehenge in the UK, memorial stones at the bottom of Qomolangma, and many, many other places. Thousands of tourists sites are being destroyed by tourists who “love them to death”. I have three words for people like this: please stop it. If you want to leave a mark on the world, do it by changing someone’s life with kindness and love. Pass kindness along to future generations, not destruction.
Another big problem in some places has been tourists disturbing (打扰) the local people and life. Some tourists wander around and take pictures of local people without asking for their permission. For example, Chiang Mai University in Thailand and Yonsei University in South Korea have great numbers of tourists visiting their campuses and walking through their libraries and other public areas, taking pictures of students and disturbing their studies. I have three words for tourists like this: please be considerate. Have fun in a way that does not disturb others.
The number of problems from tourists is endless: walking in large groups without considering others who need to walk by, crossing roads without observing local traffic laws, and many more. The only way to solve the issue of the terrible tourist is to make sure that you are not one! Be the best, kindest, most polite tourist possible. Remember, whenever you step outside your country’s borders, you are representing (代表) your country to the rest of the world.
1. What does “them” in the second paragraph refer to?| A．Memorial stones. | B．Jobs for locals. |
| C．Tourist spots. | D．Marks left by tourists. |
| A．Kind behaviour that can change someone’s life. |
| B．Love and destruction that will have an effect on future generations. |
| C．A lot of money brought by tourism. |
| D．Only beautiful pictures taken by tourists. |
| A．Tourists can wander around and take pictures anywhere. |
| B．Tourists should try not to cause trouble for local people and life. |
| C．For all universities, admission should be free and everybody is welcome. |
| D．More university campuses should be open to the public. |
| A．Providing better service. | B．Developing local economy. |
| C．Being a polite tourist. | D．Making friends during traveling. |
【推荐2】As a junior economics reporter, I was once given an assignment which made me panic. I was asked to write a story about an economic concept I didn’t really understand. No one else from my team was around. Searching online left me more confused. Just then, Martin Wolf, the chief economics commentator (评论员) in my company, walked past my desk. I took a deep breath and asked him. He explained it well in a few sentences and my problem was unexpectedly solved.
Ever since then, I have been a big believer in asking “stupid” questions, by which I mean questions that you fear make you look stupid. But I’m worried this is a dying art. Professor Arvind Narayanan once told me that his students were always worrying their questions might be silly, which made the vast majority of his students tend to keep silent in lectures no matter how he encouraged them, even when they were still filled with confusion.
Fear of asking “stupid” questions can lead you to pretend you know more than you do, which also makes you more likely to believe whatever others say. One study published in 2021 asked participants to rank their knowledge of a set of terms on a five-point scale from “never heard of it” to “know it well, understand the concept”. Some of the terms were real; others were fake (伪造的). The study found that people who were more willing to pretend they know something well were more likely to fall for nonsense of others.
I know not everyone is lucky enough to have a Martin Wolf wandering past their desk. But trust me, a journalist who asks questions for a living: most people really don’t mind being asked something “stupid”. If they do, it is probably because they don’t really understand it themselves, or they have something to hide. In that sense, you learn something useful either way.
1. Why does the author mention her encounter with Martin?| A．To describe a journalist’s work pressure. |
| B．To show the benefits of asking questions. |
| C．To present the best way to solve problems. |
| D．To introduce an economics reporter’s routine. |
| A．Fewer people tend to raise questions. |
| B．Few valuable questions are put forward. |
| C．People don’t know how to ask questions properly. |
| D．People don’t feel ashamed of asking silly questions. |
| A．People usually pretend to be knowledgeable. |
| B．Fake and real concepts are hard to distinguish. |
| C．People shouldn’t believe others’ words too quickly. |
| D．Fear of asking questions leads to bad consequences. |
| A．Technology. | B．Opinion. | C．Friendship. | D．Culture. |
【推荐3】It’s a classic story: Kids are forced to learn an instrument from a young age, they play it throughout their childhood, and they develop a bittersweet relationship with it. Is the constant battle between the love for the music and the hate for the constant challenge worth the fight? For me, it was.
I started playing the piano when I was four—that was 15 years ago! This was huge commitment, so there must have been something worth holding on to, right?
The easy guess is that I was purely in love with music and piano. Although that’s the sweeter tale, it’s a bit more complicated. I struggled a lot with piano. Family and peers were, at least in my own head, constantly placed beside me in competition. I felt stressful to be the best in order to prove something to others—and more devastatingly (破坏性地) to prove something to myself. The seed of my musical interest was grown in the sunlight of competition and doubt. Hate sprouted (滋生) when my self-criticism hit too hard.
It’s difficult to learn to love something that didn’t originate from love. For a while, piano was more of an annoyance than a hobby. But somehow, love grew. It was deeply buried. But it was there, and by high school, it was strong enough that when I was truly on the edge of quitting any kind of formal training. I found the strength to hold on tighter, and dig further. I switched teachers, and got incredibly lucky with one who helped me tunnel into what I loved. I learned pieces for myself, I composed for myself, and I found confidence not because I got “good enough,” but because I learned that anything I had was good enough.
The love and hate I’ve had for the piano were both planted and grown. If you too have learned to hate something, remember that with commitment, it can be uprooted, and love can make a home in its place. There is always time. There is always room.
1. What does the author want to show by telling a classic story?| A．Being forced counts in learning. |
| B．Kids’ struggle in learning instruments. |
| C．Kids’ bittersweet childhood. |
| D．The passion for learning instruments. |
| A．She finally quit formal training. |
| B．She broke something to prove her hate. |
| C．She was in pure love with music and piano. |
| D．She once experienced great pressure from herself. |
| A．Her attitude. |
| B．Her teacher’s training. |
| C．Her strength. |
| D．Her own achievement. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．Love is a thing that grows. |
| C．Interest is the best teacher. |
| D．Hardship makes a man. |
【推荐1】In 1784, five years before he became president of the United States, George Washington, 52, was nearly toothless. So he hired a dentist to transplant nine teeth into his jaw – having taken them from the mouths of his slaves.
That’s a far different image from the cherry-tree-chopping George most people remember from their history books. But recently, many historians have begun to focus on the roles slavery played in the lives of the founding generation. They have been spurred in part by DNA evidence made available in 1998, which almost certainly proved Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemings. And only over the past 30 years have scholars examined history from the bottom up. Works of several historians reveal （揭示）the moral compromises （妥协）made by the nation’s early leaders and the fragile nature of the country’s infancy. More significantly, they argue that many of the Founding Fathers knew slavery was wrong – and yet most did little to fight it.
More than anything, the historians say, the founders were hampered （妨碍）by the culture of their time. While Washington and Jefferson privately expressed hatred （仇恨）for slavery, they also understood that it was part of the political and economic foundation of the country they helped to create.
For one thing, the South could not afford to part with its slaves. Owning slaves was “like having a large bank account,” says Wiencek, author of An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America. The southern states would not have signed the Constitution （宪法）without protections for the “peculiar institution,” including a clause that counted a slave as three fifths of a man for purposes of congressional representation.
And the statesmen’s political lives depended on slavery. The three-fifths formula handed Jefferson his narrow victory in the presidential election of 1800 by inflating （膨胀）the votes of the southern states in the Electoral College. Once in office, Jefferson extended slavery with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803; the new land was carved into 13 states, including three slave states.
Still, Jefferson freed Hemings’s children – though not Hemings herself or his approximately 150 other slaves. Washington, who had begun to believe that all men were created equal after observing the bravery of the black soldiers during the Revolutionary War, overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant his slaves their freedom in his will. Only a decade earlier, such an act would have required legislative approval in Virginia.
1. George Washington’s dental surgery is mentioned to ___________.| A．show the primitive medical practice in the past. |
| B．demonstrate the cruelty of slavery in his days. |
| C．stress the role of slaves in the U.S. history. |
| D．reveal some unknown aspect of his life. |
| A．His political view changed his attitude towards slavery. |
| B．His status as a father made him free the child slaves. |
| C．His attitude towards slavery was complex. |
| D．His affair with a slave stained his prestige. |
| A．Some Founding Fathers benefit politically from slavery. |
| B．Slaves in the old days did not have the right to vote. |
| C．Slave owners usually had large savings accounts. |
| D．Slavery was regarded as a peculiar institution. |
【推荐2】Felicien, a 29-year-old African graduate student, smiled as he helped a woman use a ticket on her phone to enter the Summer Palace in Beijing. As a volunteer in the palace garden, Felicien is just one of many African students studying in China.
The China-Africa Cooperation Meeting was held in Beijing from Sept 3 to 4. On the meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to offer working training courses, 50,000 scholarships for African youths and invite 2,000 young African people to visit China. "The future of China-Africa relations lies in our young people," Xi said. He also said that China will provide $60 billion in support, including free aid and special funds, for Africa's development.
The friendship between China and Africa dates back 600 years to the travels of Chinese explorer Zheng He, whose ships reached East Africa four times. Zheng brought gifts to his African hosts and took back nothing but a few giraffes. Today, China sees Africa as an equal partner in development and in international and regional affairs. China has been Africa's largest trading partner for 9 years. Chinese investments in Africa have increased more than 100 times in the past 18 years. China and Africa have strengthened cooperation since 2013, with the tremendous help of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
"China follows the principle of giving more and taking less, giving before taking and giving without asking for return. With open arms, we welcome African countries aboard the train of China's development, Xi said. Xi's words received much praise from African leaders.
Indeed, "With goodwill and cooperation with Bejing, Africa can bring her wisdom on board, mix it to the Chinese Dream and jointly build a community of shared future for all mankind,", commented an expert
1. Why does the author mention Felicien in Paragraph 1?| A．To describe Felicien's part-time job. |
| B．To demonstrate China-Africa relations. |
| C．To show foreigners can be volunteers. |
| D．To show it is convenient to use E-tickets. |
| A．5,000 African young people will be invited to visit China. |
| B．Zheng He strengthened the ties between Asia and Africa. |
| C．The BRI has greatly promoted China-Africa cooperation. |
| D．China will provide Africa with $60 billion special funds. |
| A．China helps Africa develop high-speed trains. |
| B．China welcomes African countries to invest in China. |
| C．China's development brings opportunities to Africa. |
| D．China gains nothing from China-Africa cooperation. |
| A．China's Aids to African Countries | B．African Students in China |
| C．China Sees Africa as Equal Competitor | D．China's Bond with Africa |
【推荐3】Going green seems to be fad(时尚)for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can’t really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.
On April 22, 2011, we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My life and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyle. We now shop at organic stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don’t need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet.
1. It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because_________.| A．they were expected to follow the green fad | B．they didn’t know how to educate other people |
| C．they were unwilling to reduce their energy | D．they needed to perform unusual green tasks |
| A．They tried to get out of their ungreen habits. | B．They ignored others’ ungreen behavior. |
| C．They chose better chemical cleaners. | D．They sold their home-made food. |
| A．The government will give support to the green people. |
| B．The couple may continue their project in the future. |
| C．Some people disagree with the couple’s green ideas. |
| D．Our Green Year is becoming a national campaign. |
| A．They never bought meat. |
| B．They cleaned their home by using chemical cleaners. |
| C．They tried to make some food for themselves. |
| D．They sold the things they don’t need on the Internet. |
