A man who had gone out of his town came back and found that his house was on fire. It was one of the most beautiful houses in the town, and the man loved the house the most! Many were ready to give a double price for the house, but he never agreed for any price and now it was just burning before his eyes. And thousands of people gathered, but nothing could be done. The fire spread so far that even if you tried to put it out, nothing would be saved. So he became very sad.
His son came running and whispered something in his ear, “Don't be worried. I sold it yesterday and at a very good price. The offer was so good, and I could not wait for you. Forgive me.”
The father said. “Thank God, it's not ours now!” Then he became relaxed and stood as a silent watcher, just like other watchers.
Then the second son came running, and he said to the father, “What are you doing? The house is on fire and you are only watching it burning?” The father said, "Don't you know your brother has sold it?"
He said, “We have taken only advance amount, not settled fully. I doubt now whether the man is going to purchase it.”
Tears which had disappeared came back to the father's eyes, and his heart started to beat fast. Then the third son came, and he said, “That man is a man of his word. I have just come from him. He said, ‘It doesn't matter whether the house is burnt or not, it is mine. And I am going to pay the price that I have settled for. Neither you nor I knew that the house would catch fire.’”
注意：1. 续写词数应为80左右；
2. 开头已给出。
Then they all just stood and watched the house burn without worry.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shortly the man who bought the house came.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 . Four homes built using everyday objects
Can newspapers and bottles be used as building materials? After touring these four homes built using these objects, you might just believe the answer is yes.
Plastic Bottle Village, Bocas del ToroOne man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Truer words could not describe Robert Bezeau’s project which began in 2012. After collecting tens of thousands of bottles, Bezeau recruited a team of locals to construct a building using the unwanted materials.
The Bottle Houses, Cape Egmon, Prince Edward IslandThe Bottle Houses on Prince Edward Island, Canada, are the creation of Edouard T. Arsenault and his daughter Rejeanne. The father and daughter began construction in 1980. Over the months, they collected empty bottles, and by 1981 they opened the house to the public. Since then, the building has remained open to visitors, with sunny days being the best time to visit.
Earthship Biotecture, Taos, New MexicoMichael Reynolds built his first Earthship when he was 23 years old. Starting out with nothing more than empty bottles, Reynolds set out to create a home that was not only sustainable, but also easy enough for someone without a construction background to build. Earthship Biotecture offers nightly stays. Self-guided tours are also available.
The Paper House, Rockport, MassachusettsWhen Elis F. Stenman built his summer home in 1922, he turned to paper for materials. The design has proven to be quite durable, as it’s still standing nearly 100 years later. The home has been open to visitors since the 1930s, and only began charging 10 cents per person in 1942 when it became a museum. Today visitors can experience the Paper House for themselves for $2 for adults and $1 for children.
1. What do we know about Plastic Bottle Village?| A．It was designed by Bezeau. | B．It was finished in 2012. |
| C．It became trash finally. | D．It was built for a team of locals. |
| A．In the Bottle Houses. | B．In the Paper House. |
| C．In an Earthship. | D．In Plastic Bottle Village. |
| A．It is constructed by a Canadian family. | B．It is used to collect rubbish. |
| C．It is free for children. | D．It is made of paper. |
