It’s amazing what a little free beer can accomplish. In 1997 the small Danish island of Samso, located in the Kattegat Strail, won a contest hosted by the Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy. Samso, then known for its dairy and pig farms, would become Denmark’s showcase for sustainable power, eventually going carbon-free. How that would happen, however, was far from clear, since the government initially offered no funding, tax breaks or technical expertise(专门知识).

Given that almost all its power came from oil or coal — and the island’s 4,300 residents didn’t know a wind turbine(风力发电机) from a grain silo(谷仓) — Samso seemed an strange choice. Soren Hermansen, though, saw an opportunity. A restless native son who grew up on a family farm, Hermansen was teaching environmental studies at a local school when he heard about Samso’s award. He volunteered to be the first — and only — participant. “I realized this could happen,” he says. “This was realistic.” He may have been the only one who thought so.

Hermansen knew Samso islanders were conservative, but that could be an advantage: once he convinced enough potential first movers to act, the rest would follow. So Hermansen showed up at every community or club meeting to campaign for the renewable-energy project. He pointed to the island’s unexplored potential for wind power and the economic benefits of making Samso energy-independent. He sometimes brought free beer.

It worked. The islanders bought shares in new wind turbines to build 11 large land-based turbines, enough to meet the entire island’s electricity needs. Not satisfied with that, they supported the construction of 10 huge offshore turbines,which provide power that the island’s dependence on cars and ferries needs. Today Samso isn’t just carbon-free — it actually produces 10% more clean electricity than it uses, with the extra power fed back into the national electricity network at a profit.

Hermansen has become a green angel, traveling from country to country telling the story of Samso’s success when he’s not at home running the Energy Academy, a research center for clean power. But he’s the first to say that the real credit belongs to the islanders,and that Samso’s lesson is that environmental change can only come from the ground up.

What was Hermansen’t response to the Samso’s winning the contest?

A. He regarded it as a chance.

B. He was not satisfied with the award.

C. He thought it was strange.

D. He thought it was reasonable.

From the second paragraph we can learn that __________.

A. many Samso islanders participated in the green project actively

B. most Samso islanders were against the renewable energy project

C. Samso has a long history of making use of renewable energy

D. at first people showed little interest in the renewable energy project

Why did Hermansen show up at every community or club meeting?

A. It was his duty to keep the islanders informed of government policies.

B. He wanted to convince the islanders to use clean power instead of oil or coal.

C. He wanted to persuade the islanders to be involved in the wind power project.

D. He wanted to share his beer with other islanders.

What can we learn about Hermansen’s personality from the last paragraph?

A. He is practical.                 B. He is courageous.

C. He is modest.                  D. He is ambitious.

The months and years went by. I had been Joe’s apprentice for four years.

   One evening, Joe and I were sitting in the village inn. A stranger came in, a big, tall man, with heavy eyebrows. The man had large, very clean white hands. To my surprise, I recognized the man. I had seen him at Miss Havisham’s many years before. He had frightened me then. He frightened me a little now.

‘I think there is a blacksmith here----name of Joe Gargery,’ the man said in his loud voice.

   ‘That’s me!’ Joe answered. He stood up.

   ‘You have an apprentice, known as Pip,’ the stranger went on. ‘Where is he? ’

   ‘Here!’ I cried, standing beside Joe.

   ‘I wish to speak to you both. I wish to speak to you privately, not here,’ the man said. ‘Perhaps I could go home with you.’

We walked back to the workshop in silence. When we were in the sitting room, the man began to speak.

‘My name is Jaggers,’ he said. ‘I am a lawyer in London, where I am well-known. I have some unusual business with young Pip here. I am speaking for someone else, you understand. A client who doesn’t want to be named. Is that clear?’

Joe and I nodded.

‘I have come to take your apprentice to London,’ the lawyer said to Joe. ‘You won’t stop him from coming I hope?’

‘Stop him? Never! ’ Joe cried.

   ‘Listen, then. I have this message for Pip. He has ---- great expectations!’

   Joe and I looked at each other, too surprised to speak.

   ‘Yes, great expectations’ Mr. Jaggers repeated. ‘Pip will one day be rich, very rich. Pip is to change his way of life at once. He will no longer be a blacksmith. He is to come with me to London. He is to be educated as a gentleman. He will be a man of property.’

   And so, at last, my dream had come true. Miss Havisham----because Mr. Jaggers’ client must be Miss Havisham----had plans for me after all. I would be rich and Estella would love me!

   Mr. Jaggers was speaking again. ‘There are two conditions,’ he said, looking at me. ‘First, you will always be known as Pip. Secondly,’ Mr. Jaggers continued, ‘the name of your benefactor is to be kept secret. One day, that person will speak to you, face to face. Until then, you must not ask any questions. You must never try to find out this person’s name. Do you understand? Speak out!’

   ‘Yes, I understand,’ I answered. ‘My benefactor’s name is to remain a secret.’

   ‘Good,’ Mr. Jaggers said. ‘Now, Pip, you will come into your property when you come of age----when you are twenty-one. Until then, I am your guardian. I have money to pay for your education and to allow you to live as a gentleman. You will have a private teacher. His name is Mr. Matthew Pocket and you will stay at his house.’

   I gave a cry of surprise. Some of Miss Havisham’s relations were called Pocket. Mr. Jaggers raised his eyebrows.

   ‘Do you not want to live with Mr. Pocket? Have you any objection to this arrangement?’ he said severely.

   ‘No, no, none at all,’ I answered quickly.

   ‘Good. Then I will arrange everything,’ Mr. Jaggers went on. ‘Mr. Pocket’s son has rooms in London. I suggest you go there. Now when can you come to London?’

   I looked at Joe.

   ‘At once, if Joe has no objection,’ I said.

   ‘No objection, Pip old chap,’ Joe answered.

   ‘Then you will come in one week’s time,’ Mr. Jaggers said, standing up. ‘You will need new clothes. Here is some money to pay for them. Twenty guineas.’

   He counted the money and put it on the table.

   ‘Well, Joe Gargery, you are saying nothing,’ Mr. Jaggers said to Joe firmly. ‘I have money to give to you too.’

1.The underlined word “apprentice” in paragraph 1 means ____________.

A. a very good friend and companion

B. someone who has no money but is very skilled at their job

C. a young person who is being trained for a particular job

D. a person with no education living with another family

2.The author describes Mr. Jaggers as having ‘large, very clean white hands’ in order to ____________.

A. show how Pip recalls Mr Jaggers

B. provide a description of Mr. Jaggers to the readers only

C. indicate that Mr. Jaggers remains indoors a lot and doesn’t get much sun

D. show Mr Jaggers often washes his hands to rid himself of his own bad deeds as a lawyer

3.At the end of the passage above, Mr. Jaggers says he also has money to give Joe because ____________.

A. he believes he can also help Joe become a gentleman

B. he is repaying money loaned to Joe previously by the benefactor

C. the secret benefactor wants Joe to be his personal blacksmith

D. Joe will have to hire a new worker

4.Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

A. Joe is happy that Pip will go to London.

B. Mr. Jaggers does not want other people to know he is a lawyer.

C. Pip hopes Miss Havisham will help him become a gentleman

D. Pip will become very rich when he comes of age.

 

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