Today,roller skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago,it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750,the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the vio?lin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.

One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near,Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.

Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally,he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.

On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Every?one was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly,he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror,breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!

1. The text is mainly about       .

   A. a strange man

   B. an unusual party

   C. how roller skating began

   D. how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century

2. People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he      .

   A. often gave others surprises

   B. was a gifted musician

   C. invented the roller skates

   D. was full of imagination

3. Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to       .

   A. impress the party guests

   B. arrive at the party sooner

   C. test his invention

   D. show his skill in walking on wheels

4. What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?

   A. The roller skates needed further improvement.

   B. The party guests took Merlin for a fool.

   C. Merlin succeeded beyond expectation.

   D. Merlin got himself into trouble.

 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 our?selves to go green beyond the easy things. Rather than re?cycle and reduce our energy,we had to think of 365 differ?ent 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 wife 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 lifestyles. We now shop at organic (有机的) 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 homemade fresh bread. In our home 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.

19. What might be the best title for the passage?

   A. Going green

   B. Protecting the planet

   C. Keeping openminded

   D. Celebrating Our Green Year

20. 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

21. What did the couple do over the course of Our Green Year?

   A. They tried to get out of their ungreen habits.

   B. They ignored others' ungreen behaviour.

   C. They chose better chemical cleaners.

   D. They sold their homemade food.

22. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

   A. The government will give support to the green project.

   B. The couple may continue their project in future.

   C. Some people disagree with the couple's green ideas.

   D. Our Green Year is becoming a national campaign.

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