Banker Chip Paillex had never planted so much until he moved to the countryside in Pittstown,New Jersey,seven years ago. Surrounded by working farms,he quickly became interested in the grow-it-yourself idea and rented a piece of 30-by-30-foot land. He planted tomatoes,eggplants and other vegetables — enough to feed his family of four for the summer. He ended up with so much produce; he couldn't give it away. He found a local food factory,donated(捐赠) 120 pounds of fresh vegetables.

     The following year,with a handful of volunteers and a memorable name — America,s Grow-a-Row,Paillex harvested 1,500 pounds of fresh vegetables,all of which he donated to area food banks,places that give food,to poor people. Soon Paillex had a hundred volunteers and needed more land. He visited Meredith and Jeremy Compton,who farm Peaceful Valley Orchards in Pittstown. Could he work their land?

    “I guess we were feeling honored,” says Meredith. Not only do the Comptons weleome Grow-a-Row volunteers,they also work on the land.

     What began with a few empty fields has turned into a large local farm. This year,Grow-a-Row will deliver about 250,000 pounds of fresh produce to food banks. Their secret for getting all of this done? Family power. “Each week,a couple of families ‘own’ the garden,” says Paillex. “They water,pick,and deliver,and then hand it off on Sunday night to the next group of families."

Paillex also welcomes local school kids. On a Friday morning in May,some kids worked on a field. “We’ re growing food,” one fifth grader said proudly.

      “The program shows kids that there are people in need,” says Paillex. “When these kids become tomorrow's leaders,they’ 11 be much more likely to encourage their co-workers or employees to get involved in(参与) something like this."

      “Chip makes people want to help,” says Colleen Duerr,a mother of two. “And families love this. Chip has given us a way to raise our kids with a giving heart."

32. Why did Chip start growing vegetables in Pittstown?

   A. There were very few fresh vegetables on the market.

   B. He wanted to offer food to the local foocT factory.

   C. Farmers there encouraged him to do so.

   D. He was deeply attracted by planting.

33. After a year 's planting,Chip .

   A. set up more food banks in the area

   B. won great support from more people

   C. helped save mariy people from being poor

   D. persuaded many people to help him on the land

34. How can Grow-a-Row manage to produce so much food?

   A. School children play the most active part.

   B. Families take turns to look after the garden.

   C. The work is divided into separate small tasks.

   D. Schools and families divide the work equally.

35. What's the best title for the text?

   A. The Producers

   B. American Farms

   C. Grow it Yourself

   D. Chip's Country Life

                              B

     You probably laugh at something you find funny,but how much do you really know about jokes and humour? Reader's Digest (RD) questioned several experts to give us some facts about them.

RD: What's the oldest joke in the world?

     “We can't know the oldest joke in the world because it would have existed earlier than writing ,” says Christie Davies,professor of sociology at the University of Reading in the UK. The oldest joke book that" been found so far is the Greek Philogelos. It dates from the 4th century A D. although the jokes date from an earlier time. According to psychologist Steve Wilson,director of National Humor Month (April in the US) it contains 265 jokes.

RD: Do some people fail to develop a sense of humour?

     Rod Martin,professor of psychology at the Western University in Canada,believes that while everyone is bom without a sense of humour,as we develop,humour and laughter begin to appear. “Of course,some children are more serious,quiet,and less likely to laugh frequently,but this doesn't mean they don't have a sense of humour.w And according to Steve Wilson,there are no adults who don't have a sense of humour. "Almost everyone is able to develop a sense of humour,and I teach people how,” he says.

RD: Do people share a sense of humour unique to their own nation?

     Sense of humour does differ a lot by country,according to an author named Scott Weems. British humour is thought to be absurd in nature,while American humour has an aggressive quality. According to a study,Germans are found to find everything funny.

25. What do we know about the oldest joke book?

   A. It remains unknown.

   B. It was written in Greek.

   C. It was found in the UK.

   D. It contains the oldest joke.

26. What does Rod Martin agree with about people's sense of humour?

   A. Nobody is bora with a sense of humour.

   B. Some adults lose it when they grow up.

   C. Childhood is the best time to develop such ability.

   D. Children have a poorer sense of humour

27. What kind of humour has an aggressive feature?

   A. British humour.

   B. German humour.

   C. Canadian humour.

   D. American humour.

28. Where can you probably find the text?

   A. In a popular magazine.

   B. In a research paper.

   C. In a personal diary.

   D. In a textbook.

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