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When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelter（炼铜厂），and the chemicals that poured out had made a wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest．One day a young visitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area．Paul knocked him down．From then on, something happened inside him.
Years later Paul was back in the area, and he went to the smelter office．He asked if they had any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back．The answer from that big industry was “No”.
Paul then went to college to study the science of plants．Unfortunately, his teachers said there weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds．It would be a waste of his life to try to do it．Everyone knew that, he was told．Even if he was knowledgeable as he had expected, he wouldn’t get his idea accepted．
Paul later got married and had some kids．But his dream would not die．And then one night he did what he could with what he had．As Samuel Johnson wrote, “It is common to overlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote．Attainable good is often ignored by minds busied in wide ranges.” Under the cover of darkness, he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting.
And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and grass．For fifteen years he did this against the plain common sense．Slowly rabbits appeared．Later, as there was legal pressure to clean up the environment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing.
Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes, and Paul has received almost every environmental award Utah has．It took him until his hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow he made to himself as a child.
When Paul was a boy，______________.
A．he had decided never to leave his hometown
B．the economy of Utah depended wholly on the copper smelter
C．no laws were made to protect the environment against pollution
D．he had determined to stop the copper smelter polluting the area
Why did Paul go to college to study the science of plants？
A．Because he wanted to find out the best way to save the area himself.
B．Because he was interested in planting trees since he was young.
C．Because he wanted to get more knowledgeable people to help him.
D．Because he thought his knowledge would make his advice more persuasive.
What does the underlined phrase “the plain common sense” probably refer to?
A．That it was impossible for trees to grow on the wasteland.
B．That his normal work and life would be greatly affected.
C．That no one would like to join him in the efforts.
D．That he had to keep everything he did secret.
The company hired Paul to plant trees and grass because___________.
A．they realized the importance of environmental protection
B．What Paul was doing moved them
C．Paul persuaded them to help him
D．they had legal pressure
The message of the passage is that _____________.
A．action speaks louder than words
B．perseverance（持之以恒）will work wonders
C．God helps those who help themselves
D．many hands make light work
查看习题详情和答案>>Since my retirement(退休) from teaching music in 2001, I have spent a good deal of time painting as an artist. I actually began drawing again in the summer of 1995 when my father died, so perhaps I was trying to recover from the loss of my father, or maybe it was just that it brought back memories of him. In any case, I drew pen and ink animals and landscapes(风景画) much influenced(影响) by Krenkel and St. John for five years.
For some strange reason, I had been waiting until my retirement to start doing watercolors again, but as soon as I walked out of the school door for the last time I picked up my brushes and rediscovered Andrew Wyeth, who quickly became my favorite artist. I had looked through all the art books I had on my shelves and found his watercolors to be the closest to how I thought good watercolors should look. So I painted landscapes around Minnesota for three years and tried out many other types of painting. However, watercolors remained my first choice, and I think I did my best work there, showing my paintings at a number of art exhibitions.
Art is now together with my piano playing and reading. There is a time for everything in my world, and it is wonderful to have some time doing what I want to do. As Confucious once said, “At seventy I can follow my heart’s desire.”
What is the text mainly about?
A. Learning to paint in later life. B. How to paint watercolors
C. An artist-turned teacher D. Life after retirement
The author started drawing again in 1995 because_________.
A. he hoped to draw a picture of his father
B. he couldn’t stop missing his father
C. he had more time after retirement
D. he liked animals and landscapes
We can infer from the text that the author__________.
A. had been taught by Krenkel and St. John
B. painted landscapes in Minnesota for 5 years
C. believed Wyeth to be the best in watercolors
D. started his retirement life at the age of severty
How does the author probably feel about his life as an artist?
A. Very enjoyable. B. A bit regretful C. Rather busy. D. Fairly dull.
查看习题详情和答案>>A well-dressed man entered a famous jewelry shop. He explained that he wished to buy a pearl for his wife’s birthday. The price didn’t matter. Since business had been very good for him that year. After examining a nice black one that cost $5000, he paid for the pearl in cash, shook hands with the jeweler, and left.
A few days later the man returned and said that his wife liked the pearl so much that she wanted another one just like it. It had to be exactly the same size and quality, as she wanted a pair of earrings made, “Can you give me any advice on how to get such a pearl?” said the man. The jeweler regretfully replied, “I would say it’s exactly impossible to find one exactly like that pearl.”
The rich man insisted that the jeweler advertise in the newspapers, offering $ 25,000 for the matching pearl. Many people answered the advertisement but nobody had a pearl that was just right.
Just when the jeweler had given up hope, a little old lady came into his store. To his great surprise, she pulled the perfect pearl from her purse. “I don’t like to part with it,” she said sadly, “I inherited it from my mother, and my mother inherited it from hers. But I really need the money.”
The jeweler was quick to pay her before she changed her mind. Then he called the rich man’s hotel to tell him the good news. The man, however, was nowhere to be found.
The man said he wanted to buy a pearl for ______.
A. his wife B. his mother-in–law
C. his own mother D. no one
57. He paid $ 5,000 for the black pearl without bargaining because ______.
A. he was very rich B. he wanted to make the jeweler believe him
C. he was anxious to get it D. his business had been successful
He told the jeweler to get him another pearl that must be ______.
A. exactly the same size as the black one
B. exactly the same quality as the black one
C. worth no more than $ 25,000
D. exactly as big and nice as the black one
Many people answered the advertisement because they wanted _______.
A. to see the perfect pearl
B. to buy some beautiful pearls too
C. to get in touch with the rich man
D. to sell their own pearl at a high price
The jeweler couldn’t find the man anywhere because ______.
A. he died suddenly.
B. He happened to be out
C. He got $ 20,000 by cheating and had run away with the money.
D. He wouldn’t show up until the jeweler called him a second time.
查看习题详情和答案>>Because of the heavy traffic，it was already time for lunch break______she got to her office．
A．since B．that C．when D．until
查看习题详情和答案>>A well-dressed man entered a famous jewelry shop. He explained that he wished to buy a pearl for his wife’s birthday. The price didn’t matter. Since business had been very good for him that year. After examining a nice black one that cost $5000, he paid for the pearl in cash, shook hands with the jeweler, and left.
A few days later the man returned and said that his wife liked the pearl so much that she wanted another one just like it. It had to be exactly the same size and quality, as she wanted a pair of earrings made, “Can you give me any advice on how to get such a pearl?” said the man. The jeweler regretfully replied, “I would say it’s exactly impossible to find one exactly like that pearl.”
The rich man insisted that the jeweler advertise in the newspapers, offering $ 25,000 for the matching pearl. Many people answered the advertisement but nobody had a pearl that was just right.
Just when the jeweler had given up hope, a little old lady came into his store. To his great surprise, she pulled the perfect pearl from her purse. “I don’t like to part with it,” she said sadly, “I inherited it from my mother, and my mother inherited it from hers. But I really need the money.”
The jeweler was quick to pay her before she changed her mind. Then he called the rich man’s hotel to tell him the good news. The man, however, was nowhere to be found.
The man said he wanted to buy a pearl for ______.
A. his wife B. his mother-in–law
C. his own mother D. no one
He paid $ 5,000 for the black pearl without bargaining because ______.
A. he was very rich B. he wanted to make the jeweler believe him
C. he was anxious to get it D. his business had been successful
He told the jeweler to get him another pearl that must be ______.
A. exactly the same size as the black one
B. exactly the same quality as the black one
C. worth no more than $ 25,000
D. exactly as big and nice as the black one
Many people answered the advertisement because they wanted _______.
A. to see the perfect pearl
B. to buy some beautiful pearls too
C. to get in touch with the rich man
D. to sell their own pearl at a high price
The jeweler couldn’t find the man anywhere because ______.
A. he died suddenly.
B. He happened to be out
C. He got $ 20,000 by cheating and had run away with the money.
D. He wouldn’t show up until the jeweler called him a second time.
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