When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelte

When Paul wasa boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelter(炼铜厂), and the chemicals that poured outhad made a wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest. One day a youngvisitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area. Paul knocked himdown. From then on, something happened inside him.

Years laterPaul was back in the area, and he went to the smelter office. He asked if theyhad any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back. The answerfrom that big industry was “No.”

Paul then wentto college to study the science of plants. Unfortunately, his teachers saidthere weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds. It would be a wasteof his life to try to do it. Everyone knew that, he was told. Even if he wasknowledgeable as he had expected, he wouldn’t get his idea accepted.

Paul later gotmarried and had some kids. But his dream would not die. And then one night hedid what he could with what he had. As Samuel Johnson wrote, “It is common tooverlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote. Attainablegood is often ignored by minds busied in wide ranges.” Under the cover ofdarkness, he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting.

And everyweek, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees andgrass. For fifteen years he did this against the plain common sense.Slowly rabbits appeared. Later, as there was legal pressure to clean up theenvironment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing.

Now the placeis fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes, and Paul has receivedalmost every environmental award Utah has. It took him until his hair turnedwhite, but he managed to keep that impossible vow he made to himself as achild.

1.  When Paul was a boy, _____.

A.  he had decided never to leave his hometown

B.  the economy of Utah depended wholly on thecopper smelter

C.  no laws were made to protect the environmentagainst pollution

D.  he determined to stop the copper smelterpolluting the area

2.  Why did Paul go to college to study the science of plants?

A.  He wanted to find out the best way to savethe area himself.

B.  He was interested in planting trees since hewas young.

C.  He wanted to get more knowledgeable people tohelp him.

D.  He thought his knowledge would make hisadvice more persuasive.

3.  What does the underlined phrase “the plain common sense” probablyrefer to?

A.  That it was impossible for trees to grow onthe wasteland.

B.  That his normal work and life would begreatly affected.

C.  That no one would like to join him in theefforts.

D.  That he had to keep everything he did secret.

4.  The main idea of the passage is that _____.

A.  action speaks louder than words

B.  perseverance will work wonders

C.  God helps those who help themselves

D.  many hands make light work

试题答案

【答案】

1.C2.D3.A4.B

【解析】略