Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.

Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet ripe or finished. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation. In the fifteenth century, a greenhorn was a young cow or ox whose horns(角) had not yet developed. A century later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had not yet had any experience in battle. By the eighteenth century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.

Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression comes from early nineteen hundreds. A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.

 

The Green Revolution is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.

Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling, jealousy(嫉妒). The green-eyed monster is not a frightening creature from outer space. It is an expression used about four hundred years ago by British writer William Shakespeare in his play “Othello”. It describes the unpleasant feeling a person has when someone has something he wants. A young man may suffer from the green-eyed monster if his girlfriend begins going out with someone else. Or, that green-eyed monster may affect your friend if you get a pay rise and he does not.

 

44. A greenhorn now refers to ____.

 

A. a person who is new in a job                          B. a new solider

C. a young horse                                                   D. a cow without horns

45. A person who has a green thumb is a person ____.

A. who is good at growing plants                     B. whose thumbs are of green color

C. whose garden is greener than others’            D. who is younger than his neighbors

46. The author is actually talking about ____.

 

A. colors                     B. language        C. politics                            D. agriculture 

47. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. In about the 16th century, a greenhorn meant an experienced soldier.

B. The Green Revolution may have some connection with green thumbs.

C. The green-eyed monster was probably created by William Shakespeare.

D. The green-eyed monster can be used to describe a person who is jealous.

 

[　　]It is a pleasure for me to write this letter to tell how much

I enjoyed my stay in your whole family last week．This was my

first visit to a English family．At first, I was worried about my

poor English．And when I saw your wife and children waiting for

me with warm smile of welcome on their faces．I immediately knew

that everything would be all right．There are many more happy

memories of the week that I will keep with me forever．I particularly

enjoyed driving through the countryside with you and saw the

changing colors of the leaves on the trees．I also like the

fishing trip．It was such much fun．

Bean and other seed shoots are also known as sprouts (新芽). The dry bean seeds contain a store of nutrients just waiting to be released when they sprout. Under the right conditions they will germinate (发芽)。 As they grow, the food value of the seeds is multiplied into vitamins, minerals (矿物质) and other nutrients. This happens almost overnight!

It is easy to grow your own sprouts, but you need to buy your seeds from supermarkets or health food stores. Seeds for planting in the garden are often powdered with chemicals, so when becoming sprouts they are not safe to eat.

Try growing sprouts from a variety of beans and seeds. You will find different sprouts at different stages. Bean sprouts are best when they are about three centimeters long. Wheat and sunflower sprouts taste best when the sprouts and the seeds are of the same length. If the sunflower sprout is too long it leaves a funny stinging feeling in the throat after eating. Alfalfa sprouts are best when their small leaves are well developed. Pea and soybean sprouts are good long or short.

If you leave your sprouts in filtered sunlight for a few hours, the leaves will turn green as chlorophyll (叶绿素) is added. Eating sprouts with green leaves benefits your blood, cells, and the digestive system.

1.Which of the following sprouts taste good whether they are long or short?

A．Soybean sprouts	B．Sunflower sprouts
C．Alfalfa sprouts	D．Wheat sprouts

2.As sprouts grow, the food value of the seeds will_____.

A．increase

B．decrease

C．remain the same

D．lose

3.From the passage we know that______.

A．Long sunflower sprouts taste better than short ones

B．Eating too long sunflower sprouts will make you feel uncomfortable in the throat

C．Eating sprouts with green leaves will be harmful to your health

D．It takes a long time for the food value of the seeds to multiply

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

A．Sprouts of seeds for planting in the garden may not be safe to eat.

B．Alfalfa sprouts taste best when their small leaves are more fully grown.

C．All sprouts taste best during the early stage of their growth.

D．Sunlight will make the leaves of sprouts green.

 

I saw some trees the leaves of _____ were black with disease.

A. that    B. which

C. it D. what

 

“Soon，you’re going to have to move out!”cried my neighbor as soon as he saw the largest tomato plant known to mankind，or at least known in my neighborhood．

    One tiny 9-inch plant，bought for $ 1．25 in the spring．has already taken over much of my rose bed，covering much of other plants，and is well on its way to the front door．

    Roses require a good deal of care，and if it weren’t for the pleasure they give。it wouldn’t be worth the work．As it is．I have a garden full of sweet-smelling roses for most of the year．Bushes must be pruned (剪枝) in early spring，leaving ugly woody branches until the new growth appears a few weeks later．It was the space available (可利用的) in the garden that led me into planting just one little tomato plant．A big mistake．

    Soil conditions made just perfect for roses turn out be even more perfect for tomatoes．The daily watering coupled with full sun and regular fertilizing (肥料) have turned the little plant into a tall bush．The cage I placed around it as the plant grew has long since disappeared under the thick leaves．

    Now the task I face in harvesting the fruit is twofold．First．I have to find the red ones among the leaves，which means I almost have to stand on my head．and once found I have to reach down and under，pick the tomatoes and withdraw(缩回)my full fist without dropping the prize so dearly won．I found two full-blown white roses completely hidden as I picked tomatoes in June． But they were weak and the leaves already yellow for lack of light．

  Here I am faced with a painful small decision：To tear up a wonderful and productive tomato plant that offers up between ten and twenty ripe sweet tomatoes each day or say goodbye to several expensive and treasured roses．Like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind．I'll think about that tomorrow．

What are the requirements for the healthy growth of rose?

       A．A lot of care and the right soil．           B．Frequent pruning and fertilizing．

       C．Tomato plants grown alongside．    D．Cages placed around the roots．

The writer planted the tomato because           ．

       A．it cost only$1．25         B．the soil was just right for it

       C．there was room for it in the garden         D．the roses’branches needed to be covered

This year the writer’s roses were          ．

       A．removed from the rose bed           B．picked along with the tomatoes

       C．mostly damaged by too much sunlight  D．1argely hidden under the tomato plant

By saying“the prize so dearly won”in paragraph 5，the writer wants to        ．

       A．show the difficulty in picking the tomatoes

       B．show the hardship of growing the roses

       C．express her liking for the roses

       D．express her care for the tomatoes

In the situation described in the text，one good thing is that             ．

       A．the roses cost the writer little money

       B．the writer has a daily harvest of tomatoes

       C．someone will help the writer make the decision

       D．the writer can now enjoy both the roses and tomatoes