阅读训练一则

难度系数： Words：302 建议阅读时间：5分钟

For many years, people in American cities have depended on farmers in rural(农村的) areas to grow fruits and vegetables. But now a new generation of farmers is planting crops in urban areas.

Sean Conroe is a college student. Amber Banks is a teacher. They both grew up on farming and gardening. They wanted to start a farm in the middle of Seattle, Washington. Amber Banks says,“There are a lot of neighbors that have no place for healthy, fresh produce. And if they do, it can be very expensive. So we see unused space as a great place to grow food that will make it easier for people to buy fresh food.” Sean Conroe created a website to get volunteers. Within a week, they are offered a plot of land between two houses. He says twenty volunteers worked for six weekends to turn the grassy land into a farm. They call their project Alleycat Acres.

The Alleycat have harvest about ninety kilograms of produce so far. They have donated most of it to local food banks that feed hungry people in Seattle.

One of the goals of the urban farm is to show city people the joys of growing food. The Alleycat invite school groups to the farm to help out. And Amber Banks says they want the same people who receive food for free to learn how to work the soil. Sean Conroe says Alleycat Acres is working on other empty areas of Seattle, so are a lot of other urban farming groups.

Seattle has declared the year 2012 “The Year of Urban Agriculture”. But the growth of these farms is limited. That is because Seattle, like a lot of other cities, has restrictions（限制） on urban farms. The City Council is now considering changing those laws.

【理解试题】

1. What’s the best title for this passage？

A. Farming in the City: a Way to Reduce Pollution.

B. Farming in the City: the Joys of Growing Food.

C. Farming in the City: the Joys of Being a Volunteer.

D. Farming in the City: a New Way to Make Money.

2. What do we know about Sean Conroe and Amber Banks？

A. They are both college students.

B. They both grew up in the city of Seattle.

C. They are both rich in farming experience.

D. They created a website together to get volunteers.

3. According to the passage, it seems that .

A. the number of urban farms is increasing rapidly

B. anyone can start a farm in any of the American cities

C. Alleycat Acres is the only urban farming group in Seattle now

D. the City of Seattle supports the Alleycat Acres project

【答案分析】

1. B。该文介绍了美国新一代农民开始在城区种植食物，目的是让城市的人们体验种植带来的乐趣。文章开头叙述事实，而后话锋一转，用but 表明作者的真正写作意图，即now a new generation of farmers is planting crops in urban area. 新一代农民开始在城区种植食物。以及这一做法的目的One of the goals of the urban farm is to show city people the joys of growing food，所以B项更全面地体现了文章的中心，简洁，新颖。A项没提到污染；C项与第二段的目标不一致；D项与文中They have donated most of it to local food banks that feed hungry people in Seattle. 意思不符。

2. C。根据“They both grew up on farming and gardening”暗含着他们在农学和园艺学方面经验丰富。

3. D。上文提到“限制在城市种植的事”，文中最后一句The City Council is now considering changing those laws. 表明市政府要改变这条法律，意思是它支持这一做法。

【词汇讲解】

1. depend

vi. 依靠(常与on/upon 连用)

例如：Health depends on good food, fresh air and enough sleep. 健康有赖于好的食物、新鲜的空气和足够的睡眠。

vi. 信赖，指靠 = rely on = count on

例如：He was the sort of person you could depend on. 他是个你可以信赖的人。

He knew he could depend upon her to deal with the situation. 他知道可以依靠她来应付这种局面。

【拓展】depend on something取决于……；受……的影响（不用于进行时）

例如：Does the quality of teaching depend on class size？教学质量取决于班级的人数吗？

depend on it 没问题，请放心

It all depends. = That depends. 看情况。

2. grow up

vi. 长大，成熟

例如：Their children have all grown up and left home now. 他们的孩子已经长大成人离开了家。

vi. 逐步发展，形成

例如：A closeness grew up between the two girls. 这两个女孩的关系越来越亲密。

They have grown up on science. 他们在科学上逐步发展。

3. declare

vt. 宣布，宣告

例如：The government has declared a state of emergency. 政府已宣布进入紧急状态。

Germany declared war on France on 1 August, 1914. 德国在1914年8月1日向法国宣战。

vt. 表明，断言

He declared that he was in love with her. 他声称他已经爱上她了。

【拓展】declared adj. 公开宣布的declared intention公开宣布的计划

4. consider

vt. 考虑

例如：I sat down by the fire to consider my circumstances. 我坐在火堆旁考虑我的处境。

We are considering buying a new car. 我们正在考虑买一辆新车。

He was considering what to do next. 他正在考虑下一步做什么。

vt. 以为，认为

例如：This award is considered to be a great honor. 这项奖被认为是极大的荣誉。

He considered himself as an expert on the subject. 他认为自己是这门学科的专家。

She considers that it is difficult to learn English. 她认为学英语困难。

【拓展】

n. consideration 思考

take...into consideration 把……考虑进去

adj. considerable 值得考虑的

prep. considering 鉴于，就……而论

5. help out 帮忙（做某事、克服困难）

例如：Her relatives helped out when she became ill. 她生病时她的亲戚来帮忙。

6. offer

vt. 主动拿出,给予

例如：Peter offered the girl a sandwich which she refused politely. 彼得主动给女孩一个三明治，但是她礼貌地拒绝了。

The next morning, she offered to find a job for him. 第二天早晨，她主动提出帮他找工作。

vt. 出价

例如：I offered him $9,000 for the house. 这所房子我出价9000美元。

n. 提出价格（可数名词）

例如：I have had an offer of $100 for the watch. 这块表我出价100美元。

【长句分析】

1. And Amber Banks says they want the same people who receive food for free to learn how to work the soil. 安柏・班克斯说他们希望免费收到食物的人来学习在田间如何工作。

本句是复合句，主句是Amber Banks says...，宾语从句为they want the same people to learn how to work the soil，其中含有定语从句who receive food for free，先行词people在定语从句中做主语。

2. That is because Seattle, like a lot of other cities, has restrictions（限制） on urban farms. 那是因为西雅图像其他许多城市一样，在城市的土地种植方面是有限制的。

本句主句为That is...，从句because Seattle, like a lot of other cities, has restrictions（限制） on urban farms是表语从句。

【语法点拨】

1. So are a lot of other urban farming groups. 很多其他的在城市地区种植农田的人也是这样。

本句是倒装句，正常语序为：a lot of other urban farming groups are so. 为了强调，将so 位于句首构成倒装语序。

2. So we see unused space as a great place to grow food that will make it easier for people to buy fresh food. 因此，我们找到没开发的土地做搞植食物的地方，这样为人们能买到新鲜食物创造更便利的条件。

make it easier for people to buy fresh food中的it是形式宾语,真正的宾语是to buy fresh food。类似的动词有：think/consider/feel ... + it + adj. + to do sth.