Besides containing attractive flowers, trees and other plants that beautify the community, eco-friendly rain gardens are healthy for the environment and the people living and working nearby.
A rain garden is not very different from a traditional garden. It is just a far more eco-friendly garden. Usually it is built lower than the ground. Rain gardens make smart use of rain and storm water by temporarily holding water from rain and storms and letting it soak slowly into the ground before it runs into streams or enters the public drinking water supply.
Thus, a rain garden keeps the water, allowing it to be used as needed by plants in the rain garden, rather than flowing immediately into nearby streams and going unused. The water will soak slowly into the ground within a day or two. This creates an advantage that the rain garden does not allow mosquitoes to breed. This is a simple, attractive, and eco-friendly “green” way to treat storm water.
What’s more, planting a rain garden helps reduce pollution and improve the environment. Without using expensive machinery and chemicals, rain gardens remove harmful chemicals in the rainwater and cut down on the amount of pollution reaching streams and rivers by up to 30%.
Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they are more used to the local climate, soil, and water conditions. They may attract local wildlife such as native birds. Water your rain garden immediately after planting and once a week, unless you have had at least an inch of rain during the week. Once the native plants establish the necessary root system, it will require little care.
Often, local governments and private businesses develop large rain gardens in their yards and in public parks as a way to improve the environment and solve flooding problems. However, you don’t need to be a professional environmental engineer to create a rain garden. As long as you’re eco-conscious homeowners, you can help the environment by building smaller rain gardens in your yards.
1.Which of the following is the eco-friendly function of rain gardens discussed in Paragraph 4?
A. They can keep the rain and storm water.
B. They can help reduce the pollution problem.
C. They can be healthy for the people around.
D. They can make the environment more beautiful.
2.One of the main reasons why native plants are recommended is that ______.
A. they cost less and are much easier to get
B. they may attract local wildlife to come
C. they require little care from the local gardeners
D. they are more used to the local growing conditions.
3.We can infer from the passage that after native plants are planted, rain gardens ______.
A. need little water
B. need little care
C. need to be watered every day
D. needn’t be watered if there is at least an inch of rainwater per week
Do you remember the name of your kindergarten teacher? I do. Her name is Mrs. White.
I don’t remember much about what we learned in her 36 , but my mother once told me we used to 37 a lot. And I would 38 what I wrote and she would look at it and see there were so many 39 , but no red corrections. And always a star. Sometimes even a “Good”! That made my heart filled with 40 , but worried my mother. So one day when she met Mrs. White. She asked her why she never 41 my mistakes; why she never red-penciled in the wrong 42 of words or pointed out grammatical errors.
My mother said Mrs. White said “The children are just 43 to get excited about using words, about 44 sentences. I don’t want to dampen that 45 with red ink. Spelling and grammar can 46 . The wonder of words won’t …” And maybe she didn’t 47 it exactly like that because it was a long time ago and 48 my mother told me was just what she could remember.
Thanks to Mrs. White, I 49 up learning to use words with loving 50 . I had no qualms （顾虑）about writing what I meant 51 I couldn’t quite spell it out. A thought comes into my mind that if Mrs. White had used her red pen precisely, I 52 wouldn’t be telling you about this now. I look 53 now and think she must have been a rather 54 teacher ——to exercise such red-pen-restraint （不纠错）——to 55 the joy, wonder and excitement of expression.
1.A. expression B. school C. class D. home
2.A. sing B. write C. draw D. speak
3.A. bring back B. hand out C. hand in D. make up
4.A. signatures B. mistakes C. words D. stars
5.A. regret B. sadness C. happiness D. worry
6.A. saw B. found C. changed D. corrected
7.A. meanings B. spellings C. use D. place
8.A. beginning B. leading C. happening D. choosing
9.A. reading B. discovering C. forming D. hearing
10.A. thought B. patience C. courage D. excitement
11.A. wait B. advance C. disappear D. return
12.A. accept B. prove C. agree D. say
13.A. that B. what C. which D. how
14.A. grew B. stood C. added D. gave
15.A. doubt B. ability C. confidence D. opinion
16.A. as if B. now that C. if only D. even if
17.A. hardly B. usually C. probably D. actually
18.A. back B. round C. up D. out
19.A. beautiful B. interesting C. unusual D. strict
20.A. show B. let C. enjoy D. allow
—Thank God we’ve finally cleared up some problems. Let’s ______, shall we?
——All right. See you tomorrow.
A. go Dutch B. get it straight C. call it a day D. make a meal of it
So far all cloned animals have suffered from some different serious disorders, ______ dying soon after birth.
A. many of which B. many of whom C. many of that D. many of them
—The room is in a mess again!
——Sorry. It is ______ who ______.
A. me, is to blame B. I, is to be blamed C. me, am to be blamed D. I, am to blame
——Why didn’t you call me this morning?
——I ______ call you. I called you all the morning, but I couldn’t ______.
A. did, get over B. do, get it C. didn’t, get together D. did, get through
