高普考/三四等/高員級◆英文題庫下載題庫

My husband Peter and I lease a land for organic farming in the foothills of Northern California. In the heat of summer, my fields cover the bronzed landscape like a green quilt spread over sand. We mind the requirements for organic farming and successfully get certificates for all our vegetables. Ten acres of them trace the contours of a small valley floor. Tomatoes glow crimson, flowers bloom and watermelons grow fat. But the beautiful picture does not overrule the reality that my business is struggling. Whenever a customer asked how things were going, I replied, Great. I never revealed the t...

My husband Peter and I lease a land for organic farming in the foothills of Northern California. In the heat of summer, my fields cover the bronzed landscape like a green quilt spread over sand. We mind the requirements for organic farming and successfully get certificates for all our vegetables. Ten acres of them trace the contours of a small valley floor. Tomatoes glow crimson, flowers bloom and watermelons grow fat. But the beautiful picture does not overrule the reality that my business is struggling. Whenever a customer asked how things were going, I replied, Great. I never revealed the truth, Well, we'remaking ends meet, but we work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, and pay ourselves only what we need to cover food and household expenses: $100 per week. I didn't tell anyone how, over the course of the last three years since Peter and I had started our farm, I'd drained most of my savings. I didn't admit that the only thing keeping the farm afloat was income Peter and I earned through other means — Peter working as a carpenter and I as a baker. I didn't say I felt like I was trying to fill a bathtub when the drain was open. People admire organic farming, but they seldom know it's hard to sustain a living.

• land (n) 土地；田地
• foothills (n) 丘陵
• bronzed (n) 青銅色，古銅色 
• acres (n) 英畝
• contours (n) 外形；結構
• overrule (v)否決；駁回 
• drain (v) 耗盡
• afloat 免於經濟困難（或負債）的

46.What does the underlined "them" refer to in this passage? 

(A)The tomatoes 

(B)The flowers  

(C)The watermelons  

(D)The plants in the fields

47.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true about organic farming? 

(A)It has to be located on the floor of a valley. 

(B)Tomatoes and watermelons are the most popular products. 

(C)It can get certified if meeting specific standards. 

(D)Different means of farming have been promoted

48.What does "making ends meet" mean in this passage? 

(A)Managing to keep regular hours of life. 

(B)Managing to cover space of the landscape. 

(C)Earning and spending equal amounts of money. 

(D)Working and resting for equal amounts of time

49.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true? 

(A)The narrator lies to her customers about her business. 

(B)The narrator makes big profits through her hard work. 

(C)The narrator and her husband need to do odd jobs to cover their expenses. 

(D)The narrator and her husband have spent all their savings on the farm. 

50.What is the major problem that the narrator is facing? 

(A)It is too hot to work in the summer on the farm. 

(B)It is too hard to get rid of the fats in their body. 

(C)It is urgent to deal with the draining problem in their bathtub. 

(D)It is difficult to support themselves by solely working on the farm.