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【完形填空】Cloze: The Alley That Came Back to Life
Elena had been standing in the alley for twenty minutes, holding a questionnaire, when a boy on a rusty bicycle finally (1) to talk to her.
"You're the third person this week," he said. "The last two gave (2)."
She smiled, but her hand trembled. The alley smelled (3) damp malt and old laundry.
It was 2019, and she was a 34-year-old urban ecologist who had just bet her career (4) a single idea: that a dying backstreet could be restored without pushing out the people who lived there.
For decades, officials had treated the alley as a dump. They had overexploited the soil, buried organic waste under synthetic layers, and allowed a factory to (5) the air with combustion fumes.
The thermal readings were extreme. A study she had analysed showed that average summer temperatures here (6) the city mean by 7.2 degrees Celsius.
Residents complained of humidity, of smells that would not evaporate, of a strange bulge in the wall near the old chapel. Elena's goal was simple: listen first, plant (7).
She began with a verbal contract, not a legal one. "No bulldozers," said Mrs. Okonkwo, a retired nurse of 68 who had lived in the alley since 1978. "And no fancy cafes." Elena agreed.
She enlisted a mechanic named Tariq, 41, who ran a repair shop from his lounge. Together they mapped every resident, every fixture, every fault. The process was messy. Elena's dictation was imprecise; Tariq's handwriting was (8).
But the work had an unexpected effect. People began to notice small improvements. A desolate corner was decorated with floral pots. A community chest was set up for tools. The local council, initially (9), agreed to fund a pilot after a heated controversy over budget approval.
The first summer was brutal. A heatwave accelerated the crisis. The new plants—a mix of classical Mediterranean species—would not survive without constant water. Elena had to simplify her design, removing three beds and substituting drought-resistant variations. Enthusiasm faded. Some residents alleged she was an invader, a do-gooder who would eventually devalue their homes. "You're not from here," said one. "You don't understand our destiny." Elena felt the emotional weight. She had secured a grant of £48,000, but the money came with stringent guidelines and endless verification. The pressure would frustrate (10).
Choices
(1) A. refused B. stopped C. happened D. pretended
(2) A. in B. away C. up D. out
(3) A. like B. with C. of D. for
(4) A. at B. in C. on D. for
(5) A. fill B. cover C. protect D. smother
(6) A. matched B. equalled C. exceeded D. missed
(7) A. later B. soon C. now D. before
(8) A. clearer B. better C. worse D. neater
(9) A. enthusiastic B. supportive C. generous D. reluctant
(10) A. nobody B. anyone C. someone D. everyone