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【完形填空】Cloze: The Orchard Keeper
Tom was a fruit grower on a small island. He had inherited the land from his father. The orchard was his whole world.
Each morning he would (1) with his trees. Not out loud. He simply watched and listened. The habit had become instinctual over the years.
A harsh climatic shift hit the island that spring. Rain came late. The lower branches dried out. The upper ones were fine. The difference was great.
Tom had to (2) a hard truth. One bad season could happen. Two would be irrevocable. He needed a plan.
He began to study the problem with care. His grandfather had kept a notebook. The pages were (3) with ink drawings and odd speculation.
One line stood out. It was a headline of sorts, written in capital letters. Change the fruit, not the tree.
This clue changed everything. Tom started to experiment.
He took cuttings from mature branches. He tried to (4) each one to the right soil. He introduced new nutrients. He mixed them with local organic material.
The work was tiring but enjoyable. Each small success gave him a thrill. He felt like an entrepreneur of his own small kingdom.
However, progress was slow. The sun could (5) a man. The sea wind could disorientate him. Still, he would not quit.
The neighbours thought he was a victim of strange ideas. Some said he was (6) from common sense. Tom did not sympathise with them. He did not care.
He knew that the initial cost would be high. The cash might not come back soon. That was a (7) he accepted.
The first grafts failed. The second set also failed. He was ready to give up.
Then one morning he saw a (8) of green on a dead-looking stem. It was his first triumph.
Small leaves appeared on the branch. They were vigorous. They seemed to (9) with fresh life.
By the end of the season, several new varieties had taken hold. The orchard began to expand. New shoots dotted the empty rows.
Tom had learned something fundamental. Nature rewards patience. But it also punishes greed. The key was (10).
He could not save every tree. Some had to be cut. That was a painful award to accept.
He began to promote his new fruit at the local market. People came from far afield. A small shop began to sell his apples. The future looked less complicated.
The following year, the climate was kind again. Tom sold everything he grew. The orchard was not just a source of income. It was a living organism that he had helped to survive.
He never became rich. But he was not a victim of the weather either. He had made a choice, and the choice had been consequential.
Years later, his son took over. The boy asked him one question. What was the secret?
Tom thought for a long time. Then he said, in a quiet voice, "I stopped looking for a single answer. I looked for many small ones."
The orchard still stands. The trees are older now. But the fruit is sweet. And every spring, a new branch begins to grow.
Choices
(1) A. converse B. talk C. speak D. communicate
(2) A. meet B. confront C. face D. encounter
(3) A. covered B. filled C. vivid D. full
(4) A. match B. suit C. fit D. pair
(5) A. depress B. discourage C. sadden D. dishearten
(6) A. alienated B. detached C. separated D. isolated
(7) A. requirement B. precondition C. prerequisite D. necessity
(8) A. flash B. spark C. gleam D. glint
(9) A. vibrate B. resonate C. resound D. echo
(10) A. control B. moderation C. balance D. restraint