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【阅读理解】Reading: The Quiet Orchard
Ravi had never been a man of big ideas, but he did have a knack for business in small ways.
He owned a plot of land on the edge of a city that was growing fast.
Every year, the city moved closer to his fence, but he refused to sell.
His routine was simple: he gathered fruit from trees that apes liked, then mixed seeds from wild and farm varieties.
He thought of diversity as a kind of insurance.
His children laughed at how simple his plan was.
"You can't make a living from a hobby," his son said.
Ravi didn't argue; he had an agreement with the soil, not with people.
For years, he ate only what he grew.
The food was plain, but his health improved and his mind became sharper.
He liked to walk through the rows at dawn, spitting out seeds as he went.
Strangers found this odd, even shocking—a man talking to trees.
A short appearance on a local news show made him famous for a week, then the attention disappeared.
One spring, a violent storm hit.
It flattened half the orchard, and the loss horrified him.
Yet the trees that survived were the ones he had crossed by hand.
He saw in that damage a hidden approval: the wild genes had softened the shock.
He began to look for funding.
A former classmate, now a department head at an agricultural institute, agreed to help.
The scrutiny was intense; they asked him to assign blame for past failures.
He answered with data and caution.
A pilot study followed, and the results amazed the panel.
Trees with his mixed stock produced a variety of fruit with much less spoilage.
The finding was not limited to his region; it applied to many habitats.
One reviewer said the work could revive interest in old methods; another said it might reduce chemical use.
Ravi, for a moment, felt accepted.
The institute offered him a contract.
He accepted, but with one condition: no hidden agenda, no taking over small farms.
He didn't want to intrude on anyone's land; he wanted to teach, not invade.
"Usefulness matters," he told the board, "but so does beauty."
They started a small program to spread seeds to local growers.
It would show a whole view—soil, tree, and community as connected systems.
The work gained speed, and applications came from six countries.
On the last day of the season, Ravi stood in the orchard.
He could still hear his son's doubt, but doubt had not stopped him; it had pushed him forward.
He picked one fruit and held it up.
The skin was ordinary, but the taste was not.
Questions
1. Why did Ravi refuse to sell his land?
A. He wanted to keep it for his children. B. He had an agreement with the soil, not with people. C. He believed the city would pay more later. D. He used it for a business that was growing fast.
2. What happened after the violent storm?
A. Ravi decided to sell the orchard. B. His son apologized for doubting him. C. The trees he had crossed by hand survived. D. The local news show made him famous again.
3. What does the word "mitigated" in the passage most likely mean?
A. increased B. reduced C. ignored D. caused
4. What can be inferred about Ravi's attitude toward his son's doubt?
A. He tried to prove his son wrong by selling the land. B. He was hurt and stopped talking to his son. C. He agreed with his son and gave up the orchard. D. He used it as motivation to continue his work.
5. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. The Storm That Destroyed an Orchard B. A Son's Doubt and a Father's Failure C. The Man Who Talked to Trees D. The City That Grew Too Fast