On numerous drives throughout my childhood, my mother would suddenly pull over the car to examine a flower by the side of the road or rescue a beetle (甲虫) from certain tragedy while I, in my late teens and early twenties, sat impatiently in the car.
Though Mother’s Day follows Earth Day, for me, they have always been related. My mom has been “green” since she became concerned about the environment. Part of this habit was born of thrift (节俭). Like her mother and her grandmother before her, Mom saves glass jars, empty cheese containers and re-uses her plastic bags.
Mom creates a kind of give-and-take relationship with wildlife in her yard. She knows to pick the apples on her trees a little early to fend off the bears and that if she leaves the bird feeders out at night, it’s likely they’ll be knocked down by a family of raccoons (浣熊). Spiders that make their way into the house are captured (捕获) in a juice glass and set loose in the garden.
I try to teach my children that looking out for the environment starts with being aware of the environment. On busy streets, we look for spent (开败的) dandelions (蒲公英) to parachute; we say hello to neighborhood cats and pick up plastic cups and paper bags. This teaching comes easily, I realize, because I was taught so well by example. Mom didn’t need to lecture; she didn’t need to beat a drum to change the world. She simply slowed down enough to enjoy living in it and with that joy came compassion and an instinct (本能) for preservation.
I am slowing down and it isn’t because of the weight of my nearly forty years on the planet, it is out of my concern for the planet itself. I’ve begun to save glass jars and re-use packing envelopes. I pause in my daily tasks to watch the squirrels race each other through the palm (棕榈树) leaves above my porch (门廊).
Last summer, in the company of my son and daughter, I planted tomatoes in my yard. With the heat of August around me, I ate the first while sitting on my low wall with dirt on my hands. Warm from the sun, it burst on my tongue with a sweetness I immediately wanted to share with my mom.
小题1:Why does the author say Earth Day is connected with Mother’s Day?

A．Because Mother’s Day falls shortly after Earth Day.

B．To stress that all the older women in her family are environmentalists.

C．To stress how much her mother cares about the environment.

D．Because on Mother’s Day her mother shows her how to be friend to nature.

小题2: According to the fourth paragraph, which of the following is the author’s mother NOT likely to do?

A．When she came across a lost dog, she helped it to find its shelter.

B．In spring, she spent some time watching the plants growing in the garden.

C．She joined in the campaign to encourage the public to contribute actively towards a better environment.

D．She walked to a nearby shop which was within ten minutes’ walk rather than drove there.

小题3:What can we conclude from the article?

A．The author’s mother is very patient with her children.

B．The author’s mother knows how to live in harmony with nature.

C．The author’s mother always took care of the wildlife that came into her yard.

D．The author’s mother used to remind her to slow down to protect the environment.

小题4: We can infer from the article that ______.

A．the author thinks that too many people now label themselves environmentalists

B．the author’s mother knows how to get rid of the wildlife in her yard

C．the author believes that only by learning to slow down, can we enjoy life

D．the author realizes that she should teach her children by example as well

小题5:What is the main idea of the last three paragraphs?

A．How the author taught her children to protect the environment.

B．How the author’s mother influenced the author.

C．What inspired the author to slow down and enjoy life.

D．How the author spent her time with her children.