When Paul Jackson was a boy, he lived near an old copper smelter (冶炼厂) which polluted the environment seriously. A beautiful forest nearby was made into a wasteland. He vowed (发誓) that someday he would make the land green again.

  While at college, he chose botany (植物学). He met a professor who was an expert in ecology (生态学). He told Paul it would take about twenty thousand years to make that wasteland green again.

  Then Paul got married and had some kids. But his dream would not die. He kept thinking about it. One night he took some action. He sneaked out into the wasteland with a backpack full of seedlings and started planting. For seven hours, he planted the seedlings. Every week, he made his secret journey and did the same job, but most of them died. For fifteen years he did this.

  Once, when all his young trees burned to the ground because of a careless sheepherder, Paul broke down and cried. Then he got up and kept planting. Freezing winds and terrible heat, landslides and floods and fires destroyed (毁坏) his work time and time again. However, he kept planting.

  Very slowly, amazing things began to take place. Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees, grass and bushes. Many kinds of wildlife live here. Paul received many environmental awards. His hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow he made to himself as a child.

  Just keep working, no matter who criticizes you, no matter how long it takes, no matter how many times you fall.

1.1. What did Paul Jackson vow when he was a boy?

A To work at the copper smelter.

B To make the wasteland green again.

C To win an environmental award.

D To study the wildlife in the forest.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题 解析：根据第一段最后一句 “He vowed that someday he would make the land green again”，直接匹配选项 B。

2.2. Which can best explain the underlined phrase “sneaked out” in Paragraph 3?

A Ran outside excitedly and rapidly.

B Invited others to go out together.

C Walked out quickly and noisily.

D Left secretly to avoid being noticed.

解析：选D。D 词义猜测题 解析：第三段提到 “his secret journey”，说明他的行动是秘密进行的。D 选项 “秘密离开以避免被发现” 符合 “secret” 的语境，其余选项均无 “秘密” 含义。

3.3. How did Paul react (反应) when his young trees burned to the ground?

A He gave up planting from then on.

B He built a wall to protect them.

C He cried but continued planting.

D He decided to plant different kinds of trees.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题 解析：第四段明确说明 “Paul broke down and cried. Then he got up and kept planting”，即哭泣后继续种树，对应选项 C。

4.4. What was the result of Paul’s long-term efforts?

A The wildlife all disappeared from the area.

B Paul became famous and moved to a big city.

C The area was turned into 14,000 acres of green land.

D All the trees he planted were destroyed by earthquakes.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题 解析：第五段提到 “Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees, grass and bushes”，与选项 C 表述一致。A、D 与原文矛盾，B 未提及。