① Even though we are living in an age where growing old is thought of as an inevitable misery,this doctor has been changing the game for seniors over the last 25 years.

② It  all  started  in   1991  when  the  Harvard-educated  physician  was  transferred  from   working in a stressful emergency room to being the medical director of a nursing home in upstate New York. The depressing and regimented (严格管制的) environment got him thinking on what exactly could improve the residents’ conditions.

③ Even though animals in nursing homes were illegal at the time, Dr. Bill Thomas took a chance. Based on a hunch (直觉), he brought in two dogs, four cats, hens,   rabbits,100 birds, a multitude of plants,a flower garden, and a vegetable patch.

④ The change was dramatic. There was a 50% drop in medical prescriptions along with a dramatic decrease in death rates — but most importantly, the residents were simply happier.

⑤ Dr.  Thomas’s  approach,  named  the  Eden  Alternative,  has  driven  nursing  homes  to   allow a more autonomous (自主的) and creative living space for their elderly. It erases the belief that  growing  old  means growing  useless.  He  encourages  residents  to  think  of their age as an enriching new phase of life rather than the end of it.

⑥ Thomas,   now   a   speaker   and   author   of   several   books,   also   created    small,  independently-run  residences  with  their  own  bedrooms  and  bathrooms,  and  he  has  been preaching a singular message that getting old is not a bad thing.

⑦ “Within  six weeks, they had to  send  a truck  around to pick up  all the wheelchairs,” Thomas  told  the  Washington  Post.“You  know  why  most  people  in  nursing  homes  use  wheelchairs? Because the buildings are so big.”

⑧ The 56-year-old doctor’s methods have been adopted in Australia, Japan, Canada, and America  with  enormous  success.  Last  year  he  published  Second  Wind:Navigating  the Passage  to  a  Slower,  Deeper,  and  More  Connected  Life,  a  guide  on  how  to  shift  our perspectives on aging and growth.

1. 1.What has Bill Thomas been doing for a quarter of a century?

A    Transforming people’s lifestyle.

B    Honoring his Harvard education.

C    Changing people’s philosophy of life.

D    Shifting people’s perspective on aging.

2. 2.Why did Bill Thomas try something different in the nursing home?

A    He wanted to make it more pleasant for seniors.

B    He wanted to apply his Harvard training to practice.

C    He felt it his duty to revolutionize its management.

D    He felt disappointed working in the environment.

3. 3.What do we learn about Bill Thomas bringing animals and plants into the nursing home?

A    He made a mess of the nursing home.

B    He did something all professionals would do.

C    He won instant support from the state authorities.

D    He acted in violation of the state law.

4. 4.What has Bill Thomas been persistently advocating?

A    Good health is not just a privilege of the young.

B    Nursing homes should be strictly limited in size.

C    Getting old is by no means something miserable.

D    Residences for seniors should be run independently.

5. 5.How is Bill Thomas’s new concept received?

A    It is gaining ground in many countries.

B    It is being heatedly debated worldwide.

C    It is considered revolutionary everywhere.

D    It is winning approval from the government.