4．Cassandra Feeley finds it hard to manage on her husband's income．So this year she did something more than a hobby：She planted vegetables in her yard．For her fist garden，Ms Feeley has put in 15tomato plants，and five rows of a variety of vegetables．The family's old farm house has become a chicken bourse，its residents arriving next month．Last year，Ms．Rita Gartin kept a small garden．This year she has made it much larger because，she said，"The cost of everything is going up and I was looking to lose a few pounds too； so it's a win-win situation all around．"
They are among the growing number of Americans who，driven by higher living costs and a falling economy（经济），have taken up vegetable gardening for the first time．Other have increased the size of their existing gardens．Seed companies and garden shops say no since the 1970s have there been such an increase in interest in growing food at home．Now many gardens across the country hacek been sold out for several months．In Austin，Tex．，some of the gardens have a three-year waiting list．
George C．Ball Jr，owner of a company，said sales of vegetable seeds and plants are up by 40%，over last year，double the average growth of last five years．Mr．Ball argues that some of the reasons have been building for the last few years．The big one is striking use in me cost on food like bread and milk，together with the increases in the price of fruit and vegetables．Food prices have increase of higher oil price．People are driving less，taking fewer vacations，so there more time to garden．
68．What does the word"residents"in Paragraph 1probably refer to？A
A．chickens B．tomatoes C．gardens D．people
69．By saying"a win-win situation all around"，Ms．Gartin means thatB．
A．she is happier and her garden bigger
B．she may spend less and lose weight
C．she is selling more and buying less
D．she has grown more varieties of vegetables
70．Why is vegetable gardening becoming increasingly popular？D
A．More Americans are dong it for fun．
B．The price of oil is lower than before．
C．There's a growing need for fruits．
D．The cost of living is on the rise．
71．Which of the following might be the best title for the text？B
A．Family Food Planning B．Banking on Gardening
C．A Belt-tightening Move D．Gardening as a Hobby．
分析 本文给读者介绍了美国的一种新现象：美国人由于生活成本价格的上涨，加上经济下滑，越来越多的人开始回归园艺，很多居民纷纷开始家庭种植蔬菜或者养殖，来减少家庭的开支．并且现在人们开车少了，旅游也少了，有更多的时间来种菜，减少生活费用．
解答 68．A 词义猜测题．根据上文的The family's old farm house has become a chicken house家里的老房子已经变成了养鸡场，可知，鸡舍的居民应该是小鸡，所以residents指代chickens，故选A．
69．B 推理判断题．根据前面的The cost of everything is going up and I was looking to lose a few pounds too；所有的成本都在上升，我也想减掉几磅；可知，加廷女士说的双赢的局面是指她可以花费得更少还可以减肥，故选B．
70．D 细节理解题．根据文章第二段的They are among the growing number of Americans who，driven by higher living costs and a falling economy（经济），have taken up vegetable gardening for the first time．可知，家庭种植蔬菜变得越来越受欢迎是因为生活成本的上升，故选D．
71．B 主旨大意题．本文给读者介绍了美国的一种新现象：美国人由于生活成本价格的上涨，开始回归园艺，很多居民纷纷开始家庭种植蔬菜或者养殖，来减少家庭的开支，因此文章的最佳标题为B．
点评 本文是政治经济类阅读，考查学生对细节的理解把握和推理判断能力，做题时一定要找到文章中的原句，和题干进行比较，再做出正确选择．在做推理判断题时不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实，要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断．
