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Centuries ago, many houses in a bad state in London were torn down to make way for new streets.
However, the construction project was put off for quite some time, and the foundations of the houses
pulled down were left in the open.
One day, a team of scientists arrived, only to discover that, on the patches of the foundations blocked
from sunlight for years, was growing wild plants, dotted with little flowers. Puzzlingly, some species
were native to Mediterranean countries only.
Most of the destroyed houses had been built during the Roman invasion. Weighed down by piles of
bricks and stones year after year, the seeds possibly brought here in Roman times had almost no hope
for survival. However, once bathed in the sun, they came alive.
The little seeds were so fragile yet so persevering. Though bricks piled on them many years, they
still remained alive. Once exposed to sunshine and rain, they immediately exhibited signs of life. A little
seed, lying underground for hundreds of years, still cherished the hope to live on. But what if a man is
stuck in a similar situation?
One year, a British expedition was marching through the boundless Sahara sands. With the sun
hanging overhead, hot waves of sandy winds were blowing against their faces like hot iron grains. The
men were suffering both thirst and anxiety. The last drop of water was gone. Just then, the captain
brought out a water bottle, saying, "There is still one bottle of water left. However, no one is to drink
any before going out of the desert."
The bottle of water lent them confidence to get through the desert, and embodied their hope to live
on. It was handed down the line of people.This changed into firmness the despair registered on the
men's faces.Finally the men walked out of the desert, shaking off the threat of death. Tears out of joy
welled out, and trembling hands were trying to screw off the bottle cap and let out the water, which
had supported them spiritually. Now, however, it was sand pouring out-a bottleful of sand!
Was it a bottle of sand that rescued them from the burning sun and the boundless desert? No, it was
their firm faith, like a seed that had taken root in their hearts and that finally let them out of the awful
desert.
1. What made the team of scientists confused according to the passage?
A. Some wild plants on the patches of the foundations.
B. Some foundations of many old houses.
C. Many houses in a poor state.
D. Some little seeds.
2. When the British expedition was marching through the Sahara, _____.
A. they had one bottle of water left
B. they had the last drop of water
C. the weather was anything but tolerable
D. the experienced thirst, anxiety and hunger
3. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 6 probably means _____.
A. the bottle of water changed the firmness on the men's faces into despair
B. the bottle of water transformed the men's desperation into confidence
C. feeling heavy made the men strong rather than weak
D. feeling heavy changed the men's hope into disappointment
4. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Telling a lie is sometimes necessary.
B. Man can overcome any difficulty whatever it is.
C. A man can do no more than he can.
D. Where there is a seed, there is a hope.

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