A 60-year-old homeless woman named Smokie has been sleeping outside in the dirt a few doors down from a man named Elvis Summers.
Most mornings, she stops by Elvis’s Los Angeles apartment and asks if he has any recyclable materials for her. Through these conversations, they struck up a friendship.
One morning, Elvis saw a news article about man in Oakland who has been making tiny houses out of deserted materials. He was inspired to put off paying a few bills so he could buy the wood and hardware to make Smokie a brand new shelter it took him five days to build it, and now, for the first time in ten years, Smokie a brand new shelter. It took him five days to build it, and now, for the first time in ten years, Smokie has a place to hang the sign. “Home Sweet Home”.
“I had nowhere to really build it, so I just built it in the street outside of my apartment,” Elvis told Good News Network. “The local LAPD police have been super cool, and have told me hey support it—as long as we move it to a different spot every 72 hours.”
He made this pretty time-lapse(延时的) video showing how he did it. The materials, including two locks on the front door and strong wheels for moving it around, cost him about $500.
“I’ve met so many homeless people, good people,” Elvis said in an email, “Since I built Smokie’s , I’ve had several people asking me to make them a tiny home and it’s turned into much more than just the one house I wanted to build.”
Although he runs an online retail store that sells EDM clothes, he has decided to launch an ambitious project to fund more shelters. He plants to get lighter and cheaper materials—without sacrificing the strength of the house—for the next round. Rick Sassen, a branch manager, kindly donated the roof shingles and cedar supporting Smokie’s house, final items Elvis couldn’t afford on his own. Sassen has promised to work out a deal on future building materials for the same cause.
4. What is the meaning of the underlined words “struck up” in paragraph 2?
A. Kept on.
B. Established.
C. Gave out.
D. Accomplished.
5. Where did Elvis’s inspiration to build a tiny house come from?
A. A news report.
B. A science book.
C. A fiction story.
D. An advertisement.
6. What is the main feature of the tiny house?
A. It is air-conditioned.
B. It is very light.
C. It can move around.
D. It has no roof.
7. What can be inferred about Elvis from the last paragraph?
A. He will get help from poor people.
B. He earns his living by building houses.
C. He plans to build stronger houses.
D. He will help more homeless people.
知识点：日常生活类阅读
4. B 5. A 6. C 7. D
Elvis从一则新闻报道获得灵感，创造出“能四处移动”的微型房子，他将帮助更多无家可归的人。
4. B
词义猜测题。根据第二段中Through these conversations, they struck up a friendship.由常识可知，通过谈话人们会建立友谊。故选B。
5. A
细节理解题。根据第三段中One morning, Elvis saw a news article about man in Oakland who has been making tiny houses out of deserted materials. He was inspired to put off paying a few bills so he could buy the wood and hardware to make Smokie a brand new shelter it took him five days to build it,可知，Elvis的灵感来自一则新闻报道。故选A。
6. C
细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中The materials, including two locks on the front door and strong wheels for moving it around, cost him about $500.可知，这种微型房子的主要特色是“能四处移动”，故选C。
7. D
推理判断题。根据最后一段中Rick Sassen, a branch manager, kindly donated the roof shingles and cedar supporting Smokie’s house, final items Elvis couldn’t afford on his own. Sassen has promised to work out a deal on future building materials for the same cause.可推知，他将帮助更多无家可归的人。故选D。