B

It was a cold night in Washington, D.C. and I was heading back to the hotel when a beggar walked up to me. He asked if I would give him some money so he could get something to eat. After a short hesitation, I shook my head and kept walking. With helplessness, he said, “I really am homeless and I really am hungry! You can come with me and watch me eat!” But still, I kept on walking.

The incident bothered me for the rest of the week. In fact, I had money in my pocket and it wouldn’t have killed me to hand over a dollar or two even if he had been lying. On a freezing cold night, I wondered what would happen to a hungry man.

Flying back to my hometown, Anchorage, I couldn’t help thinking of him. I tried to find excuses for my failure to help. After all, government agencies, churches and charities were there to feed him. Besides, you’re not supposed to give money to beggars.

But I just couldn’t forget the incident and began to think I must do something. At that time, I was writing a garden column(专栏) for the local Daily News. Suddenly, I came up with an idea. Why not try to get all my readers to plant one row in their gardens donated to Bean’s? Bean’s Cafe, the soup kitchen which has volunteered to feed hundreds of hungry people every day for many years.

The idea began to take off. I began to receive more e-mails and calls from kind people. They tried their best to show their concerns about the hungry. Food was sent by different warm-hearted people and even those who only grew flowers sent their flowers. They are food for the spirit, which comforted me a lot.

Next year, the Garden Writers Association of America held their annual conference in Anchorage and after learning of Anchorage’s program, Plant a Row for Bean’s became Plant a Row for the Hungry. You can imagine how happy I was then.

24. According to the passage, the reason why the author refused to give some money to the beggar probably is that ________.

A. he happened not to take money then B. he wasn’t fond of beggars

C. he thought that the beggar was lying D. he didn’t like being bothered

25. Why did the author can’t help thinking of the beggar ?

A. Because he felt he had done wrong for his failure to help him.

B. Because he wanted to know whether the beggar had lied to him.

C. Because he was worried that the beggar might die from hunger.

D. Because some agencies, churches and charities should help the beggar.

26. What does the underlined phrase “take off” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A. remove clothes. B. leave suddenly.

C. become successful. D. come into being.

27. What’s the correct order to record the author’s launch of the program “Plant a Row for the Hungry?”

① He ran into a beggar.

② He was regretful.

③ He came up with the idea of planting a row for Bean’s.

④ The Plant a Row for Bean's became Plant a Row for the Hungry.

⑤ He went back home.

⑥ Writers gathered in Anchorage.

A. ①②③④⑤⑥. B. ①⑤②③④⑥.

C. ①②⑤③④⑥. D. ①②⑤③⑥④.