C
The elderly residents (居民) in care homes in London are being given hens to look after to stop them feeling lonely.
The project was dreamed up by a local charity (慈善组织) to reduce loneliness and improve elderly people’s wellbeing, It is also being used to help patients suffering dementia, a serious illness of the mind.Staff in care homes have reported a reduction in the use of medicine where hens are in use.
Among those taking part in the project is 80-year-old Ruth Xavier. She said: “I used to keep hens when I was younger and had to prepare their breakfast each morning before I went to school. ”
“I like the project a lot. I am down there in my wheelchair in the morning letting the hens out and down there again at night to see they’ve gone to bed.”
“It’s good to have a different focus. People have been bringing their children in to see the hens and residents come and sit outside to watch them. I’m enjoying the creative activities, and it feels great to have done something useful.”
There are now 700 elderly people looking after hens in 20 care homes in the North East, and the charity has been given financial support to roll it out countrywide.
Wendy Wilson, extra care manager at 60 Penfold Street, one of the first to embark on the project, said: “Residents really welcome the idea of the project and the creative sessions. We are looking forward to the benefits and fun the project can bring to people here.”
Lynn Lewis, director of Notting Hill Pathways, said: “We are happy to be taking part in the project. It will really help connect our residents through a shared interest and creative activities.”
What is the purpose of the project?
推理判断题。根据文章第二段“The project was dreamed up by a local charity (慈善组织) to reduce loneliness and improve elderly people’s wellbeing (该项目由当地一家慈善机构构想，旨在减少孤独，改善老年人的健康状况)”可知，这个项目的目的是为了提高老年人的幸福。故选D。
How has the project affected Ruth Xavier?
推理判断题。根据文章第五段““It’s good to have a different focus. People have been bringing their children in to see the hens and residents come and sit outside to watch them. I’m enjoying the creative activities, and it feels great to have done something useful.” (有不同的关注点很好。人们把自己的孩子带进来看母鸡，居民们也来外面坐着看它们。我喜欢创造性的活动，做一些有用的事情的感觉很好)”可推知，Ruth Xavier通过该项目获得了一种成就感。故选B。
What do the underlined words “embark on” mean in paragraph 7?
词义猜测题。根据文章倒数第二段“Residents really welcome the idea of the project and the creative sessions. We are looking forward to the benefits and fun the project can bring to people here. (居民们非常欢迎该项目的想法和创意会议。我们期待这个项目能给这里的人们带来好处和乐趣)”以及划线处前的“one of the first (第一批人之一)”可知Wendy Wilson是着手这项工程的人之一，划线处的含义与C项：“Begin (开始)”含义相近。故选C。
What can we learn about the project from the last two paragraphs?
推理判断题。根据文章倒数第二段“Residents really welcome the idea of the project and the creative sessions. We are looking forward to the benefits and fun the project can bring to people here. (居民们非常欢迎该项目想法和创意会议。我们期待这个项目能给这里的人们带来好处和乐趣)”以及最后一段“Lynn Lewis, director of Notting Hill Pathways, said: “We are happy to be taking part in the project. It will really help connect our residents through a shared interest and creative activities.” (“诺丁山路径”的负责人林恩·刘易斯说:我们很高兴能参与这个项目。它将通过共同的兴趣和创造性活动真正帮助我们的居民联系起来)”可知，该项目的反响很好。故选A。