“Soon, you’re going to have to move out!” cried my neighbor upon seeing the largest tomato plant known to mankind, or at least known in my neighborhood.
One tiny 9-inch plant, bought for $1.25 in the spring, has already taken over much of my rose bed, covering much of other plants, and is well on its way to the front door.
Roses require a good deal of care, and if it weren’t for the pleasure they give, it wouldn’t be worth the work. As it is, I have a garden full of sweet-smelling roses for most of the year. bushes must be pruned(剪枝) in early spring, leaving ugly woody branches until the new growth appears a few weeks later. It was the space available(可用的) in the garden that led me into planting just one little tomato plant. A big mistake.
Soil conditions made just perfect for roses turn out to be even more perfect for tomatoes. The daily watering coupled with full sun and regular fertilizing(施肥) have turned the little plant into a tall bush. The cage I placed around it as the plant grew has long since disappeared under the thick leaves.
Now the task I face in harvesting the fruit is twofold; First, I have to find the red ones among the leaves, which means I almost have to stand on my head, and once found I have to reach down and under, pick the tomatoes and withdraw(縮回) my full fist without dropping the prize so dearly won. I found two full-blown white roses completely hidden as I picked tomatoes in June, but they were weak and the leaves already yellow for lack of light.
Here I am faced with a painful small decision: To tear up a wonderful and productive tomato plant that offers up between ten and twenty ripe sweet tomatoes each day or say goodbye to several expensive and treasured roses. Like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind, I’ll think about that tomorrow.
71．What ate the requirements for the healthy growth of roses ?
A．A lot of care and the right soil.
B．Frequent pruning and fertilizing.
C．Tomato plants grown alongside.
D．Cages placed around the roots.
72．The writer planted the tomato because _________.
A．it cost only $1.25
B．the soil was just right for it
C．there was room for it in the garden
D．the roses’ branches needed to be covered
73．This year the writer’s roses were __________.
A．removed from the rose bed
B．picked along with the tomatoes
C．mostly damaged by too much sunlight
D．largely hidden under the tomato plant
74．By saying “the prize so dearly won” in paragraph 5, the writer wants to ________.
A．show the difficulty in picking the tomatoes
B．show the hardship of growing the roses
C．express her liking for the roses
D．express her care for the tomatoes
75．In the situation described in the text, one good thing is that ________.
A．the roses cost the writer little money
B．the writer has a daily harvest of tomatoes
C．someone will help the writer make the decision
D．the writer can now enjoy both the roses and tomatoes
