You may not have heard of Ashoka, but for the past 27 years, this association, founded by Bill Drayton, has fought poverty(贫穷) and sickness, promoted education and encouraged small businesses. To support these worthy causes, Ashoka provides money for the world’s most  promising “changemakers” seeking to solve (解决) urgent problems and would like to create a  world in which every citizen is a changemaker.

Drayton believes that anyone can become an agent for change. The important thing is to simply give you permission. If you see a problem that you care about, you can help solve it. The young in particular are willing to accept this concept because at heart every child wants to grow into a happy, healthy, contributing adult. In fact, it is many young people’s ambition to set up programmes or businesses that improve social conditions. An excellent example is an Ashoka project started in 1995 in Dhaka, which handled the rubbish problem facing the city, helped local farmers and provided an income for poor people there.

When Masqsood and Iftekhar began to study the problem of all the uncollected rubbish that lay inDhaka’s streets, attracting rats and disease, they discovered that 80% of it was natural waste. So they educated the poor people in the city to compost (把……制成堆粪)this waste. They knew that they would have a market for the end product because local farmers were struggling with chemical fertilisers (化肥) which were expensive and had reduced the natural minerals in the soil over the years. At first, they were refused, but once they were able to persuade them that there was money to be made, the project took off. In 2009 sales were $14,000.

Drayton is optimistic that in ten years Ashoka will be making really serious, practical progress in bringing about social change by changing the way we look at economic development.

1.72. Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

A Changemakers

B Businessmen

C Social Conditions

D Rubbish Problem

解析：选A。【解析】主旨大意题。根据文章第一段前两句his association, founded by Bill Drayton, has fought poverty and sickness, promoted education and encouraged small businesses. To support these worthy causes, Ashoka provides money for the world's most promising "changemakers"可知，文中介绍了一个公益组织Ashoka组织人们和贫穷做斗争，改善教育事业，致力于解决社会问题。鼓励人们做小生意，敢于变化，并为自愿改变社会环境的青年提供资金和帮助。故选A项。

2.73. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to “ ”.

A the local farmers

B Masqsood and Iftekhar

C Drayton and his team

D the poor people in Dhaka

解析：选D。【解析】猜测词义题。根据文章第三段第三句They knew that they would have a market for the end product because local farmers were struggling with chemical ferntilisers which were expensive and had reduced the natural minerals in the soil over the years可知，Masqsood和Iftekhar让当地人把垃圾变成肥料以便解决他们没钱购买化肥的问题，开始的时候人们不接受这种做法。但是当他们知道这样可以挣钱的时候就开始做了。这里的them应该是指在Dhaka的穷人。故选D项。

3.74. It can be concluded from the passage that anyone can become a changemaker if he .

A considers Drayton’s concept

B gets permission from Ashoka

C tries to improve social conditions

D is a young, happy and healthy adult

解析：选C。【解析】推理判断题。根据第二段前三句The important thing is to simply give yourself permission. If you see a problem that you care about, you can help solve it. The young in particular are willing to accept this concept because at heart every child wants to grow into a happy, healthy, contributing adult. In fact It is many young people’s ambition to set up programmes or businesses that improve social conditions.可知，如果人们愿意解决所关心的问题，才能改变和解决。而实际上很多青年人为改变社会生活条件而改变，即可成为changemakers。故选C项。

4.75. The authors attitude towards Ashoka’s program can be described as

A changing

B forgiving

C cautious

D Positive

解析：选D。【解析】观点态度题。根据文章介绍Ashoka所组织的把垃圾变成肥料获得成功的故事和最后一段Drayton is optimistic that in ten years Ashoka will be making really serious ,practical progress in bringing about social change by changing the way we look at economic development可知，作者认为Ashoka的活动是有意义的，并且推断其未来前景是乐观的。即抱着积极的心态。故选D项。