Eleanor Love has always loved flowers. Before she started medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University, she took a job working in a flower shop. Not only did she learn more about caring for cut flowers, but she also realized that these blossoms have an mysterious ability to lift people’s spirits no matter how difficult their circumstances may be. Even better, they can actually boost people’s health! “Flowers have been shown to improve healing and rates of recovery from surgery,” Eleanor said. “They’ve been shown, of course, to improve people’s mental health and to lift people’s spirits.”

She was in her fourth year of medical school when she first heard about a program on the West Coast that recycles wedding and funeral flowers to give to hospital patients. Inspired, she decided to start her own program at VCU Medical Center, which she called The Simple Sunflower.

The Simple Sunflower works by asking couples ahead of time if they would like to donate their flowers. Most say yes, so Eleanor and her team of volunteers head over to collect the flowers and process them in a volunteer room at the hospital. Together, they take the best blooms and create floral arrangements(插花) that will last for several days. After putting them on a cart, they deliver them to patients at VCU Medical Center.

Eleanor’s initiative began in 2019 and continues to this day, even though she has since graduated from medical school. There are now more than 200 volunteers working on The Simple Sunflower at VCU Medical Center, and they have brought more than 760 bouquets to grateful patients there.

“Volunteers have been thrilled to be able to deliver to patients an unexpected gift that will brighten their day,” said Amanda Landes, the director of VCU Health Volunteer Services. “And people seem to enjoy the story of how The Simple Sunflower came to be and that it is making good use of something that otherwise would be discarded.”

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1.Where did Eleanor Love know the function of flowers?

A In a flower shop.

B In a psychology book.

C From patients’ feedback.

D At Virginia Commonwealth University.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据第一段可知，埃莉诺在一家花店打过工。她不仅学到更多关于切花的打理知识，而且意识到无论人们身处的环境有多么艰难，这些花都有着不可思议的振奋精神的能力。故选A。

2.How did Eleanor start The Simple Sunflower?

A Her friends invited her into it in person.

B She got inspiration from the West Coast.

C It was a practice project before graduation.

D She followed VCU Medical Center’s advice.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据第二段可知，她在医学院读四年级时，第一次听说有一个“西海岸”项目，回收婚礼和葬礼用过的花，送给医院病人。受此鼓舞，她决定在VCU医疗中心开始自己的项目，她称之为“简单向日葵”。故选B。

3.Which of the following is the right order? ①The flowers went to the patients in hospital. ②They collect and process the recycled flowers. ③They arrange volunteers to deliver flowers. ④They contact with the newly married couple.

A ④③②①

B ②④③①

C ④②③①

D ②③①④

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第三段可知，他们会提前询问新婚夫妇是否愿意捐献他们的婚礼鲜花。埃莉诺和她的志愿者团队前往收集鲜花并在医院的志愿者室处理它们。他们一起连续几天用最好的花朵进行插花创作。然后，用推车将成品送到VCU医疗中心的病人那里。故选C。

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A The sales of flower shops are going down.

B Eleanor goes deep into the hearts of the patients.

C Many workers in hospital also become volunteers.

D The Simple Sunflower wins support among the public.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据第四段There are now more than 200 volunteers working on The Simple Sunflower at VCU Medical Center及最后一段Volunteers have been thrilled to be able to deliver to patients an unexpected gift that will brighten their day可知，目前，在VCU医疗中心，有200多名志愿者，他们为能够向患者提供一份意外的礼物，让他们的日子更加美好而感到非常兴奋，由此说明“简单向日葵”项目赢得了公众的支持。故选D。