Green Festival: a Party with a Purpose

姚琴

For the past four years， the Green Festival in Washington， D.C.， has brought together people from around the country who are interested in the environmental movement. People call the festival “a party with a purpose”. They say the purpose of the Green Festival is to create an economy in which natural resources are used in a way that does not destroy the environment. To the people who organize the event， “green” means having a safe and healthy community and a strong local economy.

Throughout the two-day event， over one thousand people volunteered to help the festival run smoothly. Four hundred businesses and organizations showed their products and projects. About three thousand visitors came to the party. They could find everything from naturally made organic food to clothing made from bamboo plants.

There were over one hundred fifty speakers and discussion groups. You could also watch several movies about political and environmental issues. Then you could listen to some live music performances. After sitting for too long， visitors could take a yoga exercise class. There was even an area for children. Younger visitors could enjoy fun games and lessons on subjects like protecting the rainforest and creating chocolate sweets.

Green building was one of the important subjects at the festival. Many companies and organizations aim to create environmentally safe buildings. They design structures with reduced energy use， fewer chemicals and more recycled materials. The Loading Dock is an organization based in Baltimore， Maryland. Its message is that “a person could build a house with what others throw away”.

Spending a day at the Green Festival showed people many solutions to improving the health of our planet. People have inclusive green choices， from the things people buy to the ways people eat， think， and live. The Green Festival connects a wide community of people who care deeply about， and are working to improve， our shared environment.

【難句解析】

1. People call the festival “a party with a purpose”.

释义：人们把这个节日称之为“有目的的派对”。

点拨：call可以用于“主语+谓语+宾语+宾语补足语”这个句型，像这样的动词还有name， elect， make， think， choose， find， wish， feel等。例如：

They named the boy Jack. 他们给孩子取名叫杰克。

2. Its message is that “a person could build a house with what others throw away”.

释义：它的宗旨是“一个人能够用别人扔掉的东西修建一个房子”。

点拨：这是一个复合句，a person could build a house with what others throw away作表语从句。在表语从句中，with what others throw away作状语，what作throw away的宾语。

what作为连接代词，承担两重任务：连接句子和代替从句缺少的成分（可以代替从句主语、宾语或表语）。例如：

What I want for the moment is a car. （主语从句中，what是want的宾语）我此刻想要的是一辆汽车。

3. Spending a day at the Green Festival showed people many solutions for improving the health of our planet.

释义：在绿色节度过一天给人们显示改善我们地球健康的许多方法。

点拨：show可以用于“主语+及物动词+间接宾语+直接宾语”这个句型，像这样的动词还有buy， pass， lend， give， ask， tell， sell， teach， bring， send， return， pay， offer， fetch， cost等。例如：

He often asks the teacher a lot of questions in class. 他常常在课堂上问老师许多问题。

4. People have inclusive green choices， from the things people buy to the ways people eat， think， and live.

释义：人们有多种多样的选择，从买的物品到吃、思考和生活的方式。

点拨：在此句中，people eat， think， and live是定语从句，修饰先行词the ways。当先行词为way并且定语从句中缺少状语时，通常用in which或that引导定语从句（in which或that可省略）;如果定语从句中缺少主语或宾语，则用关系代词that或which引导定语从句。例如：

I dont like the way that he laughed at me. 我不喜欢他用那种方式来嘲笑我。

=I dont like the way in which he laughed at me.

=I dont like the way he laughed at me.

【阅读链接】

I. Choose the right answer.

1. The purpose of the Green Festival is to ____.

A. bring people together                       B. study the environment

C. improve peoples health                  D. develop a green economy

2. Younger visitors could ____ in the festival.

A. watch some movies about love                B. build a house with their hands

C. play fun games and have lessons       D. taste food made from bamboo plants

3. According to the passage， buildings with ____ are green building.

A. reduced energy use                          B. many chemicals

C. used doors                                         D. a landfill trash center

4. The underlined word “inclusive” in the last paragraph probably means “____”.

A. important                 B. right             C. wide                  D. possible

5. Which of the following is NOT true？

A. About one hundred fifty visitors took part in the Green party.

B. Recycling materials to rebuild communities saves a lot of money.

C. Clothing made from bamboo plants can be found in the Green party.

D. The Green Festival provides many solutions for improving our planet.

II. Fill in the blanks.

1. I dont like ____ ____ ____ ____ （……的方式） you speak to her.

2. ____ ____ ____ （……的目的） our advertising is to draw customers attention to our product.

3. Ive got boxes of old clothes in the attic， which I really should ____ ____ （扔掉）.

4. Theyve done ____ ____ ____ （他們能做的） to help her.

5. I always wanted to ____ ____ ____ （叫这条狗） Mufty for some reason.

6. It may take a long time to find a ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ （避免犯错误的方法）.