山东省日照市2014高考阅读理解选练（2）及答案
【2014高考英语模拟试题】
My grandparents actively practiced simplicity. They both grew up in very large families and lived through the Great Depression. Saving for a rainy day and avoiding superfluous consumption were their life philosophy. Rather than seeking fulfillment through material items, they chose to spend really simp le life together, with family and in nature.
Over the years my grandparents noticed dramatic changes in their community. Every year more farmland was destroyed to build larger and larger homes. As real estate prices rose, many of their neighbors sold their little homes and land. Soon theirs was the only small house on the block, surrounded by a sea of mansions. My grandparents built and lived in a small 600squarefoot cottage for most of their adult lives. Lots of family members encouraged my grandparents to expand their little old house. But they didn’t want a bigger one. They loved their little house and were content with what they had.
My grandparents avoided a co nsumptive (浪费的) lifestyle by painting and repairing the house themselves. They lived in a small home, but had a huge garden. They loved gardening and planting because it reduced their grocery bill, improved their health, and gave them an excuse to be outside. They also reused and recycled everything. For instance, they had driven the same car for over 15 years and didn't buy a new one until the old
