B
On a hot summer afternoon along the Mandavi River, Shweta Hule wraps her sari around her foot and bends to pick wild "weeds"(野草) from the river and drop them into a bowl. The plants will be made into fritters(油炸馅饼), to be served at the little restaurant which Hule manages in the Indian coastal town of Vengurla.
Wild edible(适宜食用的) plants are common in kitchens here. Hule's weed is juicy, which is found in mangrove forests. Harvesting some of the plant is helping protect the mangroves, an endangered ecosystem of salt-tolerant trees that stop coastal erosion(海岸侵蚀) and absorb storm damage.
Hule is head of Swamini, a self-help group set up by nine women from a fishing community in Vengurla who started Mandavi Eco Tourism in 2017. Vengurla is known for its beautiful beaches and seafood, but the climate crisis has made fishing for a living unsustainable(不能持续的), so people are trying to find other ways of making money. They came up with the idea of running mangrove safaris(观光游) for tourists in Vengurla's Mandavi River.
The safaris offer visitors a special hour-long tour of the mangroves. Food has also become a key attraction: local spicy coconut curries with home-grown or wild vegetables. Tourists are encouraged to go crabbing(捕蟹), and their catch is cooked and served.
Hule only discovered recently that the weed was edible when she met tourists from another coastal city. She researched these leaves and learnt that the salty plant is rich in vitamins. She made her own style of the fritters, with chickpea(鹰嘴豆) flour, and brought it at the wild vegetable festival. "It became popular right away. This boosted the confidence to include these fritters in our restaurant menu," says Hule.
Swamini's lodging house also serves vegetarian meals and plates of fish and crab from the river. "The satisfaction after the visitors enjoy our meal is the real currency. We had guests from London who were so happy with our food that they took down the recipe. Such people help our business grow. What more can we want?" says Hule.
(
C
) 5. Which of the following can best describe the example of Shweta Hule?
A. Do as the Romans do. B. No pain, no gain.
C. Kill two birds with one stone. D. Many hands make light work.
(
A
) 6. What does Swamini offer visitors?
A. Ecotours and accommodation. B. Fishing guide service.
C. Vegetable growing techniques. D. Hands-on cooking classes.
(
C
) 7. Why did Hule's fritters become popular right away?
A. They were less expensive.
B. They were traditional.
C. They had their own features.
D. They got strongly helped by the government.
(
B
) 8. How did Hule feel about tourists' taking down her food recipe?
A. Lost. B. Proud. C. Relaxed. D. Curious.
