“Ourfirst duty is to the place that raised us,” Omar Freilla says. “For me, it’s-组卷网

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“Our first duty is to the place that raised us,” Omar Freilla says. “For me, it’s the South Bronx, the birthplace of hip-hop.”

Although the South Bronx was one of the nation’s poorest and most polluted areas, with crowded roads and poisonous industrial sites, Omar saw a different kind of potential amidst its challenges. He envisioned a new approach to the mountains of discarded materials.

“A lot of what people throw away is perfectly good,” he says. Omar was just out of college and he started thinking about how he could get this “good garbage” to people who could use it. Instead of destroying things like old windows and doors, why not clean them up and resell them? Why not hire people who live in the community to do the work? Better yet, why not make this business a “cooperative”, which means that the people who work in the business own it and share the profits?

To start his business, Omar put up flyers along the truck-jammed, trash-filled streets of his neighborhood, looking for people to work with him. He soon found four other dedicated workers. They rented a warehouse (仓库) and started looking for donations of used materials.

They called up hardware stores (五金店), building supply distributors, and contractors, providing free shipping from construction sites. Their warehouse began to fill up. A hardware store gave 2,000 gallons of paint that was still good but was being thrown away because it was past its expiration date (产品有效期). A distributor donated 80 new toilets from a project that had been canceled. Contractors added unwanted doors, sinks, ceiling fans — even theater seats and a giant popcorn machine!

In April 2008, Omar’s cooperative opened its doors for business and began selling construction supplies — at reasonable prices — to neighborhood builders and homeowners. With the help of city officials, he also began planning a new training program to help local residents learn the skills they need to get good jobs that help the environment and even start cooperatives of their own.

【小题1】What was the primary motivation behind Omar’s decision to start his business in the South Bronx?

A．To make a profit from selling construction supplies.

B．To address the environmental challenges in the community.

C．To compete with existing hardware stores and distributors.

D．To provide job opportunities for skilled workers in the area.

【小题2】How did Omar start his business in the South Bronx?

A．He relied on his personal savings to fund the business.

B．He distributed flyers to ask for donations from neighbors.

C．He sought funding from large companies to establish the business.

D．He actively engaged with his local community to gather support and resources.

【小题3】How could hardware stores probably help with Omar’s business?