In many busy cities, people live in apartments and have no garden of their own. To bring a little nature back into city life, neighbors are turning empty pieces of land into "community gardens." In these shared spaces, local people grow vegetables, fruit, and flowers together. A community garden may seem like a small thing, but it can be （ 1 ） for a neighborhood in many different ways.
The most obvious benefit is fresh food. People can grow healthy vegetables just a few steps from their homes, which saves money and tastes wonderful. （ 2 ）, the gardens are good for the environment, because the plants give homes to bees and butterflies and help to cool the air on hot days. Children who help in the garden also learn where their food really comes from.
Perhaps the greatest value of a community garden, however, is the way it brings people together. Neighbors who might never have spoken meet while watering their plants and sharing tools. They exchange advice, vegetables, and friendly conversation. （ 3 ）, a piece of unused land becomes a place where the whole community can relax, work, and grow stronger together. For these reasons, community gardens continue to spread in cities around the world.
（1） 正解 1. valuable
続く段落で利点が次々に説明される。「地域にとって多くの点で（価値がある＝valuable）」が正解。
（2） 正解 1. In addition
前文「新鮮な食べ物」という利点に、別の利点「環境によい」を加える。In addition が正解。
（3） 正解 1. In this way
前までの内容（隣人が出会い助け合う）をまとめる。In this way（このように）が正解。
microplastic：マイクロプラスチック
a tiny piece of plastic in the environment（環境中の小さなプラスチックのかけら）
swallow：飲み込む
to make food or drink go down your throat（食べ物や飲み物をのどへ送る）
filter：フィルター
a device that removes unwanted things（不要なものを取り除く装置）
neighbor：近所の人
a person who lives near you（近くに住む人）
exchange：交換する
to give one thing and get another（あるものを渡して別のものを得る）
reaction：反応
an action done because of something else（何かに対して起こす動き）
trust：信頼
the belief that someone is good and honest（相手がよく誠実だと信じること）
stress：ストレス
a worried or nervous feeling（心配で緊張した気持ち）