Theconnectionbetweenpeopleandplantshaslongbeenthesubje...

問題詳情：

  The connection between people and plants has long been the subject of scientific research. Recent studies have found positive effects. A study conducted in Youngstown，Ohio，for example, discovered that greener areas of the city experienced less crime. In another，employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with houseplants.

The engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)have taken it a step further changing the actual composition of plants in order to get them to perform diverse，even unusual functions. These include plants that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when they’re short of water and a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater. ＂We’re thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the things that we use every day,＂explained Michael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT.

One of his latest projects has been to make plants glow(發光)in experiments using some common vegetables. Strano’s team found that they could create a faint light for three-and-a-half hours. The light，about one-thousandth of the amount needed to read by，is just a start. The technology, Strano said, could one day be used to light the rooms or even to turn trees into self-powered street lamps.

In the future，the team hopes to develop a version of the technology that can be sprayed onto plant leaves in a one-off treatment that would last the plant’s lifetime. The engineers are also trying to develop an on and off＂switch＂where the glow would fade when exposed to daylight.

Lighting accounts for about 7% of the total electricity consumed in the US. Since lighting is often far removed from the power source(電源)-such as the distance from a power plant to street lamps on a remote highway-a lot of energy is lost during transmission(傳輸)ing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy.

1．What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．A new study of different plants.

B．A big fall in crime rates.

C．Employees from various workplaces.

D．Benefits from green plants.

2．What is the function of the sensors printed on plant leaves by MIT engineer?

A．To detect plants’ lack of water

B．To change compositions of plants

C．To make the life of plants longer.

D．To test chemicals in plants.

3．What can we expect of the glowing plants in the future?

A．They will speed up energy production.

B．They may transmit electricity to the home.

C．They might help reduce energy consumption.

D．They could take the place of power plants.

4．Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Can we grow more glowing plants?

B．How do we live with glowing plants?

C．Could glowing plants replace lamps?

D．How are glowing plants made pollution-free?

【回答】

1．D

2．A

3．C

4．C

【分析】

這是一篇説明文。文章主要説明了綠*植物對人們很有好處，因此麻省理工學院的工程師開發了一種發光植物。文章介紹了他們發明這種植物的過程，以及這種植物的一些優勢，指出在未來發光植物有可能取代路燈，達到節約能源的作用。

1．主旨大意題。根據第一段中A study conducted in Youngstown, Ohio, for example ,discovered that greener areas of the city experienced less crime. In another, employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with houseplants.可知例如，在俄亥俄州揚斯敦進行的一項研究發現，城市綠化較好的地區犯罪率較低。在另一項研究中，當員工的工作場所被室內植物裝飾時，他們的工作效率會提高15%。由此可知，第一段的主旨是關於綠*植物的益處。故選D。

2．細節理解題。根據第二段中These include plants that have sensors printed on their leaves to show when they're short of water and a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater.可知這就包括葉子上印有傳感器來顯示植物缺水的情況的植物，還有一種植物可以檢測到地下水中的有害化學物質。由此可知，麻省理工學院工程師植物葉片上印上載感器的作用是檢測植物缺水的情況。故選A。

3．細節理解題。根據最後一段中Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy.可知發光的植物可以縮短這段距離，從而幫助節約能源。由此可知，這種發光的植物在未來可能有助於減少能源消耗。故選C。

4．主旨大意題。根據最後一段中Lighting accounts for about 7%of the total electricity consumed in the US. Since lighting is often far removed from the power source-such as the distance from a power plant to street lamps on a remote highway-a lot of energy is lost during transmission. Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy.可知照明約佔美國總耗電量的7%。由於照明通常遠離電源，例如從發電廠到偏僻公路上路燈的距離，在傳輸過程中會損失大量能源。發光的植物可以縮短這段距離，從而幫助節約能源。結合文章主要説明了綠*植物對人們很有好處，因此麻省理工學院的工程師開發了一種發光植物，文章介紹了他們發明這種植物的過程，以及這種植物的一些優勢，指出在未來發光植物有可能取代路燈，達到節約能源的作用。由此可知，C選項“發光的植物能取代路燈嗎？”最符合文章標題。故選C。

知識點：自然

題型：閲讀理解