Erik Kobayashi-Solomon spent a day with Dr. Paul Gauthier, a plant physiologist specializing in vertical farming research and came away with several important ideas about vertical farming.
Humans have 12,000 years of experience growing food, but only a generation or so worth of experience growing crops indoors. We are still progressing up the technology learning curve (学习曲线). What's more, traditional farming techniques are based on conditions that are not applicable to vertical farming. Therefore, without taking time to understand the science, vertical farming is not likely to be able to live up to its implied promises.
The cost of powering LED grow lights is one of the biggest problems a vertical farm must overcome. Dr. Louis Albright at Cornell has characterized vertical farms as " pie-in-the-sky" businesses. He famously calculates, for instance, that the cost of a loaf of bread would be $ 24 if farmed indoors — the cost is too high. Gauthier acknowledges that energy prices are high but points out that scientific work has shown that only about 6% of available sunlight is used in crop photosynthesis (光合作用), so there may be ways of growing the same plants with less light.
Gauthier also points out that while energy costs are a bit high, vertical farming does create high efficiencies in other areas. Water usage may be significantly reduced because the same water can be recycled time and again. Fertilizer use can be greatly reduced and pesticides for pest control are unnecessary. It's clear that vertical farming offers real value to society.
The future is probably mixed. In some environments — the Middle East, for instance — a move to vertical farming is a no-brainer. An indoor farm in Saudi Arabia, for instance, can use solar energy to power LEDs at low cost without shading out other farmland. In other geographies, though, the expense of establishing a facility places a high bar on growth and profitability. A large vertical fanning and equipment operation only started generating a small profit eight years into its nine-year life.
1.What can we infer about vertical farming in Paragraph 2?
A.It will replace traditional farming one day.
B.It relies on research of more basic science.
C.It can be applicable on different conditions.
D.It actually came into being 12,000 years ago.
2.What does Dr. Albright think of vertical farms?
A.They use less light than traditional ones.
B.They may seem very unlikely to succeed.
C.They can overcome many problems in farming.
D.They do not need any natural sunlight any longer.
3.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?
A.The ways of reducing costs of vertical fanning.
B.The secrets of developing vertical farming.
C.The recent trend of vertical farming.
D.The benefits of vertical farming.
4.Why is the example of “an indoor farm in Saudi Arabia” mentioned?
A.To show vertical fanning can work well in some places.
B.To prove solar energy is vital for farming in Saudi Arabia.
C.To confirm the expense of setting up a vertical farm is high.
D.To argue vegetables do not need to be imported any longer.
Adventure-seeker Emma broke her ankle when she fell awkwardly while climbing a rock and spent a week in hospital waiting for an operation on her foot. When she was sent home to recover under strict instructions not to bear any weight, she became so fearful of crutches (拐杖) that she didn't move for three weeks. “I tried crutches but I kept falling over and injuring myself. So I literally just stayed on the sofa all day, ” says Emma.
She was gutted at the thought of missing the Wolf Run — a quarterly event that she hasn't missed since 2014. “If you complete four Wolf Runs in a year, one in each season, you get Alpha Wolf status,” explains Emma. “This year was going to be my fifth in a row as an Alpha Wolf and I was really upset that I'd lose my status.” So she was willing to try anything to get through the course — even with her injured ankle.
“I was telling my friend that I was going to cancel, and he persuaded me to give it a go. Having something to aim for really kept me going." Emma completed the run wearing an iWALK2.0, which is a medically-approved device and it basically functions like a hi-tech artificial leg, allowing users to walk freely. I decided to get one and it completely changed my recovery. I could move around the house and start getting out and about again, which had a real impact on my mental well-being.”
On the day of the race, Emma was nervous but the sound of people cheering her on kept her motivated. Emma made it over the finish line in just under six hours and clocked up her 23rd Wolf Run in five years. “It was an incredible day and my determination to finish combined with the support I received along the way kept me going,” says Emma.
1.Why was Emma frightened to use a crutch?
A.She was afraid of recovering slowly.
B.She was warned not to move around.
C.She just had an operation on her foot.
D.She often got injured when using one.
2.What does the underlined word “gutted” mean in Paragraph 2?
A.Extremely sad. B.A bit relieved.
C.Very surprised. D.Pretty cheerful.
3.What actually made Emma take part in the race?
A.Her new hi-tech artificial leg.
B.Her fear of letting her friend down.
C.Her strong desire to achieve her ambition.
D.Her complete recovery from the operation.
4.Which of the following best describes Emma?
A.Strong-willed. B.Supportive.
C.Creative. D.Humorous.
The following 4 famous paintings — from Jan van Eyck's portrait to Pablo Picasso's masterpiece — have stood the test of time.
The Amolfini Portrait
Jan van Eyck’s Amolfini Portrait, an oil painting on wood produced in 1434, in which a man and a woman hold hands with a window behind him and a bed behind her, is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces in the National Gallery, London. This painting is as visually interesting as it is famed. It is also an informative document on fifteenth-century society, through van Eyck's heavy use of symbolism — while husbands went out to engage in business, wives concerned themselves with domestic duties.
The Starry Night
Vincent van Gogh painted The Starry Night, oil on canvas (帆布), a moderately abstract landscape painting of an expressive night sky over a small hillside village, during his 12-month stay at the mental hospital near Saint–Remy-de-Provence, France between 1889 and 1890. When the Museum of Modem Art in New York City purchased the painting from a private collector in 1941, it was not well known, but it has since become one of van Gogh's most famous works.
The Harvesters
The Harvesters is an oil painting on wood completed by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in 1565. It depicts the harvest time which most commonly occurred within the months of August and September. Nicolaes Jonghelinck, a merchant banker and art collector from Antwerp, commissioned this painting. The painting has been at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City since 1919.
Guernica
Guernica, a large black-and-white oil painting, was painted by the Cubist Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso in 1937. The title 'Guernica' refers to the city that was bombed by Nazi planes during the Spanish Civil War. The painting depicts the horrors of war and as a result, has come to be an anti-war symbol and a reminder of the tragedies of war. Today, the painting is housed at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid.
1.Which of the following paintings was produced earliest?
A.Guernica. B.The Harvesters.
C.The Starry Night. D.The Amolfini Portrait.
2.Who created the painting describing the harvest seasons?
A.Pieter Bruegel the Elder. B.Vincent van Gogh.
C.Jan van Eyck. D.Pablo Picasso.
3.What do we know about the painting The Starry Night?
A.It was painted on wood in oils.
B.It described the painter's life in hospital.
C.It wasn't widely recognized before 1941.
D.It was given away to the museum by a collector.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
Jim slumped on the couch. Mother’s Day was coming up, and he didn’t have a present. “How can I buy a present without any money?” he thought.
Jim picked up the newspaper that was lying on the couch. He noticed a large advertisement on the front page. The local department store was sponsoring a contest. “Tell us why your mom is special and win a shopping spree (购物狂欢) for her,” said the ad.
“This is perfect!” thought Jim. He ran to his room with the newspaper. Taking a pencil and a blank piece of paper from his desk, he started to write.
“My mom is the best mother in the world. She always makes a lunch for me to take to school, and she never forgets my dessert. She reads as many books to me before bed as I want. She always remembers to check under the bed for monsters. And she gives the best hugs, but never in front of my friends, who would laugh at me for hugging my mom.”
Jim liked what he had written. He copied it neatly and got an envelope and a stamp from his dad. He ran to the mailbox with his entry (参赛作品). “Mom will love having a shopping spree,” he thought.
Jim checked the mailbox every day for his prize. Days passed by, and then weeks. Soon it was the day before Mother’s Day. Jim still hadn’t heard anything about the contest.
“What am I going to do now?” he wondered. He didn’t have a present, and he didn’t have a shopping spree. And he still didn’t have any money. He had to think of something. Jim closed his eyes and curled his toes and thought so hard that his ears hurt.
注意: 1.所续写短文的词数应为 150 左右；
2.应使用 5 个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Suddenly, he has an idea.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
The next morning Jim handed his present to his mom.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
单词拼写
1.It was _____ (arrange) that the party would gather for lunch in the Royal Garden Hotel.
2.The troops were under _____ (严格的) orders not to open fire except in self-defence.
3.—How long can you stay? —It all _____ (depend).
4._____ (attract)by the beauty of nature , the girl decided to spend another two days on the farm.
5.He has told me his plans and he's made a good _____ (印象) on me.
6.The physical benefits of exercise can be _____ (divide) into three factors.
7.Her breakfast usually _____ (组成) of dry bread and a cup of milk.
8.TV keeps us _____ (inform )of the latest news.
9.Keep in mind that a small act of kindness can make a big _____ (作用).
10.These colors will not last if they are _____ (暴露) to the sun.
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
The Dragon Boat Festival has been marked by eating zongzi and racing dragon boats for thousands of years. It 1. (fall) on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese lunar calendar in honor of Qu yuan, 2. is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself.
Qu was minister of the state of Chu 3. (locate) in the present-day Hunan and Hebei provinces during the Warring States period. He was upright, loyal and 4. (high) respected. 5., he was fired from office due to his suggestion to fight against Qin in cooperation with other states. During his stay in other states, he wrote many poems to express his strong love for his country. When Chu 6. (defeat) by Qin. He realized 7. he could do about it was nothing. Qu jumped into Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month.
After the 8. (dead) of Qu Yuan, people of Chu went to Miluo River to mourn (悼念) over the great poet they loved so much. People threw eggs and rice wrapped in leaves 9. the river to feed the fish to keep them away from Qu Yuan. Now the Dragon Boat Festival has become a 10.( tradition) festival for the Chinese people.
