Question

    Getting electricity has always been a problem for the 173 people living in Nuevo Saposoa, a small village in Peru,South America. However, things went from bad to worse in March 2015 after heavy rains damaged the only power cables(电力电缆) in the area. The villagers were forced to use oil lamps, which are not only expensive but also dangerous because of the harmful gases they produce.

Luckily, researchers at the University of Technology（UT）in Lima, Peru heard about their problem and found a wonderful solution. They made a lamp that can be powered by plants and soil, both of which can be easily found in the Amazonian rainforest where the village lies. The lamp takes energy from a plant growing in a wooden box and uses it to light up an LED light bulb.

While that may sound amazing and even impossible, the science behind the ides is quite simple. As plants create their food (using the sun’s energy, water and chemicals from the soil), they also produce waste which they return to the soil. Tiny animals in the soil eat this waste and they produce electrons—the building blocks of electrical energy. The UT team put special sticks inside the soil to capture the energy and keep it in the lamp’s batteries for later use. The researchers say a single charge can power a 50-watt Led light for two hours-enough time for local villagers to get their evening work done.

The university gave ten Plant Lamps to the villagers of Nuevo Saposoa in October 2015. So far, they have been a huge success! Elmer Ramirez, the UT professor who invented the lamp, believes the Plant Lamp could help improve the lives of many people, especially small rainforest communities, 42% of whom have no electricity.

1.What are the problems of oil lamps according to Paragraph 1?

A.They are difficult to use and create pollution.

B.They are expensive to buy and easily damaged.

C.They are difficult to repair and produce little light.

D.They are expensive to use and can be bad for health.

2.The electricity made by the Plant Lamp comes from________.

A.plant food B.plant waste C.the soil’s heat D.the sun’s energy

3.What is true about the Plant Lamp?

A.It can be made by local people.

B.It is much easier to use than oil lamps.

C.It can produce all the electricity the village need.

D.The things it needs to make electricity are easy to find.

4.Who can benefit (受益) most from the Plant Lamp according to its inventor?

A.The rainforest communities. B.Poor people in cíties.

C.Farmers in Lima. D.The UT team.

5.What is the purpose of the passage?

A.To report on a new invention. B.To explain a new scientific theory.

C.To describe how electricity is made. D.To discuss the problems of poor villages.

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.D

4.A

5.A

【解析】

本文介绍了一项新发明——“植物电灯”，它的发明者认为这种灯能改善热带雨林国家的人们的生活，因为那里42%的社区没有电。

1.

细节理解题。根据第一段中“The villagers were forced to use oil lamps, which are not only expensive but also dangerous because of the harmful gases they produce.”可知，村民们被迫使用油灯，而油灯的问题是昂贵而且危险，因为它们会产生有害气体，对健康有害。故选D。

2.

细节理解题。根据第3段中“As plants …, they also produce waste which they return to the soil. Tiny animals in the soil eat this waste and they produce electrons — the building blocks of electrical energy.”可知，土壤里面的微生物吃掉了植物产生的废物并生成了电子，电子是电能的组成部分，因此这种植物灯所产生的电来源于植物产生的废物。故选B。

3.

细节理解题。It can be made by local people.它可以由当地人制作。根据第二段中“Luckily, researchers at the University of Technology（UT）in Lima, Peru heard about their problem and found a wonderful solution. They made a lamp that can be powered by plants and soil…”可知，植物电灯是由科技大学的研究人员制作的，当地人不会制作，所以A项错误；It is much easier to use than oil lamps.它比油灯更容易使用。根据第三段中“The UT team put special sticks inside the soil to capture the energy and keep it in the lamp’s batteries for later use.”可知，纽约大学的研究小组在土壤中放置了特殊的树枝来获取能量，并将其保存在灯的电池中以备日后使用，过程比较繁琐，而油灯只需要点燃就可以使用，所以植物电灯不如油灯更容易使用，所以B项错误；It can produce all the electricity the village need.它可以提供村子所需的所有电力。根据第三段中“The researchers say a single charge can power a 50-watt Led light for two hours-enough time for local villagers to get their evening work done.”可知，研究人员说，一次充电可以为一盏50瓦的灯提供两个小时的电力，足够当地村民完成晚上的工作，但并没有提及可以提供村子里所需的所有电力，所以C项错误；The things it needs to make electricity are easy to find.它发电所需的东西很容易找到。根据第三段中“They made a lamp that can be powered by plants and soil, both of which can be easily found in the Amazonian rainforest where the village lies.”可知，植物灯生电的材料主要是植物和土壤，而这些东西在雨林地区很容易找到，所以D项正确。故选D。

4.

细节理解题。根据最后一段中“…believes the Plant Lamp could help improve the lives of many people, especially small rainforest communities…”可知，植物电灯可以改善许多人们的生活，特别是一些热带雨林地区可以从中受益。故选A。

5.

主旨大意题。根据文意可知，这篇短文中给我们介绍的是利马科技大学的研究人员们发明的一种可以用植物和土壤提供的能量来照明的灯，解决了一个村庄的用电问题，所以这篇文章的目的是为了报道这项新发明。故选A。