Question

    An exhibition at the Harvard Museum of Natural History is around the theme of food plant disease, using early 20th-century glass models of rotting fruit.

Known as Harvard's "Glass Flowers", the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants consists of over 4，300 sculptures of plants and plant parts fashioned entirely in glass by the German father-and-son artists Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka between 1887 and 1936. Harvard originally used the models as teaching tools, showing plants' three-dimensional structure and color.

The "Fruits in Decay" shows a collection of models of diseased, rotting, and withering(枯萎的) fruiting plants. The rotting fruit series was intended specifically to educate the public about the danger of plant disease. These models were created by Rudolf, the younger Blaschka, in the early 20th century Harvard botanist Oakes Ames asked him to create these diseased fruit models. And he thought about these as a way to look at what we now call food security-or insecurity.

Though the models were made nearly a hundred years ago, the theme is as remarkable as ever. Most of the illnesses shown on Rudolf Blaschka's plant models still affect today's crops.

"In certain ways, global agriculture is more likely to be harmed than it has ever been to disease threats(威胁), largely due to the widespread practice of planting one crop over large production areas. Less genetic diversity means that crops have less resistance to disease," says Sheng Yang He, a professor at Michigan State University.

Climate change will make plants more vulnerable to disease because warming temperatures disable an important plant defense system against plant disease. Major crop loss from plant disease is already at a shocking 20 t0 40 percent. Food security threats from disease will almost certainly become more common so there's a lot to be done about convincing people of it.

1.What are shown on the exhibition?

A.Models of diverse crops. B.Models of withering flowers.

C.Models of rotting plant parts. D.Models of diseased fruiting plants.

2.By whom were the exhibits created?

A.Oakes Ames. B.Sheng Yang He.

C.Rudolf Blaschka. D.Leopold Blaschka.

3.Why is the exhibition meaningful?

A.It convinces people of the food security threats.

B.It reminds people of effects of global warming.

C.It helps people understand the history of fruit planting.

D.It provides people with knowledge of global agriculture.

4.What does the underlined word "vulnerable" in the last paragraph mean?

A.Weak and easily hurt. B.Resistant and protected.

C.Defensive and hard to attack. D.Sensitive and completely destroyed.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.A

4.A

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了“枯萎果树模型展”以及由这个展览引发的关于食品安全的讨论。

1.细节理解题。根据文章第三段“The ‘Fruits in Decay' shows a collection of models of diseased，rotting，and withering(枯萎的)fruiting plants.”可知，“腐烂的水果”展示的是一些病变、腐烂和枯萎的水果植物的模型。故选D。

2.细节理解题。根据文章第三段“These models were created by Rudolf，the younger Blaschka, in the early 20th century Harvard botanist Oakes Ames asked him to create these diseased fruit models. ”可知，这些模型是由鲁道夫·布拉施卡在20世纪早期创造的。故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据文章第四、五、六段，尤其是文章最后一句的总结“Food security threats from disease will almost certainly become more common so there's a lot to be done about convincing people of it.”可知，虽然这些模型都是二十世纪早期的作品，但是在今天展出，对于帮助人们认识食品安全这个问题仍有重要意义。故选A。

4.词义猜测题。根据文章最后一段的"because warming temperatures disable an important plant defense system against plant disease” 可知，因为变暖的温度使植物抵御疾病的重要防御系统失效。可以猜测出气候变化使植物抗病能力降低，更容易遭受病害。所以vulnerable为“脆弱的，易受伤的”之意。故选A。