Question

    An experiment which saw salad seeds sent into space has given hope for the future of growing food on another planet, according to a recently-published study.

The findings have appeared after two kilograms of seeds spent six months on board the International Space Station(ISS)with British European Space Agency(ESA)astronaut, Tim Peake, as part of his Principia mission.

There, the seeds could have absorbed up to 100 times more radiation(辐射)than on Earth while being influenced by the violent shaking from the stresses of space travel.

When the seeds returned to Earth in 2016,600,000 children from schools across Britain took part in an experiment, supported by the UK Space Agency, to plant them and monitor their growth, comparing it to that of seeds that had remained on Earth.

The results showed that, while the space seeds grew more slowly and were more sensitive to ageing, they were still able to survive.

Peake said, “When humans travel to Mars, they will need to find ways to feed themselves, and this research helps us understand some of the biology of seed storage and germination(发芽) which will be important for future space missions.”

The Royal Horticultural Society(RHS)tasked 8,600 schools and groups across Britain to take part in the controlled study, recording their results as a scientist would.

It was part of a project called Rocket Science, led by the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, in partnership with the UK Space Agency.

RHS manager Alana Cama said, “The Rocket Science experiment opened a window into space biology and allowed young people to be at the forefront of creative research.”

“This research project did more than just inspire; it furthered our understanding of the challenges around growing plants in unusual environments and the possibility of growing food on long-term space missions in the future. Inspiring a new generation of botanists and biologists will remain our goal to enrich everyone’s lives through plants.”

1.The findings of the experiment indicate that      

A.salad seeds sent into space turned out a failure

B.astronauts successfully grew salad seeds on Mars

C.the future of growing plants in space looks bright

D.the radiation makes it impossible for plants to survive

2.Unlike those on Earth, the seeds sent into space       

A.can grow 100 times larger in size B.provide enough food for astronauts

C.stop growing when returning to Earth D.are more likely to show signs of ageing

3.Which word can be filled in the blank to complete the research steps?

A.update B.observe C.protect D.improve

4.What can we learn from what Alana Cama said?

A.Growing plants in unusual environments is no longer a challenging task.

B.A new generation of botanists and biologists takes the lead in the research.

C.The project inspires the interests of the young generation in creative fields.

D.The exploration of growing food in space is the central mission in the future.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了根据最近发表的一项研究，一项将沙拉种子送入太空的实验给在另一个星球种植食物的未来带来了希望。文章介绍了对种子的研究步骤以及这些太空种子的一些特点，和人们对这个项目的一些看法。

1.

推理判断题。根据第一段An experiment which saw salad seeds sent into space has given hope for the future of growing food on another planet, according to a recently-published study.可知根据最近发表的一项研究，一项将沙拉种子送入太空的实验给在另一个星球种植食物的未来带来了希望。由此可推知，实验结果表明，在太空种植植物的前景是光明的。故选C。

2.

细节理解题。根据第五段The results showed that, while the space seeds grew more slowly and were more sensitive to ageing, they were still able to survive.可知结果表明，尽管太空种子生长速度较慢，对老化更敏感，但它们仍然能够存活。由此可知，与地球上的种子不同，送入太空的种子更有可能出现衰老的迹象。故选D。

3.

推理判断题。根据第四段When the seeds returned to Earth in 2016,600,000 children from schools across Britain took part in an experiment, supported by the UK Space Agency, to plant them and monitor their growth, comparing it to that of seeds that had remained on Earth.可知当这些种子在2016年返回地球时，来自英国各地学校的60万名儿童参加了一项由英国航天局资助的实验，种植它们并监测它们的生长，并将其与留在地球上的种子进行比较。由此可推知，研究步骤为：将种子送入太空、将他们带回地球、观察他们的生长状态和作比较。A. update更新；B. observe观察；C. protect保护；D. improve改善。即空格处应填“observe”。故选B。

4.

推理判断题。根据倒数第二段RHS manager Alana Cama said, “The Rocket Science experiment opened a window into space biology and allowed young people to be at the forefront of creative research.”可知RHS经理Alana Cama说：“火箭科学实验打开了一扇通向太空生物学的窗户，让年轻人走在创造性研究的前沿。”以及最后一段 “This research project did more than just inspire; it furthered our understanding of the challenges around growing plants in unusual environments and the possibility of growing food on long-term space missions in the future. Inspiring a new generation of botanists and biologists will remain our goal to enrich everyone’s lives through plants.”可知“这个研究项目不仅激发了人们的灵感;它进一步加深了我们对在不寻常环境中种植植物所面临的挑战的理解，以及未来在长期太空任务中种植食物的可能性。激励新一代的植物学家和生物学家，我们的目标仍然是通过植物丰富每个人的生活。”由此可推知，从Alana Cama的话中，我们能了解到项目激发年轻一代对创意领域的兴趣。故选C。