Organic (有机的) farming is a type of agriculture that benefits from the recycling and use of natural products. Use of dried plants not only saves money, but also ensures the growth of crops. The technique is characterized (具有……的特征) by the use of green manure (肥料), biological pest control methods and special farming techniques to keep soil productive. Limiting the use of manmade chemicals or completely doing away with (去掉) them reduces the risk of diseases. Today, organic farming is a major and preferred industry around the world. Organically grown products have a huge market, with farmlands covering about 10% of the total world farmland. The initial effort made by Sir Albert Howard, the Father of Organic Farming, has paid off.
Advantages of Organic Farming：
1. The economics of organic farming are characterized by increasing profits (利润) through reduced water use and reduced soil erosion (侵蚀).
2. Organic farming produces the same crops as those produced through traditional farming methods, but uses half the energy, and holds 40% more top soil.
3. Farming the organic way enables farmers to get rid of weeds without the use of any chemicals.
4. The use of green pesticides (杀虫剂) is environmentally friendly and does no harm to human’s health.
Disadvantages of Organic Farming：
1. Organic methods of farming produce less, compared to traditional farming techniques.
2. Organic agriculture does little to fight global climate change. Though organic farming practices are recognized as giving out less CO2, but not to a significant degree.
However, though there are some disadvantages to organic farming, farms where organic methods for cropping have been used have more advantages than traditional farms. Organic agriculture is surely better in the long term.
1. Organic farming uses the manure made from ________.
| A．expensive soil | B．dried plants |
| C．harmful pests | D．manmade chemicals |
| A．worked hard for nothing |
| B．succeeded in organic farming |
| C．spent all his time on organic farming |
| D．didn’t expect organic farming to be successful |
a.is more environmentally friendly
b.produces a lot more food
c.uses less energy
d.results in more weeds in the farmland
e.is better for human’s health
| A．abc | B．acd | C．ace | D．bce |
| A．anxious | B．hopeless |
| C．unclear | D．optimistic |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Three years ago, CheMyong Jay Ko received a call from a broken-hearted old man saying his dog had just been killed by a truck. He asked: Would it be possible to clone his beloved pet?
Having studied cloning for more than 20 years, Ko had a positive answer. He knew a handful of commercial companies that were committed to bringing cloning to ordinary pet owners — for a price, of course. To clone a dog, the owner had to pay $50,000 before taxes. The high price turned the old man off, but not some wealthy pet owners. The most famous is Barbara Streisand. The singer had two dogs cloned from cells taken from the mouth of her white deceased Sammie.
As Streisand wrote later, “I was so shocked by the loss of my beloved Sammie, after 14 years together, that I just wanted to keep her with me in some way. It was easier to let Sammie go if I knew I could keep some part of her alive, something that came from her DNA.”
If you spend enough time reading about pet cloning, you’ll see that adjective come up over and over again: beloved. When people clone their animals, they do so because they love them — and because they can’t stand losing them forever. The price of $50,000 may seem reasonable if it saves you the immeasurable pain of saying goodbye to a beloved family member.
Talk to experts about cloning, however, and you’ll begin to realize that cloning has far more problems than money. For example, there would be significant differences between the clone and the original pet, both in their looks and personality. Even Streisand admitted, “You can clone the look of a dog, but you can’t clone the soul.”
1. Why did the old man call Ko?| A．To save his dog. | B．To seek comfort. |
| C．To have his pet cloned. | D．To share heartbreaking news. |
| A．Cute. | B．Dead. |
| C．Cloned. | D．Disabled. |
| A．an example of cloned pets |
| B．an analysis of how she kept her dog alive |
| C．an explanation why people clone their pets |
| D．a description her mixed feelings about cloning |
| A．They may fail to meet people’s expectations. |
| B．They improve on the original in personality. |
| C．They may bring experts serious problems. |
| D．They look the same as the original. |
【推荐2】Have you ever fancied a tennis lesson from one of the world’s greatest tennis players at your local court?
This dream came true for two young players, who got to train with 20-year-old superstar Emma Raducanu after she appeared as a hologram—a photographic recording of the image. While Sam Clague, 14, and Diamond Paisley, 12, were both in London, the British number one was in Abu Dhabi.
During the world’s first holographic lesson, Ms Raducanu’s avatar appeared to feed balls to the players and gave live feedback on their shots, like “that was fast and there was lots of topspin on that”. Even Sam said he thought she had been prerecorded at first until she spoke with him directly.
Their holographic training session offers a glimpse into how advancing technology could revolutionize tennis coaching, according to Dr Ian Pearson.
Dr Pearson thinks that mixed reality headsets will soon allow tennis players to feel they are playing in unusual virtual environments, like on a space station or the middle of a lake Through 5G, the future of tennis will see increased interaction between real life tennis courts and the rich imagination we see in computer games-playing whenever, wherever and whoever you want.
Full sensory virtual reality could even place the viewer inside the tennis player’s shoes in real time. Dr Pearson said: “By 2030, with active skin technology, the playing styles and even the sensations of top-level players could be captured, so that anyone could experience how it actually felt to play that game through full sensory virtual reality.”
Finally, sportswear made from smart materials could allow for a digital coach powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to provide feedback on a player’s form. Dr Pearson said: “Al-controlled suits made from smart materials, such as fabrics with sensors, can help players find the perfect stroke when hitting or returning a serve by quickly learning the muscle memory of a flawless forehand. Using direct feedback from friendly virtual AI coaches, new players can develop and learn much more quickly.”
1. What did Ms Raducanu do in the first holographic lesson?| A．Give players a real time guidance. | B．Require players to follow her shots. |
| C．Record coaching contents in advance. | D．Share her experiences through the hologram. |
| A．Increase their imagination of sports. | B．Take the place of top level players. |
| C．Experience the feeling of players on the spot. | D．Have a sense of playing in an unusual place. |
| A．Critical. | B．Skeptical. | C．Cautious. | D．Favorable. |
| A．The future of coaching. | B．The threat from AI to coaches. |
| C．The first live coaching online. | D．The appearance of digital coaches. |
【推荐3】In an era where data centers are becoming increasingly vital for our digital society, China has begun a groundbreaking endeavor to push the boundaries of innovation and sustainability.
Nestled off the coast of Sanya, Hainan province, China is in the process of constructing the world’s first commercial underwater data center. This project aims to revolutionize the industry by using the power of the ocean depths while saving a significant amount of energy and land. With the potential to equal the computational (计算的) abilities of about 6 million conventional personal computers, this underwater data center is bound to be a game-changer.
The data center modules (模块) of China’s underwater facility are being carefully installed on the seafloor at depths of around 35 meters. Designed to withstand the harsh underwater conditions, these modules are expected to operate sustainably for up to 25 years. Each watertight storage module weighs an impressive 1,300 tons and boasts the capability to process over 4 million high-definition images every 30 seconds. When combined, the entire facility is projected to match the computational power of surprising 6 million conventional PCs working together.
The construction of the underwater data center is a result of collaboration between Sanya officials and several Chinese tech firms. With the initial deployment of one storage module in April and the recent addition of a second module, the project is well underway. The ambitious plan aims to have a total of 100 modules fully operational by 2025, marking a significant milestone in sustainable data center development.
The motivation behind this pioneering project extends beyond technological advancement. By choosing an underwater data center, China is actively addressing the challenges of land conservation. Traditional data centers can occupy vast amounts of land, often equal to the size of multiple soccer fields. In contrast, this underwater marvel takes up minimal dry space, preserving land for other essential purposes. Additionally, the use of natural seawater cooling reduces the strain on traditional energy sources, leading to a significant reduction in carbon emissions. This environmentally conscious approach agree with global sustainability goals and sets an example for the industry to follow.
1. Why does China start the data centre project?| A．To push the boundaries of the country. | B．To innovate the digital field. |
| C．To use the power of the ocean depths. | D．To save a significant amount of energy and land. |
| A．China has successfully constructed a data center. |
| B．The whole underwater facility weighs 1300 tons. |
| C．The facility is more powerful than a conventional data centre. |
| D．All the modules are not equipped. |
| A．Cooperation | B．Conflict | C．Compromise | D．Conclusion |
| A．By analyzing the fact. | B．By providing reasons. |
| C．By making comparison. | D．By giving examples. |
【推荐1】In 2002, Huang Hui, a researcher of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, went diving (潜水) near Xisha Islands. In addition to getting an irremovable suntan (晒黑), she was left with memories of a beautiful experience with clear water and masses of colorful corals reef (珊瑚礁). However, due to climate change and human activities, the coral reef is reducing at an alarming rate and much of the breathtaking view of this reef has disappeared. “We started to grow corals near the Xisha Islands in 2010, and restored more than 200, 000 square meters of coral reefs,” Huang said.
In 2004, when Huang was attending the 10th International Coral Reef Conference, she found herself the only person from the Chinese mainland. She said she felt sad but she made up her mind to strengthen communication with other countries to improve China’s level in coral research. She visited top coral research organizations in the US and Australia, establishing long-term partnership with some of the world’s top coral researchers. By far, Huang has worked on coral research and conservation for 22 years.
Huang believes that making people be more ware of coral conservation matters most to the conservation of the coral reefs. “I want to call on more people to love nature and take part in the protection of ocean,” Huang said. “I am 50, and when I become 60, I hope that not only a coral island will be built but a sustainable development pattern (模式) will also be created,” said Huang. “The ideal state is that the coral island should be able to support fishermen and preserve the ecosystem,” she added.
1. What impressed Huang most when going diving near Xisha in 2002?| A．A sunburn on her skin. | B．A mass of colorful corals. |
| C．A sweet memory of her childhood. | D．The sudden disappearance of corals. |
| A．China’s advances in coral protection. | B．Huang’s contribution to coral protection. |
| C．Huang’s concern over coral protection. | D．People’s ignorance of coral protection. |
| A．Introduction of advanced technology. | B．Tough laws banning reef exploitation. |
| C．Public awareness of coral protection. | D．Communication with foreign countries. |
| A．Corals in South China Sea are in danger. | B．Scientist plants corals to save ecosystem. |
| C．China is taking the lead in planting corals. | D．Measures are to be taken to protect corals. |
【推荐2】Commercial airlines alone contribute around 3% of total global carbon emissions. But the industry is actively looking for green solutions in the form of sustainable jet fuel, and in one case, that fuel may have had a previous life as your household food waste. In a study released this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers detail a method of transforming food waste into sustainable jet fuel that can be used in existing engines.
Biomass (生物质), such as manure (粪便) and food waste, can be transformed into bio-fuels, which are renewable liquid fuels made from organic matter. Derek Vardon, a senior research engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), says that their fuel worked as a mixture of 90% conventional petrol jet fuel and 10% alternative jet fuel required by the industry currently. They also show they could push it to a 70/30 mixture, which will be possible in real world with more time and testing.
Major airline companies are eager to get involved in sustainable aviation fuel because some sustainable solutions, such as battery-operated commercial planes, just aren’t possible yet with current battery technology. A battery-powered plane would be too heavy to fly long distances, so fuel that works in the same way as the fuel we have is a simpler way to trade out emission-heavy fossil fuels.
Vardon says that because the wet waste used in the process would normally go to a landfill (垃圾填埋场) and break down to release greenhouse gases, the process of making and using sustainable aviation fuel could actually have a negative carbon footprint when scaled up.
Commercial airlines are on board to find an affordable and sustainable solution to the carbon-intensive process of air travel. Airlines are looking to hit aggressive sustainability goals by 2050, including decreasing net carbon dioxide emissions by 50%.
1. Which of the following is used for sustainable airline power?| A．Fossil fuel. | B．Liquid fuel. | C．Battery power. | D．Biomass. |
| A．Fuel-powered planes are likely to travel lighter and farther. |
| B．Biofuel is environmentally friendly and sustainable. |
| C．It’s convenient to create the proper fuel mixture. |
| D．Biofuel proves less costly and easier to produce. |
| A．taking off. | B．holding a meeting. |
| C．participating in. | D．appearing on stage. |
| A．Alternative Energy to Fossil Fuel. |
| B．How to Get Fossil Fuel Sustainable. |
| C．Changing Food Waste into Airplane Fuel. |
| D．How to Decrease Carbon Dioxide Emissions. |
【推荐3】Until 13, Parker Liautaud was an ordinary kid. That changed after he met polar explorer Robert Swan. They began an email correspondence which turned into a friendship that eventually saw the then 14-year-old invited to join a trip to the Antarctic. He said yes almost instantly. Friends and family, to whom he’d so far shown he had no particular interest in outdoor pursuits, particularly polar ones, were thrown into total confusion, to say the least. He ate lots of chicken, spent a long time in the gym, and proved them wrong.
The following year, Liautaud cooked up a more ambitious plan: to become the youngest-ever person to go to the North Pole. He found a new partner, Doug Stoup, and through a mixture of charm and luck raised the roughly $150,000 needed for the record attempt. Then disaster struck. The early months of the year, when the two set out, were among the warmest on record. The North Pole, which is essentially a GPS location on a constantly-drifting collection of ice sheets, became virtually inaccessible, surrounded by pieces of uncovered ocean.
A trip which had intended to raise awareness of melting ice caps had been delayed by melting Ice caps. " We would get up, battle through these difficult conditions for 150 hours, then wake up the next morning and find that we were further away from the Pole than we’d started the previous morning, he said. After 14 days’ trying, they admitted defeat.
Liautaud came home and decided to try again the next spring. Conditions were cold but perfect, and he and Stoup reached the Pole in no time. While it might not have made him the youngest North-Poler, the success did give Liautaud a platform to continue advocacy against climate change, through his campaigning website. His view is that it's his generation that must push hardest for cuts in carbon emissions. He has already contributed to research projects carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency and will soon set up two stations to record weather data.
1. How did Liautaud's family react to his decision to go to the Antarctic?| A．They made fun of it. |
| B．They turned a deaf ear to it . |
| C．They were puzzled about it. |
| D．They tried to talk him out of it. |
| A．The movement of the ice |
| B．The lack of funds |
| C．The severe weather |
| D．The failure of the equipment |
| A．To push his physical limits |
| B．To become the youngest North-Poler |
| C．To finish a research project for his website |
| D．To support environmental protection |
| A．Demanding | B．Responsible | C．Generous | D．Cooperative |
【推荐1】Some students get so nervous before a test. They do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock, a professor at the University of Chicago in Illinois, has studied these highly anxious test-takers. The students start worrying about the results. And when we worry, it actually uses up attention and memory resources.
Professor Beilock and another researcher, Gerardo Ramirez, have developed a possible solution. Just before an exam, highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes writing about their worries about the test.
The researchers tested the idea on a group of twenty anxious college students. They gave them two short maths tests. After the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly or write about their feelings about the upcoming second test.
Professor Beilock says those who sat quietly scored an average of 12% worse on the second test. But the students who had written about their fears improved their performance by an average of 5%. Next, the researchers used younger students in a biology class. They told them before final exams either to write about their feelings or to think about things unrelated to the test. Professor Beilock says highly anxious students who did the writing got an average grade of B+, compared to a B- for those who did not.
“What we showed is that for students who are highly test-anxious, and who’d done our writing intervention (干预), all of a sudden there was no relationship between test anxiety and grades. They were performing just as well as their classmates who don’t normally get nervous in these tests.”
But what if students do not have a chance to write about their fears immediately before an exam? Professor Beilock says students can try it themselves at home or in the library and still improve their performance.
1. How can one’s attention and memory resources run out according to paragraph 1?| A．If they keep thinking about how to solve a problem. |
| B．If they keep thinking about others’ good performance. |
| C．If they keep thinking about something bad might happen. |
| D．If they keep thinking about how to remember the materials. |
| A．They gave the students a medical examination. |
| B．They asked about their habits and hobbies. |
| C．They observed their performance in class. |
| D．They tested their theory on the students. |
| A．Text anxiety and grades. | B．Learning and memory. |
| C．Process and results. | D．Health and lifestyle. |
| A．In a journal of geography. | B．In a journal of literature. |
| C．In a journal of politics. | D．In a journal of science. |
【推荐2】When Ford uncovered the F-150 Lightning last week — an all-electric version of the best-selling vehicle in the United States — it was a big moment in the short history of electric cars. The 530 horsepower, 6,500-pound truck’s sticker price of just under $40,000 drew comparisons to Ford’s Model T, the vehicle credited with making cars accessible to the middle class. In the first 48 hours after the battery-powered vehicle presentation, Ford received close to 45,000 pre-orders for it, equal to nearly 20 percent of all electric vehicles (EV) manufactured in the US in 2020.
The F-150 Lightning, along with the hundreds of other EV models top automakers are rolling out in the next few years, indicates that the EV revolution is finally going mainstream. But as this industry, which is key to fighting against climate change, matures, a new challenge is coming out: how to acquire all of the minerals needed to make EV batteries.
The materials such as lithium (锂) and copper inside those batteries were all, at one point, mined from the earth. Today, much of that mining is concentrated in places like Russia, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. With the number of EVs on the roads expected to rise, demand for battery minerals is to increase greatly. Some industry watchdogs warn that the clean transit boom could fuel a dirty mining boom.
While only a small number of EV batteries have aged off the streets already, millions of tons of batteries are expected to be withdrawn over the coming decades. But better recycling methods and government policies to support them are needed to ensure that batteries don’t wind up in landfills instead. Even if recycling only meets a quarter to a third of our battery mineral demand over the coming decades, Riofrancos, a political scientist at Providence College in Rhode Island who studies resource extraction and green technology, says it’s an important area to focus on because it helps us “rethink our relationship with technology”.
1. What is the total number of EVs produced in the US in 2020?| A．About 900,000. | B．About 225,000. |
| C．About 45,000. | D．About 6,500. |
| A．It helps solve the problem of fuel shortage. |
| B．It suggests car companies won a new challenge. |
| C．It signals the EV revolution will be a main trend. |
| D．It means government will stop policy support soon. |
| A．The benefits of concentrated mining. | B．The process of mining battery materials. |
| C．The reason for international cooperation. | D．The problems of mining battery materials. |
| A．Assess the demand for battery materials. |
| B．Rethink the launch of electric vehicles. |
| C．Provide a new way to recycle EV batteries. |
| D．Raise people’s awareness of recycling EV batteries. |
【推荐3】ADULT GROUP TOURS
MIM (Musical Instrument Museum) invites groups to experience the world through music. Reserve group tours in advance to check in as a group upon arrival and expedite(加快）admissions(入场）. With easier check-in，groups have more time to explore the galleries. GUIDED TOUR
■ Length of Tour: One hour
■ Group Size: 7 guests per group; 3 groups maximum per tour (21 guests maximum at one time). Since space can be tight in those areas, the number of guests are limited at any time. “VIP” Tours are conducted in groups of seven people.
GENERAL ADMISSION
General: $20 per adult
■ $15 for teens (ages 13-19)
■ $10 for children (ages 4 - 12)
■ Free for children 3 and under TOUR FEES
A $25 fee is charged for each group that registers(登记）for this tour，plus general museum admission for each guest on the tour.
■ Group of 1-7 guests: $25 plus general admission for each guest
■ Groups of 8 to 14 guests: $50 plus general admission for each guest
■ Groups of 15 to 21 guests: $75 plus general museum admission for each guest
A $40 nonrefundable(不可退的）deposit (押金)will hold the reservation(预订）and is applied to the final payment.
TOUR SCHEDULE
Tours are available year-round, seven days a week.
Our team is delighted to adjust the time of the tour to accommodate your needs. We would be glad to help you make your tour reservation.
BOOK YOUR ADULT GROUP TOUR TODAY
To schedule a tour for your group, please fill out the Adult Group Tour Request Form at least two weeks before your desired tour date. MIM will then contact you and e-mail your reservation confirmation. If you have questions, contact MIM9s Group Sales Specialist at 480.478.6031 oradulttours@MIM.org.
1. Why is the number of visitors strictly controlled each time?| A．Because of MIM”s benefits. | B．Because visitors are rare. |
| C．Because of the visitors’ noises. | D．Because of the limited space. |
| A．$165. | B．$25. | C．$140. | D．$40. |
| A．Tours are not available during weekends. |
| B．All the children are free to enter the MIM. |
| C．You need to fill the form before the tour. |
| D．You only contact the MIM by telephone. |
