1 . A group of farmers in Nigeria is using a technology-based method to grow crops from small drops of water in the air. The method, known as aeroponics, does not involve soil. Instead, plant roots hang in the air.

Aeroponics is not well-known in Nigeria, but farmers there are working to make the technique more popular. The technique could make a big difference in places like the city of Abeokuta. Violent conflicts and desertification--the process by which rich land becomes deserts--have made huge amounts of land unsuitable for farming.

Biochemist Samson Ogbole is popularly known as Nigeria's smart farmer. He and his team are growing crops without soil at the technology-based farm they started three years ago in Abeokuta. “We are putting an end to seasonal food shortage in Nigeria,” said Ogbole. “Because we are the ones controlling everything that the plant requires--we are not depending on seasons. So it's no longer seasonal farming. It is just farming any time of the year, meaning you can plant any time of the year. We can harvest any time of the year,” said Ogbole.

But setting up the aeroponic farm was not easy. “It required more than $180,000,” Ogbole said. And, some people in Abeokuta were very much against this non-traditional method of farming. “It took a lot of effort to change people's minds about aeroponics,” said Ogbole.

In Nigeria, about 30 million hectares（公顷）of farmland is being used, instead of the 78.5 million hectares required for food security. Violent conflicts and desertification are the top reasons why the farmland is being lost. And only 49 percent of the land is rich. Besides, most farmers do not have the technical knowledge to increase productivity. They are also in need of high-quality seeds to guarantee better harvests.

For now, technologically skilled farmers like Samson Ogbole are offering a new way forward.

1. What is special about aeroponics?                           .

A．Crops are not grown in soil.	B．Crops can grow all by themselves
C．Crops without roots can grow well.	D．Crops can grow well without water.

2. Why is aeroponics especially important to Abeokuta?

A．Because there are not many farmers there.

B．Because there isn't plenty of rich land there.

C．Because many farmers there are terribly violent.

D．Because farmers there are thirsty for farming techniques.

3. What does the new method enable farmers to do?

A．Reduce the cost of farming.	B．Produce crops of higher quality.
C．Grow crops whenever they like.	D．Keep crops fresh for a longer period.

4. Which of the following could be the most suitable title for the passage?

A．A new method of growing crops

B．Ways to turn deserts into rich land

C．Techniques for developing high-quality seeds

D．The importance of fighting against worldwide hunger

2 . Bees are extremely important to our health and survival. As pollinators (授粉者), they are responsible for about a third of the food we eat. However, the bee population worldwide are on the decrease.     1    .

Some bee species defend their hives (蜂巢) with large balls of heat

The body temperature of bees is typically similar to their surrounding environment. But within the hive, bees maintain a steady temperature of around 92—93 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Using their wings, bees can fan hot air out of the hive to cool an area.     2    . When an enemy invades, together they will create a large ball around it to cook the invader alive.

Bees help farmers grow better food and keep food prices down

Bees are highly efficient pollinators. When bees are employed to pollinate, the quantity and quality of the crops improve surprisingly. As the climate continues to change, many animals will move to more favorable habitats.     3    . With the reducing numbers of bees, the cost of over 130 fruit and vegetable plants that we rely on for food in is going up in price.

Policemen find murderers by studying bees

    4    . Similarly, criminals avoid committing crimes close to where they live, Police can make reasonable guesses about where a suspect might live or visit regularly.

    5    

Bees are able to pick out individual characteristics on human faces and recognize them. This ability not only helps these highly social creatures recognize each other, but it also helps them recognize and return to flowers they like best.

A．Bees can recognize human faces

B．Here are a few surprising facts about the amazing insects

C．Fortunately, you can take action to protect bees where you live

D．Honeybees live cooperatively and have a strict division of labor

E．Bees generally leave flowers closest to their nest entrance untouched

F．But bees aren’t adapting to changing temperatures like some other species

G．They can move their flight muscles quickly and constantly to heat it as well