The world’s first-ever floating(浮动的) farm is expected to open soon. The farm is located in Rotterdam, a port city about 50 miles away from Amsterdam. Built near the mouth of the river Meuse, the farm consists of three levels.
About 40 cows will be moved to the second level of the farm in November. The level above them will house greenhouse that grow grass and crops needed to feed the cows. Meanwhile, the bottom level will hold any necessary machines and packaging for the milk and yogurt. By December, the farm is expected to be producing more than 200 gallons of milk per day.
In addition to producing fresh milk and yogurt, the farm produces and sells fresh food that runs through a closed cycle and ends up at the customer. This causes almost no waste, bringing the reduction of food’s travel from production to consumers.
The farm is the idea of Minke van Wingerden, a partner in the development company behind the project, Beladon. In 2021, she and her husband got caught in Hurricane Sandy during a business trip to New York City. With the storm preventing food delivery trucks from getting on the road, local people were unable to find fresh produce in stores.
The event pushed wingerden and her partners to find a way to produce food closer to people’s locations in order to avoid losses of supplies in the future. They eventually came up with the idea of floating farms,which would make use of otherwise unused space in the water and meanwhile shorten the distance between stores and farms.
After launching the Rotterdam project, Beladon will work on opening more floating farms. The company is designing floating chicken farms and floating vertical(垂直的) farming greenhouses. The company is in talks with another Dutch city for a second farm.
Wingerden and her husband also believe that new communities should be bulit with food access in mind. The area by the Port of Rotterdam, for example, is on track to be filled with residential space and offices in the next several years, and Wingerden said food production should be at “the heart of that community.”
12. What do we know about the floating farm from the text?
A.It is a farm without any grass or plants. |
B.It can produce more milk than expected. |
C.It has three levels with different purposes. |
D.It is planned to be used in certain climates. |
13. What is the advantage of the floating farm?
A.It offers custom-made food. |
B.It cuts the cost of shipping. |
C.It plays a role in recycling wastes. |
D.It acts as a shelter in a hurricane. |
14. How did Minke van Wingerden get the idea of the floating farm?
A.With the help of the scientists. |
B.Through her personal experience. |
C.By getting encouraged by the news. |
D.By making research on the technology. |
15. What can we infer about the floating farm from Wingerden’s words?
A.It makes it easier for people to get food. |
B.It saves more residential and working space. |
C.It helps people learn about food production. |
D.It improves the attraction of new communities. |