↑ 收起筛选 ↑
试题详情

When you purchase fresh-cut flowers, do you think about where they came from? It might make sense to think they were grown somewhere nearby. The reality, though, is that the cut flower trade is increasingly international. Today, thanks to airplanes and high-tech cooling systems, even the most delicate flower can be exported, and sold in a florist thousands of kilometers away from where it was grown.

The country that dominates the world cut flower trade is the Netherlands. It handles about 60 percent of the world’s cut flowers. The Netherlands is also a world leader in developing new flower varieties. Dutch companies and the government invest a considerable amount of money in flower research. Their scientists look for ways to lengthen a flower’s vase life, to strengthen flowers to prevent them from being damaged while traveling, and also to strengthen the natural fragrance of the flowers.

Despite the Netherlands’ dominance of the flower market, there are many places with a better climate for growing flowers, and the climate of Ecuador is almost perfect. Mauricio Davalos is the man responsible for starting Ecuador’s flower industry. “Our biggest edge is nature,” he claims. “Our roses are the best in the world.” Every year, Ecuador sells about 500 million flowers to the U.S. alone. The industry has brought employment op portunities and a stronger economy to regions of the country. “My family has TV now. There are radios,” says Yolanda Quishpe, 20, who picked roses for four years.

To others, the increasingly international nature of the flower trade is very bad news. In recent years, local growers in the U.S. faced huge competition from international flower companies, and many lost their businesses, Lina Hale, an independent rose grower in California, said her father had predicted the situation. “I see a freight train coming down the track,” he warned her, “and it’s coming straight towards us.”

1.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A.Cut flowers can survive a long trip. B.You should buy flowers from local florists.

C.Flowers you buy come from far away places. D.Few thinks about where they buy your flowers.

2.Which of the following are mentioned as large investors in flower research?

A.Dutch companies and the government B.airplane and high-tech cooling companies

C.Ecuador’s local flower growers and pickers D.American businessmen and their government

3.The underlined word in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _________.

A.end B.advantage

C.challenge D.difference

4.What did Lina Hale’s father mean when he said, “I see a freight train coming down the track and it’s coming straight toward us.”?

A.He could predict a train was soon to arrive.

B.He knew his business would be threatened.

C.He thought customers wouldn’t want roses.

D.He thought trains were the new way to move flowers.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题

少年,再来一题如何?
试题答案
试题解析
相关试题