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Erik Kobayashi-Solomon spent a day with Dr. Paul Gauthier, a plant physiologist specializing in vertical (垂直的) farming research and came away with several important ideas about vertical farming.
Humans have 12,000 years of experience in growing food, but only a generation’s worth of experience or so in growing crops indoors. We are still progressing up the technology learning curve (曲线). What’s more, traditional farming techniques are based on conditions that are not applicable to vertical farming. Therefore, without taking time to understand the science, vertical farming is not likely to be able to live up to its implied promise.
The cost of powering LED grow lights is one of the biggest problems a vertical farm must overcome. Dr. Louis Albright at Cornell has characterized vertical farms as the “pie-in-the-sky” business. He famously calculates, for instance, that the cost of a loaf of bread would be $ 24 if farmed indoors—the cost is too high. Gauthier acknowledges that energy prices are high but points out that scientific work has shown that only about 6% of available sunlight is used in crop photosynthesis (光合作用), so there may be ways of growing the same plants with less light.
Gauthier also points out that while energy costs are a bit high, vertical farming does create enormous efficiencies in other areas. Water usage may be significantly reduced because the same water can be recycled time and again. Fertilizer use can also be greatly reduced and pesticides for pest control are unnecessary. It’s clear that vertical farming offers real value to society.
The future is probably mixed. In some environments—the Middle East, for instance—a move to vertical farming is a no-brainer. An indoor farm in Saudi Arabia, for instance, can use solar energy to power LEDs at low cost without shading other farmland. In other environments, though, the expense of establishing a facility places a high bar on growth and profitability. A large vertical farming and equipment operation only started generating a small profit eight years into its nine-year life.
1.What can we infer about vertical farming in Paragraph 2?
A.It relies on more basic scientific research.
B.It will replace traditional farming one day.
C.It actually came into being 12,000 years ago.
D.It can be applicable under different conditions.
2.What does Dr. Louis Albright think of vertical farms?
A.They use less light than traditional ones.
B.They can overcome many problems in farming.
C.They may seem very unlikely to be popularized.
D.They do not need any natural sunlight any longer.
3.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?
A.The recent trend of vertical farming.
B.The possible benefits of vertical farming.
C.The secrets of developing vertical farming.
D.The ways of reducing costs of vertical farming.
4.Why is the example of “an indoor farm in Saudi Arabia” mentioned?
A.To argue that vegetables do not need to be imported any longer.
B.To prove solar energy is vital for farming in Saudi Arabia.
C.To confirm the expense of setting up a vertical farm is high.
D.To show vertical farming can work pretty well in some places.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
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I never forgot the days which I spent with my grandparents in the countryside, because it was full of many beautiful memories. One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river, then I sit leisurely on the _________, enjoying the peace and quiet, _________ the water rush downstream and listening to the birdsong and the sound of leaves on the trees. I would also watch the bamboo trees _________ under pressure from the wind and watch them return _________ to their original position after the wind had _________.
_______ I think about the bamboo trees’ ability to bounce back or return to its _________ position, the word “resilience” comes to mind. When used _________ a person this word means the ability to _________ recover from shock, depression or any other situation that __________ the limits of a person’s emotions.
Have you ever felt like you are about to __________? Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have __________ the experience to live to talk about it. During the experience you probably felt a mix of __________ that threatened your health. You felt emotionally burned out, mentally __________ and you most likely endured unpleasant physical symptoms.
Life is a __________ of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are __________ those bad times or unhappy moments __________ take you close to your breaking point, bend, but don’t break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.
A measure of hope will take you __________ the unpleasant suffering. With hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant suffering may be __________ to deal with if the end result is worth having. If the goings gets tough and you are at your breaking __________, show resilience. Like the bamboo tree, bend, but don’t break.
1.A. chair B. beach C. bank D. boat
2.A. tasting B. watching C. diving D. hitting
3.A. bend B. break C. grow D. change
4.A. proudly B. gracefully C. painfully D. peacefully
5.A. died out B. died of C. died down D. died from
6.A. When B. While C. Since D. If
7.A. traditional B. personal C. occasional D. original
8.A. in reference to B. in hopes of C. in preparation for D. in spite of
9.A. readily B. willingly C. eagerly D. pitifully
10.A. expands B. stretches C. widens D. spreads
11.A. break in B. break away C. break out D. break down
12.A. reflected B. survived C. abandoned D. suspected
13.A. emotions B. determinations C. sympathies D. beliefs
14.A. confused B. embarrassed C. exhausted D. frightened
15.A. series B. mixture C. flock D. variety
16.A. observing B. experiencing C. witnessing D. discovering
17.A. when B. where C. who D. that
18.A. across B. through C. during D. beneath
19.A. better B. larger C. easier D. harder
20.A. occasion B. situation C. point D. conclusion
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
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We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard (柜厨) outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.
In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?” In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?”
I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”
My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.
1.In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.
A. would like very much to buy B. badly wanted
C. was glad to have bought D. would rather not buy
2.Other drivers thought they were _______.
A. carrying a cupboard to the church
B. sending flowers to the church
C. carrying nothing but a piece of furniture
D. going to attend a funeral(葬礼) at the church
3.The police will be more polite to those who are _______.
A. driving in gathering darkness
B. in great sorrow (悲痛)
C. driving with wild glowers in the car
D. carrying furniture
4. What did the husband think of this matter?
A. It was very strange. B. He felt ashamed of it.
C. He took great pride in it. D. He was puzzled at it.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home.
On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard (柜厨) outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow.
“Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack.
It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?”
In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?”
I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing.
“It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”
My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.
1.In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.
A. would like very much to buy B. badly wanted
C. was glad to have bought D. would rather not buy
2.Other drivers thought they were _______.
A. carrying a cupboard to the church
B. sending flowers to the church
C. carrying nothing but a piece of furniture
D. going to attend a funeral(葬礼) at the church
3.The police will be more polite to those who are _______.
A. driving in gathering darkness
B. in great sorrow (悲痛)
C. driving with wild flowers in the car
D. carrying furniture
4.What did the husband think of the whole matter?
A. It was very strange. B. He felt ashamed of it.
C. He took great pride in it. D. He was puzzled at it.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it,” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack(行李架), I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was 20 pounds poorer, and the cupboard was tied onto the roof rack. It was six inches long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.
In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?”
In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir,” he said. “Do you need any more help?”
I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer,” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
He was staring at our car: first at the flowers, and then at the cupboard. “Well, well,” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was, something else.”
My wife began to laugh. Then the truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.
1.It can be inferred from the passage that______.
A．other drivers let the couple go first, because the husband did not drive fast
B．the cupboard cost less than 20 pounds
C．the husband, in fact, would rather not buy the cupboard
D．all the cars followed the couple’s
2.The police will be more polite to those who are______.
A．in great sorrow B．driving in the gathering darkness
C．driving with wild flowers in the car D．carrying furniture
3.What did the police officer think of the cupboard?
A．It was so expensive that it needed their help
B．It was a box for a dead person to be buried in.
C．There might be something stolen in it.
D．It was a big box with some bomb in it.
4.What did the husband think of the whole matter?
A．It was very strange. B．He took great pride in it.
C．He was puzzled at it D．He felt embarrassed.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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It is really a happy thing to look back on the days I spent with Jennie. We met in night school. After Jennie and I had completed the required courses, we started teaching in the same school. For a time we were just casual friends, but one day, when I was telling Jennie about my problem son, we discovered we were kindred (同类的) spirits. "He’s a difficult little character," I explained. Jennie looked though
tful. "Maybe you’re only seeing him with your eyes." She was silent for a moment and then added softly, "It is only with the heart that one sees rightly." I stared at her. "You’re
quoting (引用) that! It’s from The Little Prince, Saint-Exupery’s book for children, one of my favorites. You know it, too?" Jennie nodded. "I love it. I’ve read it so often. I’ve practically memorized it."Now, when I think of Jennie, I recall that book because Jennie —more than anyone I know —possessed the gift of seeing with the heart.
From that moment of a treasured book shared, our friendship grew steadily. It wasn’t that I didn’t have an excellent relationship with my husband and son, but my mother had died shortly after my marriage, and I had neither sisters nor daughters. I realize, now, how I needed someone to share those little, seemingly unimportant things that add so much to life —things that must be shared to be fully appreciated.
And it was Jennie who helped me with my fourth-grade problem child. One day I was at my wit’s end. "What he needs is a good beating!" I exploded.
"He’s probably had plenty of those," Jennie said. "Maybe he just needs sincere praise for anything he does right, and a hug or two each day." I followed this suggestion, and eventually, because of Jennie, I discovered a lovable little boy.
Looking back, I have to admit that she taught me so much. The days I spent with her has become one of my happiest memories.
1.What does the underlined part mean in the fourth paragraph?
A. I was unsure of how to treat my son.
B. I decided to give up my job.
C. I faced financial difficulties.
D. I was very disappointed with myself.
2.How did the author and Jennie’s friendship grow?
A. They both were interested in children’s education.
B. They both liked a novel, The Little Prince.
C. They often chatted together about their families.
D. They both worked in the same school.
3.We learn from the text that __________.
A. the author has the gift of seeing with the heart
B. the author had no friends before meeting Jennie
C. the author had lost her mother before her marriage
D. the author seldom praised her son in the past
4.How does the author feel about her family?
A. No one listened to her seemingly unimportant things.
B. She didn’t get along well with her husband and son.
C. She once seldom spoke to her mother.
D. She felt quite lonely in her family.
5.The text is mainly
about _________.A. how to educate children properly
B. the fact that we should see nature differently
C. the influence of friendship in life
D. how friendship begins and develops
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
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It was such a ______ to have spent a day with the local family.
A．privilege B．concept C．qualification D．requirement
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
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At the age of seven, I went to see my grandma in Warwick and spent the summer with her. One day I went to a general store with a 34full of what Grandma needed.
“Excuse me, I need to 35 these,” I said .
“So ? I’m not your 36! You should get yourself a basket and start filling,” Miss Bee, the owner of the store, said 37 without smiling. “If you’re 38 you’ll be home by sunset.” Sunset was five hours away. 39, the store was a puzzle, and I wasn’t sure if I would make it.
I visited Miss Bee several times a week that 40. One afternoon when I watched her adding 35 cents instead of 29 for a can of beans, I 41 her immediately. Though being caught overcharging , she didn’t seem 42, and she just fixed the price.
All summer long I was always tricked by Miss Bee. No sooner had I memorized the soda’s location on the shelf than she rearranged the shelves and made me 43it all over again. But by summer’s end the 44trip that had once taken me an hour was done in 15 minutes.
The morning I was to return to Brooklyn, I stepped in to get a bottle of water.
“What did you 45 this summer?” she said.
“That you’re so mean!” I whispered.
To my 46, Miss Bee laughed. “When you get older, you’ll be glad our paths crossed!”
Glad I met Miss Bee ? No!
Until one day my daughter came to me with homework47. “It’s too hard,” she said. “Could you finish it for me?”
“If I do it for you, how will you ever learn to do it yourself?” Suddenly, I was 48 at that general store where Miss Bee had really taught me something all those years ago.
1. A．bag B．bottle C．list D．can
2. A．buy B．read C．borrow D．sell
3. A．daughter B．servant C．master D．teacher
4. A．honestly B．quietly C．coldly D．quietly
5. A．busy B．stupid C．lucky D．popular
6. A．However B．Besides C．Therefore D．Also
7. A．year B．summer C．autumn D．term
8. A．supported B．attracted C．corrected D．remembered
9. A．excited B．unfriendly C．moved D．uncomfortable
10. A．hunt for B．step onto C．learn about D．care for
11. A．school B．shopping C．business D．sightseeing
12. A．eat B．earn C．forget D．learn
13. A．shame B．delight C．surprise D．regret
14. A．signs B．troubles C．scores D．rules
15. A．out B．ahead C．around D．back
高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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I still remember the days___ I spent ______ with you in Beijing．
A．when; staying
B．what; to stay
C．that; staying
D．during; to stay
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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_____ in every aspect of his company’s business, Paul made himself busy day and night.
A. Being involved B. Involved C. Involving D. To involve
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
tful. "Maybe you’re only seeing him with your eyes." She was silent for a moment and then added softly, "It is only with the heart that one sees rightly." I stared at her. "You’re
quoting (引用) that! It’s fr