Question

【题目】 To address the plastic pollution troubling the world’s seas and waterways, Cornell University chemists have developed a new polymer (聚合物) that can degrade (降解) plastic when exposed to ultraviolet radiation, according to the research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

“We have created a new plastic that has the mechanical properties required by commercial fishing gear. If it eventually gets lost in the water environment, this material can degrade on a realistic time scale,” said lead researcher Bryce Lipinski, professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Cornell University. “This material could effectively reduce persistent plastic accumulation in the environment.”

Commercial fishing contributes to about half of all floating plastic waste that ends up in the oceans. Fishing nets and ropes are primarily made from three kinds of polymers, none of which easily degrade. “While research of degradable plastics has received much attention in recent years,” Lipinski said, “obtaining a material with a mechanical strength comparable to commercial plastic remains a difficult challenge.”

Coates and his research team have spent the past 15 years developing the new plastic called isotactic polypropylene oxide, or iPPO. While its original discovery was in 1949, the mechanical strength of this material was unknown before this recent work. The high isotacticity and polymer chain length of their material makes it different from previous plastics and provides its mechanical strength.

Lipinski and other scientists want no race of the polymer to be left in the environment. He notes there is precedent (先例) for the biodegradation of small chains of iPPO which could effectively make it disappear and ongoing efforts aim to prove this.

【1】What is the feature about the new polymer?

A.It can solve the problem of plastic consumption.

B.It can degrade plastic waste in the sea water.

C.It has been developed to solve plastic pollution.

D.It has been developed to lower fishing costs.

【2】What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A.It requires great effort to invent the new plastic.

B.Fishing should be forbidden in the sea.

C.Fishing nets and ropes are not the major pollution source.

D.Degradable plastics were not paid attention to until recent years.

【3】What did the recent study find about iPPO?

A.Its original discovery.B.Its mechanical properties.

C.Its complex structure.D.Its mechanical strength.

【4】What is Lipinski’s attitude towards the future of iPPO?

A.Doubtful.B.Promising.

C.Unconcerned.D.Disapproval.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】D

【4】B

【解析】

本文是说明文。康奈尔大学的化学家们研发出一种新型聚合物在紫外线辐射下可以降解塑料。海洋中的塑料污染问题有望得到解决。

【1】

细节理解题。根据第一段中“To address the plastic pollution troubling the world’s seas and waterways, Cornell University chemists have developed a new polymer (聚合物) that can degrade (降解) plastic when exposed to ultraviolet radiation ”可知 ，康奈尔大学的化学家们研发出一种新型聚合物在紫外线辐射下可以降解塑料，这样可以解决海洋中的塑料污染问题。故选C项。

【2】

推理判断题。根据第三段中Lipinski 所说的话“ ‘While research of degradable plastics has received much attention in recent years,’ …‘obtaining a material with a mechanical strength comparable to commercial plastic remains a difficult challenge.’(虽然近年来可降解塑料的研究受到了很大关注，但获得一种机械强度可与商业塑料媲美的材料仍然是一项艰巨的挑战。”)”可以推断，研发这种新型塑料是一个很大的挑战，需要付出很多的努力。故选A项。

【3】

细节理解题。根据第四段中“The high isotacticity and polymer chain length of their material makes it different from previous plastics and provides its mechanical strength.（这种材料的高等度和聚合物链长度使其有别于以往的塑料，也提供了机械强度。）”可知，关于iPPO，研究发现了这种新型塑料的机械强度。故选D项。

【4】

推理判断题。文章最后一段中“He notes there is precedent (先例) for the biodegradation of small chains of iPPO which could effectively make it disappear（他指出曾经有先例的对新型塑料iPPO的小链可以进行生物降解，这可以有效地让其残留物消失。）”；根据最后一句“ongoing efforts aim to prove this（正在进行的努力旨在证明这一点。）” Lipinski认为这种新型塑料在环境中的残余物问题可以得到解决，从而可以推断，他认为这种新型塑料是有前途的。故选B项。