第四部分阅读理解(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
A
In the summer of 1978 an English farmer was driving his tractor through a field of wheat when he discovered that some of his wheat was lying flat on the ground. The flattened(变平的) wheat formed a circle about six meters across. Around this circle were four smaller circles of flattened wheat. The five circles were in a formation(构造) like five dots (点). During the following years, farmers in England found the strange circles in their fields more and more often.
The circles are called “crop circles” because they appear in the fields of grain—usually wheat or corn. The grain in the circles lies flat on the ground but is never broken; it continues to grow, and farmers can later harvest it .Farmers always discover the crop circles in the morning, so the circles probably form at night. They appear only in the months from May to September.
At first, people thought that the circles were a hoax. Probably young people were making them as a joke ,or farmers were making them to attract tourists .To prove that the circles were a hoax, people tried to make circles exactly like the ones that farmers had found. They couldn’t do it .They couldn’t enter a field of grain without leaving tracks, and they couldn’t flatten the grain without breaking it.
Many people believe that beings from outer space are making the circles to communicate(交流)with us from far away and that the crop circles are messages from them.
Scientists who have studied the crop circles suggested several possibilities. Some scientists say that a downward rush of wind leads to the formation of the circles—the same downward rush of air that sometimes causes an airplane to crash(坠毁).Other scientists say that forces within the earth cause the circles to appear. There is one problem with all these scientific explanations: crop circles often appear in formations, like the five-dot formation. It is hard to believe that any natural force could form those.
61. In the summer of 1978 , an English farmer discovered in his field that______.      
A.some of his wheat had been damaged
B.his grain was growing up in circles
C.his grain was moved into several circles
D.some of his wheat had fallen onto the ground
62. According to the text, the underlined part “hoax” (line 1, para.3 ) probably means       .
A.an action made to fool people
B.a special way to plant crops
C.a research on the force of winds
D.an experiment for the protection of crops
63. Which of the following may prove that the crop circles are not made by man?
A.The farmers couldn’t step out of the field.
B.The farmers couldn’t make the circles round.
C.The farmers couldn’t leave without footprints.
D.The farmers couldn’t keep the wheat straight up.
64. That the crop circles are made by       is probably true.
A.air movement                               B.airplane crashes
C.new farming techniques                 D.unknown flying objects

In South America, the rich soil of the Amazon River basin(流域)in Brazil is known as “black gold”. Scientists found that the secret of this rich soil was charcoal(木炭). Local people made it from animal bones and tree branches. They mixed the charcoal with the soil about 1.500 years ago.

Now, scientists in the United States have done a modern demonstration. They say charcoal fertilization offers a revolutionary way to improve soil quality for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Mingxin Guo and his team at Delavare State University heated tree leaves, corn stalks(茎), small pieces of wood and poultry waste into “biochar”(生物碳). They reported their findings at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans.

Biochar could be good news for farmers with poor soil and hungry populations to feed. Professor Guo says it could even help against global warming. Intensive(集约的) farming and overuse of chemical fertilizer give out carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Biochar does the opposite, he says. It traps carbon in the ground.

The researchers planted winter wheat in containers of soil in a greenhouse — some with biochar, some without. Professor Guo says the wheat grows much better in the pots with biochar. The soil was added two percent charcoal to. But he says even a one percent treatment will increase productivity.

The results demonstrated that biochar can increase organic matter in soil. Loss of nutrients in soil is an increasing problem worldwide as farmers try to grow more food for growing populations.

Next, the team will carry out a five-year study of biochar with spinach(菠菜), green peppers and tomatoes.

Mingxin Guo says he learns about the “black gold” in Brazil from a magazine story. He explains that it was discovered in the jungle, in the area where waters flow to the Amazon, in the 1960’s. But it was not until recent years that scientists began to bring public attention to it.

1.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A.The researchers will go on proving their theory.

B.The leading researcher learns the theory from the magazine.

C.Charcoal was discovered 1,500 years ago.

D.Common farming can produce more carbon dioxide.

2.Biochar has the following advantages EXCEPT that ________.

A.it can improve the condition of the soil       

B.it can be used as a kind of energy

C.it can help against global warming 

D.it can increase productivity of the corn

3.According to the research, the biochar can help against global warming because it can ________.

A.reduce the carbon dioxide

B.keep the carbon in the soil

C.reduce the loss of nutrients in the soil

D.absorb the carbon dioxide

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A.Using Charcoal to Make soil into “Black Gold”

B.Using Charcoal to Reduce the Carbon Dioxide

C.How Amazon River Basin Produces “Golden Black”

D.Guo’s Research on Producing Biochar

 

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