题目内容
When most people think of giant pandas, the pictures of the cute, black-and-white bears from China that eat bamboo will immediately jump into their mind. Scientists from Mississippi State University, however, are interested in what they leave behind: their poop(排泄物). At a recent meeting in Denver, Professor Brown at the university presented her research showing how panda poop could inspire a new way to obtain energy from plants, which are a renewable energy source. Usually, plants can be called biomass(有机燃料) when they are used as an energy source.
Burning biomass is one way to capture its energy, but Brown hopes panda poop can teach scientists something about breaking down biomass. Pandas—or at least the bacteria in their stomachs—are very good at getting energy out of bamboo. Unlike cows, which use 4 stomachs to digest large amounts of grass, a panda has only one stomach. Bamboo comes in, and poop goes out.
Every day for 14 months, Brown and her team on this project, counted the bacteria in the poop of the two pandas, YaYa and LeLe living at the Memphis Zoo. Her studies turned up 12 species of bacteria that break down biomass, including one that had never been found in pandas. Brown says that because the poop contains bacteria that break down biomass, it could also be used to break down other types of biomass.
Now the scientists hope to identify the chemicals that help with the process of breaking down biomass and then figure out how the bacteria work. If those chemicals can be made in the lab, they could be used to turn biomass—like grass or other plants—into fuel.
Brown says she doesn’t mind handling panda poop. “It’s probably the most pleasant material to work with,” she says, “My colleagues and I have been working with other poop for a long time, and we can assure you it has a fairly pleasant smell associated with it.”
【小题1】The importance of studying panda poop is _______.
A.to create a renewable energy from plants |
B.to explore a new way to get energy from plants |
C.to learn a lesson of energy from panda poop |
D.to figure out how the bacteria work for us mankind |
a. Identify the chemicals helpful to break down biomass. b. Find the bacteria in panda poop which break down bamboo. c. Reproduce the chemicals in the lab to turn biomass into energy. d. Analyze how the bacteria in panda poop work in panda’s stomach. |
【小题3】What does the author mainly want to express in the 2nd paragraph?
A.Pandas don’t digest bamboo the same way as cows. |
B.Pandas are capable of getting energy using stomachs. |
C.Pandas can get energy from bamboo more efficiently. |
D.Scientists have learnt something new from panda poop. |
A.Sick | B.Challenging | C.Inspiring | D.Enjoyable |
【小题1】B
【小题2】C
【小题3】C
【小题4】D
解析
Parents whose children show a special interest in a sport feel very difficult to make a decision about their children’s careers.Should they allow their children to train to become top sports men or women? For many children it means starting schoolwork very young, and going out with friends and other interests have to take a second place.It’s very difficult to explain to a young child why he or she has to train five hours a day, even at the weekend, when most of his or her friends are playing.
Another problem is of course money.In many countries money for training is available from government for the best young sportsmen and sportswomen.If this help can not be given, it means that it is the parents who have to find the time and the money to support their child’s development and sports clothes, transport to competitions, special equipment, etc.All can be expensive.
Many parents are worried that it is dangerous to start serious training in a sport at an early age.Some doctors agree that young muscles may be damaged by training before they are properly developed.Professional trainers, however, believe that it is only by training young when young that you can reach the top as a successful sports person.It is clear that very few people do reach the top, and both parents and children should be prepared for failure even after many years of training.
【小题1】Where can we most probably find this passage?
A.An advertisement. | B.A diary. |
C.A newspaper. | D.A notice board. |
A.To become less important. |
B.To put it at another place. |
C.To happen again. |
D.They are the most important of all the things. |
A.It’s easy to make a decision when your children want to take up sports. |
B.Most of the students may become top sports men after a long period of training. |
C.Early training may damage young muscles |
D.It’s not very expensive for parents to support their children’s development in sports. |