Farming is moving indoors,where the sun never shines,where rainfall is irrelevant and where the climate is always right.The perfect crop field could be inside a windowless building with controlled light,temperature,wetness,air quality and nutrition.It could be in a New York high?rise or a sprawling complex in the Saudi desert.It may be an answer to the world's food problems.

The world already is having trouble feeding itself.Half the people on Earth live in cities,and nearly half of those- about 3 billion-are hungry or ill?fed.Foodprices,currently increasing,are buffeted by dryness,floods and the cost of energy required to plant,harvestand transport.And prices will only get more unstable.Climate change makes long?term crop planning uncertain.Farmers in many parts of the world already are using water available to the last drop.And the world is getting more crowded:by mid?century,the global population will grow from 6.8 billion to 9 billion.

To feed so many people may require expanding farmland at the expense of forests and wilderness,or finding ways to completely increase crop output.

Gertjan Meeuws has taken the concept of a greenhouse a step further,growing vegetables and house plants in enclosed (封闭的) and regulated environments.In their research station,water flows into the pans when needed,and the temperature is kept constant.Lights go on and off,creating similar day and night,but according to the rhythm of the plant.

A building of 100 square meters and layers (层) of plants could provide a daily diet of 200 grams of fresh fruit and vegetables to the entire population of Den Bosch,about 140,000 people.Their idea isn't to grow foods that require much space,like corn or potatoes.

Here sunlight is not only unnecessary but can be harmful.Plants need only specific wavelengths of light to grow.Their growth rate is three times faster than under greenhouse conditions.They use about 90 percent less water than outdoor agriculture.And city farming means producing food near the consumer,and there's no need to transport it long distances.

1.What can we mainly learn from Paragraph 2?

A. The climate is worse and worse.

B. The city people live a hard life.

C. The world has difficulty feeding its people.

D. The world's population is increasing fast.

2.Which of the following is true of the environments in the research station?

A. The temperature is often changed.

B. Sunshine is in great need for plants.

C. Day and night depends on plants.

D. Air quality is controlled by plants.

3.It can be inferred from the text that Gertjan Meeuws's farming________.

A. helps save sea water a lot

B. is highly adaptable

C. resembles greenhouse agriculture

D. suits the production of corn

4.What is the text mainly about?

A. Development of indoor farming.

B. Great Revolution in farming.

C. Advantages of indoor farming.

D. Sunless,rainless indoor farming.

“Is there anything else you need, honey?” my dad asked me as he put three twenty?dollar bills in my hand. I was traveling back home from a family visit, and after treating me to breakfast and filling my car with gas, it was obvious that my dad wanted to make sure that I would be okay on the road.

“No, Dad. You've done so much already. Thank you!” I was overwhelmed once again by his kind acts of providing everything I needed, despite the fact I just turned 40. Yet I realize that in my father's eyes, I will always be his little girl. He takes deep pleasure in knowing his children are all right. Now that he has enough money, he loves to give whenever he sees a need.

But this was not always the case. Divorced from my mother when I was 11, my dad couldn't be around his kids as often as he would have liked. Money was also tight; even weekend visits were rare. However, my dad stayed in constant communication with us and made sure he was involved in our lives. Though he couldn't always be there in person, I knew he was only a phone call away. I could always count on that.

Even now, almost 30 years later, I treasure knowing that I can pick up the phone and call Dad, and he'll be there for me. I have a wonderful husband, but that hasn't changed how Dad sees me. I'm still his child and he loves to see that my needs are met.

I remember a time when I was shopping in a hardware store(五金店)with Dad. I mentioned my plans to paint one wall in my house. Well, that's all it took for Dad to take action. By the time I got to the checkout(结账) line, all the supplies I picked out were put out of my hands and placed with things he bought.

Then there was the time when I took him with me to do some grocery shopping for just a few “ items”. By the time we were finished, my shopping cart was full of groceries from every shelf in the store! My sister and I joke that if you don't want Dad to buy it for you, avoid even mentioning you want something.

1.What's the best title for the passage?

A. Father's considerate love

B. Father's generosity

C. The love for children

D. Love's power

2.The author demonstrates her father's love for her mainly by________.

A. examples B. reasoning

C. persuasion D. argument

3.Which of the following is not TRUE?

A. The author's father was divorced when she was 11.

B. Now the father's economic condition is satisfying.

C. The father has a great sense of responsibility.

D. After the author got married, her father no longer get himself involved in her life.

4.The authors' two shopping experiences with father show________.

A. father paid little attention to money

B. father was quick in action

C. father paid great attention to his children's needs

D. father loved going shopping very much

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