Airtight plastic bags can help farmers protect their harvests without the use of harmful chemicals. These bags are designed to keep air out of crops in storage. Using them is a simple way to fight insects and keep crops fresh.

  Ten countries in West and Central Africa are involved in a project to improve the storage of cowpeas, also

known as black-eyed peas. Farmers can lose much of the harvest to insects called bruchids (豆象), which grow from egg to adult in a few weeks and then lay forty to sixty eggs. They can destroy the whole harvest within months.

  Farmers can sell their crops immediately. But selling at harvest time means more competition and lower prices.Or they can use pesticides (殺蟲劑) to kill the bugs. But a crop scientist Dieudonne Baributsa says, “They end up misusing or overusing the pesticide. In Nigeria, they have reported a lot of cases of death. They usually call cowpeas ‘killer beans’ in Nigeria.”

  Mr. Baributsa is a researcher at Purdue University in Indiana, America. The project is called PICS---Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage. He says the storage bags are thick enough that any insects already in the cowpeas willdie from a lack of oxygen. The lack of air will also help prevent the growth of bacteria that can ruin the harvest. The bags cost about two dollars each. Mr. Baributsa says that is not much, especially if it means farmers can wait long enough to get a better price for their crops. The bags are produced locally. Donors currently support the project, but the groups involved are working to build a lasting market for the bags because donation for the project will not lastforever.

  A company based in the United States called GrainPro makes another kind of airtight bags. These are called SuperGrainbags. Phil Villers, the company’s president, says storing a harvest safely not only helps farmers earn more money, but also reduces the amount of the harvest loss to insects, spoilage and mishandling. “What does not get wasted and eaten means it is possible to feed a hungry world,” said Phil Villers.

61. What is the best title for this passage?

    A.Simple bags save the harvest.     B.Plastic bags kill the insects.

    C.Bruchids do harm to the harvest.   D.Pesticides threaten food safety..

62.It can be inferred that bruchids_______.

    A.steal the stored crops for their future.     B.survive in airtight plastic bags.

    C.grow slowly.              D.breed fast.

63.How does the name of “killer beans” come out?

    A.The beans are poisonous by nature.       B.People eat beans that are infected by bugs.

    C.Farmers use chemicals to kill bugs improperly.  D.Bugs ruin beans within a short time.

64.Which statement of the following is NOT true?

    A.Any insects in the bags will soon use up the air and then die. 

B.The airtight plastic bags currently sold on the market do not last long.

    C.The project provides the farmers with the bags for free at present.  

D.What farmers can earn from the use of the bags is more than they have to pay.

65.According to the passage, the storage bags can do the following EXCEPT______.

    A.double the total harvest     B.raise farmers’ income

    C.help fight world hunger      D.help project crops from being spoiled

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相關(guān)習題

科目:高中英語 來源:八大名校高考全真模擬試題 題型:050

閱讀下面短文,從每題所給的四個選項A、B、C、D中選出最佳選項。

  When the wind blows, many things move. Things and people are moved whichever. way the wind blows. They may go over water, on the water, over land, or on land. History is filled with stories of people who used wind and air for fun and travel. One story that goes back about 3 000 years tells of two Greek men who escaped from prison by using wings made of feathers and wax(蠟) The story says the wax wings melted when one man flew too near the sun. His feathers fell off and he crashed into the sea. If those Greeks had used hang-glider or self-soaring wings for their prison escape, there wouldn't have been any wax for the sun to melt. Of course no one believes they got near the sun anyway.

  For self-soaring or hang-gliding there should be wind, and plenty of it. A wind of 20 miles per hour or more is good for flying. Before flying, a rider sets up his hang-glider at the top of a hill. The hang-glider must be unfolded and set up facing into the wind. If the front or point isn't facing the wind, the hang-glider may go flying without the rider.

  Hang-gliders are made of tightly woven cloth, lightweight metal rods(桿), and strong wires. The cloth is so tightly woven that it's almost airtight. The rods and wires should be made of very strong material. If something should break during a flight-well remember the Greeks.

  People have always wanted to fly, and people have always wanted to add beauty to their lives. Beauty can come from colors, shapes, and forms. Self-soaring people add beauty to their hang-gliders with colors and decorations(裝飾). Quite often a person may have a hang-glider specially made by a professional hang-glider builder. The hang-glider builder can let the buyer pick the cloth for color and decoration. But when it comes to the shape, the professional builder doesn't let the buyer have much to say. A hang-glider has to be built to fly. That's why the shape is important. People who build their own hang-gliders can decorate them any way they like, but if the shape isn't right, they wouldn't do much flying.

  After being strapped(綁扎) in, a hang-glider is ready to go. The flight starts with a downhill run into the wind. The wind catches the hang-glider and gives the rider the lift needed to fly. For the first part of the ride, the rider tries for speed and altitude(高度). Without these, a flight may be over before it even starts. As soon as the hang-glider gains speed and altitude, a flier can start to control the direction of flight. For a right turn, the rider leans to the right and moves the steering bar(操縱桿) to the left. This tips the hang-glider to the right and it makes a turn. For a left turn, the rider leans left.

1.Who decides on the shape of a hang-glider?

[  ]

A.The buyer.

B.The hang-glider builder.

C.The government

D.The rider.

2.The fact that history is filled with stories of how people used air for travel shows that people ________.

[  ]

A.have never wanted to fly until the 20th century

B.have never even thought about flying until recently

C.have always been interested in flying

D.thought flying was only a funny story

3.When the hang-glider begins traveling high enough and fast enough, the hang-glider flier should ________.

[  ]

A.end the flight right away

B.pay more attention to the shape of the hang-glider than the color and decoration

C.fly higher not to fall into the sea

D.control the direction of the flight

4.The underlined word “self-soaring” in the second paragraph means ________.

[  ]

A.a(chǎn) way of flying without power

B.something out of the ordinary

C.moving the bar

D.running downhill into the wind

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科目:高中英語 來源:101網(wǎng)校同步練習 高一英語 外語教學與研究出版社 題型:050

Both the Eskimos and the Plains Indians used open fires in their shelters for warmth but with very different consequences(結(jié)果).The Eskimo house was an airtight igloo made of blocks of ice with a small tunnel-like entrance and a small chimney in the center for smoke from the fire.Temperatures inside the structure easily reached 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit although outside temperatures frequently dropped well below zero.Often the igloo was so hot that the loss of body fluid through perspiration would force the Eskimos to drink cup after cup of ice water.The Plains Indians, on the other hand, placed their fire in a tepee, made with long poles and animal skins with an entrance cut directly into one wall.In contrast with the Eskimo shelter, the tepee was far from airtight; drafts(穿堂風)came in around the door and through gaps between the skins.At night, the Indians would crawl under their blankets, cover their heads, and shiver all night-so much that the blanket would shake!The difference between the Eskimo igloo and the Indian tepee was insulation.(密封性):the igloo’s walls were solid and airtight whereas those of the tepee permitted a great deal of air to enter.

(1)

This passage most likely occurs as part of ________.

[  ]

A.

a weather forecast

B.

a book on fire prevention.

C.

a report on animal conservation

D.

a magazine on house construction

(2)

From the passage it can be inferred that ________

[  ]

A.

to enter an Eskimo house, one had to go through a long tunnel

B.

the Eskimo igloo had better insulation than the Indian tepee

C.

the Plains Indians enjoyed living in their shelters in winter days

D.

there was a small chimney in every Indian tepee to release smoke from the fire

(3)

This passage is written mainly to ________.

[  ]

A.

compare

B.

tell a story

C.

amuse the readers

D.

report a scientific discovery

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科目:高中英語 來源:2007年北京黃岡啟東臨川高考試卷預(yù)測(1)、英語 題型:050

閱讀理解

  Everyday rubbish could provide a valuable source of energy thanks to a clever new invention.Smelly methane(沼氣)gas expelled from landfill sites containing tones of rotting household waste could be used to produce a valuable energy resource.In Europe alone land fill tips produce 94 billion cubic meters of methane per year but currently only one percent of what could be a valuable source of energy is used, the rest is burnt off to prevent an explosive build up of gas.

  Methane gas forms when organic matter breaks down and is drawn off from large rubbish tips by pipes sunk into the middle of the waste.Until now this process wasn’t possible on small sites because the pipe allowed oxygen to seep in and that stop the breakdown process.

  Viktor Popov of the Wessex Institute of Technology has now developed a system to modify existing landfill sites by making them airtight while the methane is extracted from sunken wells.The site is covered by a special three-layered skin whose two outer layers are made of clay with a pressurized(加壓的)layer of carbon dioxide gas in the middle.As the methane is sucked out through a central well it is replaced by carbon dioxide from the middle layer rather than oxygen, allowing the breakdown process to continue.

  Unfortunately there are no plans to use the power of methane even though Popov claims his invention could provide a valuable source of energy over the next 20 years.

(From http://www.thenewspaper.org.uk/science/pg000276.php-8k)

(1)

The passage mainly introduces ________ to us.

[  ]

A.

how to make methane

B.

a new way to make use of rubbish

C.

the valuable things in rubbish

D.

the amount of rubbish beig reused

(2)

From the passage we can see that ________.

[  ]

A.

in Europe 94 billion cubic meters of methane is produced every year

B.

some of the waste will explode if it is not burnt off

C.

99% of the rubbish has been burnt off in Europe

D.

only a very small part of this kind of energy is used in Europe

(3)

In the passage the underlined word“that”refers to ________.

[  ]

A.

methane gas

B.

the long pipe

C.

oxygen

D.

the rubbish

(4)

Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage?

[  ]

A.

Oxygen can cause the breakdown process to stop.

B.

When the methane is sucked out, oxygen will enter from the middle layer.

C.

Carbon dioxide doesn’t affect the breakdown process.

D.

The new invention has not been put into use.

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科目:高中英語 來源:2008年普通高等學校招生全國統(tǒng)一考試(福建卷)、英語 題型:050

  The global energy crisis is approaching.What can we do?Here are some steps you can take.

  Cooling puts the greatest stress on your summer energy bill and the power grid(電網(wǎng)).Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort.Clean or replace filters monthly or as needed.

  For central air conditioning systems and room sir conditioners, look for the ENERGY STAR, the federal government’s symbol for energy efficiency.For central air, purchase the system with the highest possible Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio(SEER).

  Use energy-efficient ceiling fans either alone or with air conditioning Ceiling fans do a great job of circulating air.When used with air conditioning, fans allow you to raise the thermostat(恒溫器)and cut costs.Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms, so before you leave, turn off the ceiling fan.

  Let a programmable ibermostat“remember for you”to automatically adjust the indoor climate with your daily and weekend patterns to reduce cooling bills by up to 10 percent.You can come home to a comfortable house without wasting energy and cresting pollution all day while you are at work.

  Try to make your home airtight enough to increase your comfort, make your home quieter and cleaner and reduce your cooling costs up to 20 percent.

  Cut your air conditioning load, and reduce pollution by planting leafy trees around your home and fixing reflective bricks on your roof.

  Close blinds or shades on south-and west-facing windows during the day, or fix shading equipment to avoid beat build-up.

  Turn off everything not in use:lights, TVs, computers.And use fluorescent bulbs(熒光燈),which provide bright, warm light while using at least two-thirds less energy, producing 70 percent Jess beat and lasting up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs(白熾燈).

  Drive the car that gets better gas mileage whenever possible if you own more than one vehicle.If you drive 12,500 miles a year, switching 10 percent of your trips from a car that gets 20 miles per gallon to one that gets 30 mpg will save you more than $65 per year.

  Carpool.The average U.S.commutes(乘車上班族)could save about $260 a year by sharing cars twice a Week with two other people in a car that gets 20.1 mpg-assuming the three passengers share the cost of gas.

(1)

Acoording to the passage, the thermostat is used to ________.

[  ]

A.

make rooms quieter

B.

control room tempersture

C.

turn off the air conditioner

D.

reduce room air pollution

(2)

We can conclude from the passage that the author probalily discourages ________.

[  ]

A.

planting leafy trees around your home

B.

turning off the ceiling fan before you leave your house

C.

keeping your south-facing windows open during the day

D.

using fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs

(3)

This passage is mainly about ________.

[  ]

A.

energy-saving tips

B.

fuel-saving tips

C.

do it yourself tips

D.

environment-protecting

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