Tom is seven. He’s staring curiously up at a big drone(无人机) flying above his head in the London Science Museum.The black drone Tom is so amazed by looks like a big toy that many children want to have.But this drone is not a toy.It was once a military(军用的) drone，and it’s supposed to save our rainforests.
Lauren Fletcher is a former NASA engineer.The idea to create a drone that would deal with forests’ being destroyed around the world came to him from a science fiction book.Lauren’s team，called BioCarbon Engineering，is repurposing these drones to have them plant trees.
In comparison to a technique—sowing(播种) seeds by air—where an uptake rate(摄入率) is around 8%，a recent test conducted by BioCarbon Engineering resulted in a 75% uptake rate.The project team says their use of drones could reduce the costs of traditional methods by up to 85%.
But there are still some concerns.Alan Watson Featherstone，founder and executive director of Trees for Life，a charity，told the museum that he is not sure whether such a natural process as tree planting can be achieved by impersonal drones.He believes that human interaction is necessary to guarantee a proper planting process.Another concern is more familiar to new technologies—some worry the drones might take jobs away from humans.But Fedorenko，Lauren’s colleague，adds that they are currently targeting planting in remote areas or areas such as those affected by fires or chemical spills.
The project has begun to attract some attention.However，the use of drones for planting still has not been tested on a large scale(规模) and in the wild.And，further fundraising is still an issue.So far they have raised around DC＝ 160，000 as a winning project from various competitions，but this is not enough for largescale planting.The company is looking to raise more funds.
【解题导语】 本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了由前美国宇航局工程师设计的无人机。该无人机可用于播种，且成功率高。
1．What’s the purpose of the drone in the London Science Museum?
A．To protect forests.
B．To serve the army.
C．To guard the museum.
D．To attract children’s interest.
A 解析：细节理解题。根据第一段中的it’s supposed to save our rainforests可知，该无人机将用于保护森林。
2．Where did the drone designer’s inspiration come from?
A．His work experience.
B．His team members.
C．A science movie.
D．A fiction book.
D 解析：细节理解题。根据第二段中的The idea to create a drone that would deal with forests’ being destroyed around the world came to him from a science fiction book.可知，利用无人机播种这个主意来源于一本科幻书籍。
3．How does the author develop Paragraph 3?
A．By making comparisons.
B．By providing processes.
C．By analyzing causes.
D．By giving examples.
A 解析：写作手法题。第三段将传统播种与使用该无人机播种的摄入率进行了比较。
4．What’s the current condition of the drone?
A．It faces technical issues.
B．It is doubted by some people.
C．It has been applied in remote areas.
D．It has become free from human involvement.
B 解析：推理判断题。根据第四段中的But there are still some concerns.可知，使用该无人机播种受到一些人的质疑。
