A
However exciting space exploration sounds, there’s a necessary and important point about it that needs to be considered: food supplies. Right now, astronauts typically rely on dry food in airtight bags and cans, since there are strict weight limits on items taken into space. Foods that we take for granted, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, are out of the question for space explorers.
For those who’ve made an effort to try to grow food during space flights, they’ve faced many difficulties, including the absence of gravity, and a lack of soil, air and humidity(湿度). However, growing food to add and minimise(最小化) the food that must be carried to space will be increasingly important on long-duration flights into space. Great efforts have been made to explore the concept(idea) of space farming. Recently, a team led by Federico Maggi at the University of Sydney in Australia have worked out how plants can absorb nutrients from human urine(尿), as was reported by New Scientist on March 27.
After over 20 years of experiments, the results suggested that human urine could supply three to four out of the six nutrients that plants need. The researchers also found out that urine-fertilised plants produce no harmful by-products, such as carbon dioxide or ammonia.
According to New Scientist, human urine is 95 percent water, with the other 5 percent made from nutrients which are harmful to the human body but not to plants. The advantage of this urine-fueled life support system is obvious: By recycling liquid waste and producing food, an efficient cycle will be created.
And most importantly, said New Scientist, the duration of space flights will be greatly extended to “20 years of flight”, meaning we may be soon sending astronauts on flights to Mars, or even beyond.
1. What does the underlined part “out of the question” in the first paragraph probably mean?
A. Impossible. B. Unnecessary.
C. Unimportant. D. Uncertain.
解析: 词义猜测题。根据上文“Right now, astronauts typically rely on dry food in airtight bags and cans, since there are strict weight limits on items taken into space.”可知,目前宇航员通常依赖于装在密封的袋子和罐子里的干燥食品,因为带进太空的物品有严格的重量限制。故可推测我们认为理所当然的食品,如新鲜水果和蔬菜对于太空探索者来说是“不可能的;难以实现的”。impossible不可能的;unnecessary不必要的;unimportant不重要的;uncertain不确定的。故选A。
答案:A
2. What can we learn from the research by the University of Sydney?
A. Human urine is harmless to plants.
B. Human urine provides six necessary nutrients for plants.
C. Urine fertiliser is safer and more productive than chemical fertiliser.
D. Urine-fertilised plants only release a small amount of carbon dioxide.
解析: 细节理解题。根据第三段中“The researchers also found out that urine-fertilised plants produce no harmful by-products, such as carbon dioxide or ammonia.”可知,研究人员发现尿肥植物不产生有害的副产品,如二氧化碳或氨。由此可知将人类尿液用于太空农业的最大优势是它对植物无害。
答案:A
3. What is the biggest advantage of using human urine for space farming, according to New Scientist?
A. It does little harm to the environment in space.
B. It could create conditions for long-term space flights.
C. It will greatly reduce the cost of farming in space.
D. Urine-fertilised plants are healthier and taste better.
解析: 细节理解题。根据最后一段可知,最重要的是,太空飞行的时间会延长,到更远的行星探索成为可能。故选B。
答案:B
4. What’s the text mainly about?
A. The significance of space farming.
B. Problems faced by astronauts on long-term space flights.
C. How to use human urine to produce food in space.
D. A possible new way to grow food in space.
解析: 主旨大意题。根据第二段中“Recently, a team led by Federico Maggi at the University of Sydney in Australia have worked out how plants can absorb nutrients from human urine, as was reported by New Scientist on March 27.”可知,本文主要介绍了一种使在太空上种植植物成为可能的新方式。
答案:D
