Ⅰ.阅读理解
A
Recently,a big change quietly took place in agriculture.Yet neither drought nor frost is ever a concern for growers of plants currently grown inside large greenhouses.Vegetables are increasingly being grown indoors,using an advanced form of growing called controlled environment agriculture,a method that has the potential to help feed the planet,even while it threatens to further warm it.
Controlled environment agriculture has many advantages.Crops are not subject to unexpected extreme weather.Furthermore,these greenhouses can produce more food with fewer pesticides and less water.With computer-controlled temperatures and nutrients,the plants grow with less water and produce much higher yields.Above all,the produce can be bred for flavor,instead of for tolerance to heat,rain and long-distance transport.
The carbon footprint of any given greenhouse tomato can vary quite a bit depending on energy sources,surrounding temperatures and natural light.But various studies have estimated that,on average,the production of a pound of tomatoes in an American or Northern European greenhouse releases 3 to 3.5 pounds of carbon into the atmosphere.That is about 6 times the carbon footprint of a field tomato,even taking into account the emissions from refrigerated trucks that often transport field vegetables hundreds or even thousands of miles to reach consumers.Greenhouses,by contrast,can be built near major population centers.
Nevertheless,in a rapidly warming world,should we be increasing agriculture’s contribution by moving some of it indoors?“We have little choice,” say advocates.“With the global population expected to grow by 25 percent to nearly 10 billion people by 2050,food production will need to increase by 60 percent to 100 percent.With freshwater supplies and land suitable for farming decreasing,and droughts getting worse due to climate change,where will this additional food come from?”
1.What does the underlined part “a big change” in paragraph 1 refer to?
A.The rapid increase of population.
B.The threatens of warming the planet.
C.The way to deal with natural disasters.
D.The tendency to grow vegetables indoors.
2.What does controlled environment agriculture mainly focus on?
A.Making crops taste good.
B.Planting crops with less water.
C.Growing crops in extreme weather.
D.Transporting crops from a long distance.
3.What do we know about American greenhouse tomatoes?
A.They are not high-yielding crops.
B.They are not really environmentally friendly.
C.They are grown far from population centers.
D.They are mainly exported to Northern Europe.
4.Which of the following statements may the advocates agree with?
A.Greenhouse planting is a necessary temporizing measure.
B.Greenhouse planting is tailored for small-population nations.
C.Greenhouse planting can help spread the idea of healthy eating.
D.Greenhouse planting should be stopped from warming the world.
