B

When John Todd was a child, he loved to explore the woods around his house, observing how nature solved problems. A dirty stream, for example, often became clear after flowing through plants and along rocks where tiny creatures lived. When he got older, John started to wonder if this process could be used to clean up the messes people were making.

After studying agriculture, medicine, and fisheries in college, John went back to observing nature and asking questions. Why can certain plants trap harmful bacteria (细菌)? Which kinds of fish can eat cancer-causing chemicals? With the right combination of animals and plants, he figured, maybe he could clean up waste the way nature did. He decided to build what he would later call an eco-machine.

The task John set for himself was to remove harmful substances from some sludge (污泥). First, he constructed a series of clear fiberglass tanks connected to each other. Then he went around to local ponds and streams and brought back some plants and animals. He placed them in the tanks and waited. Little by little, these different kinds of life got used to one another and formed their own ecosystem. After a few weeks, John added the sludge.

-秀司智网7cab8651公技学a802升习慧上广高有b655径东2d6d科途4925fffe软件43fa优心元限 He was amazed at the results. The plants and animals in the eco-machine took the sludge as food and began to eat it! Within weeks, it had all been digested, and all that was left was pure water.

Over the years, John has taken on many big jobs. He developed a greenhouse — like facility that treated sewage (污水) from 1,600 homes in South Burlington. He also designed an eco-machine to clean canal water in Fuzhou, a city in southeast China.

“Ecological design” is the name John gives to what he does. “Life on Earth is kind of a box of spare parts for the inventor,” he says. “You put organisms in new relationships and observe what’s happening. Then you let these new systems develop their own ways to self-repair.”

4. What can we learn about John from the first two paragraphs?

A. He was fond of traveling. B. He enjoyed being alone.

C. He had an inquiring mind. D. He longed to be a doctor.

5. Why did John put the sludge into the tanks?

A. To feed the animals. B. To build an ecosystem.

C. To protect the plants. D. To test the eco-machine.

6. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning Fuzhou?

广高径是网7cab8651径学a802件43fa术东2d6d元优心4f720b2560eb公4f92有b655径-秀科升习途4925fffe慧上a67b4c1e软高司智技1edb限 A. To review John’s research plans. B. To show an application of John’s idea.

C. To compare John’s different jobs. D. To erase doubts about John’s invention.

7. What is the basis for John’s work?

A. Nature can repair itself. B. Organisms need water to survive.

C. Life on Earth is diverse. D. Most tiny creatures live in groups.

【答案】4. C 5. D 6. B 7. A

【解析】

【导语】这是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了John Todd从小就很爱思考且好学，他建造了一个生态机器，利用自然可以自我修复的原理来净化污水。

【4题详解】

细节理解题。根据第一段“When John Todd was a child, he loved to explore the woods around his house, observing how nature solved problems. A dirty stream, for example, often became clear after flowing through plants and along rocks where tiny creatures lived. When he got older, John started to wonder if this process could be used to clean up the messes people were making. (当约翰·托德还是个孩子的时候，他喜欢探索房子周围的树林，观察大自然是如何解决问题的。例如，一条肮脏的小溪流经植物和微小生物居住的岩石后，往往会变得清澈。长大后，约翰开始思考这个过程是否可以用来清理人们制造的混乱)”以及第二段“After studying agriculture, medicine, and fisheries in college, John went back to observing nature and asking questions. Why can certain plants trap harmful bacteria (细菌)? Which kinds of fish can eat cancer-causing chemicals? (在大学学习了农业、医学和渔业之后，约翰又回到了观察自然和提出问题的生活中。为什么某些植物能捕获有害细菌?哪些鱼类会食用致癌化学物质?)”可知，约翰聪颖好学、好奇心很强。故选C。

-秀科技1edb途4925fffe软高acc0499e限量术454d司智a1598caa有b655径得慧上a67b4c1e4eb9得学a802公4f929ff23553是优心4f720b2560eb量件43fa术东2d6d升习费de89网7cab8651径广高径是元【5题详解】

细节理解题。根据第三段“After a few weeks, John added the sludge. (几个星期后，约翰把污泥加了进去)”以及倒数第三段“He was amazed at the results. The plants and animals in the eco-machine took the sludge as food and began to eat it! Within weeks, it had all been digested, and all that was left was pure water. (他对结果感到惊讶。生态机器里的动植物把污泥当成了食物，开始吃了起来!几周之内，它就被消化了，只剩下纯净水)”可知，约翰把污泥放进罐子里是为了测试生态机器。故选D。

【6题详解】

推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“Over the years, John has taken on many big jobs. He developed a greenhouse — like facility that treated sewage (污水) from 1,600 homes in South Burlington. He also designed an eco-machine to clean canal water in Fuzhou, a city in southeast China. (这些年来，约翰承担了许多重大工作。他开发了一个类似温室的设施，可以处理来自南伯灵顿1600户家庭的污水。他还设计了一种生态机器来清洁中国东南部城市福州的运河水)”可推知，作者提到福州的目的是展示约翰想法的应用。故选B。

【7题详解】

推理判断题。根据最后一段“You put organisms in new relationships and observe what’s happening. Then you let these new systems develop their own ways to self-repair. (你把生物体放在新的关系中，观察会发生什么。然后让这些新系统自行发展自我修复的方式)”可知，约翰工作的基础是自然可以自我修复。故选A。

编辑：小徐