话题五 农业发展

Ⅰ.阅读

A

Big changes in agriculture are taking place in Singapore. The small, Southeast Asian nation is leading a farming revolution, according to the Reuters news agency.

Singapore covers around 720 square kilometers of land and only one percent of that land area is used for agriculture. Food production costs are higher there than the rest of Southeast Asia. As climate change and population growth threaten food supplies, the pressure on new farmers is to answer the government's call to “grow more with less”．

“Whenever I talk about food security in Singapore, I tell people not to think about land—think about space, because you can go upwards and sideways，” said Paul Teng, an agriculture professor at Nanyang Technological University.

There are more than 30 vertical (垂直的) farms in Singapore—ones that grow up, not across, the land. Sustenir Agriculture is one of these businesses. Its hydroponic (无土栽培的) farm grows non-native foods like cherry tomatoes and strawberries inside buildings under artificial lighting. Then it sells the produce to local supermarkets and online stores. Sustenir raised $16 million from investors (投资者) last year. The money will be used to expand operations in Singapore.

However, not everyone thinks the new technology is best. Egg farmer William Ho says the government should not depend so much on agriculture technology businesses. “Many of them have failed. That's why I'm always asking the government why it doesn't invest in us old-timers. We

are more practical，” he said. Professor Paul Teng said an issue for urban farmers is that the high cost of the technology makes their products too pricey for many people.

1．What does the second paragraph mainly discuss? A．High food production costs.

B．Reasons for changes in agriculture. C．Agricultural technology businesses. D．Sale expansion of food markets.

2．Which is the way to achieve food security according to Paul Teng? A．Exploring more space. B．Buying more food. C．Enlarging farmland. D．Investing more money.

3．What do we know about the old-timers?

A．They work on high-tech farms.

B．They benefit from pricey products. C．They reduce production costs.

D．They need the government's support.

4．Where is this passage probably taken from? A．A guidebook. B．A brochure. C．A newspaper. D．A journal.

B

Food blogs, celebrities, and nutritionists all advocate the benefits of eating organic (有机的) fruit and vegetables. But a new study published in Science Advances paints a more complex picture. While organic produce is likely slightly healthier to eat and, in some ways, more sustainable to grow, there are also downsides. Organic fruit and vegetables typically cost more than conventional ones. To get a certificate as organic, farmers must meet specific criteria, including growing produce without the use of genetic engineering and chemical inputs. Without these methods, the growing process typically requires

more labour, time, and money, the costs that are passed on to consumers.

It's true that in many ways, organic farming is more sustainable than conventional farming. But when it comes to environmental concerns such as greenhouse gas emission and water loss, the comparison gets complex. Organic farms produce fewer greenhouse gases per acre. However, because they are barred from using genetic engineering, pesticides (杀虫剂), and other methods that increase efficiency (效率), organic farms also produce an estimated 19% to 25% less yield than conventional farms. While there isn't a whole lot of research on the topic, the few studies that do exist suggest greenhouse gas output and water loss might actually be higher on organic farms, on a per unit basis, says the study author Verena Seufert.

In addition, while organic produce is likely more nutritious than conventional fruit and vegetables, there's not a lot of evidence to support the claim that these often slight differences influence consumer health. The same is true for the pesticide remainder. In developed countries, where pesticide use is tightly regulated, there's no scientific consensus (共识) on how these often slight differences influence human health.

Still, Seufert stresses that if you can afford to eat organic produce, you should do so. Organic farms provide safer work environments for workers, plus they support great biodiversity (生物多样性). The real point from her study is not that organic produce is bad but that the practice needs more studies to increase the yield without lowering sustainability.

But if you can't afford to buy organic produce, don't stress too much, particularly from a nutritional perspective.

5．What does the underlined word “downsides” in Paragraph 1 most probably mean? A．Dangers. B．Drawbacks. C．Benefits. D．Differences.

6．Which key factor makes it complicated to compare organic farming with conventional farming when it comes to environmental concerns?

A．The yield. B．The price. C．The water loss. D．The labour.

7．Which of the following will the author most probably agree with? A．Farmers' work environment should be improved. B．Organic produce should be made more efficiently. C．It isn't wise for consumers to buy organic products.

D．The pesticide remainder does no harm to people's health.

C

Have you ever heard of agritourism where you can experience the farm life? If not, Dr. Cindy Ayers-Elliott will tell you the real story of Foot Print Farms.

The original concept of building Foot Print Farms was simple. When Ayers-Elliott returned to

her hometown after graduation, she didn't have to look any further than her state's alarming health statistics to find a mission. Everywhere she turned, there were reports of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and heart disease. “The problem was already identified，” explains Ayers-Elliott. “Too many Mississippians were seriously unhealthy and it didn't take research to see that. And many of the state's greatest health challenges could directly result from poor diet.”

These days, Foot Print Farms, which started with a few raised beds of herbs and vegetables, is making fresh, naturally grown food. “When speaking of the key to my success, the co-op model

works because we share the work and rewards，” notes Ayers-Elliott “A perfect example is the

Wingfield High School football team. To earn the money for equipment and other items, players committed to working five hours a week on the farm, and by the end of the summer they produced 1,000 melons and the profits from their sales helped to buy weights, T-shirts, sweat suits and

pregame meals. But the lessons they learned about the rewards of hard work and working together to accomplish something were even more valuable products of their efforts.”

“It's a model that can easily be learned in other places and I'm looking forward to seeing some of our current partners do just that—to take what they have learned here and spin it off in other communities.” Ayers-Elliott remarks. She is now looking forward to developing an

agritourism area to the farm, where visitors can experience the farm life, learn new skills and take with them seeds of inspiration they can sow in their own communities when they return home.

8．What made Ayers-Elliott set up Foot Print Farms?

A．The problems faced by local farmers. B．Her further research into heart disease. C．The failure of her career after graduation. D．The health state of people in her hometown.

9．Why does the author take the football team as an example? A．To advocate the concept of independence. B．To stress the importance of teamwork. C．To support the idea of co-op model.

D．To explore the key to success. 10．What is Ayers-Elliott's attitude towards the future of Foot Print Farms?

A．Optimistic. B．Skeptical. C．Cautious. D．Ambiguous. 11．What is the main idea of the text?

A．Naturally grown food benefits people's health.

B．Food Print Farms is making a difference in Mississippi. C．Ayers-Elliott encourages people to experience the farm life.

D．Agritourism is becoming increasingly popular in America. Ⅱ.七选五

A garden that's just right for you

Have you ever visited a garden that seemed just right for you, where the atmosphere of the garden appeared to total more than the sum (总和) of its parts? __1__. But it doesn't happen by accident. It starts with looking inside yourself and understanding who you are with respect to the natural world and how you approach the gardening process.

·__2__ Some people may think that a garden is no more than plants, flowers, patterns and masses of color. Others are concerned about using gardening methods that require less water and fewer fertilizers (肥料). __3__. However, there are a number of other reasons that might explain why you want to garden. One of them comes from our earliest years.

·Recall (回忆) your childhood memories

Our model of what a garden should be often goes back to childhood. Grandma's rose garden and Dad's vegetable garden might be good or bad, but that's not what's important. __4__—how being in those gardens made us feel. If you'd like to build a powerful bond with your garden, start by taking some time to recall the gardens of your youth. __5__. Then go outside and work out a plan to translate your childhood memories into your grown-up garden. Have fun.

A．Know why you garden

B．Find a good place for your own garden

C．It's our experience of the garden that matters D．It's delightful to see so many beautiful flowers

E．Still others may simply enjoy being outdoors and close to plants

F．You can produce that kind of magical quality in your own garden, too G．For each of those gardens, write down the strongest memory you have