Question

    Pieter Hoff retired from the flower export business seven years ago. Now, he is trying to help people grow trees and plants in the desert—and save water.

    In many places, much of the freshwater supply is used for irrigation. Yet most of that water may be lost through evaporation(蒸发) into the air. So Pieter Hoff has invented a simple plastic device called the Groasis Waterboxx. He says “If you look at nature, and I give an example, if you look to the Rocky Mountains, you find trees all over the mountains. So trees are actually able to grow on rocks. They have very strong roots. ”

    He says the trick is that nature does not dig a hole like we humans do to plant seeds. Nature plants the seeds through birds or animals on top of the soil. Their waste then acts as a cover. It prevents the humidity(湿度) in the soil from evaporating. The Dutch inventor says he is simply copying that system.

    Some people call the Waterboxx a water battery. The cover has deep ridges. These collect rainwater. But the device is designed to collect water even when there is no rain. The cover gets cold during the night and creates condensation(凝结).

    The water is collected through two holes through which water is carried to the soil. Pieter Hoff says the nice thing is that, once collected, the water is not able to evaporate anymore.

    The roots of the plant may have to grow several meters deep to reach groundwater. Once growth is established, the box can be removed and used to start another planting.

    Pieter Hoff says he is now doing experiments with twenty thousand Waterboxxes in countries including Pakistan, Ecuador and the United States. The reusable box now sells for about fifteen dollars.

64. The reason why Pieter Hoff invented the Groasis Waterboxx is probably that he tried to _______ .

A. solve the problem of evaporation

B. provide freshwater in the desert

C. do experiments with the Waterboxx

D. irrigate more trees and flowers

65. Pieter Hoff got his idea of inventing Groasis Waterboxx by _______ .

A. doing the flower export business

B. carrying fresh water for irrigation

C. studying the system of nature’s planting seeds

D. collecting water when there’s no rain

66. According to Paragraphs 2 and 3, Pieter Hoff actually means _______ .

A. you can find trees on the Rocky Mountains

B. most fresh water is used to water plants

C. nature can save water by itself

D. humans dig holes to plant seeds

67. According to the passage, we can infer the Waterboxx _______ .

A. is needed before the roots of plants come out

B. cannot create condensation through its cover

C. sells well in many countries

D. can only be used once

Answer 1

  本文讲述了Pieter Hoff发明的the Waterboxx将有助于在沙漠中种树。

64.解析：选A。细节理解题。根据第二段可知，沙漠中大部分的水分是被蒸发的，所以Pieter Hoff发明the Waterboxx的初衷是解决这一难题，故选A项。

65.解析：选C。细节理解题。根据第三段第二、三、四句的“Nature plants the seeds. . . in the soil from evaporating. ”可知他是通过研究大自然中植物播种的原理才产生发明的灵感。

66.解析：选C。段落大意题。在第三段中，Pieter Hoff 解释了他这一发明的由来：他是从大自然的运行中得出灵感的，大自然可以自己蓄水灌溉植物。

67.解析：选A。推理判断题。根据文章内容可推知，只有当植物在地下扎根后，才可以将the Waterboxx拿走进行重复使用，以帮助其他植物生长；且the Waterboxx目前仍在试验，并未提及畅销一事。故只有A项正确。