2018届高考英语一轮复习 Module 2 The Renaissance No Drugs课时作业提升练 外研版必修2.docVIP

Module 2 The Renaissance No Drugs (建议用时35分钟) Ⅰ. 阅读理解 A 　　As the population grows and temperatures rise, it will become more difficult to grow enough food for everyone. So, scientists are exploring the planet for plants that do not need as much water as today’s crops. The Mojave Desert in the US state of California is home to some of these plants. Scientist Heather Rose Kates of the University of Florida is in that desert. She is searching along roads for a plant called coyote melon which is a kind of squash(南瓜小果). Coyote melon may not taste good, but it can be grown in places that have little rainfall. The desert where it grows gets just 15 to 20 centimeters of rain per year, or less. Other kinds of squash need at least two and a half centimeters per week to grow. Scientists are considering combining wild coyote melon with regular squash to see if they can make a tasty vegetable that doesn’t need as much water to grow. That could be useful on a planet growing warmer and more crowded every day. Andy Jarvis works at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture. He says farmers will need to produce 50 to 70 percent more food by 2050 to feed the world. So, he says, researchers are studying the wild versions of farm-grown crops. But he says there is a problem. He says many wild versions of farmed plants are disappearing. He says they are threatened and scientists have not collected their seeds for future use. Scientist Kates is part of an international effort to gather these plants and save their seeds while it is still possible. Workers are collecting wild potatoes in Argentina and wild peppers in Para-guav. The plants and seeds will be sent for storage to the Global Seed Vault in Norway and at Kew Gardens in Britain. Ms Kates spends most of her time in a laboratory. She says gathering plants has helped her understand more about them. 【文章大意】这是一篇时文报道类文章。科学家们正在研究地球上的植物, 希望能找出耐旱作物并保持植物的多样性。 1. Why do scientists study coyote melon? A. It tastes good. B. It is ea