Researchers have found that when the Iroko tree is grown in dry, acidic soil and treated with a combination of natural fungi (霉菌) and other bacteria, not only does the tree grow well, it also produces the mineral limestone in the soil around its root.

The Iroko tree makes a mineral by combining Ca from the earth with CO2 from the atmosphere. The bacteria then create the conditions under which this mineral turns into limestone. The discovery offers a new way to lock carbon into the soil, keeping it out of the atmosphere. In addition to storing carbon in the trees' leaves and in the form of limestone, the mineral in the soil makes it more suitable for agriculture.

The discovery could lead to reforestation projects in tropical countries, and help reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the developing world. It has already been used in West Africa and is being tested in Bolivia, Haiti and India.

The findings were made in a three-year project involving researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh, Granada, Lausanne and Delft University of Technology. The project examined several microbiological methods of locking CO2 as limestone, and the Iroko-bacteria way showed best results. Work was funded by the European Commission under the Future&Emerging Technologies(FET)scheme.

Dr Bryne Ngwenya of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, who led the research, said："By taking advantage of this natural limestone-producing process, we have a low-tech, safe, readily employed and easily operating way to lock carbon out of the atmosphere, while improving farming conditions in tropical countries."

【1】The passage is mainly introducing ______ .

A.some useful natural fungi and bacteria

B.the soil-enriching limestone created by scientists

C.a newly-found tree in West Africa

D.a new way to deal with greenhouse gas

【2】Which of the following is True about tiny microbes?

A.Tiny microbes get along well with the Iroko tree in special soil.

B.CO2 can be broken down by natural fungi and bacteria.

C.The more greenhouse gas is, the more active tiny microbes become.

D.Most tiny microbes like living in dry, acidic soil.

【3】What does the underlined word "it" in paragraph 3 probably refer to?

A.Carbon dioxide.B.Soil.

C.Carbon.D.Limestone.

【4】According to the passage, what can we infer?

A.The action of the tiny microbes can increase the oxygen in the earth.

B.Researchers tend to use natural power to solve their problem.

C.Researchers have done the experiment on trees in Africa for three years.

D.West Africa is one of the most polluted areas all over the world.

【答案】

【1】D

【2】A

【3】B

【4】B

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。这篇文章主要向我们描述了处理温室气体的新方法，即利用微生物。

【1】主旨大意题。根据文章的主要内容，尤其是第一段 的Tiny microbes(微生物) are at the heart of a new agricultural technique to manage harmful greenhouse gas(微生物正处于一种新的农业技术的核心，以处理有害的温室气体)可知，文章主要介绍处理温室气体的新方法，即利用微生物。D. a new way to deal with greenhouse gas(一种处理温室气体的新方法)符合以上说法，故选D项。

【2】细节理解题。根据文章第二段的 Researchers have found that when the Iroko tree is grown in dry, acidic soil and treated with a combination of natural fungi(霉菌) and other bacteria, not only does the tree grow well, it also produces the mineral limestone in the soil around its root(研究人员发现，当伊洛科树生长在干燥的酸性土壤中，并与天然真菌和其他细菌结合后，它不仅生长良好，还会在根部周围的土壤中产生矿物石灰岩)可知，微小的微生物对在特殊土壤中的易洛子树起着很好的作用。A. Tiny microbes get along well with the Iroko tree in special soil.( 微生物与在特殊土壤中的易洛子树相处融洽)符合以上说法，故选A项。

【3】词义猜测题。根据第三段的In addition to storing carbon in the trees' leaves and in the form of limestone, the mineral in the soil makes it more suitable for agriculture 可知，除了将碳储存在树木的叶子和石灰岩的形式之外，土壤中的矿物质使它更适合农业。结合句意可推测划线词指的是“土壤”。B. Soil.(土壤)符合以上说法，故选B项。

【4】推理判断题。根据文章最后一段的By taking advantage of this natural limestone-producing process, we have a low-tech, safe, readily employed and easily operating way to lock carbon out of the atmosphere, while improving farming conditions in tropical countries (通过利用这种天然石灰石生产工艺，我们拥有了一种低技术含量、安全、易于使用和易于操作的方法，来锁定大气中的碳，同时改善热带国家的农业条件)可推断，研究人员倾向于利用自然力量来解决他们的问题。B. Researchers tend to use natural power to solve their problem(研究者倾向用自然的力量去解决他们的问题)符合以上推测，故选B项。