Question

When most people think of giant pandas, the pictures of the cute, black-and-white bears from China that eat bamboo will immediately jump into their mind. Scientists from Mississippi State University, however, are interested in what they leave behind: their poop(排泄物). At a recent meeting in Denver, Professor Brown at the university presented her research showing how panda poop could inspire a new way to obtain energy from plants, which are a renewable energy source. Usually, plants can be called biomass(有机燃料) when they are used as an energy source.

     Burning biomass is one way to capture its energy, but Brown hopes panda poop can teach scientists something about breaking down biomass. Pandas—or at least the bacteria in their stomachs—are very good at getting energy out of bamboo. Unlike cows, which use 4 stomachs to digest large amounts of grass, a panda has only one stomach. Bamboo comes in, and poop goes out.

     Every day for 14 months, Brown and her team on this project, counted the bacteria in the poop of the two pandas, YaYa and LeLe living at the Memphis Zoo. Her studies turned up 12 species of bacteria that break down biomass, including one that had never been found in pandas. Brown says that because the poop contains bacteria that break down biomass, it could also be used to break down other types of biomass.

     Now the scientists hope to identify the chemicals that help with the process of breaking down biomass and then figure out how the bacteria work. If those chemicals can be made in the lab, they could be used to turn biomass—like grass or other plants—into fuel.

     Brown says she doesn’t mind handling panda poop. “It’s probably the most pleasant material to work with,” she says, “My colleagues and I have been working with other poop for a long time, and we can assure you it has a fairly pleasant smell associated with it.”

1.The importance of studying panda poop is _______.

A. to create a renewable energy from plants    

B. to explore a new way to get energy from plants

C. to learn a lesson of energy from panda poop 

D. to figure out how the bacteria work for us mankind

2.The process of the panda poop project can be described as ______.

a. Identify the chemicals helpful to break down biomass. b. Find the bacteria in panda poop which break down bamboo. c. Reproduce the chemicals in the lab to turn biomass into energy. d. Analyze how the bacteria in panda poop work in panda’s stomach.

A. a, b, d, c           B. a, d, c, b           C. b, a, d, c           D. b, d, a, c

3.What does the author mainly want to express in the 2nd paragraph?

A. Pandas don’t digest bamboo the same way as cows.

B. Pandas are capable of getting energy using stomachs.

C. Pandas can get energy from bamboo more efficiently.

D. Scientists have learnt something new from panda poop.

4.What does Professor Brown think of working with panda poop?

A. Sick             B. Challenging          C. Inspiring            D. Enjoyable

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.C

4.D

【解析】本文主要讲述了研究发现熊猫的排泄物中可以得到能量以及科学家研究的过程。

1.细节理解题。 根据地一段第三句话At a recent meeting in Denver, Professor Brown at the university presented her research showing how panda poop could inspire a new way to obtain energy from plants, which are a renewable energy source.可知答案为B。

2.细节排序题。 根据文章第三段最后一句话及第四段内容可知，答案为C。

3.主旨理解题。有第二段可知，通过panada与cow食物消化的对比可知，熊猫更擅长于从竹子中得到能量。

4.细节理解题。 从最后一段Brown says she doesn’t mind handling panda poop. “It’s probably the most pleasant material to work with,”可知，答案为D.