Scientistsaretryingtocopytheprocessofphotosynthesis（光合作...

问题详情：

Scientists are trying to copy the process of photosynthesis（光合作用）by making a “man-made leaf” to produce clean power.

Through photosynthesis plants use sunlight to change water and carbon dioxide into sugar. It is the most effective use of solar energy on the earth. All the power needed in a year could be met by the energy contained in the sunlight hitting the earth in one hour.

Researchers at Imperial College in London have begun a ￡1 million study of the so-called “man-made leaf”, hoping to produce a system that can produce clean energy the way leaves do, The Guardian reports. It could be used in fuel cells to make electricity and to power clean vehicles without harming the environment.

Scientists forecast that if man-made photosynthesis systems could use 10 percent of the sunlight falling on them they would only need to cover 0.16 percent of the earth’s surface to satisfy global energy needs.

James Barber, a biologist at the college and leader of the project, tells The Guardian, “If a leaf can do it, we can do it even better. It doesn’t mean that you try to imitate the leaf exactly. The key lies in the basic principle of how it works. Leonardo da Vinci tried to design flying machines with feathers, but in the end we’ve built planes like 747s and Airbus 380s, completely different from birds, and in many ways better.”

“The challenge is to get hydrogen（*气）out of water using a ready supply of energy,” Barber adds. Scientists can already produce hydrogen by breaking down water, but the process is quite expensive. John Loughhead, executive director of the UK Energy Research Centre, tells The Guardian, “ We know that, since plants have already evolved to do it, it’s fundamentally（基本上） a workable process on a large scale. In the long run, the only sustainable（可持续的）form of energy we’ve got is the sun. What makes this look really interesting is that we’re starting from a base we know is workable.

32. If scientists succeed, what will the “man-made leaf” provide?

   A. Sugar.               B. Water and carbon dioxide.

   C. Clean power.          D. Electricity.

33. Why is Leonardo da Vinci mentioned in Paragraph 5?

   A. He tried to design flying machines with feathers, similar to what researchers developing the man-made leaf have in mind.

   B. Real planes are completely different from the ones he imagined, just as the “man-made leaf” will be different from a real one.

   C. It was his invention that inspired the scientists to design the “man-made leaf”.

   D. Planes are better than the machines he designed, so the “man-made leaf” will be better than a real one.

34. What will be a breakthrough for the “man-made leaf” project?

   A. How to get hydrogen out of water cheaply.

   B. How to copy the process of photosynthesis.

   C. How to get enough sunlight and hydrogen.

   D. How to get enough funds to support the research.

35. What is the researchers’ attitude toward this project?

   A. Positive.      B       . Negative.       C. Objective.       D. Passive.

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