科学家开发旨在恢复珊瑚礁的3D打印人工礁盘
科学家开发旨在恢复珊瑚礁的3D打印人工礁盘

Long-suffering coral reefs may begin to regrow with a promising new technology. The coral population has declined heavily due to red tides, pollution, and increased water traffic in the Double Island area of Sai Kung. For a restoration project commissioned by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), marine scientists and architects from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have co-developed large terra cotta (an ancient form of porous fired-clay pottery) tiles to provide habitats for new coral growth and for the many species which depend on the coral for a home.
About two feet in diameter, the 128 tiles form a grid covering 430 square feet of ocean floor across three distinct sites. Each tile has a structure that looks like a human brain and provides many places for coral to take root. Scientists believe the clay material will help fragile coral grasp the surface.
The tiles are made by 3D printing with terra cotta clay and firing the tiles at extremely high heat. This fusion of ancient material and modern method allows for the unique design and porous, textured surface of the tile. Scientists believe both factors will make the tiles an ideal habitat for coral regrowth.
Placing the tiles this summer, the marine experts at Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) at HKU will observe coral growth over the next two years. Collaborating with the Robotic Fabrication Lab of the Faculty of Architecture, the scientists intend to extend their experimentation by creating a variety of tile designs through 3D printing. In this way the tiles can be designed to fit with the needs of a specific marine environment. Terra cotta tiles are a promising eco-friendly method to help revive and replace the coral reefs which are critical to the ocean ecology.

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1.What may improve the growth of corals?

A Red tides.

B Ocean pollution.

C The use of new technology.

D Heavy water traffic.

解析：选C。细节理解题。根据文章第一段第一、二句Long-suffering coral reefs may begin to regrow with a promising new technology. The coral population has declined heavily due to red tides, pollution, and increased water traffic in the Double Island area of Sai Kung. 可知，由于西贡双岛地区红潮、污染和水上交通的增加，珊瑚数量急剧减少。但新技术的运用可能会让长期受苦的珊瑚礁开始再生，故选C。

2.Which is NOT mentioned about terra cotta tiles in Paragraph 2?

A How they are like.

B What size they are.

C What the production process is.

D What the function is.

解析：选C。细节理解题。根据文章第二段内容可知，直径约2英尺的128块瓷砖形成了一个网格，覆盖430平方英尺的海底，跨越三个不同的地点。每块砖都有一个看起来像人脑的结构，为珊瑚提供了许多扎根的地方。科学家们相信这种粘土材料可以帮助脆弱的珊瑚抓住表面，其制作过程并未提到，故选C。

3.The underlined word “fusion” in Paragraph 3 means _______.

A exclusion

B relationship

C connection

D combination

解析：选D。词义猜测题。根据文章第三段下文Scientists believe both factors will make the tiles an ideal habitat for coral regrowth.可知，科学家们相信这两个因素的叠加将使这些砖成为珊瑚再生的理想栖息地，由此猜测fusion意为“结合”，故选D。

4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A The marine experts can get the results of experiments in two years.

B Terra cotta tiles have been first used in the polluted marine areas.

C The restoration of marine ecology is a long-term and difficult task.

D Scientists will attempt to improve designs to make tiles more adaptable.

解析：选D。推理判断题。根据文章最后一段...the scientists intend to extend their experimentation by creating a variety of tile designs through 3D printing. In this way the tiles can be designed to fit with the needs of a specific marine environment.可知，科学家们打算通过3D打印创建各种砖的设计来扩展他们的实验。这样，这些砖的设计就能适应特定海洋环境的需要。由此推测科学家们将尝试改进设计，使砖更具适应性，故选D。