阅读理解。
Superman had it right if you want to keep something safe, build a mountain fortress (堡垒) above the
Arctic Circle. That's the thinking-more or less-behind the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (地窖). Almost every
nation keeps collections of native seeds so local crops can be replanted in case of an agricultural disaster.
The Global Seed Vault, opened on the far-northern Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, is a backup for the
backups. It's badly needed-as many as half the seed banks in developing countries are at risk from natural
disasters. The vault can hold up to 4.5 million samples, which will be kept dry at about -18℃. Even if the
facility (设施) loses power, the Arctic climate should keep the seeds alive for thousands of years.
On an unusual old farm in New York City, workers are also storing away the seeds of the future. In this
unlikely place, researchers are putting the seeds from flowering plants and trees in a sleeplike state called
suspended animation (假死状态). Many years from now, other workers will wake up the sleeping seeds and
plant them where they're most needed. These seeds are like the legendary (传说中的) Rip van Winkle, who
fell asleep under a tree and woke up 20 years later. The small farm, called the Greenbelt Native Plant Center,
is part of a global effort to save threatened (受到威胁的) plants and trees. The most important step is to
collect seeds at exactly the right time-when they are just about ready to fall from the plant. The seeds are
being kept in storage at the Greenbelt Center. When planted in the future, these seeds could help restore
damaged parklands and forests.
1. Why is the Global Seed Vault located in a far-northern Norwegian island?
A. Because it is a place to keep everything safe.
B. Because half the seed banks in developing countries are at risk.
C. Because the climate there is fit for keeping seeds for a long time.
D. Because it is the best place to fight against agricultural disasters.
2. The Greenbelt Native Plant Center in New York City is unusual because _____.
A. it is an old farm in a big city
B. it is the largest seed company in the world
C. it is set up to save the threatened plants and trees
D. it stores the seeds of most kinds of plants in New York City
3. To store the seeds well and last as long as possible, the most important thing is to _____.
A. collect seeds at the right time
B. store them at a constant temperature
C. dry them in specially designed rooms
D. make it enter a state of suspended animation
4. The passage is mainly about _____.
A. Global Seed Vault
B. saving seeds for the future
C. the challenges of collecting seeds for storage
D. the efforts made by Greenbelt Center to save plants
