1．    Rice now has its own big data platform，claimed a conference in early April.Led by the China National Rice Research Institute，the platform records data throughout every，stage of rice production，including collection，storage，and analysis.It will also regularly publish reports to improve the service of rice production，providing convenience to farmers.Apart from big data，other technology is aiding agriculture in China in recent years.
    Flying above
    Drones（無(wú)人機(jī)）play an important role in farming this spring. "Using drones to spread the nutrient solution（營(yíng)養(yǎng)液）is a lot safer than doing it manually（手動(dòng)地）， "Shi Zhenhai，a farmer in Henan who is responsible for about 119 hectares of wheat fields said.Shi added that the flying machines greatly improved efficiency.The more advanced drones that the farmer bought recently can be filled with 50 liters of liquid，which can be used to cover about 3.4 hectare farmland.With four drones working at the same time，it only takes three hours to finish spreading the solution over all of Shi's land.
    Monitoring on their own
    A smart glass greenhouse used to grow tomatoes features more than 120 patented technologies.Located in Shandong，the demonstration base covers' about 80，000 square meters but requires very few workers.
    Sensors collect information about the plants，such as the humidity（濕度）of the environment，the condition of sunlight and heat，and whether the room is ventilated（通風(fēng)）enough. It is then uploaded to a platform to be analyzed.The correct levels of water and fertilizer are supplied to crops by the automatic irrigation system，Robots and other devices are used to pick and transport tomatoes.
    With facilities to store heat，the structure does not use huge amounts of energy in winter，unlike traditional greenhouses. "Growing crops in a controlled environment enables farmers to produce high-quality plants，maintain high food safety standards，and avoid the use of pesticides，" Wang Haiguang at the operations office of the greenhouse said.

（1）How do the drones play a part in farming？
A．Spread the seeds.
B．Work at high altitudes.
C．Improve the working efficiency.
D．Provide early warning in wheat fields.
（2）What does "It" underlined in paragraph 4 refer to？
A．The information.
B．The sensor.
C．The humidity.
D．The robot.
（3）With the help of the advanced technology，farmers can enjoy many benefits EXCEPT .
A．a(chǎn)pplying big data platform
B．a(chǎn)voiding the use of pesticides
C．producing high-quality plants
D．using huge amounts of energy in winter
（4）Where is the text most likely to come from？
A．A book on eating habits.
B．A magazine about high-tech agriculture.
C．An article on the introduction to drones.
D．An environmental conservation booklet.

2．Our solar system might be crazier than we once thought.Scientists say that deep within Uranus（天王星） and Neptune（海王星）it rains diamonds.
   On Earth，diamonds form under extreme heat and pressure.The inside of Uranus and Neptune also has high temperatures and pressures.What's more，the blue planets are largely made up of icy water and gases such as methane（甲烷）.
   So scientists have long believed that deep inside the two planets，the heat and pressure turn the methane into hydrogen（氫）and carbon（碳）.Then diamond rain would form，falling toward the center of the planets.
   But no one could prove that this would really work-until now.In a study published recently in the journal Nature Astronomy，scientists say they were able to create this kind of "diamond rain" in a lab，reported The Guardian.
   Scientists used high-powered lasers to create pairs of shockwaves through a kind of plastic.The plastic is made from hydrogen and carbon，much like methane.The shockwaves created high pressure and heat，like that inside Uranus and Neptune.
   "The experimental time is very short，" Dominik Kraus，lead author of the study，told The Guardian. "That we saw this very clear signature of diamonds was actually very，very surprising."
   The diamonds created in the lab were tiny，only a few nanometers（納米）wide.Scientists believe that diamonds would be much larger within Neptune and Uranus.Then they might slowly sink toward the planet's center because of gravity.

（1）What factors are needed to form diamonds？
A．Icy water and gases.
B．Hydrogen and carbon.
C．Extreme heat and pressure.
D．High-powered lasers.
（2）What does the underlined word mean in the last paragraph？
A．Unsuccessful.
B．Natural.
C．Real.
D．Small.
（3）How did scientists prove the theory of forming diamond？
A．By giving examples.
B．By doing experiments.
C．By explaining statistical data.
D．By stating argument.
（4）What can be referred from the text？
A．There are many high-powered lasers in Neptune and Uranus.
B．Scientists long believe that there are diamonds inside Neptune and Uranus.
C．The shockwaves inside Neptune and Uranus crate high pressure and heat.
D．Deep inside Neptune and Uranus could be full of diamonds.

3．    The joys of that round and flat vessel，or lunch-box，consist（1）its having a cover on top.The action of opening it already makes your mouth water，especially if you don't yet know（2）is inside，because，for example，it's your wife who（3） （prepare） the vessel for you every morning.Once the box （uncover），you see your food packed there.All are neatly arranged（5） the continents and oceans are set on the maps of the globe.
    Marcovaldo，the handyman（ 勤雜 工 ），having open the lid of his box and（6）（immediate） breathed in its pleasant smell，grabs the cutlery（餐具） that he has always carried in his pocket， （7） （wrap） in a bundle（捆）.Then anxiously，the first forkfuls have already been raised to the mouth.
    The immediate sensation is the（8）（sad） of eating cold food，but the next second，the joys begin again，as you find the flavors of the family board transported to an unusual setting.Marcovaldo has now begun chewing slowly：he is seated on a bench by an avenue，near the place （9）he works.He brings his lunch in the box，bought for the purpose.The benefits are plain（10） （see）.His house is far away and to go there at noon costs time and tram tickets.