Plantsarechemicalfactories.Manyofthechemicalsthattheyproduceareusefultohumans.Besidesfoodplantsprovidematerialforpaperbuildingsmedicinesandmanyothers.Scientistsstudythechemicalstotreatcertaintypesofcancer.
Ontheotherhandthefastgrowthofthehumanpopulationischangingtheearthquickly.Onlybyunderstandinghowhumanactivitiesaffectourenvironmentcanwepredictglobalclimatechanges.Scientificstudiesofthesechangesandtheireffectonnaturalecosystemsandcropproductionareofgreatimportancetothefutureofoursociety.
Otherenvironmentalissuessuchaspollutionalsointerestscientists.Manyplantspeciesareespeciallysensitivetocertainpollutants.Scientistsstudytheeffectsofdifferenttypesofpollutiononplants.Theyusetheirresultstoadviselawmakerstomakelawsforenvironmentalprotectionandtosavepricelessnaturalareas.
Byusingplanttissueculture(植物细胞培养),scientistscangrowplantsfromsinglecells.Thishasexcitingpossibilitiesinbiotechnologyforestryandsoon.ForexampletheAmericanchestnutwasonceawidespreadtreeintheEasternforests.Todayithasnearlydisappearedbecauseofadisease-producingfungusthatcauseschestnuttodie.TheAmericanchestnutrecentlyhasbeengrowninplanttissueculture.
Theearth’sbiologicaldiversityorthekindsoflivingthingsaredecreasing.Ashumanschangetheenvironmentfortheirownpurposesplantsandanimalslivingintheseareasbecomeincreasinglyendangered.Scientistsworktoidentifyandunderstandnewplantspeciesespeciallyinsuchbiologicallyrichareasasrainforests.Perhapsaplantundiscoverednowwillbecomeanimportantfoodcrop.Thereareprobablymanyundiscoveredplantsthatproduceusefuldrugstocureortreathumandisease.Biologicaldiversityalsoprovidesanimportantsourceofnewgenestoimprovetheplantswenowuse.Astechniquesofgeneticengineeringimprovesowillourabilitytoimproveourplants.
1.Whichofthefollowingisnottrueaccordingtothispassage?
A.Allthechemicalsweneedareproducedbyplants.
B.Ifwecanunderstandhowhumanactivitiesaffectourenvironmentwecanpredictglobalclimatechanges.
C.Scienceplaysanimport