The connection between people and plants has long been the subject of scientific research. Recent studies have found positive effects. A study conducted in Youngstown，Ohio，for example, discovered that greener areas of the city experienced less crime. In another，employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with houseplants.
人与植物之间的联系长期以来一直是科学研究的主题。最近的研究发现了一些积极的效果。例如，在俄亥俄州扬斯敦进行的一项研究发现，城市中绿化程度较高的地区犯罪率较低。另一项研究显示，当员工的工作场所装饰有室内植物时，他们的工作效率提高了15%。

The engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology（MIT）have taken it a step further changing the actual composition of plants in order to get them to perform diverse，even unusual functions. These include plants that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when they’re short of water and a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater. ＂We’re thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the things that we use every day,＂explained Michael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT.
麻省理工学院（MIT）的工程师们更进一步，改变了植物的实际组成，使它们能够执行多样化甚至不寻常的功能。这些包括在叶子上打印传感器以显示它们何时缺水的植物，以及能够检测地下水中有害化学物质的植物。麻省理工学院化学工程教授迈克尔·斯特拉诺解释说：“我们正在考虑如何通过工程手段让植物取代我们日常使用的东西的功能。”

One of his latest projects has been to make plants grow（发光）in experiments using some common vegetables. Strano’s team found that they could create a faint light for three-and-a-half hours. The light，about one-thousandth of the amount needed to read by，is just a start. The technology, Strano said, could one day be used to light the rooms or even to turn tree into self-powered street lamps.
他的最新项目之一是利用一些常见的蔬菜进行实验，使植物发光。斯特拉诺的团队发现，他们能够创造出持续三个半小时的微弱光线。这种光线，大约是阅读所需光线量的千分之一，只是一个开始。斯特拉诺表示，这项技术有一天可能被用来照亮房间，甚至将树木变成自给自足的路灯。

in the future，the team hopes to develop a version of the technology that can be sprayed onto plant leaves in a one-off treatment that would last the plant’s lifetime. The engineers are also trying to develop an on and off＂switch＂where the glow would fade when exposed to daylight.
在未来，团队希望开发一种可以一次性喷涂在植物叶子上并持续植物一生的技术版本。工程师们还在尝试开发一个开关，使得在日光下，发光会减弱。

Lighting accounts for about 7% of the total electricity consumed in the US. Since lighting is often far removed from the power source（电源）—such as the distance from a power plant to street lamps on a remote highway-a lot of energy is lost during transmission（传输）.
在美国，照明占总电力消耗的约7%。由于照明通常远离电源——例如，从发电厂到偏远公路上的路灯的距离——在传输过程中会损失大量能量。

Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy.
发光植物可以缩短这个距离，从而帮助节省能源。

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?
   A. A new study of different plants.
   B. A big fall in crime rates.
   C. Employees from various workplaces.
   D. Benefits from green plants.
   答案：D

2. What is the function of the sensors printed on plant leaves by MIT engineer?
   A. To detect plants’ lack of water
   B. To change compositions of plants
   C. To make the life of plants longer.
   D. To test chemicals in plants.
   答案：A

3. What can we expect of the glowing plants in the future?
   A. They will speed up energy production.
   B. They may transmit electricity to the home.
   C. They might help reduce energy consumption.
   D. They could take the place of power plants.
   答案：C

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
   A. Can we grow more glowing plants?
   B. How do we live with glowing plants?
   C. Could glowing plants replace lamps?
   D. How are glowing plants made pollution-free?
   答案：C