Vertical Gardens 垂直花園
by Marcus Maurice
More than 30 years ago, a French scientist named Patrick Blanc went to Thailand to study plants. This adventurous young man traveled to the heart of a tropical rainforest and set up a platform at the top of the trees. This _(1)_ an easy way for him to access plants that grew high up and he learned a great deal from this journey. Now, Blanc grows his own gardens, but not on the ground like normal people do. _(2)_, he designs gardens with plants that trail gently up any interior or exterior wall, calling them vertical gardens.
While in Thailand, Patrick Blanc ventured to Cambodia and visited the amazing temples of Angkor Wat. _(3)_ he saw there was total devastation of these ancient landmarks by trees and plants. Therefore, in Blanc's designs, the greenery is not attached directly _(4)_ the building. A metal frame, a layer of hard plastic, and felt are put _(5)_ to help the plants grow up the walls. Patrick Blanc calls his designs eco-art or organic wallpaper.
Trendy boutiques _(6)_ Girbaud's in Paris have used his services in their shops. With this interest in his work, Blanc has become the man everyone calls when a building needs a green face-lift. He has _(7)_ museums in Paris, Istanbul, and Madrid with his unique designs. He even made a wedding dress out of ferns and plants for French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier. Blanc's future looks bright as he has contracts to enrich the exterior of a skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur and beautify the interior of a huge office building in Qatar.
1. (A) supported (B) provided (C) released (D) afforded
2. (A) Instead (B) Otherwise (C) Besides (D) Accordingly
3. (A) How (B) That (C) Which (D) What
4. (A) to (B) with (C) by (D) from
5. (A) on call (B) by accident (C) into effect (D) in place
6. (A) up to (B) as long as (C) such as (D) in case of
7. (A) figured out (B) livened up (C) applied to (D) bumped into
原來如此
1. This provided an easy way for him to access plants that grew high up...
理由:
a. (A) support vt. 支持
(B) provide vt. 提供
provide sth for sb 提供某物給某人
= provide sb with sth
例: The company provides apartments for its employees.
(那家公司提供公寓給員工住宿。)
(C) release vt. 釋放
(D) afford vt. 負擔(dān)得起
注意:
afford 通常置于助動詞 can/can't 之后,再接名詞或不定詞作受詞。
can/can't afford + N/to V 負擔(dān)得起∕負擔(dān)不起……
例: Jim can only afford to buy a second-hand car now.
(吉姆目前只買得起二手車。)
b. 根據(jù)語意,此處應(yīng)是橡皮艇『提供』方法讓帕特里克可以接近長在高處的植物,provide 置入后亦符合 "provide sth for sb" 之用法,故選 (B)。
2. Instead, he designs gardens with plants that trail gently up any interior or exterior wall...
理由:
a. (A) instead adv.(反)而
例: We didn't go to the beach. Instead, we went to the movies.
(我們沒去海邊,而是去看電影。)
(B) otherwise adv. 否則,不然
例: Please take these cookies home with you. Otherwise, I'll just throw them away.
(請把這些餅干帶回家,不然我就要丟掉了。)
(C) besides adv. 除此之外
(D) accordingly adv. 因此,于是
例: It's going to rain this weekend; accordingly, we'll have to cancel our picnic.
(這個周末會下雨,因此我們必須取消野餐。)
b. 根據(jù)語意,帕特里克設(shè)計的花園不像一般花園位于地上,『而是』有其獨特的做法,可知應(yīng)選 (A)。
3. What he saw there was total devastation of these ancient landmarks by trees and plants.
理由:
a. 選項 (A) How(如何)為疑問副詞,可引導(dǎo)名詞子句作主要子句中的主詞,但無法作其后及物動詞 saw 的受詞,故不可選。
b. That 可引導(dǎo)名詞子句,但此子句須為完整的句構(gòu),而 he saw there 尚缺受詞,故 (B) 不可選。
c. Which(哪一個)為疑問代名詞,置入后語意不合,故 (C) 亦不可選。
d. 選項 (D) What 可作復(fù)合關(guān)系代名詞,即等于 the thing(s) which,置入后可作 saw 的受詞,符合語意、用法,故為正選。
4. ...the greenery is not attached directly to the building.
理由:
a. 本空格測試下列固定用法:
be attached to... 黏∕系∕附在……
例: The poster was attached to the wall with only a small piece of tape.
(那張海報只用了一小段膠帶貼在墻上。)
b. 根據(jù)上述,可知應(yīng)選 (A)。
5. A metal frame, a layer of hard plastic, and felt are put in place to help the plants grow up the walls.
理由:
a. (A) on call 待命的
例: Even at home, Sandra was on call and was ready to work at any time.
(即使是在家里,珊德拉也隨時待命準(zhǔn)備上工。)
(B) by accident 意外地
(C) be put into effect 使(計劃、想法等)落實
例: There were fewer car accidents after the new traffic laws were put into effect.
(新的交通法規(guī)開始執(zhí)行后,車禍便減少了。)
(D) in place 在適當(dāng)位置
例: The police officers were in place and waiting for the command to storm the building.
(警察各就各位,等待指令進攻那棟大樓。)
b. 根據(jù)語意,金屬框架等這些東西『被放在適當(dāng)位置』來協(xié)助植物生長,可知應(yīng)選 (D)。
6. Trendy boutiques such as Girbaud's in Paris have used his services in their shops.
理由:
a. (A) up to + 數(shù)字 多達……(數(shù)字)
例: This species of snake can be up to four feet long when full grown.
(這品種的蛇成年后可達四英尺長。)
(B) as long as... 長達……;只要……
例: I'll be happy to go to the party with you as long as we can leave early.
(只要我們能早點走,我會很樂意和你去派對。)
(C) such as... 諸如∕像是……
* such as 使用時通常置于復(fù)數(shù)名詞之后。
例: Artists such as Picasso and Van Gogh have inspired me to be a painter.
(像畢加索和梵谷等藝術(shù)家激勵我成為一名畫家。)
(D) in case of... 萬一∕倘若……
例: Phil told me how to get out of the building in case of fire.
(菲爾告訴我萬一有火警時要如何逃到室外。)
b. up to 之后須接數(shù)字,故 (A) 不可選;as long as 語意不合,故亦不可選;(C)、(D) 分別為連接詞和詞組介詞,其后可接名詞,但僅 such as 置入后符合語意,故 (C) 為正選。
7. He has livened up museums in Paris, Istanbul, and Madrid with his unique designs.
理由:
a. (A) figure out... 想清楚∕弄明白……
(B) liven up... 使……活躍起來
例: The DJ was known for being able to liven up any party.
(那名 DJ 以能讓任何派對場子熱起來而為人所知。)
(C) apply to... 向……提出申請
例: The professor suggested that Kent should apply to graduate schools.
(教授建議肯特去申請研究所。)
(D) bump into... 偶遇……
= run into...
= come across...
例: I bumped into our old friend Carol this morning outside the apartment.
(我今早在公寓外頭巧遇我們的老朋友凱蘿。)
b. 根據(jù)語意,可知應(yīng)選 (B)。
精解字詞詞組
1. set up... 豎立∕架設(shè)……
例: Tommy set up a bookshelf with a few pieces of wood.
(湯米用幾塊木板搭成一個書架。)
2. access vt. 接近;可使用
例: Can I access the Internet from this computer?
(這臺計算機可以上網(wǎng)嗎?)
3. a great deal 大量(作代名詞用);非常∕大大地(作副詞用)
例: The company earned a great deal on that investment.
(該公司在那項投資上賺了許多錢。)
例: This new machine speeds up our work a great deal.
(這臺新機器大大加快我們的工作速度。)
例: Studying Latin is a great deal more difficult than studying English.
(學(xué)拉丁文要比學(xué)英文來得困難多了。)
4. venture vi. 冒險;大膽行事
例: Our puppy just hid at first, but soon ventured out of his cage to explore his new surroundings.
(我們的小狗一開始躲起來,但不久就開始冒險走出籠外探索牠的新環(huán)境。)
5. enrich vt. 使豐富,使充實
例: Reading the author's books will surely enrich your life.
(閱讀這位作者的書一定可以使你的人生更加充實。)
單字小鋪
1. vertical a. 垂直的
2. adventurous a. 富冒險精神的
3. rainforest n. 熱帶雨林
4. platform n. 高臺,平臺
5. trail vi.(植物)蔓延
6. interior a. 內(nèi)部的 & n. 內(nèi)部
7. exterior a. 外部的 & n. 外部
8. amazing a. 令人驚奇的
9. devastation n. 破壞;蹂躪
10. landmark n. 地標(biāo)
11. greenery n. 綠色植物
12. frame n. 框架
13. felt n. 毛氈
14. organic a. 有機的
15. trendy a. 流行的
16. boutique n. 精品服飾店
17. face-lift n. 翻新,整修(原指拉皮)
18. fern n. 蕨類植物
19. contract n. 合約
20. skyscraper n. 摩天大樓
21. beautify vt. 使美化
中文翻譯&標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案
三十多年前,一位名叫帕特里克?布蘭的法國科學(xué)家來到泰國研究植物。這位富冒險精神的年輕人旅行到熱帶雨林深處,在樹上搭建平臺,以便接近長在高處的植物,并因此在旅程中獲益良多。而現(xiàn)在,帕特里克開墾自己的花園,但他不像一般人將花草種在地上,而是讓植物沿著內(nèi)墻或外墻緩緩地向上蔓延的垂直花園。
帕特里克?布蘭在泰國時,曾進入柬埔寨參觀吳哥窟驚人的寺廟。他放眼所及盡是這些古老地標(biāo)遭樹木和植物破壞殆盡的景象。因此在他的設(shè)計中,這些綠色植物并不是直接依附在建筑物上。他將金屬框架、堅硬的塑料片和毛氈固定在適當(dāng)?shù)奈恢?,協(xié)助植物往墻上生長。帕特里克將自己的設(shè)計稱為生態(tài)藝術(shù)或有機壁紙。
像巴黎的Girbaud等名牌服飾店都曾聘請帕特里克為他們的店面作設(shè)計?;趯λ髌返呐d趣,當(dāng)某棟建筑物需要綠化時,人們就會去找帕特里克。他用自己獨特的設(shè)計讓巴黎、伊斯坦堡和馬德里的博物館綠意盎然充滿生氣。他甚至用蕨類和植物為法國服裝設(shè)計師高第耶做了一件婚紗。帕特里克的前程似錦,他已簽約替吉隆坡的一棟摩天大樓裝飾外觀,同時也要美化卡達(阿拉伯的一個小國家)某大型辦公大樓的內(nèi)部。
標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案: 1. (B) 2. (A) 3. (D) 4. (A) 5. (D) 6. (C) 7. (B)