Okra has long been a standard in cuisines throughout the world, but do you know it has a technical use as well? It can lower the level of water pollution. Scientists recently have discovered that okra goo , along with other plant extracts, is effective inremoving microplasticsfrom polluted water.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that result fromboth commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics. They enter the water system through the disposal of plastics in sewageor industrial wastewater. As a pollutant, microplastics can be harmful tothe environment and human health.
Currently, microplastics are removed from water supplies by two steps. One is toskim off the plastic particles floating on top, which can only remove a fraction of the total contaminants. The other is applying a fossil fuel-based gelto water, but the gel is also potentially harmful to human health. Thus, scientists have been putting effort intofinding better and safer solutions to removing microplastics from our water supplies.
A research team at Tarleton State University in Texas has been investigating foodextracts from plants. They found that okra can be the solution. It turns out that what makes the insides of okra slimy also causes it to bind totiny plastic particles, making it great at filtering water. The scientists plan to continue the study and will next look at increasing the scale of filtration for commercial and industrial use. Perhaps one day soon, we’ll be drinking water that has been cleaned by the stickysubstance that we sometimes spot in okra.
1. What do we NOT learn about okra from the passage?(單選題)
(A) What it looks like.
(B) The geographical origin of okra.
(C) What it is also called.
(D) The height of an okra plant.
2. According to the passage, what two ways are recommended to prepare okra if you want to avoid stickiness?(簡答)
Okra is one of the healthiest foods that people have been consuming for ___(A)___ and is now found to have the potential to ___(B)___ water that is contaminated by microplastics.
Our olive oil is extracted from fine olives and
processed in our own factory.
我們的橄欖油是由精選的橄欖中所提煉出來，然後在我們自
己的工廠內加工的。
The following paragraph was extracted from the
writer’s latest book.
下面這段話摘錄自該作者最新的書。
The gangsters may torture Tommy in order to extract
information about the whereabouts of his brother,
who owed them a fortune.
這些黑幫成員可能會對湯米進行刑求，以得知他哥哥的下
落，而他哥哥欠了這幫人一大筆錢。
This facial cream is made from natural plant extracts
and is suitable for sensitive skin.
這面霜是由天然植物萃取物做的，適合敏感性肌膚。
高中 Level 6
●
particle
[ˋpɑrtɪk!]
n. 微粒；粒子
The surface of the desk was covered with particles of dust.
書桌的表面布滿了灰塵微粒。
Electrons and protons are atomic particles.
電子和質子都是原子粒子。
高中 Level 5
●
disposal
[dɪˋspoz!]
n. 處理，處置；配置；布置；排列
=
removal
The disposalof waste is a serious issue to consider when dealing with pollution.
在處理汙染時，廢物處理是一項要考慮的重要議題。
It will be a lot more convenient for you to get around the city if you have a car at your disposal.
如果你隨時有車可以開的話，在城市裡四處逛逛就會方便得多了。
高中 Level 6
●
pollutant
[pəˋlutənt]
n. . 汙染物（可數）
Air and water pollutants may cause some cancers.
空氣和水汙染物可能導致某些癌症。
高中 Level 6
●
skim
[skɪm]
vt. . 撇去（液體表面的浮物）
vt. & vi. 瀏覽（= scan [ skAn ]）
三態
skimmed [ skɪmd ] / skimmed [ skɪmd ]
You’d better skim the fat from the soup before eating
it.
你喝湯前最好撇去湯上面的油脂。
Mandy skims (through) the newspaper every
morning while she’s having breakfast.
曼蒂每天早上都一邊吃早餐一邊看報紙。
高中 Level 6
●
fraction
[ˋfrækʃən]
n. 小部分；微量
Vicky spends only a small fraction of her earnings on clothes.
薇琪只花一小部分的收入在衣服上。
多益金色
英檢中高
高中 Level 5
●
contaminant
[kənˋtæmənənt]
n. 汙染物
After the disaster, plants withered away, and
soil got filled with contaminants.
災害過後，植物凋零，土壤則是充滿汙染物。
英檢中高
●
investigate
[ɪnˋvɛstə͵get]
vt. 調查
=
probe
The police are still investigating the case.
警方還在調查這個案子。
多益藍色
英檢初級
●
filter
[ˋfɪltɚ]
vt. 過濾
n. 過濾器
The ozone layer filters harmful UV rays from the sun.
臭氧層過濾掉陽光中有害的紫外線。
Water filters must be replaced regularly. 濾水器要定時更換。
多益金色
英檢中高
高中 Level 5
●
scale
[skel]
n. 規模；等級；磅秤；鱗片
Pollution has caused changes to weather patterns on a large scale.
汙染已經大幅造成天氣型態的改變。
We should start out testing on a small scale before we move on to a larger one.
我們應該先做小規模的測試，再做較大型的實驗。
Nuclear weapons cause destruction on a massive scale.
核武造成大規模的破壞。
The scale determined the weight of the package. 磅秤測出包裹的重量。
多益藍色
英檢初級
高中 Level 3
●
goo
[gu]
n. 黏液，黏性物
●
gel
[dʒɛl]
n. 凝膠
英檢中高
●
sewage
[ˋsjuɪdʒ]
n. （下水道的）汙水
●
microplastic
[ˈmɑɪkroˌplæstɪk]
n. 塑膠微粒
●
contaminate
[kənˋtæmə͵net]
vt. 汙染
=
pollute
The waste water discharged from the factories has contaminated the river.
從工廠排放出的廢水汙染了河流。
英檢中高
高中 Level 5
Practical Phrases
●
be effective in
對⋯⋯有效
Aspirin is very effective in relieving headaches.
阿司匹靈對緩解頭痛非常有效。
●
result from...
起因於……
Ben’s failure resulted from laziness.
班的失敗起因於懶惰。
●
be harmful to
對⋯⋯有害
Staying up late can be harmful to your health.
熬夜可能對你的健康有害。
●
put effort into
付出心力於⋯⋯
The local government is putting effort into landscaping the entire city.
地方政府正致力於美化整座城市的景觀。
●
bind to
附著／結合⋯⋯
Water is formed by two hydrogen atoms binding to one oxygen atom.
水的形成是兩個氫原子結合一個氧原子。
