"Time cannot be
added to a person's life, but it can be made more valuable by avoiding waste. "
This was the philosophy of a man who devoted most of his time to the creation of
new plants: Luther Burbank, the plant magician. Burbank has
been called the plant magician because he could do things with plants which were
as amazing as the tricks of a magician. He truly astonished the world with his
achievements in the development of many kinds of plants, such as giant fruits
with new flavors and trees which grew faster than their ancestors. These, and
many more achievements, were of great economic value and benefit to people all
over the world. In his lifetime of seventy-seven years Burbank
became an American legend. He began life in 1849 on a farm in the state of
Massachusetts. It was the same year that men across the continent in California
discovered gold, that precious metal so eagerly sought after in the earth.
Eventually Burbank would follow them. But he would spend his life drawing a
different treasure from the same California earth: a wealth of new plants and
fruits. The Massachusetts countryside may have provided young
Burbank with a feeling for the mysteries of nature, but his scientific training
came during the visits of an uncle who was a scientist. Through his uncle,
Luther met the famous naturalist, Louis Agassiz. Agassiz introduced him to the
complicated process by which plants grow, such as the steps in the making of
seeds from pollen (花粉) carried by insects, by birds, by the very winds of the
field. Attracted by the ways of nature, Burbank took his first steps into the
work that was to occupy his whole life.
【答案解析】[解析] (见原文第9—10行)
本题问及Luther逝世的年份，原文中没有现成的答案，需要通过运算方能获得。
第9行：lifetime of seventy—seven years，说明他享年77岁；
第10行：He began life in 1849，说明他出生在1849年。故1849+77=1926就是他谢世之年了。
单选题
In his life, Luther Burbank ______.
A. created many kinds of new plants
B. discovered gold in California
C. planted fruit trees
D. made a lot of money
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 原文中有多处提及。如第1段2—3行和第3段。
单选题
Luther Burbank became interested in nature ______.
A. after meeting his uncle
B. under the influence of Louis Agassiz
C. because of the mysteries of the Massachusetts countryside
D. when he received training in school
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] (见文章的最后两句)
原文中三个动词所表示的意义：
introduced(him to the complicated process…)(向他介绍了植物生长的复杂过程)，说明了初步的接触；
attracted(by the ways of nature)(由于受到自然法则的吸引)，过去分词短语作状语，表示了原因；
took his first steps into the work that…(开始了他将终身从事的工作)，说明Luther从此便步入了他的植物科学生涯。
单选题
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Burbank's work was of great economic value.
B. Burbank could play amazing tricks with plants.
C. Men discovered gold in California in 1849.
D. Burbank achieved great fame in America.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考对原文第2段第2行“as amazing as the tricks of a magician”的理解。意为“像魔术师表演的魔术一样神奇”，而并非他会魔术。