14．In the dry Namib Desert on the west coast of Africa，one type of beetle has found a special way of surviving．When the morning fog arrives，the Namib Beetle collects water drops on its bumpy（起伏不平的）back，then lets the water roll down into its mouth，allowing it to drink in an area without flowing water．
ShreerangChhatre watns to use what nature has developed to help the world's poor．Chhatre is an engineer at MIT who works on fog harvesting，the devices that，like the beetle，attract water drops．This way，poor villagers could collect clan water near their homes，instead of spending hours carrying water from distant wells of rivers．
Access to water is a pressing global issue．According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF，nearly 900 million people worldwide live without safe drinking water．The burden of finding and transporting water falls heavily on women and children．"As a middle-class person，I think it's terrible that the poor have to spend hours a day walking just to obtain a basic necessity，"Chhatre says．
A fog-harvesting device consists of a fence-like mesh panel（網(wǎng)狀面板），which attracts drops，connected to containers into which water falls．Chhatre has improved the materials used in these devices．He is continuing his work at MTT Sloan and the Legaturn Center in order to develop a workable business plan for applying fog-harvesting devices．
Interest in fog harvesting dates back to the 1990s，and has increased since new research on the Namib Beetle became famous in 2001．A few technologists saw potential in the concept for people．One Canadian charitable organization，F(xiàn)ogQuest，has tested projects in Chile and Guatemala．
But fog harvesting remains in its infancy，technologically and commercially，as Chhatre readily recognizes．"It still faces some open problems，"he says．"But it's a work in progress．"After all，the water that fills our rivers and lakes comes from air．
46．Which of the following is TRUE of Shreerang Chhatre？D
A．He is an African engineer．
B．He is researching on the Namib Beetle．
C．He has made the first fog-harvesting device．
D．He is trying to put fog-harvesting devices to use．
47．How did fog harvesting attract more people？C
A．By being advertised by MIT
B．By getting the help of UNICEF
C．By researching on the Namib Beetle
D．By being inspired by the invention of a fence-like mesh panel
48．What do we know about fog harvesting？B
A．It became famous in 2001．
B．It is still in its early stages．
C．It has been tested in Africa．
D．It was invented by FogQuest．
49．The underlined word"it"in the last paragraph refers toC．
A．UNICEF
B．the beetle
C．fog harvesting
D．a(chǎn) Canadian charitable organization
50．The author's main purpose in writing the text is toC．
A．stress the importance of saving water
B．show the Namib Beetle's special way of surviving
C．introduce a new device for collecting water from air
D．inform people of the serious water problem in Africa．
分析 短文通過介紹科學(xué)家新研究出來的霧收集裝置，它能在空氣中收集水，因此對一些缺水地區(qū)是很有用的．
解答 46．D，推理判斷題，根據(jù)句子"Itstill faces some open problems，"he says．"But it's a work in progress．"可知，他正努力想讓霧收集裝置被使用，故答案為D．
47．C，細節(jié)理解題，根據(jù)句子Interest in fog harvesting dates back to the 1990s，and has increased since new research on the Namib Beetle became famous in 2001可知，自從2001年對納米布甲蟲的研究變得出名，人們對霧收集裝置就更感興趣，故答案為C．
48．B，細節(jié)理解題，根據(jù)句子But fog harvesting remains in its infancy可知，霧收集裝置還處于早期階段，故答案為B．
49．C，推理判斷題，根據(jù)前面提到霧收集裝置還處于早期階段，它還存在著一些問題，因此it指代的就是霧收集裝置，故答案為C．
50．C，主旨大意題，短文通過介紹科學(xué)家新研究出來的霧收集裝置，它能在空氣中收集水，因此對一些缺水地區(qū)是很有用的，短文的目的就在于介紹這一種新的裝置，故答案為C．
點評 解答任務(wù)型閱讀理解題，首先對原文材料迅速瀏覽，掌握全文的主旨大意．因為閱讀理解題一般沒有標題，所以，速讀全文，抓住中心主旨很有必要，在速讀的過程中，應(yīng)盡可能多地捕獲信息材料．其次，細讀題材，各個擊破．掌握全文的大意之后，細細閱讀每篇材料后的問題，弄清每題要求后，帶著問題，再回到原文中去尋找、捕獲有關(guān)信息．最后，要善于抓住每段的主題句，閱讀時，要有較強的針對性．對于捕獲到的信息，要做認真分析，仔細推敲，理解透徹，只有這樣，針對題目要求，才能做到穩(wěn)、準．
