Test: Asking Nature for Advice

I. Fill in the blanks.

Canadian scientists studying f 1 frogs believe these frogs hold the secret for safer o 2 t 3 . Hearts, for example, could be safely frozen and then t 4 ed when needed.

These Canadian scientists aren’t the only ones looking/ look/ looked for/ to/ from nature for/ to/ from i 8 . More and more i 9 are also d 10 that the natural world contains many u 11 d 12 . They are not looking for/ to/ from what they can take, but rather what they can learn, for/ to/ from nature.

Inventions b 15 on/ to/ with nature are nothing new. Over a century ago, the Wright brothers, the inventors of the airplane, studied how birds fly. They watched d 17 such as how flying birds a 18 their wings to turn. By a 19 their o 20 on/ to/ with their new invention, the Wright brothers were able to fly like a bird.

In the 1940s, a Swiss e 22 , George de Mestral, noticed b 23 sticking on/ to/ with his pants. He examined one of these things under his m 25 and found tiny h 26 on the end of it. Based on this c 27 , Mestral invented Velcro.

Today, inventors are still finding great ideas in nature’s designs. Take, for/ to/ from example, the lotus. This plant often grows in m 29 e 30 , but remains dry and clean. G 31 scientists discovered that its leaves are covered on/ to/ with tiny n 33 . D 34 and d 35 fall on the needle tips and readily wash away when it rains. Lotusan, a German company, used this idea to make “self-cleaning” house paint. When dried, the paint s 36 r 37 b 38 on a lotus leaf.

Imagine a s 39 as thick in/ to/ as a pencil stopping a flying j 41 No, it's not a c 42 . In/ To/ As theory, it could work. Spider s 44 is five times stronger than steel.

Spiders, however, can't be f 45 . They'd eat each other. So scientists put spider genes inside goats. Then they c 46 and p 47 the goat's milk. The r 48 ? Spider silk from milk! Its uses may include stronger b 49 v 50 and safer bridges.

Learn from nature. You'll be s 51 by its great designs.


II. Finish the sentence with something, nothing, anything.
52. Their conversation is not important.
>> Their conversation is      (important)

53. I don’t eat weird food, such as chicken feet, bugs and stuff like that.
>> I don’t eat      (weird).

54. Many people found the article inspirational.
>> There is      (inspiring) about the article.


III. Sentence Combination
55. This computer is NT 24,000 dollars.
This camera is NT 8,000 dollars.
>> The computer is       the camara.

56. Lisa studies 6 hours every day.
I only study 2 hours every day.
>> Lisa studies       I do every day.


IV. Complete the sentences with vocabulary provided below
rather, apply, look, base
57. The child       to his parents for toys.
58. The reason why he is not hired is not that he was not good enough, but       he was too full of himself.
59. Most of her research was       on her father's work.
60. You should       what you learn in school to your life.



Stop and review your answers before you check the answer key.
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Answers:
1. frozen
2. organ
3. transplants
4. thawed
5. looking
6. to
7. for
8. inspiration
9. inventors
10. discovering
11. useful
12. designs
13. for
14. from
15. based
16. on
17. details
18. adjusted
19. applying
20. observations
21. to
22. engineer
23. burs
24. to
25. microscope
26. hooks
27. concept
28. for
29. muddy
30. environments
31. German
32. with
33. needles
34. Dust
35. dirt
36. surface
37. resembles
38. bumps
39. string
40. as
41. jet
42. cartoon
43. In
44. silk
45. farmed
46. collected
47. processed
48. results
49. bulletproof
50. vests
51. surprised

52. nothing important
53. anything weird
54. something inspiring
55. three times more expensive than/ three times the price of
56. three times more than

57. looked
58. rather
59. based
60. apply