雅思阅读第081套P3:The hemp revivalReading Passage 3
You should spend about 20minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on this passage.
The hemp revival
The hemp plant, one of theworld’s oldest industrial resources, is back. The rediscovery of this renewableresource is making it the fibre of choice for future textiles, personal careproducts, building materials, paper and fuel.
Hemp has been grown for paper,textiles, food and medicine throughout human history. The earliest known wovenfabric, made of hemp, dates back to the eighth millennium (8000-7000 BC). Themajority of all sails, clothes, tents, rugs, towels, paper, rope, twine, artcanvas, paints, varnishes and lighting oil were made from hemp. Hemp seeds wereregularly used as a source of food and protein for centuries.
Hemp’s drastic decline in useand importance within a matter of fifty years is widely considered to have beenbrought about by the timber and petrochemical industries in America. By themid- 1930s, changes in technology were beginning to impact on the hempindustry. Mechanical stripping equipment and machines to conserve hemp’shigh-cellulose pulp became available and affordable. Timber and paper holdingcompanies stood to lose billions of dollars if hemp were to be grown on a largescale. A resurgence of the hemp industry also threatened the emergingpetro-chemical companies which had patented the chemicals for pulp processing.Newspaper articles began to appear, linking hemp with violent crime. The termused, however, was 'marijuana’ to distance it from hemp used for industrialpurposes. Because few people realised that marijuana and hemp came from thesame plant species, virtually nobody suspected that the Marijuana Prohibitionof 1938 would destroy the hemp industry.
Supporting the theory thatmarijuana was banned to destroy the hemp industry, were two articles writtenjust before the Marijuana Prohibition, claiming that hemp was on the verge ofbecoming a super crop. These articles, which appeared in well-respectedmagazines, praised the usefulness and potential of hemp. 'Hemp can be used toproduce more than 25,000 products’, and 'hemp will prove, for both farmer andpublic, the most profitable and desirable crop that can be grown.’ This was thefirst time that 'billion dollar’ was used to describe the value of a crop. Lessthan one year after these articles were written, the Marijuana Prohibition tookeffect. To what extent a conspiracy was involved is still being debated, butthe important thing is that for thousands of years, hemp was used extensively.Then over a short period, it became illegal in many parts of the world.
Now, however, the focus is onthe development of hemp as an industrial resource. Initially, a distinctionneeds to be made between the two types of hemp. 'Cannabis has evolved into twobasic species. Plants grown for fibre and seed are universally called hemp.Cannabis grown for its drug content is commonly called marijuana or drugcannabis. Drug-type cannabis varies widely in THC content from approximately1-2% in unselected strains to 10% in the best modern varieties.’ (as cited fromWatson 1994). Hemp contains virtually none of the active ingredients ofdrug-type cannabis (THC). It is not feasible to 'get high’ on hemp, and mostmarijuana produces very low-quality fibre. Hemp should never be confused withmarijuana, as their roles cannot be reversed.
It is evident that hemp is anextraordinary fibre. Both stems and seeds can be utilised. Most significantly,hemp can be grown without pesticides and herbicides. The plant also has theability to suppress weeds and soil-borne diseases. Based on the hemp industrieswhich have been established overseas, there is a large demand for hemp productsand hemp is proving to be a highly profitable industry. On an annual basis, oneacre of hemp will produce as much libre as 2 to 3 acres of cotton. The fibre isstronger and softer than cotton, lasts twice as long and will not mildew.Cotton grows only in warm climates and requires more water and more fertiliserthan hemp as well as large quantities of pesticide and herbicide.
Hemp can also be used toproduce fibreboard that is stronger and lighter than wood, and is fireretardant. Unlike paper from wood pulp, hemp paper contains no dioxin, or othertoxic residue, and a single acre of hemp can produce the same amount of paperas four acres of trees. The trees take 20 years to harvest and hemp takes asingle season. In warm climates hemp can be harvested two or even three times ayear. On an annual basis, one acre of hemp will produce as much paper as 2 to 4acres of trees. From tissue paper to cardboard, all types of paper products canbe produced from hemp. The quality of hemp paper is superior to tree-basedpaper. Hemp paper will last hundreds of years without degrading and it can berecycled many more times than tree-based paper.
Today, industrialised nationsaround the world are waking up to the enormous potential of hemp. While somecountries, like China and India, have never had laws against hemp cultivation,others are legalising industrial hemp after many years of lumping it togetherwith marijuana. The products and fabrics that are emerging from theinternational hemp industry are finding strong demand in an eco-aware globalcommunity. Hemp is indeed an agricultural crop for the twenty-first century
SECTION 3: QUESTIONS 27-40
Questions 27-31
Re-order the following letters(A-F) to show the sequence of events according to the passage.
A
Timber and petro-chemical industries threatened
B
Articles praise hemp as a potential billion dollar crop
C
Widespread cultivation of hemp (Example)
D
Prohibition of marijuana
E
Newspaper articles link hemp to violent crime
F
Development of stripping machines
The first one has been done foryou as an example.
27 _________________
28 _________________
29 _________________
30 _________________
31 _________________
Questions 32-33
Complete the following using NOMORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.
Hemp
Marijuana
Fibre
strong and durable
32 _________________
Drug Content
33 _________________
up to 10% THC
Questions 34-39
From the information given inthe passage, classify the following (34-39) as characteristic of:
A
Hemp
B
Wood
C
Cotton
34 ___________mildew-resistant
35 ___________dioxin is a by-product of processing
36 ___________can be harvested more than once a year
37 ___________large amounts of fertiliser needed
38 ___________fire-retardant properties
39 ___________requires mild temperature
Question 40
Choose the correct answer A-D.
40The main purpose of this article is ...
Ato criticise government policy on hemp.
Bto show the economic benefits of hemp.
Cto compare hemp and .marijuana.
Dto promote research into new uses of hemp.
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