(2026·江苏泰州期末检测)
According to the recent research, plants in Europe photosynthesize (进行光合作用) more at the weekend, probably because there is less pollution in the air. Photosynthesis(光合作用) is how green plants use sunlight to make sugars from carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water, giving off oxygen in the process.
With increasing air pollution from wildfires, dust and human activities in recent years, Liyin He at the Carnegie Institution for Science in California and her teammates wanted to see what effect air quality has on photosynthesis.
The team studied satellite measurements of how much light was given off by the green chlorophyll (叶绿素) in the leaves of plants across Europe between 2018 and 2021. The finding goes with how much photosynthesis is occurring.
By comparing this with satellite measurements of air pollution during the same period, the team discovered that photosynthesis rates increased when there were lower levels of aerosols, a type of pollution that includes dust as well as smoke
from wildfires and human activities. These aerosols can prevent sunlight from reaching Earth's surface, which can slow down or even stop plants' photosynthesis. On the other hand, when there is less aerosol pollution in the atmosphere, more sunshine can reach the leaves of plants, says He. The team found that higher rates of photosynthesis occurred at weekends in 64 per cent of Europe. "There's less traffic and industrial activities on the weekend," says He. "But during the weekdays, the air is dirtier, so we see a strong weekly cycle."
The findings suggest that reducing aerosol levels, especially those from transport or industrial processes, could allow plants to collect and store more carbon. "Improving air quality is not only beneficial to people's health, but also very good for ecosystem productivity and the overall health of our planet," says He.
1. Why did the team do the research? ()
A. To control the levels of aerosols in the air.
B. To reduce human-caused air pollution.
C. To determine the amount of light produced by plants.
D. To examine the influence of air quality on photosynthesis.
2. How did the team make the discovery? ()
A. By observing plant growth.
B. By studying historical records.
C. By building computer models.
D. By comparing measurement data.
3. What can we know about aerosols in Paragraph 4? ()
A. They destroy leaves on plants.
B. They become heavier at weekends.
C. They block sunlight for photosynthesis.
D. They improve the ability of photosynthesis.
4. What is the author's purpose in writing the text? ()
A. To describe side effects of traffic.
B. To seek ways of reducing pollution.
C. To promote improvement of air quality.
D. To introduce the function of photosynthesis.

语篇解读 本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了研究团队通过对比数据发现空气质量对光合作用的影响。
1. D 细节理解题。根据第二段内容可知,团队做这个项目是为了研究空气质量对光合作用的影响。故选 D。
2. D 细节理解题。根据第三段内容以及第四段中"By comparing this with satellite measurements of air pollution during the same period, the team discovered that photosynthesis rates increased when there were lower levels of aerosols, a type of pollution that includes dust as well as smoke from wildfires and human activities."可知,团队是通过对比测量数据做出这一发现的。故选 D。
3. C 细节理解题。根据第四段中"These aerosols can prevent sunlight from reaching Earth's surface, which can slow down or even stop plants' photosynthesis."可知,气溶胶会阻挡光合作用所需的阳光。故选 C。
4. C 写作意图题。根据最后一段内容可知,作者写这篇文章的目的是促进空气质量的改善。故选 C。