LotusplantsandthepurewhiteflowertheyproducehavespiritualmeaninginsomeAsianreligions.Thelotushasalsoappealedtoscientistsforitsabilitytoresistwaterandstayclean.NowTurkishscientistssaytheyhavediscoveredalow-costwaytomakeaplasticmaterialthatactslikethelotus.
TheTurkishgroupstudiesthechemicalstructureofleavesfromtheplantcalledthesacred(神圣的)lotus.Theywantedtorecreatetheabilityoflotusleavestoresistwater.
Waterdropsnormallyflattenandspreadoutwhentheyfallonasurface.Buttheroughsurfaceoflotusleavespreventsthisfromhappening.Whenwaterdropshitthesurfaceofthelotusleaftheystayround.Asaresultthewaterdropsrollofftheleaves.Dirtrollsoffwiththewater.Thatmakestheplantself-cleaning.
TheTurkishscientistssaywaterdropsformsmallballsonthenewplasticjustastheywouldonlotusleaves.Theybelieveinthefuturethewater-resistantsubstancecouldbeaddedtotheoutsidesofairplanes.Thiscouldpreventheavyiceinwaterwhichisaseriousdangerforairplanes.Thesubstancecouldbeputonshipstohelpthembreakthroughicywatersmoreeasily.
Thescientistssaytheprotectivecoveringtheycreatedcouldalsobeusedtokeepwateroffclothing.Itcouldprotectantennas(天线)fromsnowandice.Thesecaninterferewiththeoperationofradiosandotherelectronicsystems.Itcouldevenprotecttrafficsignsfromweatherdamage.
9.Whatismainlytalkedaboutinthepassage?
A.Thespiritualmeaningoflotusplantsandthepurewhiteflowers.
B.Lotusleaves’abilitytoresistwater.
C.Aspecialmaterialthatcanresistwaterlikelotus.
D.Thebigadvantageoflotusplants.
10.Thewater-resistantsubstanceinthefuturecan .
A.breaktheiceonthewingsofairplanes
B.keeptheinsideoftheairplanesclean
C.protecttheoutsideoftheairplanesfromicedamage
D.helptheairplanesstaystrongwhileflying
11.Fromthelastparagraphwecaninferthatthewater-resistantsubstance .
A.hasbeeninwideusenow
B.isjustbeingtriedoutintheexperimentallab
C.istoohardtoproduce
D.canbeinwideu