2023年浙江省宁波市中考 - 阅读理解D

Plants are more than just pretty to look at. They give us fruits, vegetables and food we eat. Some plants even provide materials for medicine or building things. But do you know that plants can do something even more amazing? They can make our homes, schools and workplaces much healthier.
植物不仅仅是好看。它们给我们水果、蔬菜和我们吃的食物。有些植物甚至为医药或建筑提供材料。但你知道植物可以做一些更神奇的事情吗？它们可以使我们的家庭、学校和工作场所更加健康。

We spend a large part of our day indoors. Unluckily, the air inside buildings can often be full of chemicals from many things around us. This poor air quality can make us feel sick, causing sore eyes and throats, and even making it hard for us to breathe. When the air inside buildings gets really bad, people even call them “sick buildings”.
我们一天中大部分时间都在室内度过。不幸的是，建筑物内的空气中往往充满了来自我们周围各种物品的化学物质。糟糕的空气质量会让我们感到恶心，导致眼睛和喉咙疼痛，甚至使我们呼吸困难。当建筑物内的空气变得非常糟糕时，人们甚至称之为“病态建筑”。

The good news is that plants are like nature’s little superheroes. They have a magic power fighting against bad air. Plants breathe in carbon dioxide (CO2) and breathe out oxygen (O2) which we humans need to live. They can also add moisture to the air if it’s too dry, making it more comfortable for us to breathe.
好消息是，植物就像大自然的小超级英雄，它们有对抗恶劣空气的神奇力量。植物吸入二氧化碳（CO2）并呼出我们人类生存所需的氧气（O2）。如果空气太干燥，它们还可以为空气增加水分，使我们呼吸更舒适。

But the most amazing thing plants can do is to clean the air. Scientists have discovered that plants have the ability to take in harmful chemicals, making the air around us safer to breathe. They set up a completely closed building called “bio-home” for experiments. Before they added plants, the air inside was full of chemicals and people found it hard to breathe. But after they added plants, the air got much cleaner and it became easier to breathe. To make the air inside even better, the scientists used different kinds of plants. After a while, the building wasn’t a “sick building” any more. People could go inside without feeling unwell.
但植物能做的最神奇的事情就是净化空气。科学家们发现，植物能够吸收有害化学物质，使我们周围的空气更安全地呼吸。他们建立了一个完全封闭的建筑，名为“生物之家”，用于实验。在他们添加植物之前，里面的空气充满了化学物质，人们发现很难呼吸。但在他们添加植物后，空气变得更清洁，呼吸也变得更容易。为了使室内的空气更好，科学家们使用了不同种类的植物。过了一段时间，这座建筑不再是“病态建筑”了。人们可以进去而不会感到不适。

So you see, plants are fantastic! They are not only beautiful to look at, but they also provide us with food, help create materials and play an important role in our health. They make our indoor environments cleaner and healthier, making us feel better. Next time you see a plant, remember all the amazing things it can do for us!
所以你看，植物太棒了！它们不仅外表美丽，还为我们提供食物，帮助创造材料，并在我们的健康中发挥重要作用。它们使我们的室内环境更清洁、更健康，让我们感觉更好。下次你看到一株植物时，记住它能为我们做的所有神奇的事情！