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Passage Two
Questions26to30arebasedonthefollowingpassage.
Hemp(大麻)has been cultivated by many cultures for thousands of years. It can be made into paper, fuel, oils, textiles, food and rope. For many centuries, it was essential to the economies of many countries because it was used to make the ropes and cables used on sailing ships; colonial expansion and the establishment of a worldwide trading network would not have been possible without hemp. Nowadays, ships’ cables are usually made from wire or synthetic fibers, but scientists are suggesting that the cultivation of hemp should be revived for the production of paper and pulp(紙漿). According to its proponents, four times as much paper can be produced from land using hemp rather than trees, and many environmentalists believe that the large-scale cultivation of hemp could reduce the pressure on Canada’s forests.
However, there is a problem: hemp is illegal in many countries of the world. This plant, so useful for fiber, rope, oils, fuel and textiles, is a species of cannabis(大麻制品), related to the plant from which marijuana(大麻毒品)is produced. In the late 1930s, a movement to ban the drug marijuana began to gather force, resulting in the eventual banning of the cultivation not only of the plant used to produce the drug, but also of the commercial fiber-producing hemp plant. Although both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp in large quantities on their own land, any American growing the plant today would soon find himself / herself in prison —despite the fact that marijuana cannot be produced from the hemp plant, since it contains almost no THC (the active ingredient in the drug).
In recent years, two major movements for legalization have been gathering strength. One group of activists believe that ALL cannabis should be legal —both the hemp plant and the marijuana plant —and that the use of the drug marijuana should not be an offense. They argue that marijuana is not dangerous or addictive, and that it is used by large numbers of people who are not criminals but productive members of society. They also point out that marijuana is less toxic than alcohol or tobacco. The other legalization movement is concerned only with the hemp plant used to produce fiber; this group wants to make it legal to cultivate the plant and sell the fiber for paper and pulp production. This second group has had a major triumph recently: in 1997, Canada legalized the farming of hemp for fiber. For the first time since 1938, hundreds of farmers are planting this crop, and soon we can expect to see pulp and paper produced from this new source.
26. Why was the hemp plant essential to world-wide trade in the past?
A) Because ships’ ropes were made from it.
B) Because hemp was a very profitable export
C)Because hemp was used as fuel for ships.
D)Because hemp was used as food for sailors.
27. Why do agriculturalists think that hemp would be better for paper production than trees?
A) Because it is cheaper to grow hemp than to cut down trees.
B) Because more paper can be produced from the same area of land.
C) Because hemp produces higher quality paper.
D) Because hemp can be made into paper, fuel, oils, textiles, food, and rope.
28.Why was hemp banned?
A) Because it was related to the marijuana plant.
B) Because it was illegal in many countries of the world.
C) Because it was no longer a useful crop.
D) Because it was destructive to the land.
29. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A) Fiber is a powerful chemical ingredient of the cannabis plants.
B) Some activists believe that both marijuana and hemp should be legal.
C) Canada has just legalized marijuana.
D) Hemp was illegal in George Washington’s and Thomas Jefferson’s time.
30. What is the main idea of the passage?
A) Hemp was essential to the economies of many countries.
B) Hemp is illegal in many countries.
C) Hemp plants are being legalized.
D) All of the above.
