马来西亚农场为日本甜瓜放音乐、做按摩以提高品质
Farmers at Malaysia’s Mono Premium Melon company said they had discovered the right mix of nutrients and treatments to grow the top quality melons. One of the methods involves workers rubbing the melons with a soft cloth. The farmers believe that doing this can improve the taste of the fruit. They also play classical music around the plants, which is thought to increase growth. Seh Cheng Siang is the director and co-founder of the farm, in Putrajaya, south of Kuala Lumpur. "Every single Japanese melon that you see in our farm is almost like an art piece," Seh said.
Since the last century, farmers in Japan have been perfecting the art of growing the fruit. Japanese muskmelons are prized for their tastiness and exact, rounded shape. In Japan, the costly melons are sold in high-end stores as luxury products.
The farmers said they aim to grow melons with the same level of quality as those sold in Japan. But the process is more difficult in Malaysia because of the country’s hot and humid climate. Japan enjoys more moderate climate conditions than Malaysia. "We have to make sure that nutrition, the watering and the fertilizer are done very consistently and precisely," Seh said. He added that his company had tried growing more than 10 kinds of Japanese melon before settling on the right one.
The Malaysian farmers get their seeds from Japan and also travel to Japanese farms to learn the correct growing methods. The farmers say they had to do a lot of experimentation to find out exactly which ingredients provided the best nutrition for the muskmelon plants. The company’s efforts have been successful so far. The farmers reported that the first crop of 200 selected muskmelons had quickly sold out. Most of the sales happened online.
Elaine Chow attended a recent sales event at the company’s farm and said she was very pleased to find the local muskmelons. "It's pretty interesting to know that as a Malaysian, we can actually grow Japanese-grade melons in Malaysia," she said.
本时文内容由奇速英语国际教育研究院原创编写，未经书面授权，禁止复制和任何商业用途，版权所有，侵权必究！（作者投稿及时文阅读定制请联系微信：18980471698）
1.Which is the new way of melon planting adopted in Malaysia?
A To improve the soil and lights.
B To breed high quality seeds.
C To let melons enjoy music.
D To improve fertilizer efficiency.
解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第一段内容可知，马来西亚一公司的农民找到了种植优质甜瓜的正确的营养组合和护理方法，一种是用软布按摩西瓜，一种是在植物周围播放古典音乐，故选C。
2.What is the advantage of Japanese muskmelons?
A They have a high production.
B They only need rough management.
C They can bring high economic benefits.
D They can grow in different climates and areas.
解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据第二段In Japan, the costly melons are sold in high-end stores as luxury products.可知，在日本，昂贵的甜瓜作为奢侈品在高档商店出售。由此推断日本甜瓜能够带来很高的经济效益。故选C。
3.What can we infer from Paragraph 3?
A Malaysia is keeping expanding melon planting areas.
B Malaysia is using high technology to grow melons.
C Over 10 kinds of melons have been cultivated in Malaysia.
D The climate in Japan is more suitable for growing melons.
解析：选D。D推理判断题。根据第三段But the process is more difficult in Malaysia because of the country’s hot and humid climate. Japan enjoys more moderate climate conditions than Malaysia.可知，马来西亚气候湿热，种植更为困难。日本的气候条件比马来西亚温和。由此推断日本的气候更适合种植甜瓜。故选D。
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A Melon planting in Malaysia has achieved initial success.
B Online marketing is the only way to sell melons in Malaysia.
C Melons grown in Malaysia are not as good as those grown in Japan.
D Malaysia melon planting experience is worth promoting in other countries.
解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第四段The company’s efforts have been successful so far. The farmers reported that the first crop of 200 selected muskmelons had quickly sold out.可知，到目前为止，公司的努力已经成功了。第一批精选的200甜瓜很快就卖完了。故选A。