Natural Rubber Production

题目与答案

1. “tapping” - tree is cut and a layer of back is removed

   ↓

   cup (e.g. made of a 31_____ shell) is attached to collect latex

   答案：coconut

   原文定位：Next, the tapper attaches a cup to the tree made out of something simple like a coconut shell to collect it

2. ↓

   latex is transferred to the “factory”

   ↓

   Latex is poured into a 32_____

   答案：mould

   原文定位：Here, it is poured into a mould, and then formic acid is added to it, and the mixture is left for a few hours

3. ↓

   Formic acid is added to thicken the latex

   ↓

   Rubber is 33_____ by hand, to make it into a thin sheet

   答案：pressed

   原文定位：This block of rubber is then pressed manually to turn it into a thin sheet

   同义替换：「by hand」↔「manually」

4. ↓

   Rubber sheets is put through a mangle (N.B. the only 34_____ in the process

   答案：machinery

   原文定位：And I should point out that apart from this, no other machinery is used in the process

   同义替换：「only」↔「no other」

5. ↓

   Rubber sheets are taken to be 35_____ in a special room

   答案：dried

   原文定位：And finally, these sheets are taken to a special smoke room where they are dried

6. ↓

   Rubber sheets are purchased by 36_____

   答案：traders

   原文定位：These are then sold to traders who collect them from villages and sell them on in turn

   同义替换：「purchased by」↔「sold to」

7. History of Rubber

   Earliest use

   Rubber tree - originally from Brazil

   1525 - rubber 37_____ were used in Mexico

   答案：balls

   原文定位：there's an account from as long ago as fifteen twenty-five of people in Mexico playing with rubber balls

8. 19th century

   European interest in rubber

   Key discovery - “vulcanisation” made rubber stronger and 38_____ .

   答案：elastic

   原文定位：And the result was a substance that had a lot more strength and was also more elastic, making it suitable for a variety of uses

   同义替换：「stronger」↔「a lot more strength」

9. Increase in demand when rubber 39_____ were invented

   答案：car tires

   原文定位：But the thing that gave demand for rubber a real boost was the expanding automobile industry at the end of the nineteenth century and the invention of car tires

   同义替换：「Increase in」↔「a real boost」

10. 20th century

    Substitute for natural rubber was first developed in 40_____ during First World War

    答案：Germany

    原文定位：but none of them resulted in a product that was able to compete with natural rubber until Germany developed a successful substitute when its supplies of the natural substance were cut off during the First World War