Với IELTS Academic Reading Sample 168 - Robotic approach to crop breeding sẽ giúp các bạn ôn tập củng cố lại kiến thức và kỹ năng giải bài tập để chuẩn bị cho kỳ thi sắp tới đạt được kết quá mong muốn. Mời các bạn tham khảo. | You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-12 which are based on the Reading Passage below. Robotic approach to crop breeding Jennifer Manyweathers takes a look at a robot that is being used to identify drought-tolerant crop varieties A The Australian sunflower industry is the major source of polyunsaturated fatty acids found in margarines and spreads. Recognised as the type of fatty acid most able to protect against heart disease it is in everybody s best interest that Australia has a competitive and healthy sunflower industry but in Australia there is a constant struggle with the harsh climate. However thanks to one special robot farmers may be able to win the battle against drought. B Dr Chris Lambrides a research fellow at the University of Queensland is nearing the end of a project that aims to develop more droughttolerant sunflowers by selecting flowers that use water more efficiently. He s done this with the help of a robot developed by the Australian National University s Research School of Biological Sciences. C Plants undergo photosynthesis to produce energy in the form of sugar. This involves allowing carbon dioxide to enter the leaves through pores called stomata. Transpiration is the mechanism by which plants lose water through their leaves. This system is thought to facilitate the passage of minerals through the plant and is vital for healthy plants. D However in conditions of drought the plants that can use the available water efficiently and lose less to the environment will be more likely to thrive and in a commercial sense become more profitable. These plants are classified as having a high transpiration efficiency. When plants transpire the leaves become cooler due to evaporation. Therefore by measuring the temperature of the leaves scientists can determine how much water is being lost through transpiration. E When the project first began the researchers used hand-held infrared thermometers to measure the temperature difference between .
