Mother Nature knows best. But she’s not always generous with her secrets. Sometimes she only tells them to the most careful observers.
George de Mestral was a Swiss engineer who enjoyed walking with his dog in the woods. One day, after a walk, he looked down and saw some seeds (种子) stuck to his trousers. He was a little bit angry because the seeds were hard to remove. He pulled a few of the seeds off his trousers and examined them under a microscope (显微镜). What he saw amazed him: tiny hooks (钩子) on the ends of the seeds. De Mestral saw a new way to stick things together and keep them attached.
He was inspired to turn his accidental discovery into a useful product. He borrowed money from a bank, gave up his job, and gave all of his time and energy to the task. At first, people refused to accept him and the idea seriously. He took his idea to a weaving center, where he did manage to get the help of one weaver, who made two products out of cotton that worked. However, the cotton wore out quickly. Finally, by using nylon instead of cotton, he made his invention work. It took ten years to develop it. He called it Velcro.
Today, Velcro is used everywhere: in shoes, purses, and children’s toys. We can think de Mestral for discovering and developing a wonderful way to attach things. But the real thanks should go to nature for making the secret known.
21. What gave de Mestral the idea for inventing Velcro?
A. The thick woods. B. The sticky seeds.
C. His trousers. D. His dog.
22. What does the underlined part “the task” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Looking for a new job.
B. Finding a useful material.
C. Raising enough money for his experiment.
D. Developing a product to stick things together.
23. What is the best title for the text?
A. Velcro: An Invention Inspired by Nature.
B. Mother Nature: The Perfect Designer.
C. Lessons Learned from Nature.
D. The Mother of Invention.
