[解析]
(1)细节理解题。由第二段中的While the sun shines,plants perform photosynthesis (光合作用).In this process,the plants change sunlight,water and carbon dioxide into stored energy in the form of long chains of sugar,called starch (淀粉). (当阳光照射时,植物进行光合作用。在这个过程中,植物将阳光、水和二氧化碳转化为储存的能量,形成长链的糖,称为淀粉)可知,当阳光照射时,即白天时,植物进行光合作用储存淀粉。故选D项。
(2)细节理解题。由第四段中的To give the plants some math tests,the biologists let night arrive unexpectedly early or late for them. (为了给这些植物做一些数学测试,生物学家让夜晚出乎意料地早或晚到来)可知,为了研究拟南芥,科学家们让夜晚出乎意料地早或晚到来,即他们改变了植物的光照条件。故选A项。
(3)细节理解题。由第二段中的At night,the plants burn this stored starch to fuel continued growth. (在晚上,植物燃烧这些储存的淀粉,以促进其继续生长)和第六段中的Amazingly,even after this day length trick,the plants did very well in their exams and ended up with just five percent of starch left over at the end of the night. (令人惊讶的是,即使在这一天的把戏之后,这些植物在考试中表现得非常好,最后在晚上只剩下5%的淀粉)可知,植物燃烧储存的淀粉来生长,实验植物只剩下5%的淀粉,说明它们使用了大部分储存的能量。故选B项。
(4)推理判断题。由第一段Biologists from the John Innes Centre in England discovered that plants have a biological process which divides their amount of stored energy by the length of the night.This solves the problem of how to portion out (分配) energy reserves during the night so that the plant can keep growing,yet not risk burning off all its stored energy. (英国约翰•因内斯中心的生物学家发现,植物有一个生物过程,它将储存的能量除以夜晚的长度。这就解决了如何在夜间分配能量储备的问题,这样植物就可以继续生长,同时又不会冒着烧掉所有储存能量的风险)和倒数第二段The authors suggested that similar biological calculators may explain how a migratory bird,the little stint,can make a five﹣thousand﹣kilometer journey to their summer habitat in the Arctic and arrive with enough fat reserves to survive only approximately half a day more,on average. (作者认为,类似的生物学计算方法可以解释,一只小小的候鸟如何能够长途跋涉5000公里到达它们在北极的夏季栖息地,并携带足够的脂肪储备,平均只多存活大约半天)可知,植物有类似生物计算器的控制系统来控制能源消耗(促进生长),类似的生物计算器可以解释一只候鸟,小滨鹬。由此推知,小滨鹬可能也有一个系统来控制能源消耗。A.They may have a system to control energy consumption.他们可能有一个控制能源消耗的系统;B.They often die during their long and difficult journey.他们经常在漫长而艰难的旅途中死去;C.They leave the Arctic in summer every year.他们每年夏天离开北极;D.They are unable to calculate the distances.他们无法计算距离。故选A项。