VOA慢速英语:Growing Plants and Thinking Inside the Box

短语讲解：

1. The warm weather in central Florida is good for growing crops, especially tomatoes.

be good for对…有好处
例句：The Olympics will be good for business.
奥运会的召开对促进商业发展有好处。

2. So, he began looking to find a way to make sure this never happened again.

look to依靠；依赖；指望；求助于
例句：He looked to his brother for help.
他希望得到他兄弟的帮助。

3. He thought some kind of cover would keep rain away and the soil warm.

keep away (使)不接近
例句：Provide the bare necessities of life, especially food; keep away hunger.
供给生活必需品, 特别是食物, 以免于饥饿。

4. He wanted the plants to be grown in a box that would take up little space.

take up占用，占(地方)
例句：All available accommodation were taken up.
房间都住满了。

5. He became obsessed with the idea and thought about it day and night.

be obsessed with着迷于，沉溺
例句：The man who is obsessed with his job is just as hooked as the alcoholic, the junkie, or the compulsive gambler. 
被工作迷了心窍的人和酒鬼，吸毒者或惯赌都一样瘾头很大。 

6. A thin plastic cover would fit over the top of the box to keep out rain and harmful insects.

keep out (使)留在外面
例句：This notice should keep unwanted visitors out.
这条启事能把闲人拒之门外。

7. There is a small hole in the side to drain out extra moisture and keep from drowning the plants.

drain out (使)流出
例句：First you must drain the dirty water out and then clean the pipe.
你必须先让污水排出去, 然后再清洗管道。
keep from阻止; 免于
例句：I don't want to keep you from your work.
我不想耽误你的工作。

8. Since the potting mix soaks up the water, you have to pour more water down the tube every day or so.

soak up吸收, (使)充满
例句：The ground soaked up the rain.
地面吸干了雨水。

9. He then uses his hand to take out a small amount of potting mix.

take out清除, 除掉
例句：There's a nasty mark on the tablecloth, and I don't think the usual washing powder will take it out.
桌布上有一块污迹, 我想用普通洗衣粉是洗不掉的。

10. Many people who have used Earthboxes say it is possible to get over twenty-two kilograms of tomatoes, from just two plants.

get over做完…, 结束
例句：They got the work over as quickly as possible.
他们尽快地结束了工作。

11. In addition to using less water, little fertilizer is needed, and it all stays in the box. There is no way the chemicals can run off into nearby waterways.

in addition to除…之外，还…
例句：In addition to French, he has to study Japanese.
除了法语外，他还得学日语。
run off (使)流掉
Please run off the water from the tank.请把桶里的水放出。

12. Gardeners can use up peat moss much faster than it can be replaced by nature.

use up用完;耗尽
例句：By this time he had used up all his savings.
到这时, 他的存款已全部用完。

13. The people who make Earthboxes are interested in educating young people.

be interested in对…感兴趣
例句：She is interested in rhymes.
她对韵文感兴趣。

14. Kids really get engaged in science in the garden where it’s a kind of fun activity where they’re collecting data and seeing how different temperatures will change the amount of water that’s needed by a crop, so the science concepts come easily.

engage in参加; 从事; 忙于
例句：My family has been engaged in farming for generations.
我家几代都从事农业。