Question

The United States government wants to know what the public thinks about its findings on the safety of cloned animals.

The Food and Drug Administration says meat and milk from clones of adult cattle, pigs and goats are safe to eat. An FDA official called them “as safe to eat as the food we eat every day.” And when those clones reproduce sexually, the agency says, their offspring (后代) are safe to eat as well. But research on cloned sheep is limited. So the FDA proposes that sheep clones not be used for human food.

The United States this year could become the first country to agree to the sale of foods from cloned animals. First, however, the public will have ninety days to comment on three suggested documents. On December 28th the FDA released a long report, called a draft risk assessment, along with two policy documents.

The agency says it must receive comments by April second. The FDA seemed ready to act several years ago, but a committee called for more research.

For now, the government will continue to ask producers to honor a request that they not sell foods from cloned animals.

Clones are still rare. They cost a lot and are difficult to produce.

The FDA says most food from cloning is expected to come not from clones themselves, but from their sexually reproduced offspring. It says clones are expected to be used mostly as breeding animals to spread good qualities.

Public opinion studies show most Americans do not like the idea of food from cloned animals. But this research also shows the public knows little about cloning.

Cloning differs from genetic engineering. A cell taken from a so-called donor animal is grown into an embryo (胚胎) in the laboratory. Next, the embryo is placed into the uterus (子宫) of a female animal. If the process is successful, the pregnancy reaches full term and a genetic copy of the donor animal is born.

 

41. What’s the main purpose of the passage?

A. To tell an interesting story.                    B. To give some advice on foods.

C. To give a report.                                  D. To compare different opinions.

42. Who believe that foods from cloning are safe to eat? __________

A. Most Americans      B. An advisory committee      C. Critics        D. The FDA

43. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that_____.

A. cloning has much in common with genetic

B. not every cell taken from a donor animal can grow into a genetic copy

C. the donor animal should be a female one

D. cloned animals grow faster than normal ones

44. Which of the following is true about foods from cloning? _______________

A. They come from the sexually reproduced offspring of cloned animals.

B. The food from first-generation cloned animals is very expensive.

C. Only FDA has the right to sell the food.

D. They will be sold mixed with those from naturally bred animals.

Answer 1

41.C

解析：考查主题大意。本篇文章是关于克隆食物的安全问题的报道。

42.D

解析：考查细节理解。文章开头说，美国食品和药品管理局告诉公众，克隆动物制品可以安全食用，其后代也能安全食用。

43.B

解析：考查推理判断。最后一段说，“如果这个过程成功的话”，怀孕的动物的孕期就会自然成熟。由此判断选B，这个过程也有失败的时候。

44.A

解析：考查推理判断。第七段说，克隆动物的肉食不是来自克隆动物本身，而是来自有性繁殖的后代，克隆动物将被用做繁殖动物，以传递优良素质。