Question

Reading Comprehension

Section B

Directions：Read the following passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.

　　Are organically grown foods the best food choices？The advantages claimed for such foods over conventionally (传统地) grown and marketed food products are now being debated. Supporters of organic foods—a term whose meaning varies greatly—frequently announce that such products are safer and more nutritious than others.

　　The growing interest of consumers in the safety and nutritional quality of the typical North American diet is a welcome development. However, much of this interest has been sparked by sweeping claims that the food supply is unsafe or inadequate in meeting nutritional needs.  Although most of these claims are not supported by scientific evidence, the flood of written material advancing such claims makes it difficult for the general public to separate fact from fiction. As a result, claims that eating a diet consisting entirely of organically grown foods prevents or cures disease or provides other benefits to health have become widely publicized.

　　Almost daily the public is besieged by claims for “no-aging” diets, new vitamins and other wonder foods. There are numerous unproved reports that natural vitamins are superior to synthetic ones, that fertilized eggs are nutritionally superior to unfertilized eggs, that untreated grains are better than fumigated grains and the like.

　　One thing that most organically grown food products seem to have in common is that they cost more than conventionally grown foods. But in many cases consumers are misled if they believe organic foods can maintain health and provide better nutritional quality than conventionally grown foods. So there is real cause for concern if consumers，particularly those with limited incomes, distrust the regular food supply and buy only expensive organic foods instead.

1.The “welcome development” mentioned in paragraph 2 is an increase in ______.

　　A. attention to food safety and nutrition among north Americans

　　B. the nutritional quality of the typical North American diet

　　C. the amount of healthy food grown in North America

　　D. the number of consumers in North America

2. The author implies that there is cause for concern if consumers buy organic foods instead of conventionally grown foods because ______.

　　A. organic foods can be more expensive but are often not better than conventionally grown foods

　　B. many organic foods are actually less nutritious than similar conventionally grown foods

　　C. conventionally grown foods are more readily available than organic foods

　　D. too many farmers will stop using conventional methods to grow food crops

3.What is the author’s attitude toward the claims made by advocates of health foods？

　　A. Enthusiastic.  B. Favorable.  C. Neutral.  D. Distrustful.

Answer 1

【小题1】A

【小题2】A

【小题3】D

【小题4】

【小题5】