题目内容
17.The loudest public food fight right now is about GMOs (转基因生物),or genetically modified organisms.Scientists add genes to corn,soybeans,and other plants,usually to protect the crops from insects or herbicides.Proponents say that makes crops easier to grow and cheaper while opponents believe that GMOs have been linked to depression,allergies,infertility,and even cancer.Many consumers and food-safety inspectors worry that GMOs cause an unnatural threat to our health and the environment.Although GMOs have been in our food supply for 20years,the controversy has moved to center stage.Recent documentaries and experts on The Doctor Oz Show have fanned the flames.About 75percent of consumers say they are concerned about the safety of genetically modified foods.Two states in the USA recently passed bills requiring labeling (标记) of all foods made with GMOs; many other states are considering mandatory labeling.The European Union (EU) already requires labeling,and several countries,including France,have banned the planting of genetically modified crops.So are GMOs safe-or should you avoid them at all costs?Here,a look at the evidence.
Roughly 90% of the corn,canola,soybeans,and sugar beets grown in the United States have bits of DNA that originally came from a lab.Unless you've been eating only foods labeled 100percent organic-which must be GMO-free-you probably have GMOs in your system now.
In a big red-flag-raising study,French researchers reported last year that rats developed huge tumors (瘤) after living on genetically modified corn for two years."Genetic engineering can have unintended consequences,"says Bill Freese,science policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety.Artificial genes force plants to produce unnatural proteins (蛋白质),he says,and no one knows how those may affect human health.
But scientists immediately criticized the French study.For one thing,the types of rats used in the study were highly prone (倾向于) to cancer,so it was predictable that some would develop tumors after eating GMOs,notes Nina Fedoroff,a professor of biology and life sciences at Penn State University.She adds,"We've eaten these foods for 20years and aren't walking around with giant tumors."
Hundreds of other studies have found no trouble with GMOs,says Ruth MacDonald,professor at Iowa State University.After looking at more than 130research projects,the EU concluded that there's nothing especially risky about them.
In September,the editors of Scientific American denounced the efforts to label GMO foods,stating that there's no proof that GMOs can endanger people's health.Adding genes to crops isn't any more dangerous than traditional breeding (繁殖),which farmers have done for thousands of years,the American Association for the Advancement of Science declared in 2012.Old methods of modifying crops mixed tens of thousands of genes with unpredictable results.The fact that scientists can now insert single genes into corn or soybeans shouldn't raise any new alarms,says Fedoroff.
There doesn't appear to be a scientific reason to ban GMO foods from your cupboard to protect your health.But it is healthy to limit your intake of the processed foods that often contain them.And don't assume that GMO-free packaged good is necessarily healthy.Organic cookies can still contain too much sugar or salt.
63.Which of the following have made the argument about GMOs fiercer?B
A.Some consumers and inspectors.
B.Some documentaries and experts.
C.Some newspapers and magazines.
D.Some scientists and administrators.
64.We can infer from the passage thatC.
A.some countries like France have suffered severely from GMOs
B.most crops grown in the United States are genetically modified
C.EU consumers can buy GMOS or GMO-free foods as they like
D.GMO-free foods can hardly be found in American markets now
65.The underlined word"denounced"in Paragraph 7means"A".
A.condemned
B.confirmed
C.advocated
D.assessed
66.The author writes the passage for the purpose ofC.
A.appealing to people to reject GMO foods
B.proving GMO goods harmless for humans
C.sharing with people opinions about GMOs
D.throwing doubt on the results of researches.
分析 本文属于说明文阅读,作者通过这篇文章向我们介绍了人们对于转基因生物的观点,一些支持者认为该技术可以使农作物更容易生长、而且会使作物更便宜,而反对者则认为转基因生物带来了一些负面效应,且我们不知道转基因生物对我们是否健康.
解答 63.B 考查细节理解.根据第二段第二句"Recent documentaries and experts on The Dr.Oz Show have fanned the flames."可知一些专家以及纪录片对转基因生物的争论很激烈,故选B.
64.C 考查推理判断.根据第六段After looking at more than 130research projects,the EU concluded that there's nothing especially risky about them.可知欧盟认为这些转基因生物的食品没有什么特别的风险.故选C.
65.A 考查词义猜测.第二段中提到美国有些州要求必须有标签标明是否是转基因食物,而第七段In September,the editors of Scientific American denounced the efforts to label GMO foods,stating that there's no proof that GMOs can endanger people's health.讲述了编辑们声明没有证据表明转基因食物能危害人体健康,由此可推知编辑们是谴责那些要求贴标签的行为.故选A.
66.C 考查写作意图.本文主要介绍了人们对转基因生物的观点,支持者认为该技术可以使农作物更容易生长、更便宜,而反对者则认为转基因生物带来了一些负面效应.由此可知作者写作本文的目的是让人们了解一些对转基因生物的观点,故选C.
点评 考查学生的细节理解和推理判断能力.做细节理解题时一定要找到文章中的原句,和题干进行比较,再做出正确选择.在做推理判断题时不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实,要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断.
A. | informed | B. | to inform | C. | informing | D. | inform |
-Oh,nothing ________.( )
A. | much | B. | else | C. | ever | D. | yet |