A food additive is any substance that is added to food. Many people are put off by the idea of“chemicals in food.”The truth is that all food is made up of chemicals. Natural substances like milk, as well as man-made ones like drinks on sale in the market, can be described by chemical formulas. Some chemical substances are indeed harmful, but a person who refused to consume any chemicals would find nothing to eat.

The things we eat can be divided into natural and man-made substances. Some people feel that only natural foods are healthy and that all man-made ingredients are to be avoided. But many natural chemicals, found in plants and animals, are harmful when eaten, and some laboratory-made substances increase the nutritional value of food. Other chemicals have natural and man-made forms that are exactly alike: vitamin C is vitamin C, whether it comes from a test tube or from an orange. Like“chemical”,“man-made”doesn’t necessarily mean“not fit to eat”.

Food additives are used for many reasons. We add sugar and salt and other things to foods we prepare at home to make them taste better. Food producers have developed a range of additives that stabilize, thicken, harden, keep wet, keep firm, or improve the appearance of their products. Additives can make food more convenient or nutritious, give it a longer shelf life, and make it more attractive to the consumer, thus increasing the sales and profits of the producers.

Food additives are presently the centre of a storm of serious argument. Food producers have been known to use additives that have not been proved safe; some substances in common use have been proved unsafe and have been taken off the market. Many people feel there’s a risk of eating food to which anything has been added. But food additives are now regulated by the FDA of the federal government, and new additives are subjected to strict testing before they can be placed on the market. For most people, the chances of developing serious side effects from the long-term use of presently approved food additives are very slim.

68. From the passage we can learn that        .

  A. all foods consist of chemical substances

  B. it is right to reject chemicals in food

  C. food additives are harmful to our health

  D. natural foods are much safer than man-made ones

69. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

  A. Foods with more additives have higher nutritional value.

  B. To ensure food safety, the FDA will ban food additives.

  C. Foods free of additives can keep a much longer shelf life.

  D. Food additives can improve the quality of foods in many ways.

70.We can infer from the regulation to the food additives by the FDA that        .

  A. new additives will be approved more easily than before

  B. food producers won’t be allowed to use new food additives

  C. food with common-used additives will be taken off the market

  D. food additives will be used in a safer and more scientific way

71. According to the writer, the food additive is        .

  A. worrying           B. acceptable        C. poisonous      D. avoidable

One of the political issues that is heard a lot about in the States lately is campaign（竞选）finance reform（改革）. The people who are  36  for reform usually want the  37  to pay for campaigns and/or limit the amount of money that candidates（候选人）and their  38  can spend.

One reason that reform is called for is that it costs so much to  39  for political office. Candidates have to spend a great deal of time and effort  40  money. The incumbents (those already in office) have less time to do chief jobs since they must  41  so many money raising events.

Another  42  is the fear that candidates will be owned or  43  by the “special interest groups” that give money to their campaigns. Sometimes this certainly seems to be the  44 .

On the  45  side are those who say that it doesn’t mean it’s really  46  just because you call something “reform”. They argue that the right to freedom of speech is  47  if the government can limit anyone’s ability to get his or her message out to the people.

If one person or a group of people want to tell the  48  what they think about an issue or candidate, they have to buy  49  on TV, radio, and in newspapers and magazines. They might want to put up advertisements along highways and on websites. All this costs a lot of  50 .

Those against laws that control or limit spending say that you don’t really have freedom of  51  or freedom of the press if you can’t get your message out. They say the government should never be able to control  52  discussions. They believe that this is most important when the voters are about to make  53 .

What do you think about this  54 ? Listen to what the candidates for national office have to say. Which candidates  55  the most sense to you?

36．A．waiting                   B．calling                    C．standing                  D．preparing

37．A．government            B．president                 C．candidates               D．citizens

38．A．leaders                   B．bosses                     C．supporters               D．states

39．A．pay                        B．compete                  C．wait                       D．work

40．A．raising                    B．earning                   C．giving                    D．getting

41．A．notice                     B．report                     C．guard                            D．attend

42．A．event                      B．cost                        C．reason                    D．office

43．A．encouraged             B．forced                    C．controlled               D．ordered

44．A．joke                       B．purpose                  C．case                        D．example

45．A．other                      B．same                      C．another                   D．different

46．A．worse                     B．better                            C．easier                     D．harder

47．A．meaningless            B．unimportant            C．unnecessary             D．impossible

48．A．reporters                 B．truth                       C．story                      D．public

49．A．time                       B．copies                     C．rights                            D．advertising

50．A．energy                    B．effort                            C．time                       D．money

51．A．argument                B．opinion                   C．speech                    D．election

52．A．common                 B．political                  C．general                   D．special

53．A．profit                            B．trouble                   C．plans                      D．decisions

54．A．quarrel                   B．problem                  C．issue                       D．affair

55．A．find                       B．make                      C．create                     D．produce

One of the political issues that is heard a lot about in the States lately is campaign（竞选）finance reform（改革）. The people who are  36  for reform usually want the  37  to pay for campaigns and/or limit the amount of money that candidates（候选人）and their  38  can spend.

One reason that reform is called for is that it costs so much to  39  for political office. Candidates have to spend a great deal of time and effort  40  money. The incumbents (those already in office) have less time to do chief jobs since they must  41  so many money raising events.

Another  42  is the fear that candidates will be owned or  43  by the “special interest groups” that give money to their campaigns. Sometimes this certainly seems to be the  44 .

On the  45  side are those who say that it doesn’t mean it’s really  46  just because you call something “reform”. They argue that the right to freedom of speech is  47  if the government can limit anyone’s ability to get his or her message out to the people.

If one person or a group of people want to tell the  48  what they think about an issue or candidate, they have to buy  49  on TV, radio, and in newspapers and magazines. They might want to put up advertisements along highways and on websites. All this costs a lot of  50 .

Those against laws that control or limit spending say that you don’t really have freedom of  51  or freedom of the press if you can’t get your message out. They say the government should never be able to control  52  discussions. They believe that this is most important when the voters are about to make  53 .

What do you think about this  54 ? Listen to what the candidates for national office have to say. Which candidates  55  the most sense to you?

36．A．waiting                   B．calling                    C．standing                  D．preparing

37．A．government            B．president                 C．candidates               D．citizens

38．A．leaders                   B．bosses                     C．supporters               D．states

39．A．pay                        B．compete                  C．wait                       D．work

40．A．raising                    B．earning                   C．giving                    D．getting

41．A．notice                     B．report                     C．guard                            D．attend

42．A．event                      B．cost                        C．reason                    D．office

43．A．encouraged             B．forced                    C．controlled               D．ordered

44．A．joke                       B．purpose                  C．case                        D．example

45．A．other                      B．same                      C．another                   D．different

46．A．worse                     B．better                            C．easier                            D．harder

47．A．meaningless            B．unimportant            C．unnecessary             D．impossible

48．A．reporters                 B．truth                       C．story                      D．public

49．A．time                       B．copies                     C．rights                            D．advertising

50．A．energy                    B．effort                            C．time                       D．money

51．A．argument                B．opinion                   C．speech                    D．election

52．A．common                 B．political                  C．general                   D．special

53．A．profit                            B．trouble                   C．plans                      D．decisions

54．A．quarrel                   B．problem                  C．issue                       D．affair

55．A．find                       B．make                      C．create                     D．produce

One of the political issues that is heard a lot about in the States lately is campaign finance reform. The people who are 1 for reform usually want the 2 to pay for campaigns and/or limit the amount of money that candidates（候选人）and their 3 can spend.

One reason that reform is called for is that it costs so much to 4 for political office. Candidates have to spend a great deal of time and effort 5 money. The incumbents (those already in office) have less time to do chief jobs since they must 6 so many money raising events.

Another 7 is the fear that candidates will be owned or 8 by the “special interest groups” that give money to their campaigns. Sometimes this certainly seems to be the 9 .

On the 10 side are those who say that it doesn’t mean it’s really 11 just because you call something “reform”. They argue that the right to freedom of speech is 12 if the government can limit anyone’s ability to get his or her message out to the people.

If one person or a group of people want to tell the 13 what they think about an issue or candidate, they have to buy 14 on TV, radio, and in newspapers and magazines. They might want to put up advertisements along highways and on websites. All this costs a lot of 15 .

Those against laws that control or limit spending say that you don’t really have freedom of 16 or freedom of the press if you can’t get your message out. They say the government should never be able to control 17 discussions. They believe that this is most important when the voters are about to make 18 .

What do you think about this 19 ? Listen to what the candidates for national office have to say. Which candidates 20 the most sense to you?

1．A．waiting　 B．calling　　 C．standing　　 D．preparing

2．A．government　　　　　　　 B．president　 C．candidates　 D．citizens

3．A．leaders　 B．bosses　　　 C．supporters　 D．states

4．A．pay　　　 B．compete　　 C．wait　　　　 D．work

5．A．raising　 B．earning　　 C．giving　　　 D．getting

6．A．notice　 B．report　　　 C．guard　　　 D．attend

7．A．event　　 B．cost　　　　 C．reason　　　 D．office

8．A．encouraged　　　　　　　 B．forced　　　 C．controlled　 D．ordered

9．A．joke　　 B．purpose　　 C．case　　　　 D．example

10．A．other　 B．same　　　　 C．another　　 D．different

11．A．worse　 B．better　　　 C．easier　　　 D．harder

12．A．meaningless　　　　　　 B．unimportant C．unnecessary D．impossible

13．A．reporters　　　　　　　 B．truth　　　 C．story D．public

14．A．time　　 B．copies　　　 C．rights　　　 D．advertising

15．A．energy　 B．effort　　　 C．time　　　　 D．money

16．A．argument B．opinion　　 C．speech　　　 D．election

17．A．common　 B．political　 C．general　　 D．special

18．A．profit　 B．trouble　　 C．plans　　　 D．decisions

19．A．quarrel B．problem　　 C．issue　　　 D．affair

20．A．find　　 B．make　　　　 C．create　　　 D．produce