Sugar—free beets（甜菜）that still taste sweet, tastier tomatoes and brighter-colored fruits and vegetables that stay ripe（熟的）longer are all foods that are being grown now. How can they

carry traits, such as being tastier, brighter, and riper? They are genetically engineered.

Genetic engineering（基因工程）is like making a change in a recipe. For example, when you make cakes, you mix together all of the usual ingredients. If you add an extra ingredient, like salt, the cakes will taste differently.

Genes are ingredients in the recipe for life. They carry the traits of living things. Your genes dictate what color hair and eyes you’ll have, how tall you’ll be, as well as many other traits. Genes carry traits for plants, too. By adding genes to a plant, you can sometimes create new traits. For example, adding a certain gene to a potato plant can make the potato plant distasteful to bugs（虫子）. This makes some farmers happy because they don’t have to use chemicals to keep bugs away from their plants.

It sounds great, but some people are opposed to the idea of food that is genetically engineered. Ronnie Cummins, from the Campaign for Food Safety, is against it. He says that one of the major concerns is allergies（过敏）. Supermarkets don’t always label foods that are genetically engineered. A customer could unknowingly buy food that has an added gene from another plant that he or she is allergic to. It could be dangerous.

Gary Burton from Monsanto, a seed（种子）company that engineers food, disagrees. He says his company tests for allergies. Burton believes that genetic engineering is a valuable tool for making better food. The technology can help farmers use less insecticide（杀虫剂）and grow healthier crops. Burton thinks there are many advantages.

But Cummins says that we just don’t know what will happen in the future if we keep adding genes to foods. We could mistakenly create a monster.

People have different opinions about genetic engineering. One side supports it and thinks it will only help us. The other side is opposed to playing with nature and fears health risks. Which side do you think is right?

1.What could be a good thing about food that is genetically engineered?

A．It’s more expensive.

B．It could taste different.

C．It requires less insecticide.

D．It’s not labeled in the supermarket.

2.In general, who does not support the idea of genetic food?

A．People from seed companies.

B．Farmers who use engineered seeds.

C．People from the Campaign for Food Safety.

D．Scientists who create genetically engineered food.

3.It can be inferred that .

A．growing genetic foods will make farmers richer

B．people will eat more genetic foods in the future

C．using fewer chemicals could make the food tastier

D．there could be unknown dangers about genetic foods

4.What is the best title of this passage?

A．Future Farming

B．Genetic Engineering

C．Foods with a Difference

D．Genetically Engineered Fruits

Sugar—free beets（甜菜）that still taste sweet, tastier tomatoes and brighter-colored fruits and vegetables that stay ripe（熟的）longer are all foods that are being grown now. How can they
carry traits, such as being tastier, brighter, and riper? They are genetically engineered.
Genetic engineering（基因工程）is like making a change in a recipe. For example, when you make cakes, you mix together all of the usual ingredients. If you add an extra ingredient, like salt, the cakes will taste differently.
Genes are ingredients in the recipe for life. They carry the traits of living things. Your genes dictate what color hair and eyes you’ll have, how tall you’ll be, as well as many other traits. Genes carry traits for plants, too. By adding genes to a plant, you can sometimes create new traits. For example, adding a certain gene to a potato plant can make the potato plant distasteful to bugs（虫子）. This makes some farmers happy because they don’t have to use chemicals to keep bugs away from their plants.
It sounds great, but some people are opposed to the idea of food that is genetically engineered. Ronnie Cummins, from the Campaign for Food Safety, is against it. He says that one of the major concerns is allergies（过敏）. Supermarkets don’t always label foods that are genetically engineered. A customer could unknowingly buy food that has an added gene from another plant that he or she is allergic to. It could be dangerous.
Gary Burton from Monsanto, a seed（种子）company that engineers food, disagrees. He says his company tests for allergies. Burton believes that genetic engineering is a valuable tool for making better food. The technology can help farmers use less insecticide（杀虫剂）and grow healthier crops. Burton thinks there are many advantages.
But Cummins says that we just don’t know what will happen in the future if we keep adding genes to foods. We could mistakenly create a monster.
People have different opinions about genetic engineering. One side supports it and thinks it will only help us. The other side is opposed to playing with nature and fears health risks. Which side do you think is right?

1.
What could be a good thing about food that is genetically engineered?
1. A.
  It’s more expensive
2. B.
  It could taste different
3. C.
  It requires less insecticide
4. D.
  It’s not labeled in the supermarket
2.
In general, who does not support the idea of genetic food?
1. A.
  People from seed companies
2. B.
  Farmers who use engineered seeds
3. C.
  People from the Campaign for Food Safety
4. D.
  Scientists who create genetically engineered food
3.
It can be inferred that
1. A.
  growing genetic foods will make farmers richer
2. B.
  people will eat more genetic foods in the future
3. C.
  using fewer chemicals could make the food tastier
4. D.
  there could be unknown dangers about genetic foods
4.
What is the best title of this passage?
1. A.
  Future Farming
2. B.
  Genetic Engineering
3. C.
  Foods with a Difference
4. D.
  Genetically Engineered Fruits

Two fast friends were Willie Brown and his little dog Bounce. Willie could never think of taking a walk without Bounce. Cake and play were equally shared between them. Willie taught his dog many tricks, and often said that Bounce could do almost anything in the world but talk.

There came a time, however, when Bounce really told Willie’s father something, though he could not talk.

It was a bright summer afternoon. Willie had walked with Bounce down to the river, which was not more than two blocks from his father’s store. Willie began to throw stones into the water, and Bounce lay on the grass, watching the flies and catching any that came too near. There were some logs（圆木） in the river near the bank. Willie jumped upon one of them, to see if he could throw a stone across the river. He drew back, and sent the stone with all his might. Just as it left his hand, the log turned, and he fell into the water. He was very much frightened（恐惧）, for he did not know how to swim, and there was no one to hear, though he called as loud as he could for help.

Poor little Bounce gave a great barking of worry. He ran up and down the bank two or three times, barking, looking first at Willie and then around. Then he started as fast as he could run, up the street to the store.

When he got there the door was shut, but he scratched(挠) against it and barked loudly, until someone came and opened it.

He caught hold of Mr. Brown’s clothes then ran to the door, then back again, catching at him, barking, and jumping. Now, Mr. Brown thought of Willie. He thought, “Something must be wrong.” Immediately he followed Bounce to the riverside.

There he saw Willie’s hat circling on the water, and his small arm thrown up. He jumped in and caught him just as he was going down for the last time, and quickly carried him to the bank. Willie soon got over this fright, and no one seemed to be more delighted than Bounce.

1 What could Bounce do?

A. Talk to people.

B. Do different tricks.

C. Play computer games.

D. Catch all kinds of animals.

2 What can we learn from the passage?

A. Willie Brown enjoyed playing with all kinds of animals.

B. Mr. Brown cared more for his store than his son.

C. Bounce could swim so he saved Willie’s life.

D. Animals can be people’s best helpers.

3 What’s the best title for the passage?

A. Father and Son

B. Willie and Bounce

C. A Good Way to Teach Your Dog

D. A Hero Who Saved a Boy from the River