Question

New rules will let millions of Americans know where more of their food comes from. The law is known as COOL -- Country of Origin Labeling(标签).

American congress first passed the law in 2002. Stores have had to label seafood by country of origin since 2005. But industry pressure delayed other requirements until last week.

Products that must now be labeled include fresh fruits and vegetables, muscle meats and some kinds of nuts. But the rules are complex, and many foods are not included. For example, organ meats are free to be labeled. So are processed foods, including cooked or smoked foods.

The same food may sometimes have to be labeled and other times not. Fresh or frozen peas, for example, have to be labeled but not canned peas. Foods that are mixed with other foods are also excluded. Mixed nuts, for example, do not need to be labeled. The same is true of a salad mix that contains different things like lettuce and carrots. Or a fruit cup that combines different fruits. Also, the law doesn’t include restaurants and other food service organizations. Department of Agriculture officials say the law is really meant for larger grocery stores.

The United States has imported more and more food in recent years to save money and expand choices. Country-of-origin labeling has become more common lately but has still been limited in many stores.

Food safety is one reason why some shoppers pay close attention to where foods came from. For example, when a large number of people recently got sick from salmonella(沙门菌病), officials blamed peppers from Mexico. Yet the last big food scare involved spinach grown in California. But labeling is also a way for people to know they are getting what they want. Some want to buy local foods or foods from a particular country.

The country-of-origin labeling law gives stores 30 days to correct any violations(违反) that are found. Stores and suppliers that are found to be deliberately violating the law could be fined 1,000 dollars per violation. Federal inspectors are not to take action to enforce the law for six months to give time for an education campaign.

Some food safety activists say they are generally pleased with the law. They call it a good step that will give people more useful information.

1.Why has more and more food been imported to the United States in recent years?

A. It is economical and provides people with more choices.

B. Foreign food is of higher quality than native food.

C. Americans need more and more food recently.

D. The United States is short of food supply.

2.Consumers are more concerned about where foods come from because________.

A. they are curious about the origin of the food.

B. most of them are particular about the tastes

C. they are concerned about food safety

D. most of them are food safety activists

3.The new rules of the country-of-origin labeling law will come into effect________.

A. right now          B. in a month       C. in three months       D. in half a year

4.Which of the following can be inferred from the text?

A. Store owners are most likely to be the supporters of the law.

B. The government of America will possibly forbid importing peppers from Mexico.

C. Federal inspectors couldn’t take measures to enforce the law.

D. Most Americans prefer imported vegetables to the vegetables grown in local places.

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.D

4.B

【解析】

试题分析：美国政府颁布了一项名为“产地国标签”的法令, 要求商店内出售的食品一律标明产地是哪里, 以此保障食品安全, 给消费者提供更多的有用信息。这项法令将在半年后正式生效。

1.A细节理解题。根据第四段第一句The United States has imported more and more food in

 recent years to save money and expand choices.可以得知答案。

2.C细节理解题。根据第五段第一句和第四句话的内容可以得知, 消费者对于食物产地非常

关注的原因是出于食品安全方面的考虑以及对于食品产地的要求。

3.D推理判断题。从倒数第二段最后一句话可以得知, 联邦检察员在六个月内将不会采取措施强制执行这一法令, 由此可以推知，这一法令将在半年后正式生效。

4.B推理判断题。根据第六段中For example, when a large number of people recently got sick from salmonella(沙门菌病), officials blamed peppers from Mexico.可以推知答案。

考点：新闻报道类阅读理解