Question

WHEN you buy cooking oil in the supermarket, you may notice that some brands are labeled as “GM (genetically modified)-free”. So, what is genetic modification? Are GM foods safe?

These questions have been put back into the spotlight recently. On Nov 19, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US announced that it had approved the AquAdvantage salmon (三文鱼) to go on the market, making it the first genetically modified animal to be approved as food anywhere in the world.

GM foods are plants or animals that have been given a gene from another plant or animal to make them stronger in some way. The AquAdvantage salmon contains a gene from another type of salmon that makes it grow faster.

Although the FDA has said “food from the fish is safe to eat”, some believe that scientists can’t completely understand the potential health risks of GM foods, simply because they’re so new. Others worry that the fish could escape into the wild and cause ecological (生态的) problems.

GM crops have experienced the same controversy, even though GM technology cuts down on the use of pesticides (杀虫剂) on crops and increases yields.

While GM animals are new, GM crops have already appeared on our plates. A total of 28 countries in the world including the US, Brazil and India planted 181.5 million hectares (1.815 million km2) of GM crops in 2014, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. In China, we grow GM cotton and papaya (木瓜) and import GM soybeans, corn, rape (油菜), cotton and beets (甜菜) from abroad.

Due to safety worries, many countries have regulations for producing and selling GM food.

In European Union countries, each GM food must be approved before it can be used. This process can take up to 17 months. The origin of all GM foods must also be traceable (可追溯的) , and all food with a GM content of more than 0.9 percent must also be labeled, according to EU website europa.eu.

The US is less strict about GM foods. According to FDA regulations, companies introducing new GM foods to the market should report them at least 120 days before release. The labeling is voluntary (自愿的), except that a product cannot be labeled as “GM-free” if genetically modified materials are used.

In China, GM foods can only be produced after strict tests by the Ministry of Agriculture say that they are safe. All food that is made from GM crops or contains GM ingredients must be clearly labeled on the wrapper (包装).

1.According to the text, the AquAdvantage salmon ______.

A. tastes better than normal salmon

B. is a product that mixes several types of fish

C. has a gene from a different type of salmon

D. remains to be approved in several countries

2.One of the reasons for many people to worry about the AquAdvantage salmon is that ______.

A. the gene that makes them grow faster can work on humans too

B. there are possible health risks that even scientists might not have figured out yet

C. they could possibly become threats to other wild species

D. they are not nutritious enough or might taste strange

3.From the text, it can be concluded that GM crops _____.

A. no longer cause any controversy

B. have already been planted in some countries

C. are popular because they don’t need pesticides

D. can increase yields, making them welcome in countries like Japan

4.Which of the following is TRUE about regulations for producing and selling GM food?

A. All food with GM content must be labeled in European countries.

B. In the US, the AquAdvantage salmon will have to be labeled as GM food.

C. In France, every GM food that is about to go on the market must be reported at least 120 days before release.

D. In China, all food that is made from GM crops or contains GM ingredients must be clearly labeled on the package.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.B

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：本文探讨了基因改造食物的安全性问题以及不同国家对基因改造食物的政策。

1.C细节理解题。根据第三段的最后一句话“The AquAdvantage salmon contains a gene from another type of salmon that makes it grow faster.”可知这种三文鱼与其他品种的三文鱼不同之处是他有一种基因可以让它长得更加迅速。这种基因是其他品种的三文鱼所没有的。故选C。

2.2】B细节理解题。根据第四段的第二句话中“some believe that scientists can’t completely understand the potential health risks of GM foods”可知人们对于基因改造食物的主要担心是科学家们并不能完全理解基因改造食物的潜在威胁。故选B。

3.B 推理判断题。根据文章第六段“While GM animals are new, GM crops have already appeared on our plates. A total of 28 countries in the world…”可知基因改造的作物已经在很多国家被种植。故选B

4.D细节理解题。根据文章最后一段“All food that is made from GM crops or contains GM ingredients must be clearly labeled on the wrapper .”可知在中国所有由基因改造制成的食物或含有基因改造的成分的产品都必须在包装上清楚地标注出来。故选D。

考点：科技类阅读理解

【名师点睛】

高考英语科普类阅读文章解题技巧

【考点描述】

科普类文章是高考英语的常考题材，每年高考都有所涉及，如2005年的江苏卷在五篇阅读文章中就有两篇是关于科普文章的阅读。因此，同学们在平时的学习中一定要对此高度重视。

【材料特点】

这类文章的总体特点是：科技词汇多，句子结构复杂，理论性强，逻辑严谨。具

体说来它有以下几个特点：

1. 文章中词汇的意义比较单一、稳定、简明，不带感情色彩，具有单一性和准确性的特点。这类文章通常不会出现文学英语中采用的排比、比喻、夸张等修辞手法，一词多义的现象也不多见。

2. 句子结构较复杂，语法分析较困难。为了描述一个客观事物，严密地表达自己的思想，作者经常会使用集多种语法现象于一体的长句。

3. 常使用被动语态，尤其是一些惯用被动句式。

【命题特点】

科普类阅读的主要命题形式有事实细节题、词义猜测题、推理判断题以及主旨概括题等，其中推理判断题居多。

【应对策略】

1. 要想做好科普英语阅读理解题，同学们就要注意平时多读科普知识类文章，学习科普知识，积累常见的科普词汇，从根本上提高科普英语的阅读能力。

2. 要熟悉科普类文章的结构特点。科普类文章一般由标题(Headline)，导语(Introduction)，背景( Background)，主体(Main body)和结尾(End)五部分构成。标题是文章中心思想高度而又精辟的概括，但根据历年的高考情况来看，这类阅读理解材料一般不给标题，而要同学们选择标题。导语一般位于整篇文章的首段。背景交待一个事实的起因。主体则对导语概括的事实进行详细叙述，这一部分命题往往最多，因此，阅读时，同学们要把这部分作为重点。结尾往往也是中心思想的概括，并与导语相呼应，命题者常在此要设计一道推理判断题。

3. 在进行推理判断时，同学们一定要以阅读材料所提供的科学事实为依据，同时所得出的结论还应符合基本的科普常识。如：5.B 推理判断题。根据文章第六段“While GM animals are new, GM crops have already appeared on our plates. A total of 28 countries in the world…”可知基因改造的作物已经在很多国家被种植。故选B

考点：科技类阅读理解