Question

    Valerie Stull begins her mornings with a breakfast shake, into which she puts peanut butter, cocoa powder, banana, and milk. The last thing to go in is a powder made from insects.

Stull works at the Global Health Institute. She's in a group of researchers who study the impacts of eating insects. There's a name for dining on insects: entomophagy.

About two billion people regularly eat insects. That's almost one in every four. Most North Americans and Europeans tend to find the idea of entomophagy disgusting. Yet even in their parts of the world, insect eating is starting to catch on. That's especially true when the insects are eaten, as Stull's are, in a form that doesn't show their eyes, wings and feet.

"Some scientists view eatable insects as mini-livestock（小型牲畜）.” Compared to raising cattle and more traditional livestock, insects need far less natural resources such as land and water. Insects also are nutritious. They're packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. Plus, their outer shells contain chitin—a source of fiber.

Stull wondered if chitin and other fibers in insects might offer health benefits similar to other fibers found in a typical American diet. To find out, she teamed up with Tiffany Weir, who's a scientist at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Breakfasts enriched with insects changed the amount of different bacteria in the gut（肠道），the two now report. And those changes were in a direction that should improve a diner's health.

These findings suggest that insects work as prebiotics（益生元）.Scientists think probiotics, which fuel the growth of helpful gut bacteria （肠道细菌），have longer and larger benefits than probiotics（益生菌）do. Probiotics exist in your gut, and you can also add them to your diet. But, Stull explains, “When you have probiotics, you're taking in a whole bunch of beneficial bacteria. But if you don't feed those beneficial bacteria, they're not going to stick around very long."

It's possible that insects offer larger benefits to people who eat them regularly. In a future study, Stull's team would like to test that idea.

1.What can we learn from the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?

A.Insect eating is one of Stull's favorite lifestyles.

B.Insect eating is quite different from entomophagy.

C.Insect eating is becoming more and more acceptable.

D.Insect eating is the most scientific way of getting nutrition.

2.what's the advantage of insect farming compared with traditional livestock farming?

A.It's face-saving. B.It's time-saving.

C.It's labor-saving. D.It's resource-saving.

3.What has Stull and Weir's study found out?

A.Insects are rich in fiber. B.Chitin is similar to other fibers.

C.Eating insects is good for health. D.Insects can keep gut bacteria in balance.

4.How do prebiotics prebioties differ from probiotics?

A.Prebiotics are good bacteria. B.Prebiotics can be added to the diet.

C.Prebiotics need to be fed regularly. D.Prebiotics can inspire good gut bacteria.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.C

4.D

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。科学家发现吃昆虫可能有益于身体健康。

1.推理理解题。根据第三段中的“About two billion people regularly eat insects .”和“Yet even in their parts of the world”可知，大约20亿人经常吃昆虫，然而即使在他们的世界里……可推知，此句应是对吃昆虫的肯定。故划线句句意与C项“人们越来越接受吃昆虫”。故选C。

2.推理判断题。根据第四段中的 “Compared to raising cattle and more traditional livestock, insects need far less natural resources such as land and and water.”可知，与饲养牛和更传统的牲畜相比，昆虫所需的土地和水等自然资源要少得多。因此推断相对而言，养昆虫使用的水和地比较少，可以节约资源。故选D。

3.细节理解题。根据倒数第三段中的“Breakfasts enriched with insects changed the amount of different bacteria in the gut（肠道），the two now report. And those changes were in a direction that should improve a diner's health.”可知，富含昆虫的早餐改变了肠道中不同细菌的数量，两人现在报告说。而这些变化正是为了改善食客的健康状况的。因此可知两位科学家Stull和Weir发现，吃昆虫应该有益于健康。故选C。

4.细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中的“Scientists think probiotics, which fuel the growth of helpful gut bacteria （肠道细菌），have longer and larger benefits than probiotics（益生菌）do. ”可知，科学家们认为益生元促进有益肠道细菌的生长，比益生菌有更长久的更大的益处。因此可知益生元可以激发良好的肠道细菌。故选D。