Question

    The research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that food allergies ( 过 敏 ) in children have increased about 50 percent. Common symptoms  of allergic responses include itchy mouth, throat tightening, and difficulties in breathing.

Food allergy is a medical condition of exposure to certain foods. It occurs when the immune system attacks the protein in food that in normal cases is harmless. According to reports, more than 170 foods cause allergic reactions. The major food allergens are in eggs, milk, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, tree nuts, and crustacean shellfish.

There are several reasons behind the rise in food allergies. The food being produced these days is high in sugar, unhealthy fats, genetically modifies and some food farms have  pesticides ( 农 药 ) and other food have been injected drugs. All this can have a negative impact on our microbiome (微生物群), which is the basis of good health and immunity.

In a study comparing two children, a 15-year-old who lived in urban Italy and a 14-year-old child from rural Africa, it clearly showed a significant difference in the diversity of bacteria in their guts. The reason lies in their diet. The child from rural Africa has his diet low  in fat and rich in plant-based foods which are grown and harvested locally by villagers. In contrast, the Italian kid’s diet was rich in animal protein, sugar then low in fiber. Ultimately, the microbiome of the kid from Italy was less than that of the kid from Africa.

Besides, the so-called ‘hygiene hypothesis’ suggests that decreased exposure to microbes in early life can lead to an increased chance of allergies in later life, because of individuals not having built up immunity at a young age.

Yet another reason for the explosion in allergies may be environmental changes. The environment has seen a rise in temperature and is estimated that in the coming decades the temperature could rise even further by 10 degrees. As a result of this warm climate, the growing seasons will be longer, increasing allergen count thus making allergies even worse. According to scientists, climate change is a contributing factor that needs immediate attention.

Dr. R. Sharon, researcher of Allergy and Asthma Research Centre at Stanford University, believes the cause of allergies will ultimately come down to a combination of many factors.

Food allergies have no cure but can be managed by avoiding food that brings the  reactions. Scientists are studying food allergies medical methods for general use. They are all trying to actively understand a certain part of the puzzle when it comes to allergies.

1.What can we learn from the passage?

A.Scientists have found an effective method to solve food allergies.

B.There could be many reasons that combine to lead to food allergies.

C.Environmental changes are the most important reason for food allergies.

D.To decrease children’s allergies, we should make them eat less every day.

2.In paragraph 4, the two children are mentioned to show that

A.pesticides have bad effects on people’s food

B.a person’s daily diet can affect his microbiome

C.food allergies have no cure but can be avoided

D.climate  change is another factor for food allergies

3.What is the main purpose of this passage?

A.To explain the causes of food allergies.

B.To stress the influences of food allergies.

C.To introduce the solutions to food allergies.

D.To tell people the symptoms of food allergies.

4.What’s the author’s attitude to the treatment of food allergies?

A.Indifferent. B.Positive.

C.Doubtful. D.Critical.

Answer

1.B

2.B

3.A

4.B

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了导致食物过敏的原因。

1.细节理解题。根据文章第三段中There are several reasons behind the rise in food allergies. 食物过敏的增加有几个原因以及倒数第二段中Dr. R. Sharon, researcher of Allergy and Asthma Research Centre at Stanford University, believes the cause of allergies will ultimately come down to a combination of many factors. Dr. R. Sharon相信过敏的原因最终会归结到许多因素的组合。由此可知，导致食物过敏的原因有很多。故选B。

2.推理判断题。根据文章第三段中All this can have a negative impact on our microbiome (微生物群), which is the basis of good health and immunity. 所有这些都会对我们的微生物群产生负面影响，而微生物群是健康和免疫的基础。以及第四段中Ultimately, the microbiome of the kid from Italy was less than that of the kid from Africa. 最终，来自意大利的孩子的微生物组少于来自非洲的孩子。由此可知，提到两个孩子是为了说明一个人的饮食会对他的微生物群造成影响。故选B。

3.推理判断题。根据文章第三段中There are several reasons behind the rise in food allergies.以及第五段中Besides, the so-called ‘hygiene hypothesis’ suggests that decreased exposure to microbes in early life can lead to an increased chance of allergies in later life, because of individuals not having built up immunity at a young age. 此外，所谓的“卫生假说”表明，早期接触微生物的减少可能会导致晚年过敏的几率增加，因为人们在年轻时没有建立起免疫系统。以及倒数第三段中Yet another reason for the explosion in allergies may be environmental changes. 另一个过敏症激增的原因可能是环境的变化。According to scientists, climate change is a contributing factor that needs immediate attention. 科学家表示，气候变化是一个需要立即关注的因素。以及倒数第二段中Dr. R. Sharon, researcher of Allergy and Asthma Research Centre at Stanford University, believes the cause of allergies will ultimately come down to a combination of many factors. Dr. R. Sharon相信过敏的原因最终会归结到许多因素的组合。由此可知，文章大篇幅都在讲述过敏的原因。结合选项，故选A。

4.推理判断题。根据文章最后一段中Food allergies have no cure but can be managed by avoiding food that brings the reactions. Scientists are studying food allergies medical methods for general use. They are all trying to actively understand a certain part of the puzzle when it comes to allergies. 食物过敏无法治愈，但可以通过避免食用引起过敏反应的食物来控制。科学家们正在研究普遍使用的食物过敏的医学方法。当谈到过敏时，他们都试图积极地理解这个谜题的某一部分。由此可知，作者对于过敏的治疗还是很乐观的。故选B。