人类需要找到新的食物来源养活自己
人类需要找到新的食物来源养活自己

People need to find out new foods because the world has so many mouths to feed. Now there are more than seven billion people on Earth, according to the United Nations. And by 2100 that number may double, according to some predictions. Feeding all of these people means not only improving the way food is grown, but also finding new sources of foods. This need is becoming ever more urgent. If nothing changes, within 35 years, the world’s appetite will be greater than the amount of food produced. That’s according to a report, prepared by the Global Harvest Initiative, a private agriculture group based in Washington, D.C.
All over the world, researchers are racing against the clock to figure out how best to feed more people in the future world. Two years ago, scientists showed the first hamburger made from meat produced in a lab, rather than taken from an animal body. Other researchers are developing seeds that can manage to live even during high temperatures and drought. Still others are finding ways to change the genes of meat animals, so they produce more meat.
For example, researchers in South Korea and China have an idea: the super-pig. These researchers have changed the genes in a type of pig to create an animal that becomes bigger and heavier, packing on more muscle. Typically, muscle tissue is the part of an animal that becomes meat for food. Biologist Jin-Soo Kim at Seoul National University in South Korea leads super-pig research there.
Kim sees many possible uses for the editing technology. Such gene correction, he says, might help improve crops, fish and animals kept on a farm. “We’re now working on changing genes in other large animals, such as dogs and cows,” he says.
However, animals with genes changed in the lab haven’t yet been approved for eating. More studies would be needed to make sure that they’re safe. But Kim and his workmates hope that day won’t be far away.

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1.The purpose of the first paragraph is to show _______.

A how the world’s appetite is increasing

B foods are linked to the global population

C how new sources of foods will be found

D why we need to find foods for the future

解析:选D。D 主旨大意题。根据第一段主题句People need to find out new foods because the world has so many mouths to feed.可判断该段旨在阐述为什么需要寻找新的产粮办法和增加粮食的来源,故选D。

2.Which of the following foods was produced?

A Meat grown in a lab.

B Seeds able to survive tough situations.

C Hamburgers made of a meat animal.

D Chickens whose genes are changed.

解析:选A。A 细节理解题。根据第二段Two years ago, scientists showed the first hamburger made from meat produced in a lab, rather than taken from an animal body.可判断已从实验室培育出肉,B、D两项都还在研发中,故选A。

3.According to the passage, some surprising ideas of finding foods ______.

A are being used globally

B have begun to appear

C are doubted by some scientists

D have made great contributions to the world

解析:选B。B 推理判断题。根据第二段内容可知,已经出现了一些令人惊奇的产粮想法,故选B。

4.What is the typical feature of the super-pig?

A Its meat is more delicious.

B It is bigger and heavier.

C It can offer more meat for food.

D Its muscle tissues can become meat.

解析:选C。C 细节理解题。根据第三段Typically, muscle tissue is the part of an animal that becomes meat for food.可知它的一个典型特点是它的肌肉组织可以变成可食用肉,而转基因猪长得更大更重,携带更多的肌肉组织,那么它就能提供更多的食用肉。故选C。

5.What opinion does Jin-Soo Kim hold according to the passage?

A The global food problem will be solved soon.

B Meat animals are completely safe to consume.

C Gene correction applies to pigs and other animals.

D Gene correction is the best way to find foods for the future.

解析:选C。C 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段内容可推断他认为改变基因的方法可以适用于许多动物,故选C。