日本研制出首款3D打印和牛肉，其“大理石花纹”可以假乱真

Japan’s famous Wagyu beef(和牛肉) can cost more than $400 for a kilogram. Now, however, it may become less costly as scientists plan to introduce a lab-grown copy.

Japanese scientists say that they have recreated Wagyu in a lab that may taste and look exactly like real meat. Wagyu is famous for its fat content, which spreads throughout the meat. And the fat gives the meat a special taste.

Wagyu beef comes from a kind of black cow raised mostly in the Kobe area of western Japan. Osaka University researchers used 3-D bioprinters(生物打印机) and stem cells(干细胞) from cows to recreate Wagyu’s fat content in a single piece. Earlier attempts tried to recreate the meat by joining many pieces. The research was led by Michiya Matsusaki.

You will not, however, be eating it anytime soon. Right now, it takes nearly four weeks to create a cubic centimeter of the meat. Matsusaki explained that as techniques and efficiency improve, the researchers may be close to making it a real food possibility. “If we are able to quickly produce a lot of meat from a few cells, there will be a chance that we can better respond to food and protein shortage issues in the future,” he said.

Both environmental concerns and other issues in the meat industry have pushed interest in lab-grown meats. There is also a strong interest in plant-based meat, such as those made by Impossible Foods Inc. Matsusaki said that bioprinting and lab-growing techniques may have their uses in other areas, such as growing replacements for damaged human muscles.

It now costs about $90 to create a small piece of Wagyu. Matsusaki said that price will come down, and the meat may be on dinner tables within five years.

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1.What is mentioned about Wagyu beef? a. its pleasing appearance b. its extremely high price c. its special and unusual taste d. its fat content and distribution

A a; b; c

B a; b; d

C b; c; d

D a; c; d

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据第一段和第二段可知，日本和牛肉价格昂贵，每公斤售价超过400美元，以其脂肪含量而闻名，脂肪遍布整片肉，而且这种脂肪给了肉一种特殊的口感。故选B。

2.How did researchers intend to recreate Wagyu beef at first?

A By using plant-based meat.

B By joining many pieces of meat.

C By getting meat from a new type of cows.

D By using 3-D bioprinters and cow stem cells.

解析：选B。B细节理解题。根据第三段Earlier attempts tried to recreate the meat by joining many pieces.可知，研究人员早期试图将许多块肉拼接起来重新制作肉。故选B。

3.What can we learn from Paragraphs 4 and 5?

A Food and protein shortage no longer troubles the humans.

B Michiya Matsusaki made Wagyu beef in the lab by mistake.

C Lab-grown beef to be a real food needs the technique improvement.

D Using the lab to produce meats helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据第四段Matsusaki explained that as techniques and efficiency improve, the researchers may be close to making it a real food possibility.可知Matsusaki认为，随着技术和效率的提高，研究人员可能会让它成为一种真正的食物。说明实验室培育的牛肉要成为真正的食品，需要技术改进。故选C。

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A Bioprinting has been widely used in medical areas.

B The lab-grown Wagyu beef will soon be on the dinner table.

C Impossible Foods Inc thinks of environmental protection first.

D Now the price of lab-grown beef may not be acceptable to customers.

解析：选D。D推理判断题。根据最后一段可知，现在运用3D打印技术制作一小片和牛肉大约需要90美元。如果价格会下降，肉可能在五年内出现在餐桌上。说明现在消费者可能无法接受实验室生产的牛肉的价格。故选D。