Growing GM crops is initially ______ but cheaper in the long run.

Which of the following is NOT the reason given by advocates of GM crops？

A．GM crops can produce more nutritious foods.

B．GM crops can be greatly helpful in feeding the growing population of the world.

C．GM crops will benefit the environment by requiring fewer pesticides.

D．GM crops can simplify operation in growing crops.

Which of the following is NOT the reason given by advocates of GM crops？

A．GM crops can produce more nutritious foods.

B．GM crops can be greatly helpful in feeding the growing population of the world.

C．GM crops will benefit the environment by requiring fewer pesticides.

D．GM crops can simplify operation in growing crops.

A、Genetically modified foods have become a major concern of the society and have caused great controversy.

B、While there may be economic benefits of growing genetically modified crops, there are negative health consequences for the people who consume them and for the farmers who produce them.

C、This essay will discuss the health and safety issues as related to genetically modified foods.

D、GM foods need to be tested on a case-by-case basis before introduction.

The United Nation officials describe the global food crisis as a "silent tsunami", sweeping billions of people into hunger. American experts have offered a number of ways to fix the crisis; for instance, taking a pause on biofuels produced from crops as an energy alternative, eating less meat and growing genetically-modified plants to accelerate global food production. As an agricultural scientist, you are voting for genetically-modified food. What will you include as the background information in a paper about the past and future of GM food？ 1. the importance of food

The European Union had approved a number of genetically

modified crops until late 1998. But growing public concern

over its supposed environmental and health risks led several 【M1】______

EU countries to demand a moratorium (暂时禁止) on imports

of any new GM produce. By late 1999 there were enough such

country to block any new approvals of GM produce. 【M2】______

Last year, America filed a complaint at the WTO about the

moratorium, arguing that it was an illegal trade barrier

because there was no scientific base for it. 【M3】______

As more studies have been completed on the effects

of GM crops, the greens' case for them has weakened. 【M4】______

Much evidence has emerged of health risks from eating 【M5】______

them. And, overall, the studies have shown that the

environmental effects on modified crops are, not always 【M6】______

as serious as the greens claim. Nevertheless, environmentalists

continue to find fault of such studies and argue that 【M7】______

they are inconclusive.

While Americans seem happy enough to consume food made

from GM crops, opinion polls continue to show that European

consumers dislike the idea. Europeans seem be taking the attitude 【M8】______

which, since there remains the slightest possibility of adverse 【M9】______

consequences and since it is clear how they, as consumers, benefit 【M10】______

from GM crops, they would rather not run the risk.

【M1】

The United Nation officials describe the global food crisis as a ‘silent tsunami’, sweeping billions of people into hunger. American experts have offered a number of ways to fix the crisis; for instance, taking a pause on biofuels produced from crops as an energy alternative, eating less meat and growing genetically-modified plants to accelerate global food production. As an agricultural scientist, you are voting for genetically-modified food. What will you include in a paper about the past and future of GM food as the background information？ 1. the importance of food

The European Union had approved a number of genetically

modified crops until 1998. But growing public concern over its S1.______

supposed environmental and health risks led several EU countries

to demand a moratorium(暂时禁止) on imports of any new GM

produce. By lately 1999 there were enough such countries to block S2.______

any new approvals of GM produce.

Last year, America filed a complaint at the WTO about the

moratorium, arguing that it was an illegal trade barrier because

there is scientific basis for it. As more studies have been completed S3.______

on the effects of GM crops, the green's case against them has S4.______

weakened.

Much evidence has emerged of health risks from eating them. S5.______

And, overall, the studies have shown that the environmental

effects of modifying crops are not always as serious as the greens S6.______

claim. Nevertheless, environmentalists continue to find fault with

such studies and argue which they are inconclusive. S7.______

While Americans seem happy enough to consume food made

from GM crops, opinion polls continue to show that European

consumers dislike the idea. Europeans seem to be taken the attitude S8.______

which, since there remains the slightest possibility of adverse

consequences and since it was still unclear how they, as consumers S9.______

benefit of GM crops, they would rather not run the risk. S10.______

【S1】

For questions 1—4, mark

Y(for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;

N(for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;

NG(for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.

For questions 5—10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS

Are genetically modified crops an environmental dream come- true or a disaster in the making？ Scientists are looking for answers.

The world seems increasingly divided into those who favor genetically modified (GM) foods and those who fear them. Advocates assert that growing genetically altered crops can be kinder to the environment and that eating foods from those plants is perfectly safe. And, they say, genetic engineering which can induce plants to grow in poor soils or to produce more nutritious foods will soon become an essential tool for helping to feed the world's burgeoning population. Skeptics contend that GM crops could pose unique risks to the environment and to health risks too troubling to accept placidly. Taking that view, many European countries are restricting the planting and importation of GM agricultural products. Much of the debate hinges on perceptions of safety. But what exactly does recent scientific research say about the hazards？ The answers, too often lost in reports on the controversy, are served up in the pages that follow.

Two years ago in Edinburgh, Scotland eco - vandals stormed a field, crushing canola plants. Last year in Maine, midnight raiders hacked down more than 3,000 experimental poplar trees. And in San Diego, protesters smashed sorghum and sprayed paint over greenhouse walls.

This far - flung outrage took aim at genetically modified crops. But the protests backfired: all the destroyed plants were conventionally bred. In each case, activists mistook ordinary plants for GM varieties.

It's easy to understand why. In a way, GM crops—now on some 109 million acres of farmland worldwide—are invisible. You can't see, taste or touch a gene inserted into a plant or sense its effects on the environment. You can't tell, just by looking, whether pollen containing a foreign gene can poison butterflies or fertilize plants miles away. That invisibility is precisely what worries people. How, exactly, will GM crops affect the environment- and when will we notice？

Advocates of GM, or transgenic, crops say the plants will benefit the environment by requiring fewer toxic pesticides than conventional crops. But critics fear the potential risks and wonder how big the benefits really are. "We have so many questions about these plants," remarks Guenther Stotzky, a soil microbiologist at New York University. "There's a lot we don't know and need to find out."

As GM crops multiply in the landscape, unprecedented numbers of researchers have started fanning into the fields to get the missing information. Some of their recent findings arc reassuring; others suggest a need for vigilance.

Fewer Poisons in the Soil？

Every year U. S. growers shower crops with an estimated 971 million pounds of pesticides, mostly to kill insects, weeds and fungi. But pesticide residues linger on crops and the surrounding soil, leaching into groundwater, running into streams and getting gobbled up by wildlife. The constant chemical trickle is an old worry for environmentalists.

In the mid - 1990s agribusinesses began advertising GM seeds that promised to reduce a farmer's use of toxic pesticides. Today most GM crops—main

A．Y

B．N

C．NG