5．Is It Worth Buying Organic Food？
Organic food，grown without artificial chemicals，is increasingly popular nowadays．Consumers have been willing to pay up to twice as much for goods with organic labels （商标）．However，if you think paying a little more for organic food gets you a more nutritious and safer product，you might want to save your money．A study led by researchers at Stanford University says that organic products aren't necessarily more nutritious，and they're no less likely to suffer from disease-causing bacteria，either．
The latest results，published in the Annuals of Internal Medicine，suggest that buyers may be wasting their money．"We did not find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier，"says Dr．Crystal Smith-Spangler from Stanford．"So consumers shouldn't assume that one type of food has a lower risk or is safer．"
For their new study，Smith-Spangler and her colleagues conducted a review of two categories of research，including 17studies that compared health outcomes between consumers of organic against traditional food
products，and 223studies that analyzed the nutritional content of the foods，including key vitamins，minerals and fats．
While the researchers found little difference in nutritional content，they did find that organic fruit and vegetables were 20% less likely to have chemicals remaining on the surfaces．Neither organic nor traditional foods showed levels of chemicals high enough to go beyond food safety standards．And both organic and traditional meats，such as chicken and pork，were equally likely to be harmed by bacteria at very low rates．The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3fatty acids，a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease．However，these nutritional differences were too small，and the researchers were unwilling to make much of them until further studies confirm the trends．
Organic food is produced with fewer chemicals and more natural-growing practices，but that doesn't always translate into a more nutritious or healthier product．The U．S．Department of Agriculture （USDA） states that"whether you buy organic or not，finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste．"Fresh food is at least as good as anything marketed as organic．
5．The new research questions whether organic foodD．
A．should replace traditional food
B．has been overpriced by farmers
C．is grown with less harmful chemicals
D．is really more nutritious and healthier
6．Smith-Spangler and her colleagues found thatC．
A．organic food could reduce the risk of heart disease
B．traditional food was grown with more natural methods
C．both organic and traditional food they examined were safe
D．there was not a presence of any forms of bacteria in organic food
7．Which of the following is relatively healthier according to the passage？B
A．Organic chicken and pork．
B．Organic milk and chicken．
C．Traditional chicken and pork．
D．Traditional fruit and vegetables．
8．What is the author's attitude toward organic food？A
A．Skeptical．
B．Neutral．
C．Unconcerned．
D．Approving．
分析 本文为议论文，由人们花很多钱去购买有机食品入题，提出有机食品真的比传统食品更好吗？然后引用专家的调查结果证实有机食品并未比传统食品有更好的营养成分．
解答 DCBA
5：D 细节理解题 答案在第二段第二句，"we didn't find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier"，本题定位在第二段第一句的"latest result"，与题干"the new research"对应．本题应注意题干问的是"新的调查质疑有机食品…"
6：C 推理判断题 第四段详细对比了有机食品和传统食品在各方面的情况，得出结论两种食品只有细微差别，并没有哪一种比另一种营养成分更多．选项A以偏概全了．
7：B 细节理解题 文章第四段第四句"The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 acids，a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease．"可知有机奶和有机鸡肉更健康，故答案为B．
8：A 作者观点题 作者在第一段提出人们不值得花过多的钱去买有机食品，以及最后一段引用USDA 美国农业部的观点"whether you buy organic food or not，finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste"以及最后一句可看出作者是质疑的态度．
点评 阅读理解题测试考生在阅读基础上的逻辑推理能力，要求考生根据文章所述事件的逻辑关系，对未说明的趋势或结局作出合理的推断；或根据作者所阐述的观点理论，对文章未涉及的现象、事例给以解释．考生首先要仔细阅读短文，完整了解信息，准确把握作者观点．
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