19.On the occasional clear-frost autumn right,I was hiking through the dark forest with my GMO wolf.Yes,my best friend is a genetically modified organism(转基因生物);deliberate selection has produced the blunt-toothed,small-pawed wonder that walks by my side.
Our world is changing rapidly.In the last five decades,global population has fully doubled,with 3.7billion hungry mouths added to our planet.During this same time span,the amount of land suitable for agriculture has increased by only 5%.Miraculously,this did not result in the great global famine(饥荒)one might have predicted..
How do scientists modify a plant so that it makes more food than its parents did?We could treat each harvest like a litter of wolf pups and select only plants bearing the fattest;richest seeds for the next season.This was the method our ancestors used to engineer rice,corn and wheat from the wild grasses they encountered.
During my childhood,advances in genetic technologies allowed scientists to identify and clone the genes responsible for repressing stem growth,leading to shorter,stronger stalks that could bear more seed-the high-yield crops that feed us today.The 21st century has brought with it a marvelous new set of high-tech tools with which to further quicken the process of artificial selection.Plant geneticists can now directly edit out or edit in sections of DNA using molecular scissors.We can minimize a plant's weaknesses while adding to its strengths,and we don't have to wait for seasons to pass to test the result.
It is the transformative potential of these techniques to quickly supply the next-generation crops required for upcoming climate change that has led me to believe in the safety and function of GMO plants in agricultural products.We need more GMO research to feed the world that we are creating.
I love the quiet forest that stands between my lab and my home.But I know that as a scientist,I am responsible first to humanity.We must feed,shelter and nurture one another as our first priority,and to do so,we must take advantage of our best technologies,which have always included some type of genetic modification.We must continue as before,nourishing the future as we feed ourselves,and each year plant only the very best of what we have collectively engineered.I keep the faith of my ancestors each night when I walk through the forest to my lab,and my GMO wolf does the same when she guards my way home.
63.Why does the author mention the wolf in the 1st paragraph?D
A.To advise people to keep wolves as pets
B.To persuade readers to welcome the new technology
C.To change people's attitude towards wolves
D.To introduce a technology used to humans'advantage
64.Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?B
A.GMO technology will help weatherproof future crops.
B.With GMO technology,famine has been eliminated.
C.Artificial selections make high-yield plants possible.
D.The author believes technology should contribute to future generations.
65.What can be learned about modifying a plant?C
A.It takes scientists seasons to know whether their selection is correct.
B.One way for ancestors to change a plant was to clone some genes.
C.Modern techniques help speed up the artificial selection by altering DNA.
D.The general public show strong faith in GMO plants.
66.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?B
A.GMO Technology-Turning Wolves into the Best Pets
B.Engineered Food-Feeding Future Generations
C.Engineered Food-To Be or Not To Be
D.GMO Technology-A Driving Force in World Peace.
分析 本文属于说明文阅读,作者通过这篇文章主要向我们描述了喂养后代的转基因食物工程,转基因食物正在被研究解决世界性的饥饿问题.
解答 63.D.推理判断题.根据第一段Yes,my best friend is a genetically modified organism(转基因生物); deliberate selection has produced the blunt-toothed,small-pawed wonder that walks by my side可知作者在第一段提到狼是为了介绍一种利用人类优势的技术;故选D.
64.B.推理判断题.根据第二段In the last five decades,global population has fully doubled,with 3.7billion hungry mouths added to our planet.During this same time span,the amount of land suitable for agriculture has increased by only 5%可知转基因技术改善了农作物产量,但还没能消除饥荒;故选B.
65.C.细节理解题.根据第四段Plant geneticists can now directly edit out or edit in sections of DNA using molecular scissors可知现代技术有助于加快人工选择过程通过改变DNA;故选C.
66.B.推理判断题.根据最后一段We must continue as before,nourishing the future as we feed ourselves,and each year plant only the very best of what we have collectively engineered可知文章最好的标题是喂养后代的转基因食物工程;故选B.
点评 考察学生的细节理解和推理判断能力,做细节理解题时一定要找到文章中的原句,和题干进行比较,再做出正确的选择.在做推理判断题不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实,要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断.