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  3. Many Americans harbor a grossly distorted and exaggerated view of most of the risks surrounding food. Fergus Clydesdale, head of

Many Americans harbor a grossly distorted and exaggerated view of most of the risks surrounding food. Fergus Clydesdale, head of

admin2010-01-13  89
问题    Many Americans harbor a grossly distorted and exaggerated view of most of the risks surrounding food. Fergus Clydesdale, head of the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says bluntly that if the dangers from bacterially contaminated chicken were as great as some people believe, "the streets would be littered with people lying here and there."
   Though the public increasingly demands no-risk food, there is no such thing. Bruce Ames, chairman of the biochemistry department at the University of California, Berkeley, points out that up to 10% of a plant’s weight is made up of natural pesticide (杀虫剂). Says he, "Since plants do not have jaws or teeth to protect themselves, they employ chemical warfare." And many naturally produced chemicals, though occurring in tiny amounts, prove in laboratory tests to be strong carcinogens—a substance that can cause cancer. Mushrooms (蘑菇) might be banned if they were judged by the same standards that apply to food additives (添加剂). Declares Christina Stark, a nutritionist at Cornell University: "We’ve got far worse natural chemicals in the food supply than anything man-made.
   Yet the issues are not that simple. While Americans have no reason to be terrified to sit down at the dinner table, they have every reason to demand significant improvements in food and water safety. They unconsciously and unwillingly take in too much of too many dangerous chemicals. If food already contains natural carcinogens, it does not make much sense to add dozens of new man-made ones. Though most people will withstand the small amounts of contaminants generally found in food and water, at least a few individuals will probably get cancer one day because of what they eat and drink.
   To make good food and water supplies even better, the Government needs to tighten its regulatory standards, stiffen its inspection program and strengthen its enforcement policies. The food industry should modify some long-accepted practices or turn to less hazardous alternatives. Perhaps most important, consumers will have to do a better job of learning how to select and cook food properly. The problems that need to be tackled exist all along the food-supply chain, from fields to processing plants to kitchens.
What is the message the author wants to convey in the passage?
选项 A、Immediate measures must be taken to improve food production and processing.
B、Eating and drinking have become more hazardous than before.
C、There is reason for caution but no cause for alarm with regard to food consumption.
D、Healthy food is not a dream in modern society.
答案C
解析 因为该篇所传达的主要信息是“对于食品的消费而言，一方面确实该持谨慎态度，另一方面却不必对此过于警惕，过分担忧。”因为第一段就批评了美国民众对食物中的 (化学品)危害过于敏感夸张，而第三段又说“美国人完完全全有理由要求改进食品和饮用水的安全性”。故选C项。
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