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

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

admin2010-02-20  38
问题     Many Americans harbour 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 MassachusettsAmherst, says 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 norisk food, there is no such thing. Bruce Panes, 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 pesticides(杀虫剂). Says he, "Since plants do not have jaws or teeth to protect them selves, they employ chemical warfare." And many naturally produced chemicals, though occurring in tiny amounts, prove in laboratory tests to be strong carcinogens—a substance which can cause cancer. Mushrooms 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 fat worse natural chemicals in the food supply than anything manmade."
    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 be cause 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 longaccepted practices or turn to less hazardous alternatives. Perhaps most important, consumers will have to do a better job of learning how to handle and cook food properly. The problems that need to be tackled exist all along the foodsupply chain, from fields to processing plants to kitchens.
By saying "they employ chemical warfare" (Line 4, Para. 2), Bruce Ames means "______".
选项 A、plants produce certain chemicals to combat pests and diseases
B、plants absorb useful chemicals to promote their growth
C、farmers use manmade chemicals to dissolve the natural chemicals in plants
D、farmers use chemicals to protect plants against pests and diseases
答案A
解析 原文理解题。从原文可以看出，题干中的they指的是植物，所以选项C)，D)可以排除。再看句子“since plants do not have jaws or teeth to protect themselves, they employ chemical warfare”，从中我们可以看出，植物没有别的武器，只好利用化学战争。选项A)正是此意，所以应选A)。
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