Ever since they were first put on the market in the early 1990s, genetically modified (GM, 转基因) foods have been increasingly developed and marketed in many countries in the world, mainly on the basis of their promise to end the worldwide food crisis. But can GM technology solve world hunger problems? Even if it would, is it the best solution?
Despite what it promises, GM technology actually has not increased the production potential of any crop. In fact, studies show that the most widely grown GM crop, GM soybeans, has suffered reduced productivity. For instance, a report that analysed nearly two decades of research on major GM food crops shows that GM engineering has failed to significantly increase US crop production.
Something else, however, has been on the rise, While GM seeds are expensive, GM panies tell farmers that they will make good profits by saving money on pesticides（杀虫剂）. On the contrary, US government data show that GM crops in the US have produced an overall increase in pesticide use pared to traditional crops. “The promise was that you could use less chemicals and boost production. But neither is true,” said Bill Christison, President of the US National Farm Coalition.
At the same time, the authors of the book World Hunger: Twelve Myths argue that there actually is more than enough food in the world and that the hunger crisis is not caused by production, but by problems in food distribution and politics. These indeed deserve our efforts and money. Meanwhile, the rise in food prices results from the increased use of crops for fuel rather than food, according to a 2008 World Bank report.
As a matter of fact, scientists see better ways to feed the world. Another World Bank report concluded that GM crops have little to offer to the challenges of worldwide poverty and hunger, because better ways out are available, among which “green” farming is supposed to be the first choice.
【小题1】The author develops the second paragraph mainly .A．by classificationB．by parisonC．by exampleD．by process【小题2】What does the underlined word “boost” in the third paragraph probably mean?A．Control.B．EvaluateC．Obtain.D．Increase.【小题3】GM panies promise farmers that they will benefit from .A．practicing “green” farmingB．use of less chemicalsC．fair distribution of their cropsD．using more crops for fuel【小题4】Which of the following best describes the attitude of the author towards GM technology?A．OptimisticB．DefensiveC．DisapprovingD．CasualC
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(答案→)C
解析：文章讲述的是转基因粮食对于解决世界饥荒的作用和存在的问题。
【小题1】推理判断。根绝第二段第三行“For instance, a r......”可知，该段采用的是举例子的方法。
【小题2】猜测词义。根据下上文可知，他们承诺为了帮助农民解决粮食问题，通过减少化学品的使用和提高（increase）粮食产量的方式实现。
【小题3】根据第三段第一二行可知。
【小题4】根据最后一段可知，有很多更好的方法可以采用，所以对于转基因粮食持不赞成态度。