电大英语II历届试题及答案分类资料要点.doc

第三部分 完形填空 Genetic Engineering Many people are unaware that a lot of the foods they eat every day, such as bread ham and cheese, have been altered by using new technology. Food can be changed. It can be made to taste different or to look different — carrots can be made to taste of chocolate and apples can be made redder. Some food that appears the same has been scientifically improved, for example, fish can be made to grow faster. Should we be pleased or worried? Will new technology bring benefits, or is it about to go out of control? Genetically engineered foods are produced by taking genetic material from one species and transferring it to another. For example, an ‘antifreeze’ gene which appears naturally in Arctic fish has been introduced into tomatoes and strawberries so that they dont freeze in cold weather; a human gene has been introduced into pigs to make them grow more quickly. Some claim great advantages. They point out that crops can be made stronger and more disease resistant, so pesticides can be reduced. They also maintain that food can be made more nutritious or that the fat content can be reduced to make it healthier. Scientists are working hard to develop better aerials for mobile phones, a spokesman for Phikia Phones said today. ‘It really irritates users when they lose the signal in the middle of a call, so we are developing new aerials that will enable users to receive stronger signals. Many users reported that when they were travelling, the signal was often lost’, said the spokesman. The new aerals are designed to avoid losing the signal by receiving the message on a wider range of radio frequencies. ‘We have learnt that this is a major concern for phone users’ said the spokesman. The new phones have a flexible external aerial, which users will have to get used to touching their ear or head. The aerials -- make the phones able to pick up a wider range of signals. The company spokesman insisted that _ t