托福阅读tpo38R-3原文+译文+题目+答案+背景知识.pdfVIP

托福阅读tpo38R-3原文+译文+题目+答案+背景知识

原文

TransgenicPlants

①Genesfromvirtuallyanyorganism,fromvirusestohumans,cannowbeinserted

intoplants,creatingwhatareknownastransgenicplants.Nowusedinagriculture,

thereareapproximately109millionacresoftransgeniccropsgrownworldwide,68

percentofwhichareintheUnitedStates.Themostcommontransgeniccropsare

soybeans,corn,cotton,andcanola.Mostoften,theseplantseithercontainagene

makingthemresistanttotheherbicideglyphosateortheycontainan

insect-resistantgenethatproducesaproteincalledBttoxin.

②Onthepositiveside,proponentsoftransgeniccropsarguethatthesecropsare

environmentallyfriendlybecausetheyallowfarmerstousefewerandlessnoxious

chemicalsforcropproduction.Forexample,a21percentreductionintheuseof

insecticidehasbeenreportedonBtcotton(transgeniccottonthatproducesBt

toxin).Inaddition,whenglyphosateisusedtocontrolweeds,othermore

persistentherbicidesdonotneedtobeapplied.

③Onthenegativeside,opponentsoftransgeniccropssuggestthattherearemany

questionsthatneedtobeansweredbeforetransgeniccropsaregrownonalarge

scale.OnequestiondealswiththeeffectsthatBtplantshaveonnontarget

organismssuchasbeneficialinsects,worms,andbirdsthatconsumethe

geneticallyengineeredcrop.Forexample,monarchcaterpillarsfeedingon

milkweedplantsnearBtcornfieldswilleatsomecornpollenthathasfallenonthe

milkweedleaves.Laboratorystudiesindicatethatcaterpillarscandiefromeating

Btpollen.However,fieldtestsindicatethatBtcornisnotlikelytoharmmonarchs.

Furthermore,theapplicationofpesticides(thealternativetogrowingBtplants)

hasbeendemonstratedtocausewidespreadharmtonontargetinsects.

④Anotherunansweredquestioniswhetherherbicide-resistantgeneswillmove

intothepopulati