阅读理解

Passage 1

Questions 11—15 are based on the following passage.

Those days of sucking(吮吸)up the sides of your rapidly melting ice cream may soon beover. Researchers have discovered a natural protein that could be added to everyone's favoritesummertime snack to keep it solid for longer, according to a press release from the University ofEdinburg in Scotland.

Most people know that, at its most basic, ice cream is made of milk and sugar. But it hasother ingredients that give it a solid consistency(黏稠度)— a fat(often oil),air bubbles, and icecrystals. The protein that the researchers discovered, called BsIA, coats all three of them toslow down the rate at which the ice melts and the air escapes. In one study of the protein,published earlier this year, the researchers call BsIA a "raincoat" that can act as a film to keepeverything inside it for just a little longer. That same quality prevents big pieces of ice crystalsfrom forming, which can happen if you leave ice cream in the fridge for too long.

BsIA is found in bacteria called Bacillus subtilis that is common in soil, and is alreadypresent in some foods. So adding the protein to ice cream wouldn't bring the same sorts of long-term health concerns as would artificial ingredients(人造添加剂). The researchers note thatproducers could also add BsIA to ice cream to reduce their fat and sugar content.

Though the researchers have published two papers about BsIA and have tested it in the lab,they are staying quiet on the most recent data they collected, as the Washington Post notes.

Importantly, the researchers make no mention about how the new ingredient might affect icecream's taste or how much we might enjoy eating it. What's the good of long-lasting ice cream ifyou don't even like it? But it might not be too long before you can

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】词义猜测题。根据画线处下一句In onestudy of the protein, published earlier this year,the researchers call BsIA a“raincoat”that canact as a film to keep everything inside it for justa little longer(在今年早些时候发表的一项关于该蛋白质的研究中，研究人员称BsIA是一件“雨衣”,它可以充当一层薄膜，让里面的所有东西都可以保存更长时间）可知，这种叫BsIA的蛋白质覆盖在这三种物质的表面，以减缓冰融化和空气逸出的速度。故选A。