单选题 Many Americans harbor 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 Massachusetts-Amherst, says bluntly 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 no-risk food, there is no such thing. Bruce Ames, 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 pesticide (杀虫剂). Says he. "Since plants do not have jaws or teeth to protect themselves, they employ chemical warfare." And many naturally produced chemicals, though occurring in tiny amounts, prove in laboratory tests to be strong carcinogens--a substance that can cause cancer. Mushrooms (蘑菇) 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 far worse natural chemicals in the food supply than anything man-made.
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 because 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 long-accepted practices or turn to less hazardous alternatives. Perhaps most important, consumers will have to do a better job of learning how to select and cook food properly. The problems that need to be tackled exist all along the food-supply chain, from fields to processing plants to kitchens.

单选题 What does the author think of the Americans' view of their food?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】因为文章第一段中的“grossly distorted and exaggerated view”对应答案项中的 overestimate;the risks对应答案项中的hazards。即,原文中的句子“许多美国人歪曲或夸张地估计了食品给人类带来的潜在危险”,与答案项的内容“(美国人)他们过高地估计食品的危害”几乎等义。
单选题 The author considers it impossible to obtain no-risk food because ______
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】该题可用排除其他选项的办法来做。选项A指出很多蔬菜包含危险的天然化学品。有些蔬菜可能确实有作为自身防御手段的化学品,但文中并没有说这些化学晶是“致命危险的(deadly)”;而且,有些植物的杀虫剂(pesticide)是天然的(natural),不是人工施用的,因此D项不可选。B项指出,“几乎所有的食物都有添加剂(化学品)”,这不符合常识。
单选题 By saying "they employ chemical warfare" (Par
【正确答案】
【答案解析】原文的句意是“因为植物没有坚硬的利齿来保护自己,所以它们只能使用化学(武器)来战斗”,也就是“这些植物会生成某种化学物来抗病抗虫”。
单选题 The reduction of the possible hazards in food ultimately depends on ______
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】由最后一段第三句可知“最重要的是,消费者应该更清楚地知道如何更好地挑选和烹饪食品”,也就是说“减少食物的可能危害,最终还是要依靠消费者自己”。
单选题 What is the message the author wants to convey in the passage?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】因为该篇所传达的主要信息是“对于食品的消费而言,一方面确实该持谨慎态度,异—方面却不必对此过于警惕,过分担忧。”因为第一段就批评了美国民众对食物中的 (化学品)危害过于敏感夸张,而第三段又说“美国人完完全全有理由要求改进食品和饮用水的安全性”。