Creating “super-banana” that could save lives

山東 戴艷陽

主題語境：食物

篇幅：332詞

建議用時：7分鐘

1An international team of scientists has reportedly developed a genetically-modified “super-banana” that contains significantly more nutrients,especially beta-carotene，which can be converted to vitamin A.

2Vitamin A deficiency has been plaguing poor countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia for hundreds of years,inhibiting children's growth,causing blindness and significantly weakening their resistance to deadly treatable diseases such as diarrhea and measles.The World Health Organization estimates that 190 million preschoolaged children worldwide are deficient in vitamin A and that malnutrition accounts for 6% of early childhood deaths in Africa alone.Luckily,a cheap and viable solution to malnutrition and vitamin A deficiency,in particular,may be available in the very near future.

3Uganda is one of several African countries battling malnutrition,but it could also be the source of the cure for this plague.A team of researchers from the African country's National Agricultural Research Laboratories,in collaboration with Australian agricultural scientist James Dale and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,has reportedly created a genetically-modified banana that contains all the necessary nutrients to combat malnutrition.

4The Banana21 project was launched in 2005,and after 18 years of investments—the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation alone contributed $11 million—hard work and failed attempts,scientists have finally developed a banana capable of saving millions of children's lives.Cases of genetic modifications in banana trees to better resist pests,fungus or drought are well documented,but this is reportedly the first time a banana has been successfully altered to act as a nutritional supplement for humans.

5According toNational Geographic,the “super-banana” is ready to be cultivated,but scientists are still waiting for approval from the local government.Unfortunately,this may be a significant hurdle,considering the strong opposition to the cultivation of geneticallymodified foods in Uganda.Such crops are currently strictly forbidden.Hopefully,legislators will take the example of their Kenyan peers who recently lifted a decade-long ban on GM crops.Luckily,the problem of vitamin A deficiency has all but disappeared in economically-developed countries.

Reading Check

1.Where has vitamin A deficiency been a problem for centuries?

A.In South America.

B.In Australia and Antarctica.

C.In Europe and North America.

D.In Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.

2.What's the main idea of paragraph 3?

A.A team of researchers developed a special banana.

B.It is likely that Uganda could resolve malnutrition.

C.Uganda is an African country to battle malnutrition.

D.A genetically-modified banana contains necessary nutrients.

3.What is the purpose of the Banana21 project?

A.To raise money for medical research.

B.To promote the local children's health.

C.To better resist every disease for humans.

D.To create a banana to save many children.

4.What obstacle must be overcome before the “super-banana” can be cultivated?

A.Ensuring the benefits to people's health.

B.Obtaining a better taste for the “super-banana”.

C.Gaining approval from the local government.

D.Improving the resistance of the “super-banana” to pests.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Difficult sentence in the text

Hopefully,legislators will take the example of their Kenyan peers who recently lifted a decade-long ban on GM crops.希望立法者們能以肯尼亞同行為榜樣，他們最近取消了長達十年的轉(zhuǎn)基因作物禁令。

【點石成金】本句中，who引導(dǎo)的是定語從句，在從句中作主語；take the example of 意為“以……為榜樣”。

Ⅱ.Fill in the blanks with the words and phrase in the box in proper forms.

necessary successful significantly act as approval consider source

1.Your work has shown a(n) ________ improvement.

2.A passion for cooking does not ________ have to be bad for your waistline.

3.She has ________ combined a career and bringing up a family.

4.He ________ an intermediary between Copeland and the villagers.

5.The project wasted a(n) ________ amount of time and money.

6.Butter,margarine,and oily fish are all good ________ of vitamin D.

7.The plan will be submitted to the committee for official ________.