2012年同等学力英语真题（八）

　　· Passage Four
 

　　On how the world has changed over the last 50 years，not all of it has been good. As you are looking for organic food information, you have obviously become aware that a better alternative exists and you are taking a critical look at the source and production practices of the companies producing the world's food supplies.
 

　　The purpose of organic food information is to give you an understanding of what is going into your food. You will see that there are many benefits to organic food that you didn't know before. The basis behind knowing about organic food information is the fact that farmers are resorting to using artificial fertilizers and pesticides(杀虫剂)to control disease and insect attack in order to produce more crops to satisfy growing demand. These artificial fertilizers leave something poisonous in and on the fruit and vegetables we consume which in turn is absorbed and stored by our bodies.
 

　　Even the quality of food has gone down in recent years. Today's fruits have nowhere near the Vitamin C levels they did at one time. However, with organic food information you learn that organic food has fifty percent more nutrients, minerals and vitamins than any other form of produce that has been grown under intensive farming. If you are eating non-organic produce you will have to eat more fruit in order to make up for this deficiency. But then the dangerous cycle continues since you will be eating more chemicals that are worse for your health than they are good for you.
 

　　Another aspect of organic food information is the production of meat and poultry (家禽). Most only consider produce when it comes to organic food information disregarding the antibiotics and hormones that are given to both cattle and poultry that are being force fed. Ask yourself what happens to all these antibiotics and hormones when the animal is killed， the remaining of these antibiotics and growth hormones reside in the meat which are then consumed， digested and stored in human bodies. There is no way that an animal that isn't kept in healthy conditions can produce healthy food for humans to eat.
 

　　You have nothing to lose by trying organic product，not only will it be healthy for you but you will also be able to eat produce and meat the way they are supposed to be. You will likely be so impressed with the taste of organic fruit that you will never return to the mass-produced fruit again. While cost and availability can be a big issue for some，you can do a bit of research online and find a local store that stocks organic produce for a reasonable price.
 

　　49. It is stated in Paragraph 1 that organic food .

　　A. is considered as a better choice

　　B. is mostly supplied by world-famous companies

　　C. has become popular over the last 50 years

　　D. reflects the change of production practices
 

　　50. Farmers use artificial fertilizers and pesticides to .

　　A. satisfy people's critical demand B. develop better farming technology

　　C. get a higher crop yield D. keep people in better health
 

　　51. According to Paragraph 3，organic food .

　　A. has gone down in quality B. has more nutrients

　　C. can replace mass-produced food D. lacks Vitamin C
 

　　52. What does the author say about meat and poultry?

　　A. Organic meat and poultry is hardly available.

　　B. A great amount of meat is consumed every year.

　　C. Merciless killing of the animals lowers their quality.

　　D. They may contain antibiotics and growth hormones.
 

　　53. In the last paragraph, people are advised to .

　　A. eat traditional produce and meat

　　B. return to mass-produced fruits

　　C. do the cost and availability research

　　D. try organic product for better health and taste
 

　　54. This passage is mainly about .

　　A. the benefits of organic food information

　　B. the challenges facing the world food industry

　　C. changes in food production practices

　　D. a growing demand high quality food