大学英语六级(2013年12月考试改革适用)模拟试卷72(题后含答案及解析)

大学英语六级（2013年12月考试改革适用）模拟试卷72(题后含答
案及解析)
题型有：1. Writing 2. Listening Comprehension 3. 4. Reading Comprehension 5. Translation
Part I Writing
1．For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled The Damage of E-waste. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below. Write your essay on Answer sheet 1.1．随着电子设备的增多，电子垃圾也越来越多2．电子垃圾的危害很多3．为此，我们应该……The Damage of E-waste 正确答案：The Damage of E-waste Electronic waste, or e-waste, has become an issue of serious concern to the public as a growing number of electronic items are discarded in landfills every year. Many consumers are not aware that electronics like computers and cell phones actually contain toxins that can leach out into the soil and damage the environment. E-waste compounds pose hazards to the environment as well to the human beings. To start with, when exposed to heat, the components of e-waste release toxic fumes and gas, polluting the air and causing global environmental problems. When circuit breakers deteriorate, they release toxins, such as mercury, that pollute groundwater. In addition to its damaging effect on the environment, researchers have now linked e-waste to adverse effects on human health. In my view, it’s high time that the damage of e-waste should be realized by the public and measures should be taken to cope with this issue. One idea is to put greater responsibility on the companies that produce the goods. It should be mandatory for them to taking the abandoned items back and dispose them in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Part II Listening Comprehension
Section A
听力原文：M: I’m ready to leave. Shall I power off the computer now and lock up the cabinet? W: Well, I still want to check my e-mail before I go. So leave the computer to me. Q: What is the woman likely to do next?
2．
A．Power off the computer.
B．Lock up the cabinet.
C．Check her e-mail online.
D．Leave with the man.
解析：男士询问女士他现在是否可以把电脑的电源关上，并且把文件柜锁好。

女士说她走之前，还想要再查一下邮件，让男士把电脑留给她。

由此可见，女士接下来最有可能做的事情是查收邮件，故答案为C)。

听力原文：M: I don’t find the TV program funny at all. But how could I hear your laughers even before I entered the house?W: No, it isn’t. I was reading the text message my sister sent me from her phone. It was brilliant.Q: What made the woman laugh?
3．
A．The funny TV program.
B．The message from her sister.
C．The telephone conversation.
D．The brilliant textbook.
正确答案：B
解析：男士觉得很困惑，他认为电视节目一点都不有趣，可他却在进门前听到了女士的笑声。

女士表示电视节目的确不好笑，而她之前是在看她妹妹发给她的手机短信。

由此可见，让女士发笑的是她妹妹的手机短信，故答案为B)。

听力原文：W: Have you heard that they are going to raise the requirement for graduation? M: Really? That would be a disaster for me. You know I barely meet the present requirement. Q: What does the man mean?
4．
A．He has never heard of the news.
B．He isn’t very fond of changes.
C．He is trying to make some adjustment.
D．He may have problem in graduating.
正确答案：D
解析：女士问男士是否听说毕业要求可能会有所提高。

男士说如果这是真的，那对他来讲可以说是一场灾难，因为他才刚刚能满足目前的毕业要求。

由此可见，如果毕业要求真的提高，男士有可能面临无法毕业的困境，故答案为D)。

听力原文：W: Isn’t it gorgeous that we are now in the “big apple”? Look at the neon lights and the skyscrapers. Aren’t you thrilled?M: Yes, after so many hours of flying, I can finally lie comfortably in bed.Q: What can we learn from the conversation?
5．
A．The man is thrilled by the flight.
B．The man enjoys the modem atmosphere.
C．The man has been to the place before.
D．The man is in need of a good rest.
解析：女士对抵达纽约表示感叹，看到那里的霓虹灯和摩天大楼她十分激动。

而男士则说，经过长时间的飞行，总算能舒舒服服地躺在床上，这才是让他激动的事情。

由此可见，男士感觉十分疲惫，需要好好休息一下，故答案为D)。

听力原文：W: There is going to be a TV program on human brain this evening. Shall we watch it together?M: I’m sure you can benefit from it as you are attending lectures on the nervous system. But I just need to go over the presentation again before I deliver it tomorrow.Q: What will the man do in the evening?
6．
A．Watch the TV program with the woman.
B．Take the course on the nervous system.
C．Prepare for the next day’s presentation.
D．Help the woman with her coursework.
正确答案：C
解析：女士说今天晚上有一个关于人脑的电视节目，想和男士一起观看。

男士说既然女士目前正在上关于神经系统的课程，这个节目一定会让她有所收益，但是，他还需要再将明天的报告复习一遍。

由此可见，男士当天晚上需要为第二天的报告做准备，故答案为C)。

听力原文：M: Excuse me, I’d like to have this prescription filled. How long should I wait and how much is it? W: Oh, I’m sorry. There is no doctor’s signature here. I’m afraid I can’t sell you the drugs. Q: What problem does the man have?
7．
A．He is short of cash.
B．He has no patient to wait.
C．He is buying illegal drugs.
D．He has an invalid prescription.
正确答案：D
解析：男士希望女士为他拿药。

女士却表示，由于男士的药方上没有医生的签名，她不能把药卖给他。

由此可见，男士的问题是他所提供的药方是无效的，故答案为D)。

听力原文：W: I wish I had a car. Standing in a crowded subway train is really exhausting. M: If you had a car, it would take you two hours to get here from your home in the suburb, not to mention the high cost of fuel. Q: What does the man mean?
8．
A．The woman lives too far from work.
B．The car may not be a good choice.
C．Subway suits him very well.
D．The traffic in the city is terrible.
解析：女士说她希望自己能有车，在拥挤的地铁上站一个小时太令人疲惫了。

男士说如果女士真的开车上班，恐怕得花两个小时，更别提昂贵的油钱了。

由此可见，男士想说的是，对于女士来说，私家车也许并不是一个很好的选择，故答案为B)。

听力原文：W: For the nomination of the Chairman of the Students’ Union, I put your name in the list. M: Really? I appreciate your trust, but I prefer to focus on my academic study and volunteer work for now. Q: What does the man intend to do?
9．
A．Get good academic records.
B．Make a list of what he should focus on.
C．Show his appreciation to volunteers.
D．Run for the Chairman of the Students’ Union.
正确答案：A
解析：女士说她将男士的名字列入了学生会主席的提名人名单中。

男士对此表示感激，但他说他目前还是希望集中精力好好学习，并且多做些志愿者的工作。

由此可见，男士打算取得好的学习成绩，故答案为A)。

听力原文：M: Maybe it’s something I have to mention about Iranians, we don’t kiss on the lips. It’s only on the cheek.W: Even between men?M:(9)Well, men in Iran do kiss each other on the cheeks.W: What?M: Yeah, just like Italian people. We do that.W: Really? For greeting?M: For greetings.W: In public?M:(10)No, you go in the party, there are like fifty people sitting in the living room, then all of them stand up, the new guest arrives, and then they shake hands and they have to kiss three times each person on the cheeks. It just takes so long-Sometimes when I’m back from other countries I feel like well, just greet them by just waving my hand.W: What about holding hands?M: Holding hands’/ We shake hands.W: You don’t like hold hands?M: Ah, hold hands, like a boyfriend and girlfriends holding hands...well, that really can be done only in the mountainside where it’s not so much observed.W:(11-1)Actually, in Vietnam we hold hands pretty frequent. I don’t know why, but I got the habit of holding my mom’s hand.M: OK.W: So when I first came here, I was so worried that they would say I’m a lesbian, or something. But, we do hold hands a lot.M: Well, when you’re saying holding hands do you mean female or males you know or who you’re holding hands with?W: Yeah, actually, you know of course lovers hold hands, but usually females.(11 - 2)Vietnamese females got the habit of holding hands on the street, going shopping and hanging out, just female friends. I don’t see many men holding hands, but usually females do it quite often.9. How do the Iranians usually greet people?10. When does the man want to greet people just by waving his hand?11. What kind of people in Vietnam often hold each other’s hands?
10．
A．They shake hands.
B．They warmly embrace.
C．They kiss on the lips.
D．They kiss on the cheeks.
正确答案：D
11．
A．When he’s just back from foreign countries.
B．When he is surrounded by foreigners.
C．When he is in another country.
D．When he doesn’t feel well.
正确答案：A
12．
A．Males.
B．Females.
C．MQthers and sons.
D．Friends.
正确答案：B
听力原文：M: Alexandra, you worked at an airport before. You worked in Aviation.W:(12)Yes, my previous job was to write contracts for_ an aviation company, we bought and sold airplanes and aircraft engines, so we did a lot of marketing and leasing and speaking to people from different countries, and airlines wanting to buy? equipment, so a lot of negotiations.M: Can you explain what leasing is?W:(13)Leasing is when our company owns a piece of equipment, either an airplane or an engine and a customer has a need, for example, if their airplane has to do some maintenance, and they need a replacement, then we will let them use our airplane for a certain amount of months, like you rent a car.M: Oh, wow. And you lease not only the plane but engines as well?W: Sometimes you have an airplane that’s delayed at the airport because of some reason and they need to swap an engine out, or whatever.M: Right before the plane takes off, they sometimes switch engines?W: They’ll take the passengers off and put them on another plane because it takes a lot longer than the 10 or 15 minute turn around, but, you will have, it’s more an emergency type of situation,(14)so they’ll take the engine off, and it might be and overnight deal so we go ahead and furnish a replacement engine until they can move that plane back to where it belongs or have the engine repaired.M: So can you lease a pilot?W:(15)Yes! you can lease a crew. It’s called a wet lease, and we used to do dry leases meaning we only provided the equipment but a wet lease includes a full crew that will fly the airplane, flight attendants, etc.12. What was the woman’s previous job?13. What does the woman say about leasing?14. Why do the airlines put the passengers on another plane?15. What kind of people are included in a wet lease?
13．
A．A secretary in a foreign company.
B．An employee in an aviation company.
C．A clerk in a machinery company.
D．An engineer developing aircraft engines.
正确答案：B
14．
A．A trial piece of equipment of an airplane.
B．A temporary substitute for a spare part.
C．A temporary renting of a piece of equipment.
D．The maintenance of some parts of a plane.
正确答案：C
解析：对话中，男士询问女士租赁是什么意思，女士回答说在她们公司，大到整架飞机小到一个引擎都属于设备之列，如果顾客需要，就让他们租赁使用几个月，就像租车一样，故C)为答案。

15．
A．Because they need to use the plane.
B．Because they have to repair the engine.
C．Because they want to save the cost.
D．Because they don’t have the permit to fly.
正确答案：B
解析：对话中，女士告诉男士把乘客安排在另一架飞机上，是因为他们需要花很长的时间才能把引擎修好，故B)为答案。

16．
A．The airhostess.
B．Luggage carriers.
C．Security guards.
D．Customs officers.
正确答案：A
解析：对话中提到，当出现wet lease的时候，他们除了飞机之外，还出租包括飞行人员和乘务员在内的整个飞行团队，故A)为答案。

Section B
听力原文：Everyone’s taste buds are different. That’s why some people can swallow the spiciest peppers while others have no fondness for sweet desserts. Now a
recent study suggests that taste-bud sensitivity may have something to do with the risk of obesity in children. (16)German researchers report that obese kids have less sensitive taste buds than their normal weight peers, and may therefore eat more food to get the same flavor sensation. The researchers looked at 193 healthy children aged 6 to 18. Roughly half the kids were normal weight and half were obese. For the study, researchers placed 22 taste strips on the children’s tongues, representing each of the five types of taste—sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter—at four levels of intensity, as well as two blank strips.(17)The participants were asked to identify each of the tastes, and also rank each taste strip’s level of intensity. Each taste was assigned a score added up to 20. Obese kids had a significantly more difficult time distinguishing between tastes, resulting in an average score of 12. 6, compared with an average of just over 14 for the normal weight kids. (18)Overall, kids had the easiest time identifying sweet and salty tastes; they found it harder to distinguish between salty and sour, and salty and spicy.(19)In general, girls and older children were the best at correctly identifying the various tastes. As most kids got older, their ability to differentiate between taste sensations improved, but not among obese children. And although all the kids correctly identified the different sweetness intensity levels, obese kids rated most of the higher-intensity taste strips as weaker than the normal weight kids did.16. Why do obese kids eat more than their normal weight peers according to German researchers?17. What were the participants in the research asked to do?18. Which types of taste are easy to be identified by the kids?19. Who had the best performance in correctly identifying the different tastes?
17．
A．Because they have more sensitive taste buds.
B．Because they have a better appetite.
C．Because their taste sense are not as keen as their peers.
D．Because they want to get more energy to keep warm.
正确答案：C
解析：文章在开头部分提到，德国研究者报道，肥胖孩子的味蕾没有其正常体重的同龄人那样敏感，因此可能会吃更多的食物来获得同样的味觉感受，故答案为C)。

18．
A．Identify five types of taste.
B．Rank five kinds of food.
C．Find out two blank strips.
D．Compete in eating spicy food.
正确答案：A
解析：文章中提到，参与者被要求分辨各种味道，并且对各种味道的强度等级进行排名，故答案为A)。

19．
A．Salty and sour.
B．Sweet and salty.
C．Salty and spicy.
D．Spicy and bitter.
正确答案：B
解析：文章中提到，总的来说，孩子们最容易分辨的是甜味和咸味；对于他们来说，很难区分咸味和酸味、咸味和辣味，故答案为B)。

20．
A．Boys and older children.
B．Boys and younger children.
C．Girls and younger children.
D．Girls and older children.
正确答案：D
解析：文章末尾处提到，一般而言，女孩子和年长的孩子在准确分辨各种味觉方面做得最好，故答案为D)。

听力原文：(20 -1)By now you may have heard Taylor Swift’s heartbreaking song “ Ronan” , about the too-short life of a little boy. Ms. Swift gave it an emotional performance on the Stand Up to Cancer television program on Sept. 7, and it has been topping the charts ever since. (20 - 2)The real boy behind the song is Ronan Thompson, a naughty 3-year-old boy from Phoenix with coppery blond hair and big blue eyes. In 2010, a few months after his third birthday, Ronan was given a diagnosis of cancer, an often deadly childhood cancer. He died on May 9, 2011, three days before he was to turn 4. It’s the most common cancer in infants and accounts for about 15 percent of all childhood cancer deaths. (21)Ms. Swift learned about Ronan from a blog that his mother, Maya Thompson, began shortly after the diagnosis to keep family and friends informed. Ms. Thompson called the blog Rockstar Ronan, but she did not tell directly about his illness, and her heartbreak was painfully evident in every update. Ronan spent his last days in a hospital in Phoenix with his parents and brothers. After he died, his mother continued to write tearful posts on her blog, which had turned into an open letter to her son.
(22)Cancer is the second leading cause of death of children under 15—after accidents —yet childhood cancer receives only 3 to 4 percent of national cancer research funds. Although childhood cancer is considered rare, an estimated 12,060 new cases are expected this year among children 14 and younger. The survival rate for childhood cancer is about 80 percent.20. What is Taylor Swift’s song “ Ronan” about?21. How did Taylor Swift learn about Ronan?22. What is the first leading cause of children death under 15?
21．
A．A fan who likes her song.
B．A little boy died of cancer.
C．A rock star named Ronan.
D．A cancer research centre.
正确答案：B
解析：文章在开头部分提到，到目前为止，你可能听过泰勒·斯威夫特那首令人心碎的歌曲《罗南》，那是关于一个小男孩短暂的生命的歌曲，下文提到这个小男孩死于癌症，故答案为B)。

22．
A．From the local newspaper.
B．From the television program.
C．From a letter of Ronan’s mother.
D．From a blog of Ronan’s mother.
正确答案：D
解析：文章中提到，斯威夫特女士是从罗南母亲玛雅·汤普森的博客上听说罗南的，故答案为D)。

23．
A．Cancer.
B．Ill-treatment.
C．Accidents.
D．Electric shock.
正确答案：C
解析：文章末尾处提到，癌症是排在意外事故之后导致15岁以下儿童死亡的第二大主要原因，也就是说第一大原因是意外事故，故答案为C)。

听力原文：Winter is a pain in the animal kingdom. Birds can flee it by migrating to warmer regions but grounded beasts, including mammals, have no choice but to stick around.(23)To cope, many species have learned to spend the winter in a long sleep. Some, like the Columbian ground squirrel, spend up to nine months of each year in their shelters. This conserves energy but leaves them with only three months to become well-rounded for the next winter and, crucially, to reproduce. To make matters worse, climate change is leading them to emerge from winter sleep later than usual.(24)Global warming should mean that the creatures have longer ice-free periods in which to go about their evolutionary tasks. But it can also disturb weather patterns, which may have the opposite effect. Because female squirrels remain in their place of birth, the researchers were able to tag and observe them and their offspring each year for the past two decades. A typical female would bear three babies. On average, only 30% of them survive the first winter, enough to sustain population numbers since female squirrels can expect three or four litters in their lifetime. If the proportion falls, however, the population reduces. In the first decade of the study the number of squirrels dropped just once. But it fell in four of the
past ten years.(25)Dr. Lane, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Edinburgh, speculates that this might be explained by the fact that over the past 20 years the late snow has delayed the melting of ice by half a day each year, on average, shortening the squirrels’breeding and feeding season by several days and disrupting their life cycles.23. How do many species of animals spend the winter?24. What should global warming mean to the animals?25. What might explain the reduced squirrel population according to Dr. Lane?
24．
A．Sleep for a long time.
B．Migrate to warmer areas.
C．Eat more food to keep warm.
D．Store up food for the next year.
正确答案：A
解析：文章在开头部分提到，为了应对寒冷的冬天，许多动物学习通过冬眠度过冬季，故答案为A)。

25．
A．They will have longer time to conserve energy.
B．They will not need to migrate any more.
C．They will have longer warmer periods to reproduce.
D．They will have an increasing population.
正确答案：C
解析：文章中提到，全球变暖意味着动物度过更长久的不结冰的时期，从而完成进化的任务，故答案为C)。

26．
A．The squirrels’ breeding season is extended.
B．The female squirrels’ productivity falls.
C．The squirrels’ survival rate reduces.
D．The squirrels’ life cycles are disrupted.
正确答案：D
解析：文章末尾提到，爱丁堡大学的进化论生物学家莱恩博士推测，这一现象可能是由于过去的20年里，迟来的雪将冰的融化平均每年延迟半日，缩短了松鼠的繁殖和喂养季节，打乱了它们的生活周期，故答案为D)。

Section C
听力原文：Every year, IBM Corporation chooses five new technologies it believes will change the world within the next five years. The IBM list is called “ Five in Five. “ The company says it(26)considers its own research and the new directions of society and business when identifying the technologies. This year, the list
describes some future devices that will extend our five senses. Imagine(27)looking for clothes online and touching your computer or smartphone to feel the cloth. IBM Vice President Bernie Meyerson predicts that technology could be(28)available in the next five years. Touch is just one of the senses that computers will help to(29)extend. IBM says smart machines will soon be able to(30)listen to the environment and give us information about the sounds they hear. For example, Bernie Meyerson says an(31)advanced speech recognition system will tell new parents why their baby is crying and smart machines will also help identify medical conditions. If you(32)sneeze on your computer or cell phone, the machine will study(33)thousands of molecules in your breath. Then it can tell you whether you need to see a doctor. In the near future, built-in cameras in our personal computers will be able to examine and name colors and recognize images. Mr. Meyerson says IBM scientists are also developing a computer system that can examine and(34)combine food molecules to create the most popular flavors and smells. Mark Maloof is a computer science professor at Georgetown University. He says he hopes the progress that IBM is(35)predicting will lead more students to create future inventions. Professor Maloof says advances in computer technology will make what now seems like science fiction a part of our everyday lives.
Every year, IBM Corporation chooses five new technologies it believes will change the world within the next five years. The IBM list is called “Five in Five. “ The company says it【B1】______its own research and the new directions of society and business when identifying the technologies. This year, the list describes some future devices that will extend our five senses. Imagine【B2】______clothes online and touching your computer or smartphone to feel the cloth. IBM Vice President Bernie Meyerson predicts that technology could be【B3】______in the next five years. Touch is just one of the senses that computers will help to【B4】______. IBM says smart machines will soon be able to【B5】______the environment and give us information about the sounds they hear. For example, Bernie Meyerson says an【B6】______speech recognition system will tell new parents why their baby is crying and smart machines will also help identify medical conditions. If you【B7】______on your computer or cell phone, the machine will study【B8】______molecules in your breath. Then it can tell you whether you need to see a doctor. In the near future, built-in cameras in our personal computers will be able to examine and name colors and recognize images. Mr. Meyerson says IBM scientists are also developing a computer system that can examine and【B9】______food molecules to create the most popular flavors and smells. Mark Maloof is a computer science professor at Georgetown University. He says he hopes the progress that IBM is【B10】______will lead more students to create future inventions. Professor Maloof says advances in computer technology will make what now seems like science fiction a part of our everyday lives.
27．【B1】
正确答案：considers
解析：此处应该填入动词，作句子的谓语，且因主语为it，该动词需要用第三人称单数形式。

consider意为“考虑”。

28．【B2】
正确答案：looking for
解析：空格位于imagine后，应填入动词一ing形式。

look for意为“寻找”。

29．【B3】
正确答案：available
解析：此处应填入形容词，作系动词be的表语。

available意为“可以得到的，可以获得的”。

30．【B4】
正确答案：extend
解析：此处需填入动词原形，与to构成不定式结构。

extend意为“拓展”。

31．【B5】
正确答案：listen to
解析：空格位于be able to后面，应填入动词原形。

listen to意为“倾听”。

32．【B6】
正确答案：advanced
解析：此处应填入形容词修饰speech recognition system。

advanced意为“先进的”。

33．【B7】
正确答案：sneeze
解析：此处应填入动词作谓语。

sneeze意为“打喷嚏”。

34．【B8】
正确答案：thousands of
解析：此处应填入形容词修饰molecules。

thousands of意为“成千上万的”。

35．【B9】
正确答案：combine
解析：此处应填入动词原形与examine并列。

combine意为“使联合，使化合”。

36．【B10】
正确答案：predicting
解析：空格所在成分“that IBM is”为定语从句，修饰progress，应填入动词一ing形式。

predicting意为“预测”。

Part III Reading Comprehension
Section A
When studying human talent, the temptation is usually to concentrate on the upper reaches. Understandably so: we all admire the Einsteins and Mozarts of this world and【C1】______to imitate them. In comparison, studying the opposite end of the spectrum might seem pointless, patronizing(摆出恩赐态度的)ox downright tasteless. Lack of intelligence is shameful enough without treating people like lab rats. Yet it often takes a different viewpoint to find new insights into an old problem. Stupidity is too important and interesting to ignore. The science of stupidity is producing results that【C2】______our concepts of intelligence and that should be humbling for many of the smart people who run the world. It turns out that a tendency for entertaining【C3】______, foolish or illogical ideas is not necessarily the result of a low IQ. This measure of intelligence is largely【C4】______of rationality. Just because you score on the high end of one scale doesn’t mean that you won’t fall at the bottom of the other. Importantly, no one is【C5】______to the biases that lead to stupid decisions. Yet our respect for IQ and education means that it is easy to rest on the laurels(桂冠)of our qualifications and assume that we are, by definition, not stupid. That can be【C6】______on a personal level: regardless of IQ, people who score badly on rationality tests are more likely to have unplanned pregnancies or fall into serious debt. Large scale stupidity is even more damaging. Business cultures that【C7】______encourage it, for example, may have contributed to the economic crisis. Indeed, the effects may have been so damaging precisely because banks assumed that intelligent people act logically while at the same time rewarding rash behavior based on intuition rather than【C8】______. As one researcher puts it: “The more intelligent someone is, the more disastrous the results of their stupidity”. The same surely applies to politicians: the tenth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq serves as a【C9】______that clever people can do monumentally stupid things. If we want to avoid making similar mistakes in the future, everybody—especially the most intelligent and powerful—would do well to humbly【C10】______their own weaknesses. To quote Oscar Wilde: “There is no sin except stupidity. “A)acknowledge I)independentB)aspire J)negligibleC)challenge K)nominationD)commemorate L)perpetuallyE)damaging M)rashF)deliberation N)recipientG)immune O)reminder H)inadvertently
37．【C1】正确答案：B 38．【C2】正确答案：C 39．【C3】正确答案：M 40．【C4】正确答案：I 41．【C5】正确答案：G 42．【C6】正确答案：E 43．【C7】正确答案：H 44．【C8】正确答案：F 45．【C9】正确答案：O 46．【C10】正确答案：A Section B
Genetically Modified Foods—Feed the World?[A]If you want to spark a heated debate at a dinner party, bring up the topic about genetically modified foods. For many people, the concept of genetically altered, high-tech crop production raises all kinds of environmental, health, safety and ethical questions. Particularly in countries with long agrarian traditions—and vocal green lobbies—the idea seems against nature.[B]In fact, genetically modified foods are already very much a part of our lives. A third of the corn and more than half the soybeans and cotton grown in the U. S. last year were the product of biotechnology, according to the Department of Agriculture. More than 65 million acres of genetically modified crops will be planted in the U. S. this year. The genetic is out of the bottle.[C]Yet there are clearly some very real issues that need to be resolved. Like any new product entering the food chain, genetically modified foods must be subjected to rigorous testing. In wealthy countries, the debate about biotech is tempered by the fact that we have a rich array of foods to choose from—and a supply that far exceeds our needs. In developing countries desperate to feed fast-growing and underfed populations; the issue is simpler and much more urgent: Do the benefits of biotech outweigh the risks?[D]The statistics on population growth and hunger are disturbing. Last year the world’s population reached 6 billion. And by 2050, the UN estimates, it will be probably near 9 billion. Almost all that growth will occur in developing countries. At the same time, the world’s available cultivable land per person is declining. Arable land has declined steadily since 1960 and will decrease by half over the next 50 years, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications(ISAAA).How can biotech help?[E]Biotechnologists have developed genetically modified rice that is fortified with beta-carotene(β- 胡萝卜素)—which the body converts into vitamin A—and additional iron, and they are working on other kinds of nutritionally improved crops. Biotech can also improve farming productivity in places where food shortages are caused by crop damage attribution to pests, drought, poor soil and crop viruses, bacteria or fungi(真菌).[F]Damage caused by pests is incredible. The European corn borer, for example, destroys 40 million tons of the world’s corn crops annually, about 7% of the total. Incorporating pest-resistant genes into seeds can help restore the balance. In trials of pest-resistant cotton in Africa, yields have increased significantly. So far, fears that genetically modified, pest-resistant crops might kill good insects as well as bad appear unfounded.[G]Viruses often cause massive failure in staple crops in developing countries. Two years ago, Africa lost more than half its cassava(树薯)crop—a key source of calories—to the mosaic virus(花叶病毒). Genetically modified, virus-resistant crops can reduce that damage, as can drought-tolerant seeds in regions where water shortages limit the amount of land under cultivation. Biotech can also help solve the problem of soil that contains excess aluminum, which can damage roots and cause many staple-crop failures. A gene that helps neutralize aluminum toxicity(毒性)in rice has been identified. Many scientists believe biotech could raise overall crop productivity in developing countries as much as 25% and help prevent the loss of those crops after they are harvested.[H]Yet for all that promise, biotech is far from being the whole answer. In developing countries, lost crops are only one cause of hunger. Poverty plays the largest role. Today more than 1 billion。