2007年新六级复合式听写训练第5期

Increasing numbers of farmers are growing genetically engineered crops. A new report also says that the total land area where such crops are grown is increasing.

Genetic engineering is the technology of changing the genes of living things. Genes are parts of (36)_________ that control (37) ___________ and development. A changed gene directs a plant or other (38) ________ to do things it normally does not do. For example, a plant may be generally engineered to (39) ________ insects.

There is plenty of (40) _______ information about genetically engineered crops. Critics of genetic engineering say the technology is a threat to human health and the environment.

The new report (41) ___________ that farmers grew genetically engineered crops on more than 52 million hectares of farmland last year. That (42) _________an increase in land area of 19% (43)______to the year before.

(44)_____________________________________________________________________. Four countries grew 99% of all genetically engineered crops last year. The United States grew 68 percent of the world total. Argentina grew 22%. Canada was next with 6%.

The report says soybeans were the most common genetically engineered crop. They were grown on 33 million hectares of farmland. Other common genetically engineered crops were corn and cotton.

(45)__________________________________________________________________________. The scientists say the genes were found in wild corn growing in the mountains of Southern Mexico. (46) ___________________________________________________________________.

参考答案

36. cells
37. growth
38. organism
39. resist
40. conflicting
41. estimates
42. represents
43. compared

44. The report estimates that more than 5 million farmers grew genetically engineered crops in 13 countries last year.

45. In a separate development, scientists report that genetic material from genetically engineered plants can spread across great distances to native plants.

46. The finding is most unusual because the Mexican government has banned the planting of genetically engineered corn since 1998.