A. Choose the best answer. Do not refer to the text.

The main idea of the article is that ______________. ( A )

(a) the U.S. and the E.U. fight for GM food market in Europe, which has resulted in protests

(b) McDonald's provided customers with GM foods and caused the food fight between the U.S. and the E.U. over import and export of GM crops

(c) genetically modified (GM) crops are taken with more skepticism, and the fight over import and export of GM crops between the U.S. and the E.U. heats up

(d) people strike to have the food containing engineered DNA labeled as such

B. Comprehending the text.

   Choose the best answer.

1. Protesters in France held demonstrations against McDonald's lately because __________. ( B )

(a) McDonald's offers uniquely American food

(b) its food contains genetically engineered genes

(c) its service to French consumers is not so satisfactory

(d) they were dissatisfied with the taste of its food

2. With the rise of GM technology, ____________. ( A )

(a) biotech companies have got great benefits

(b) 4 500 GM plants have been tested and appeared on the market

(c) most GM plants are allowed to be exported to the E.U.

(d) all food containing engineered DNA is labeled as such

3. It is implied in the article that people do not feel assured about GM foods because _________. ( B )

(a) there has been evidence to show GM foods are harmful to health

(b) they are afraid that with their genes rewoven artificially, GM foods may become poisonous to humans as well as to insects  

(c) there's something going wrong with GM experiment in the lab

(d) they don't think GM foods are labeled properly

4. The studies about GM crops by Cornell University suggest that ______________. ( C )

(a) pollen from certain GM corn can kill harmful butterflies

(b) certain GM crops can't be eaten by sensitive consumers

(c) GM plants are likely to develop certain undesired attributes

(d) GM crops are greatly beneficial to growers

5. Which of the following is NOT true, as far as the GM ban by the E.U. is concerned? ( D )

(a) It can be viewed as a step to be away from U.S. economic might.

(b) It was hit back by the U.S.

(c) It was supposed to protect its own GM foods.

(d) It partly prohibited the U.S. corn import.

6. What move did the chief executive of Monsanto take? ( B )

(a) He gambled on stocks of biotech.

(b) He adopted GM technology to develop his company.

(c) He lowered the price of his stocks from 63 to 30s.

(d) He managed to keep his stocks rising on the Wall Street.

7. According to the article, as for the labeling problem, _____________. ( A )

(a) the E.U. has demanded that foods containing engineered DNA should be labeled as such

(b) the U.S. took measures similar to those of the E.U.

(c) relevant laws have been made in the U.S.

(d) the U.S. people are not as enthusiastic about it as French people

8. As for the GM crops, the FDA's scientists noted that _______________. ( B )

(a) request to label GM food was a legal claim

(b) GM crops could be essentially different from traditional crops

(c) the difference between GM crops and traditional crops didn't mean dangerous at all

(d) informing instead of alarming consumers on the label was a good way to solve the labeling problem

9. Considering the current demand-driven market, it's reasonable to say _____________. ( B )

(a) GM protesters can achieve their goals in no time

(b) GM protesters have to make some compromise at present

(c) biotech companies will give up biotech products for consumers' sake

(d) the anti-GM sentiment is shared by all consumers

C. Understanding vocabulary.

   Choose the correct definition according to the context.

1. But many people question whether it's a good idea for fallible human beings to go mucking about with the genes of other species. ( A )

(a) interfere with

(b) be fussy about

(c) be skeptical about

(d) deal with

2. It's one thing... but something else entirely if it winds up on your dinner plate. ( A )

(a) appears in the end

(b) annoys

(c) blows away

(d) moves upwards

3. If the outcry in France indeed portends global trouble, it's by no means clear whether it ought to.
( D )

(a) brings out

(b) causes

(c) becomes

(d) is a warning of

4. Other GM crops have been designed to include a few scraps of DNA from a common bacterium, rendering the plants toxic to leaf-chewing insects but not to humans. ( B )

(a) immune

(b) poisonous

(c) harmless

(d) dangerous

5. Even a slight increase in yield can mean a big increase in profits. ( A )

(a) output

(b) outcome

(c) surrender

(d) supply

6. The company quickly scrapped the product. ( C )

(a) saved

(b) cut

(c) removed

(d) produced

7. It churned out not just amino acids but also chemicals that can trigger allergies in nut-sensitive consumers. ( C )

(a) cure

(b) prevent

(c) cause

(d) get rid of

8. In recent years, Europeans have become increasingly jumpy about bad food—and with good reasons. ( A )

(a) apprehensive

(b) generous

(c) enthusiastic

(d) impatient

9. Health officials have grown fussier about what their citizens consume. ( D )

(a) more careful

(b) more tolerant

(c) more crazy

(d) more fastidious

10. In the U.S., GM strains are mixed with ordinary strains, so the country's entire corn export to Europe was effectively outlawed. ( B )

(a) decreased

(b) banned

(c) raised

(d) functioning

11. Coming in the midst of such a catfight, the GM ban looks like vengeance as much as prudence. ( C )

(a) rudeness

(b) cooperation

(c) discretion

(d) strike

12. Two years ago, chief executive Robert Shapiro gambled big on biotech, spinning off the chemical division to focus on the new science. ( C )

(a) urging

(b) directing

(c) forming...from parts of an existing company

(d) setting up...from nothing

13. Their legal claim is bolstered by internal FDA memos in which the agency's own scientists expressed doubts about GM products. ( A )

(a) supported

(b) reproached

(c) criticized

(d) praised

14. In a demand-driven market, however, they would ignore it at their peril. ( D )

(a) at their disposal

(b) for their own sake

(c) for concern of the danger

(d) by being responsible for any consequences themselves

D. Discussing the following topics.

1. What is "genetically modified food"? Are you in favor of consuming GM food? Why?

2.How do you view the food fight between the U.S. and the E.U.?

3.What's your comment on the last sentence of the article: "it's consumers who will have the final word"?