托福閱讀——轉基因作物問題

　　小編為各位考生帶來托福閱讀素材：轉基因作物，希望對大家的托福閱讀提高有所幫助。

　　mustard n. 芥末;芥菜

　　molecular adj. [化學] 分子的

　　Exhausted adj. 疲憊的;耗盡的v. 耗盡

　　biological clock生物鐘

　　yield n. 產(chǎn)量;收益vt. 屈服

　　manipulate vt. 操縱;操作;巧妙地處理

　　in tune with(與...)一致;(與...)協(xié)調

　　Changing Gene in Plant Could Yield More Crops

　　改變植物基因可以增加產(chǎn)量

　　Plants have a "biological clock" that tells them when to produce leaves, seeds and other growth. A new study says understanding that clock may help scientists develop crops that can feed a growing population in an increasingly warmer world.

　　Rob McClung is a scientist at Dartmouth College. He says scientists need to create ways to feed the nearly 10 billion people who will be living on Earth by the middle of the century.

　　He says estimates show that there will need to be an increase in the world food supply of about 50 to 60 percent in the next thirty-five years.

　　"And we're worried that the things that we've done to increase agricultural productivity may be becoming exhausted."

　　To find new ways to increase productivity, Mr. McClung examined the biological clocks of plants. He learned that different genes in plants affect the plant's clock.

　　He published his findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He says he identified a gene called GIGANTEA in a common species of the plant called field mustard.

　　He discovered that the speed of the gene's development can affect when the plant produces. Mr. McClung says the gene also affects how the plant deals with extreme cold and high levels of salt.

　　"We want to be able to predict if you do this to the clock, you will do this to crop yield."

　　He says he hopes his research will give plant developers a molecular tool they can use to create a plant that can accept a higher level of salt or grow in a colder environment than usual.

　　"...we think that by manipulating the plant clock, we will be able to make plants that are better in tune with their environment and able to perform more effectively."

　　Experts say the current growth in the production of the world's major food crops -- corn, rice, wheat and soybeans -- will not be enough to feed the 9.5 billion people who will be living on Earth in 2050.

　　長難句：

　　1.A new study says understanding that clock may help scientists develop crops that can feed a growing population in an increasingly warmer world.

　　句子類型：賓語從句+定語從句

　　句子拆分：

　　主干：A new study says…

　　賓語從句: understanding that clock may help scientists develop crops

　　定語從句: that can feed a growing population in an increasingly warmer world

　　翻譯：一項新的研究表明：了解這種“生物鐘“可以幫助研究者生產(chǎn)出在日益溫暖氣候中足夠供給增長人口的作物。

　　2.He says he hopes his research will give plant developers a molecular tool they can use to create a plant( that can accept a higher level of salt or grow in a colder environment than usual).

　　句子類型：賓語從句+定語從句

　　句子拆分：

　　主干：He says…

　　賓語從句:he hopes his research will give plant developers a molecular tool they can use to create a plant

　　定語從句:that can accept a higher level of salt or grow in a colder environment than usual

　　翻譯：他表示，他希望自己的研究結果可以給生產(chǎn)者一種分子水平的工具來用于生產(chǎn)可以耐高鹽或者在高寒環(huán)境生長。