Genetically modified (GM) foods are safe to eat … aren’t they?
這種食物，該不該吃？ 基改食物安全無虞……果真如此嗎？
Few things have caused as much controversy as genetically modified foods. These are plants or animals whose DNA has been changed in order to bring some benefit to either the producer or the consumer. A 2018 Pew Research Center poll found that 49 percent of Americans think foods containing GM ingredients are worse for one's health than natural foods. Slightly fewer people, 44 percent, are neutral on the question.
They believe foods with GM ingredients are neither better now worse for one's health. Only five percent say GM foods are better for one's health. The Pew poll thus reveals a nearly 50-50 split among Americans as to whether GM foods are harmful or not.
Whatever they may believe about GM foods, it is almost impossible for Americans to avoid them. About 90 percent of all corn, canola and soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified. One or more of these ingredients goes into nearly all of the food products processed in the U.S. Even some food staples such as potatoes and sugar beets come from GM crops.
Info Cloud
weed out 過濾
Welcome back to Info Cloud. When I was a girl, one of my chores at home was helping my dad take care of the family garden. My job was to pull out any weeds that grew up around our vegetables.
Anne Marie, this is a great topic to talk about today. We have a special verb for pulling weeds: to weed.
If you are weeding the garden, it means you're pulling out anything that isn't supposed to be growing there.
"Weed out" can be used in situations other than weeds, too.
And our phrase for today, to weed out, it means to get rid of anything or anyone that isn't supposed to be there.
You could weed out unsuitable candidates when you're interviewing people for a job.
Or when deciding what you want to eat for dinner, you could weed out restaurants you know you don't like.
Once Dora had weeded out all the movies she didn't want to see, it was easy for her to select a movie on Netflix to watch.
I'm teaching my son to weed out bad influences in his life.
And, students, by weeding out your bad study habits, your English learning can be more effective.
當你必須要篩選或過濾一些人事物，你可以用今天分享的用語 weed out 來形容。weed 是雜草，weed out就是把雜草清除掉，讓菜園裡的蔬菜能夠好好地生長，用在日常生活中就是過濾的意思。John needs to weed out bad influences in his life. John需要清除生活中對他不好的影響。weed out 可以用來形容任何要過濾或清除掉的東西，它可以是不好的東西，或是不必要的人，像是一家公司在應徵員工時，就可以將不適任的候選人weed out。
Language Lab
controversy n. 爭議、爭論
argument that involves many people who strongly disagree about something : strong disagreement about something among a large group of people
- The plan to merge two of the company’s departments created a lot of controversy.
公司的計畫要把兩個部門合併，造成很大的爭議。
- There was a big controversy about the school’s decision to sell that piece of land.
學校打算賣掉那塊土地，引起很大的爭議。
- Allison always tries to stay away from any controversy.
Allison 總是會盡可能避開任何的爭議。
neutral adj. 中立的
not supporting either side of an argument, fight, war, etc.
- Andy’s two best friends are having an argument, but Andy is staying neutral.
Andy 的兩位最要好的朋友正在吵架，但是Andy要保持中立。
- Reporters asked the actor how he felt about the recent controversy, but the actor gave a very neutral response.
記者詢問那位影星最近的爭議有什麼感覺，但是影星給的回答很中立。
neutral adj. 不容易引起人的注意或是中性的
not connected with either side involved in a war, contest, etc.;
not bright or strong in color : able to go easily with other colors
- It’s rare to see Sabrina wear any bright colors; her outfits are mostly neutral colors.
Sabrina 很少穿顏色很亮的衣服，她的衣著大部分都是中性色系的。
split n. 在一群人當中因為意見不一樣所產生的分歧
to separate or divide into parts or groups
- Because half of the company did not like the new plan, there was a split among the employees.
由於公司有一半的人不喜歡新的計畫，而造成員工間的分歧。
split n. 裂痕
to break apart or into pieces especially along a straight line
- The mother bird found a split in the rocks and decided to build her nest there.
母鳥在岩石中找到一個裂口，牠就決定在那裡築巢。
split n. 一字腿、劈腿
to cut, rip, or tear (something) especially along a straight line
- The young dancer ended her performance with a split.
那位年輕的舞者用劈腿動作來結束她的表演。
staple n. 基本的、主要的食物
an important food that is eaten very often
- In many countries, rice is the staple.
在很多國家裡，米是主糧。
- The man said he didn’t have any money to buy any staples for his family.
那個人說他沒錢買一些基本的食物給他的家人吃。
staple n. 訂書針
a piece of metal or thick wire that is pushed into a surface to hold or attach something (such as rope or wire)
- While we were putting the handouts together, we ran out of staples.
我們在裝訂講義的時候，訂書針被我們用完了。
