19.
These days,the food that you buy comes from lots of different countries.When you go to the supermarket,you will see some kinds of fruits and vegetables you have never seen before.Have a look in your kitchen,fridge,cupboard and fruit bowl and check where the food comes from.Perhaps there are apples from California,lamb from New Zealand,or potatoes from Egypt.You will probably be surprised how far food travels to get to your plate.This journey,from field to plate,is called food miles.A food mile is the distance that food travels from the farmer's field to the person who buys the food.Nowadays,food often travels thousands of miles to get to the consumer(消費(fèi)者).Why is this,and what are the influences of these long distances?
Traditionally,farmers sold their food in the local market,so the food didn't have to travel very far.The consumers also did not travel very far because they went to their local market to buy the food.This was a good system for farmers and consumers.However,there were some disadvantages.For example,consumers could only buy food that farmers produced locally.In addition,they could only get food that was in season.Now,because of modern technology,food comes from all over the world.We do not have to wait for spring or summer to buy strawberries or tomatoes.They are available in winter if we want.
Some countries have to import(進(jìn)口) most of their food.This is because they have difficult climates.The United Arab Emirates(UAE),for example,gets 85% of its food from other countries.Even food made in the UAE often uses imported materials.
What's wrong with food miles?Is this not a good way of increasing international trade?I believe these miles are worrying for a number of reasons.First of all,because food travels such long distances,we need more planes,trucks,and ships to move the food.This means we use more oil or gas,so there is more pollution and more global warming.In addition,food that travels a long way is not fresh and usually not very tasty.Tomatoes,for example,are picked early and stored for their long journeys.For this reason,they are usually tasteless when they get to the consumer.Local food has a better taste,and it also reduces(減少) the amount of global pollution.We need to buy more local food.
81.According to this passage,food miles meansC.
A.the origins of the food
B.the influences of longs distances
C.the journey from field to plate
D.the disadvantages of imported food
82.Some countries,like the UAE,have to import most of their food because ofB.
A.long distances
B.difficult climates
C.fresh and tasty food
D.modern technology
83.In the last paragraph,the writer mainly wants to encourage readers toD.
A.use imported food often
B.increase international trade
C.travel long distances
D.buy more local food
84.According to the passage,which of the following is NOT TRUE?B
A.At present,food often travels a long way to get to the consumers.
B.The United Arab Emirates gets its food from other countries completely.
C.Because of modern technology,it's easy to import food from all over the world
D.If we use more oil or gas to carry food,it can cause pollution and more global warming.
85.This passage is mainly talking aboutD.
A.how local food travels from field to your plate
B.where different kinds of food come from
C.how and why some countries import their food
D.what food miles means and its influences on people's lives.