时间:2018-12-15 作者:英语课 分类:VOA慢速英语2007年(三)月


英语课

This the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.


It can be hard to decide which foods to buy in an American grocery store these days. The information on many products makes different claims. These labels suggest that the food is safe, pure or kind to animals.









 



The label "organic" guarantees that the United States Department of Agriculture recognizes the product was grown under special conditions. The department says foods that meet requirements of its National Organic Program can use an official label. It shows the words "USDA Organic" inside a circle.


For example, U.S.D.A. organic food does not contain genes 1 that have been scientifically changed. The food is grown without chemical treatments against insects or disease. It is grown without chemical fertilizers.


The U.S.D.A. organic label on meat and dairy products guarantees that they are from animals that live much of the time outdoors. The animals have been fed only organic food. The animals have not received antibiotic 2 drugs. And they have not had hormone 3 substances to make them grow bigger.


Organic meat and dairy products usually cost more than other products. But many people buy them because they believe they are more healthful.  


The U.S.D.A. is trying to decide if fish can be labeled "organic." A decision is not expected for many months. However, the Marine 4 Stewardship 5 Council says its label promises that fish are not endangered and were caught without harming the local ecosystem 6.


There are also labels on coffee. Some coffee growers plant their crops on land with no natural plants to provide shade from the sun. Other coffee is grown under trees that provide shade for the coffee and homes for birds. This coffee is labeled "Bird Friendly."  The Smithsonian Migratory 7 Bird Council of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., guarantees coffee with the "Bird Friendly" label.


Other food labels include "natural," "cage-free" and "free-range." Experts say it may be harder for the food buyer to decide what these mean.  For example, chickens may not have been raised in a cage. Still, they may have been in overcrowded conditions inside a building.


The Department of Agriculture will be holding meetings with food producers and the public to try to develop requirements for labels.


And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. Transcripts 8 and audio files of our reports are on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.



1 genes
n.基因( gene的名词复数 )
  • You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因,所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪
2 antibiotic
adj.抗菌的;n.抗生素
  • The doctor said that I should take some antibiotic.医生说我应该服些用抗生素。
  • Antibiotic can be used against infection.抗菌素可以用来防止感染。
3 hormone
n.荷尔蒙,激素,内分泌
  • Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
  • This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
4 marine
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
5 stewardship
n. n. 管理工作;管事人的职位及职责
  • The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认,这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
  • Last, but certainly not least, are the issues of stewardship and ethics. 最后,但当然不是微不足道的,是工作和道德规范的问题。
6 ecosystem
n.生态系统
  • This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
  • We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。
7 migratory
n.候鸟,迁移
  • Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
  • This does not negate the idea of migratory aptitude.这并没有否定迁移能力这一概念。
8 transcripts
n.抄本( transcript的名词复数 );转写本;文字本;副本
  • Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样,都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
  • You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书,你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句
标签: voa 慢速英语
学英语单词
a matter of regret
actinic green
backer
belt loading
bolection
bourrelet
brier-woods
capacity-demand ratio
carbophilic
charge-and-discharge statement
charger ratio
cii
Cksum
client right
cnim
co-referring
collilongus
Comastoma polycladum
compensating of load
Container Time Insurance
coordinate neighbo(u)rhood
cross-blast explosion pot
crushing forceps
daikins
denison pln.
density of crop
diaceturate
digital electric actuator
document paper
drosera intermedia hayne
Duboir oscillograph
elliptic projectivity
erysimoside
expandable
fiber crops
fluid model
froginess
full draw
germanium-resistance thermometer
Helonias umbellata
herpes gladiatorum
incondensable
interim committee of the general assembly
involucriform
Jacutiana
jam filler
jimbo
ka-
knobs
laminar flow heat transfer
latchous
lighting condition
line inlet
long-term charter
masking level
maximum authorized altitude (maa)
MCEL
melwells
mirror extensimeter
monotectic alloy
moreh
network drives
nightvision
nim standard
nipaecoccus filamentosus (cockerell)
no-ship
nose pile
overpressure safety operation
p.p.
perinatal surgery
phototachymetric
pontal flexure
prevalidate
primary medullary plate
pust-down automation
RCR
Redgranite
reproduction of antique pottery ware
retardation of mean solar time
rubber-lined ball mill
sensory current
shadow page table
ship with corrugated side
snseswslsys-s
song-types
spot faceplate
strength of gear tooth
text interpretation
thallic phosphate
Tiruvallūr
to rise to the occasion
tripterolide
Tulloch L.
vandiver
velocity-shaped canceler
veneson
Vinous-Throated
visuals
Waltheria americana L.
xanthomonas antirrhini(takimoto)dowson
Zulte