Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
On a recent sunny day, 13,000 chickens roam over Larry Brown’s 40 windswept acres in Shiner, Texas. Some rest in the shade of a parked car. Others drink water with the cows. This all seems random, but it’s by design, part of what the $6.1 billion U.S. egg industry bets will be its next big thing: climate-friendly eggs.
These eggs, which are making their debut now on shelves for as much as $8 a dozen, are still labeled organic and animal-friendly, but they’re also from birds that live on farms using regenerative agriculture—special techniques to cultivate rich soils that can trap greenhouse gases. Such eggs could be marketed as helping to fight climate change.
“I’m excited about our progress,” says Brown, who harvests eggs for Denver-based NestFresh Eggs and is adding more cover crops that draw worms and crickets for the chickens to eat. The birds’ waste then fertilizes fields. Such improvements “allow our hens to forage for higher-quality natural feed that will be good for the land, the hens, and the eggs that we supply to our customers.”
The egg industry’s push is the first major test of whether animal products from regenerative farms can become the next premium offering. In barely more than a decade, organic eggs went from being dismissed as a niche product in natural foods stores to being sold at Walmart. More recently there were similar doubts about probiotics and plant-based meats, but both have exploded into major supermarket categories. If the sustainable-egg rollout is successful, it could open the floodgates for regenerative beef, broccoli, and beyond.
Regenerative products could be a hard sell, because the concept is tough to define quickly, says Julie Stanton, associate professor of agricultural economics at Pennsylvania State University Brandywine. Such farming also brings minimal, if any, improvement to the food products (though some producers say their eggs have more protein).
The industry is betting that the same consumers paying more for premium attributes such as free-range, non-GMO, and pasture-raised eggs will embrace sustainability. Surveys show that younger generations are more concerned about climate change, and some of the success of plant-based meat can be chalked up to shoppers wanting to signal their desire to protect the environment. Young adults “really care about the planet,” says John Brunnquell, president of Egg Innovations. “They are absolutely altering the food chain beyond what I think even they understand what they’re doing.”
21. The climate-friendly eggs are produced ______.
[A] at a considerably low cost
[B] at the demand of regular shoppers
[C] as a replacement for organic eggs
[D] on specially designed farms
22. Larry Brown is excited about his progress in ______.
[A] reducing the damage of climate change
[B] accelerating the disposal of waste
[C] creating a sustainable system
[D] attracting customers to his products
23. The example of organic eggs is used in Paragraph 4 to suggest ______.
[A] the doubts over natural feeds
[B] the setbacks in the egg industry
[C] the potential of regenerative products
[D] the promotional success of supermarkets
24. It can be learned from the last paragraph that young people ______.
[A] are reluctant to change their diet
[B] are likely to buy climate-friendly eggs
[C] are curious about new food
[D] are amazed at agriculture advances
25. John Brunnquell would disagree with Julie Stanton over regenerative product’s ______.
[A] market prospects
[B] standard definition
[C] nutritional value
[D] moral implication
【答案解析】
21. [D] on specially designed farms
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词climate-friendly eggs定位到第一段末句：This all seems random, but it’s by design, part of ... next big thing: climate-friendly eggs(这看起来随意，但其实是设计好的，是下一个大事件气候友好蛋的一部分)。其中This指的是第一段开头描述的养鸡农场景象。养鸡农场是设计好的，用于生产气候友好蛋，由此可知气候友好蛋是在specially designed farms(经过特别设计的农场)上生产的，所以本题选D。
22. [C] creating a sustainable system
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干关键词Larry Brown is excited about his progress定位到第三段①句，该句提到(Brown) is adding more cover crops that draw worms and crickets for the chickens to eat(Brown正在添加更多的覆盖作物来吸引蠕虫和蟋蟀给鸡吃)。结合②句The birds’ waste then fertilizes fields(然后鸡的排泄物可以给田地施肥)和③句中的Such improvements “allow our hens to forage for higher-quality natural feed ...”(这样的改进使我们的母鸡能够找到更高质量的天然食物)可知，C项creating a sustainable system(创造一个可持续的系统)是对①-③句的合理概括，所以本题选C。
23. [C] the potential of regenerative products
【解析】本题为例证题。例证题通常考查根据论据寻找论点的能力，论点一般在论据的前面。根据题干关键词organic eggs定位到第四段②句，该句为论据，其所要说明的事物为①句：whether animal products from regenerative farms can become the next premium offering(来自再生农场的动物产品能否成为下一个优质产品)。C项the potential of regenerative products(再生产品的潜力)是对①句中问题的合理概括，所以本题选C。
24. [B] are likely to buy climate-friendly eggs
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干中的young people可先定位到最后一段中的②句：younger generations are more concerned about climate change(年轻一代更加关心气候变化)。结合③句中的Young adults “really care about the planet”(年轻人真的关心地球)和④句中的They are absolutely altering the food chain(他们绝对在改变食物链)，可以判断年轻人很可能在从食物方面为改善气候和地球环境做贡献。B项are likely to buy climate-friendly eggs(可能购买气候友好蛋)是对②-④句的合理推断，所以本题选B。
25. [A] market prospects
【解析】本题为细节题。根据题干中的John Brunnquell定位到最后一段中的③句，Brunnquell说年轻人真的关心地球。结合④句他说年轻人绝对在改变食物链，可见他认为年轻人可能通过消费气候友好蛋等再生产品来保护地球，对再生产品的市场前景是乐观的。再根据题干中的Julie Stanton定位到倒数第二段的①句，Stanton说Regenerative products could be a hard sell(再生产品可能要被强行推销)，可见她对再生产品的市场前景是悲观的。因此这两人在再生产品的市场前景方面的观点是不一致的，A项market prospects(市场前景)准确指出了两人观点的分歧所在，所以本题选A。
