Meat from stem cells：To eat or not to eat？

重慶 黃忠雪

想過(guò)餐桌上美味多汁的各種肉可以從實(shí)驗(yàn)室里培植出來(lái)嗎？實(shí)驗(yàn)室肉，也稱為“體外”肉，是從動(dòng)物身體中取出少數(shù)干細(xì)胞并讓它生長(zhǎng)。只是當(dāng)實(shí)驗(yàn)室肉擺在你面前時(shí)，你真的敢吃嗎？

題材文章詞數(shù)科技3 4 7 難度 ★★★體裁建議用時(shí)說(shuō)明文6′

難詞掃障

1.cultured cell培養(yǎng)細(xì)胞

2.start-up初創(chuàng)企業(yè)

3.ethicaladj.倫理的

4.stem cell干細(xì)胞

5.tissuen.組織

6.bulk up脹大

7.texturen.口感

8.ingredientn.成分；原料

Imagine biting into a juicy beef burger that was produced without killing animals.Meat grown in a laboratory fromcultured cellsis turning that vision into a reality.Severalstartupsare developing lab-grown beef， pork， poultry and seafood and the field is attracting millions in funding.

If widely adopted， lab-grown meat， also called clean meat，could get rid of much of the cruel，unethicaltreatment of animals that are raised for food.It could also reduce theconsiderableenvironmental costs of meat production.

The meat is made by first taking a muscle sample from an animal.Technicians collectstem cellsfrom thetissue，multiply themdramaticallyand allow them to differentiate intoprimitivefibers that thenbulk upto form muscle tissue.One tissue sample from a cow can produce enough muscle tissue to make 80，000 hamburgers.

A number of the start-ups say they expect to have products for sale within the next few years.But clean meat will have to overcome a number ofbarriersif it is to becommerciallysuccessful.

Two are cost and taste.In 2013，when a burger made from lab-grown meat was presented to journalists，it cost more than$300，000 to produce and was too dry.Expenses have since fallen.Given this trend，clean meat could becomecompetitivewith traditional meat within several years.Careful attention totextureand otheringredientscouldaddress taste concerns.

To receive market approval，clean meat will have to be proved safe to eat.Although there is no reason to think that lab-produced meat would pose a health danger，the FDA （美國(guó)食品藥物管理局）is only now beginning to consider how it should be regulated.Meanwhile traditional meat producers are pushing back，arguing that the lab-generated products are not meat at all and should not be labelled as such，and surveys show that the public has only little interest in eating meat from labs.

Despite these challenges，the clean meat companies are making progress.If they can succeed in creatingauthentic-tasting products that are also affordable，clean meat could make our daily eating habits more ethical andenvironmentally sustainable.

Reading Check

閱讀短文，完成下列表格，每空一詞。

M e a t G r o w n f r o m S t e m C e l l s T o p i c （1）________m e a t， a l s o c a l l e d c l e a n m e a t， c o m e s i n t o b e i n g a n d t h e f i e l d i s a t t r a c t i n g i n v e s t m e n t.A d v a n t a g e s●I t c o u l d g e t r i d o f t h e c r u e l a n d u n e t h i c a l t r e a t m e n t o f a n i m a l s， t h u s m a k i n g o u r e a t i n g h a b i t s m o r e （2）________.●I t c o u l d （3）________t h e h u g e e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o s t s o f m e a t p r o d u c t i o n a n d m a k e o u r e a t i n g h a b i t s e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y s u s t a i n a b l e.●（4）________i s t a k e n f r o m a n a n i m a l.●S t e m c e l l s a r e c o l l e c t e d f r o m t h e t i s s u e.●S t e m c e l l s a r e m u l t i p l i e d a n d g r o w n i n t o （5）________f i b e r s.●T h e f i b e r s b e c o m e l a r g e a n d t h e n f o r m （6）________t i s s u e.P r o c e s s（7）●T h e e x p e n s e s a r e n o t c o m p e t i t i v e w i t h t r a d i t i o n a l m e a t， s o i t h a s t o b e c o m e （8） .●C a r e f u l a t t e n t i o n s h o u l d b e g i v e n t o t e x t u r e a n d o t h e r i n g r e d i e n t s.●C l e a n m e a t h a s t o b e p r o v e d （9）________t o e a t.●T r a d i t i o n a l m e a t p r o d u c e r s a r g u e a g a i n s t i t.●T h e p u b l i c a r e n o t s o （1 0） i n e a t i n g i t.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Important vocabulary in the text

1.considerableadj.相當(dāng)大（或多）的

2.dramaticallyadv.突如其來(lái)地；急劇地

3.primitiveadj.原始的；原生的

4.barriern.障礙（物）

5.commerciallyadv.商業(yè)上

6.competitiveadj.（價(jià)格等）有競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力的

7.address taste concerns解決味道問(wèn)題

8.authenticadj.真正的

9.environmentally sustainable環(huán)境可持續(xù)發(fā)展的

Ⅱ.Translate the following sentences usingthe expressions given above.

1.由于相當(dāng)多的農(nóng)民涌進(jìn)這座城市，該城市人口急劇增加。

2.如果一家新開的餐館能首先解決味道問(wèn)題，那么它很可能變得具有競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力并取得商業(yè)上的成功。

3.城市地區(qū)的環(huán)境可持續(xù)發(fā)展應(yīng)該受到重視。