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

重庆 黄忠雪

想过餐桌上美味多汁的各种肉可以从实验室里培植出来吗？实验室肉，也称为“体外”肉，是从动物身体中取出少数干细胞并让它生长。只是当实验室肉摆在你面前时，你真的敢吃吗？

题材文章词数科技3 4 7 难度 ★★★体裁建议用时说明文6′

难词扫障

1.cultured cell培养细胞

2.start-up初创企业

3.ethicaladj.伦理的

4.stem cell干细胞

5.tissuen.组织

6.bulk up胀大

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 （美国食品药物管理局）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

阅读短文，完成下列表格，每空一词。

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.相当大（或多）的

2.dramaticallyadv.突如其来地；急剧地

3.primitiveadj.原始的；原生的

4.barriern.障碍（物）

5.commerciallyadv.商业上

6.competitiveadj.（价格等）有竞争力的

7.address taste concerns解决味道问题

8.authenticadj.真正的

9.environmentally sustainable环境可持续发展的

Ⅱ.Translate the following sentences usingthe expressions given above.

1.由于相当多的农民涌进这座城市，该城市人口急剧增加。

2.如果一家新开的餐馆能首先解决味道问题，那么它很可能变得具有竞争力并取得商业上的成功。

3.城市地区的环境可持续发展应该受到重视。