問題詳情


(C)The world food supply has grown increasingly dependent on a shrinking list of crops, such as wheat and maize, in the past 50 years with major consequences for human nutrition and global food security, according to a new study by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Colombia.“More people are consuming more calories, protein and fat, and they rely increasingly on a short list of major food crops, like wheat, maize and soybean, along with meat and dairy products, for most of their food," said lead author Colin Khoury. "These foods are critical for combating world hunger, but relying on a global diet of such limited diversity obligates us to bolster the nutritional quality of the major crops, as consumption of other nutritious grains and vegetables declines.The report suggests that a growing reliance on a few food crops may accelerate the worldwide rise in obesity, heart disease and diabetes, which are strongly affected by dietary change. The stud/s findings on obesity echo a January report from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), which said, on current trends, theworld will see a huge increase in the number of people suffering certain types of cancer, diabetes, strokes and heart attacks, as more people in developing countries switch to diets rich in animal produce, fat, salt and sugar.The CIAT study confirms that crops now predominant in diets around the world include several that were important 50 years ago - such as wheat, rice, maize and potato. But the emerging "standard global food supply" also consists of energy-dense foods that have become prominent more recently: soybean, sunflower oil and palm oil. In contrast, many crops of regional importance have lost ground.The loss of biodiversity poses risks, the CIAT study warns. A more homogeneous global food basket makes agriculture more vulnerable to drought, pests and diseases, which will be exacerbated by climate change, says Luigi Guarino, a co-author. “As the global population rises and the pressure increases on our global food system, so does our dependence on the global crops and production systems that feed us. The price of failure of any of these crops will become very high.The report throws up an interesting paradox. As the human diet has become less diverse at the global level over the past 50 years, many countries, particularly in Africa and Asia, have widened their menu of major staple crops, while changing to more globalized diets."Countries experiencing rapid dietary change are also quickly seeing rises in the associated diseases of overabundance/’ says Khoury. "But hopeful trends are also apparent, as in northern Europe, where evidence suggests that consumers are tending to buy more cereals and vegetables and less meat, oil and sugar."
60. What is NOT mentioned in the passage?
(A) The relationship between a limited diet and certain diseases.
(B) The reasons why people are depending on fewer kinds of crops.
(C) The impact on the agriculture that a limited diet may make.
(D) Some examples of crops that are gaining popularity nowadays.

參考答案

答案：D
難度：適中0.4
統計：A(1),B(0),C(2),D(2),E(0)

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