2014年同等學力申碩考試將于5月25日舉行，考生們一定要利用最后一個月的時間，做好考前沖刺。我們整理了同等學力英語每日一練，希望對大家有所幫助。

　　It is not small food production that presents a threat to our health, but large-scale factory farming.

　　Mad Cow Disease, with its potential to lead to the deaths of thousands of people in the UK, and who knows how many more around the world, is the terrible consequence that has followed from the apparently innocuous practice of feeding dead cows to live ones. The disaster has brought home the impact that “industrial” animal husbandry-viewing animals as production machines-can have on human health.

　　One only has to scratch the surface of life down on the factory farm to see that Mad Cow Disease may well be only the tip of the iceberg. In a range of areas, from feeding regimes, to animal housing, to the use of drugs in the pursuit of productivity, human health may be threatened by factory farming. Imposing industrial demands on farm animals may, quite literally, be producing fatal flaws in the end product—our food.

　　It is no surprise that, faced with the Mad Cow Disease disaster and escalating incidence of food poisoning, the UK Government’s reaction has been to tighten hygiene regulations. But given the underlying nature of the problem—animals being reared in appallingly cramped conditions, frequently without access to fresh air, clean litter, and sunlight—the measures are unlikely to prove effective. Paradoxically, they may even make our food less safe, by ensuing that livestock production and slaughter become ever more centralized in the hands of a small number of large industrial—scale operators. Better able to bear the costs of regulation than small—scale producers.

　　Consider the conditions that prevail on factory farms—for example, in intensive chicken sheds. Animals are so crowded together that the floor is scarcely visible, and where it is visible it can be seen to be covered with excrement. The atmosphere is full of dust, with scarcely any sunlight. Would one be surprised if disease were rampant? Of course not. Yet these are the conditions in which many animals are reared as food.

　　11. In this text the author argues that .

　　A. the government has not done enough to combat Mad Cow Disease

　　B. factory farming poses a health threat

　　C. small farmers are the key to economic success

　　D. animals should not be treated poorly

　　12. Why did the government tighten hygiene regulations?

　　A. In response to Mad Cow Disease . B. To appease factory farmers.

　　C. In order to follow international regulations.

　　D. Because millions of people died of food poisoning.

　　13. The author believes that new government regulations .

　　A. may improve handling of livestock B. may help control the spread of Mad Cow Disease

　　C. may hurt the economy by eliminating small farmers

　　D. May make food even less safe

　　14. The word “excrement” (line 3, para. 5) most probably means “ “.

　　A. uneaten food B. animal waste C. hay D. dead animals

　　15. The author argues that, given the conditions on factory farms, .

　　A. we should all be outraged B. it’s no wonder that disease is common

　　C.. the government should institute new regulations

　　D. Mad Cow Disease may never be fully controlled

　　【參考譯文】

　　對我們健康構成威脅的不是小型食品生產，而是大規模工廠化農業。

　　瘋牛病可能導致英國數以千計人死亡，在世界范圍有多少人死亡不得而知，這是用死牛喂活牛這種看似無害的做法帶來的可怕后果。這場災難清楚地表明“工業化”的動物飼養——視動物膦生產機器——對人體健康的影響。

　　我們只需對工廠化農場的情況稍有了解就會看到，瘋牛病很可能只是冰山之一角。從喂食方法，到動物的居住條件，再到為了追求產量而使用藥物，人體健康在許多方面受到工廠化農業的威脅。把工業要求強加于家畜，極有可能導致終端產品(也就是我們的食品)出現致命缺陷。

　　面對瘋牛病災難以及食物中毒發生率的迅速上升，英國政府做出反應，加強了衛生法規的實施，這不足為奇。但是，鑒于問題的根源——動物被喂養在極其狹小的環境中，經常沒有新鮮空氣、清潔的褥草和陽光——這些措施不大可能奏效。矛盾的是，它們甚至可能使我們的食品更不安全，原因在于牲畜的生產和屠宰更加集中于少量大型工業規模的經營者之手，他們比小型生產者更有能力承擔管理成本。

　　考慮一下工廠化農場普遍存在的狀況——比如，集約化的雞棚。動物擁擠不堪，幾乎看不到地面，看得到地面的地方，滿地糞便�？諝庵袕浡�著塵土，幾乎沒有陽光。疾病猖獗會令人奇怪嗎?當然不會。然而這就是許多肉用動物的飼養環境。

　　11.B

　　屬主旨思想題，考查全篇中心內容的概括。本文主要討論大規模工廠化農業對健康的威脅。

　　12.A

　　屬邏輯關系題。第四段開頭指出：“面對瘋牛病災難以及食物中毒發生率的迅速上升，英國政府做出反應，加強衛生法規的實施。”顯然這句話的前后文是因果關系。

　　13.D

　　屬事實細節題。第四段指出，這些措施可能使我們的食品更不安全。

　　14.B

　　屬詞義推斷題。根據第五段該詞所處的上下文語境，可以推知，在雞棚地面上覆蓋的只能是雞的糞便。

　　15.B

　　屬信息歸納題。最后一段主要告訴我們，工廠化農場環境惡劣，所以疾病猖獗。