VOA慢速英语20060214a

AGRICULTURE REPORT - As Biotech Crops Spread, E.U. Is Found to Stand in the WayBy Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Tuesday, February 14, 2006

I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.


agriculture

About one-third of all agricultural land in America is now planted with genetically¹ engineered crops -- about fifty million hectares. Soybeans are the biggest crop. Others include corn and cotton. Millions of hectares are also planted in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Canada and China.

Opinions about biotechnology in agriculture are still divided, however.

Over the years the European Union has restricted many biotech crops. It says it wants to guarantee they are safe for humans, animals and the environment. It also requires products of biotechnology to be clearly identified.

The World Trade Organization says the Europeans have been making it too difficult for biotech crops to be approved. Last week, the W.T.O. found that some European actions violated² international trade rules. A final report must still be written.

The United States, Canada and Argentina first brought action against the European policies in thousand three. Fifteen other countries later joined the negotiations³.

American companies such as Dow Chemical, DuPont and Monsanto hope to enter the European seed market. They have invested heavily in the development of biotech farming.

Some genetically changed crops are grown in the European Union. For example, farmers in Spain, Portugal, Germany, France and the Czech Republic grow a biotech version of maize⁴.

A recent report said that of twenty-one countries worldwide growing biotech crops, eleven are developing nations. The report is from the International Service for the Acquisition⁵ of Agri-biotech Applications. That group supports the use of such crops to feed the poor in developing countries.

It says the area of approved biotech crops worldwide reached ninety million hectares last year. It estimates that eight and one-half million farmers now plant them. Most are in China and India.

Asia's most important crop, rice, is also being bio-engineered. Iran officially released a biotech rice in two thousand four. The report says farmers there are expected to make full use of it this year. China has also been a leader in biotech rice research and is expected to approve a version soon.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. Read and listen to our reports at www.unsv.com. I'm Steve Ember.I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

In the last ten years, biotech crops have gone from the laboratory to farms in more than twenty nations.

About one-third of all agricultural land in America is now planted with genetically engineered crops -- about fifty million hectares. Soybeans are the biggest crop. Others include corn and cotton. Millions of hectares are also planted in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Canada and China.

Opinions about biotechnology in agriculture are still divided, however.

Over the years the European Union has restricted many biotech crops. It says it wants to guarantee they are safe for humans, animals and the environment. It also requires products of biotechnology to be clearly identified.

The World Trade Organization says the Europeans have been making it too difficult for biotech crops to be approved. Last week, the W.T.O. found that some European actions violated international trade rules. A final report must still be written.

The United States, Canada and Argentina first brought action against the European policies in thousand three. Fifteen other countries later joined the negotiations.

American companies such as Dow Chemical, DuPont and Monsanto hope to enter the European seed market. They have invested heavily in the development of biotech farming.

Some genetically changed crops are grown in the European Union. For example, farmers in Spain, Portugal, Germany, France and the Czech Republic grow a biotech version of maize.

A recent report said that of twenty-one countries worldwide growing biotech crops, eleven are developing nations. The report is from the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. That group supports the use of such crops to feed the poor in developing countries.

It says the area of approved biotech crops worldwide reached ninety million hectares last year. It estimates that eight and one-half million farmers now plant them. Most are in China and India.

Asia's most important crop, rice, is also being bio-engineered. Iran officially released a biotech rice in two thousand four. The report says farmers there are expected to make full use of it this year. China has also been a leader in biotech rice research and is expected to approve a version soon. This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. Read and listen to our reports at www.unsv.com. I'm Steve Ember.

1 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

2 violated   

亵渎( violate的过去式和过去分词 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Note that thick, strong angles of tibia are not violated. 注意肥厚、结实的胫骨成角部分未受损坏。
• The soldiers violated the church by using it as a stable. 士兵们把教堂当马厩，亵渎了教堂。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 maize   

n.玉米

参考例句：

• There's a field planted with maize behind the house.房子后面有一块玉米地。
• We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。

5 acquisition   

n.取得，学到，养成（习惯），获得的东西

参考例句：

• The children progressed in the acquisition of basic skills.孩子们在掌握基本技术方面取得了进步。
• He devotes his time to the acquisition of knowledge.他把时间都花在求知上。