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　　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

　　【参考译文】

　　对我们健康构成威胁的不是小型食品生产，而是大规模工厂化农业。

　　疯牛病可能导致英国数以千计人死亡，在世界范围有多少人死亡不得而知，这是用死牛喂活牛这种看似无害的做法带来的可怕后果。这场灾难清楚地表明“工业化”的动物饲养——视动物膦生产机器——对人体健康的影响。

　　我们只需对工厂化农场的情况稍有了解就会看到，疯牛病很可能只是冰山之一角。从喂食方法，到动物的居住条件，再到为了追求产量而使用药物，人体健康在许多方面受到工厂化农业的威胁。把工业要求强加于家畜，极有可能导致终端产品(也就是我们的食品)出现致命缺陷。

　　面对疯牛病灾难以及食物中毒发生率的迅速上升，英国政府做出反应，加强了卫生法规的实施，这不足为奇。但是，鉴于问题的根源——动物被喂养在极其狭小的环境中，经常没有新鲜空气、清洁的褥草和阳光——这些措施不大可能奏效。矛盾的是，它们甚至可能使我们的食品更不安全，原因在于牲畜的生产和屠宰更加集中于少量大型工业规模的经营者之手，他们比小型生产者更有能力承担管理成本。

　　考虑一下工厂化农场普遍存在的状况——比如，集约化的鸡棚。动物拥挤不堪，几乎看不到地面，看得到地面的地方，满地粪便。空气中弥漫着尘土，几乎没有阳光。疾病猖獗会令人奇怪吗?当然不会。然而这就是许多肉用动物的饲养环境。

　　11.B

　　属主旨思想题，考查全篇中心内容的概括。本文主要讨论大规模工厂化农业对健康的威胁。

　　12.A

　　属逻辑关系题。第四段开头指出：“面对疯牛病灾难以及食物中毒发生率的迅速上升，英国政府做出反应，加强卫生法规的实施。”显然这句话的前后文是因果关系。

　　13.D

　　属事实细节题。第四段指出，这些措施可能使我们的食品更不安全。

　　14.B

　　属词义推断题。根据第五段该词所处的上下文语境，可以推知，在鸡棚地面上覆盖的只能是鸡的粪便。

　　15.B

　　属信息归纳题。最后一段主要告诉我们，工厂化农场环境恶劣，所以疾病猖獗。