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

重慶 黃忠雪

想過餐桌上美味多汁的各種肉可以從實驗室里培植出來嗎？實驗室肉，也稱為“體外”肉，是從動物身體中取出少數干細胞并讓它生長。只是當實驗室肉擺在你面前時，你真的敢吃嗎？

題材文章詞數科技3 4 7 難度 ★★★體裁建議用時說明文6′

難詞掃障

1.cultured cell培養細胞

2.start-up初創企業

3.ethicaladj.倫理的

4.stem cell干細胞

5.tissuen.組織

6.bulk up脹大

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 （美國食品藥物管理局）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

閱讀短文，完成下列表格，每空一詞。

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.相當大（或多）的

2.dramaticallyadv.突如其來地；急劇地

3.primitiveadj.原始的；原生的

4.barriern.障礙（物）

5.commerciallyadv.商業上

6.competitiveadj.（價格等）有競爭力的

7.address taste concerns解決味道問題

8.authenticadj.真正的

9.environmentally sustainable環境可持續發展的

Ⅱ.Translate the following sentences usingthe expressions given above.

1.由于相當多的農民涌進這座城市，該城市人口急劇增加。

2.如果一家新開的餐館能首先解決味道問題，那么它很可能變得具有競爭力并取得商業上的成功。

3.城市地區的環境可持續發展應該受到重視。