环球英语 — 394：Is it Meat?

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹ program. I’m David Bast.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
If you are like many people around the world you enjoy eating meat. You may have a favourite kind of meat - cow, goat, lamb, chicken or duck. It can taste very good! And meat is a good source of protein. This substance is necessary for a healthy diet. But other people believe that eating meat is wrong. They believe it is unkind² to animals. They argue that animals raised for meat often suffer. And people kill these animals in a violent way.
Voice 2
But what if people could eat meat without eating animals? PETA - People for the Ethical³ Treatment of Animals - works⁴ to improve animal rights. Members of PETA believe that eating living creatures is wrong. PETA knows that some people will not stop eating meat. But they wonder - what if these meat-eaters could get their meat without causing pain to animals? PETA hopes to encourage more scientists to think about this question.
Voice 1
In 2008 PETA began a competition. PETA will give one million [1,000,000] dollars to the first individual, group, or company, that can produce and sell a special kind of chicken meat. This meat will not involve killing⁵ animals. Instead, it must be grown in a laboratory⁶ using a process called in vitro, or IV.
Voice 2
The IV process uses cells from an existing thing - for example, an organ like a heart or kidney⁷. Scientists put the cells in a special substance. It makes the cells multiply and grow. The cells grow into a new organ. Scientists have been using in vitro for some years to grow organs and other body parts. Then these organs can replace failing organs in sick people’s bodies. Using in vitro to reproduce⁸ organs is not yet widely used.
Voice 1
But PETA believes scientists could use this technology to make meat. After all, meat is a tissue⁹ made from cells. If scientists could reproduce these meat cells they could make meat without killing animals. Scientists can take the starter cells from living animals. Getting the cells usually involves little or no pain for the animal. Then scientists could grow the cells in a growing substance. If the meat looked and tasted like normal meat - that is, killed animal meat - people might eat it.
Voice 2
Experts believe there could be many positive results from IV meat. First, cruelty or violence toward¹⁰ animals would decrease. PETA says that in the United States alone, every year people kill over forty million [40,000,000] animals for their meat - including chickens, fish, pigs, and cows. They say these animals often die in horrible and violent ways.
Voice 1
But animals raised for meat also may experience cruelty while they are still alive. PETA describes animals held in cages - containers with bars. The cages are very small. They prevent animals from moving freely¹¹ or experiencing life as free animals have for thousands of years.
Voice 2
Second, growing IV meat can make meat healthier. Many animals in developed countries receive growth hormones¹² or antibiotics¹³. These substances help the animals stay healthy and grow large. But they can also affect people who eat the meat. Too many hormones and antibiotics can cause problems in people. In vitro meat will not require these substances.
Voice 1
In vitro meat could also be healthier because scientists can engineer it to be that way. For example, scientists can grow IV meat to contain less bad fat. Some kinds of fat are good - like the particular fats found only in fish. With IV meat scientists could grow other meats to also include this fat. This could make meat healthier. In vitro meat would also free of diseases¹⁵ found in animals like bird flu, mad cow disease¹⁴, and salmonella.
Voice 2
Finally, growing IV meat is better for the environment. Living animals need food and land. Sometimes these resources are limited. Also, some animals release¹⁶ a lot of waste - in solid, liquid, and gas form. These waste products enter the air and people breathe them in. They also enter drinking water supplies. The Natural Resources Defence Council¹⁷ says that the waste products from factory farms can cause many problems in humans - from breathing problems to diarrhea to death in babies.
Voice 1
Growing in vitro meat could produce a good substitute¹⁸ for killed animal meat. And it could be very helpful to people. PETA is not the only group looking for ways to produce quality IV meat. But it is the only group offering a prize. So, how do people win this competition?
Voice 2
First, an individual, group or company will produce an IV chicken product. PETA will judge the product. The IV meat must already be approved by the government for humans to eat. If the PETA judges approve the IV meat, they will pass it on to a test group.
Voice 1
The test group will then eat the chicken. They will compare the taste and feel of the IV meat to the taste and feel of meat from a killed chicken. If the product passes these measures, it will go to the final step.
Voice 2
The final step of PETA’s competition involves producing large amounts of IV chicken and successfully selling it. The winner of the competition must produce enough IV chicken to sell in many stores. But they must also sell the IV chicken at a low price. It must be about the same price as meat from a killed chicken. And they must sell the IV chicken in at least ten US states.
Voice 1
People or groups have until June 30, 2012 to enter their IV meat in PETA’s competition. The first individual, group, or company to produce and sell the best IV chicken will win the one million [1,000,000] dollar prize.
Voice 2
Not everyone at PETA agrees with the competition. Some of them believe that people should not ever eat meat. They say meat is unhealthy in any form. Other people at PETA disagree with the competition because they believe the prize is too small and the competition is too complex. It would cost too much and take too long to do what PETA is asking.
Voice 1
Even people not involved with PETA think that the competition is a little strange. They think that eating meat that has not come from an animal is strange. They say they would probably not eat the meat even if it were low cost.
Voice 2
What do you think about PETA’s contest? Will scientists be able to produce and sell a quality meat product made from the in vitro process? And would you eat this meat? Send us your opinions at Radio @ English.net.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 unkind   

adj.不仁慈的，不和善的

参考例句：

• He was never unkind to her.他从未亏待过她。
• Unkindness often reacts on the unkind person.恶人有恶报。

3 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

4 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 laboratory   

n.实验室，化验室

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a laboratory.她捐款成立了一个实验室。
• Our laboratory equipment isn't perfect,but we must make do.实验室设备是不够理想，但我们只好因陋就简。

7 kidney   

n.肾，腰子，类型

参考例句：

• Several of the patients had received kidney transplant.病人中有几位已接受了肾移植手术。
• The operation to transplant a kidney is now fairly routine.肾脏移植手术如今已相当常见。

8 reproduce   

v.生育，繁殖，复制，重做

参考例句：

• The machine can reproduce a key in two minutes.这机器能在两分钟内复制一把钥匙。
• The picture will reproduce well.这照片会印得很清楚。

9 tissue   

n.组织；薄纱，薄纸，手巾纸

参考例句：

• As we age we lose muscle tissue.肌肉组织会随着我们日趋衰老而萎缩。
• Athletes have hardly any fatty tissue.运动员几乎没有什么脂肪组织。

10 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

11 freely   

adv.自由地，随便地，无拘无束地

参考例句：

• She was unable to keep back her tears,and wept freely.她抑制不住泪水，痛痛快快地哭了起来。
• A liquid flows freely and has no fixed shape.液体能自由流动，无固定形态。

12 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。

13 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

14 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

15 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

16 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

17 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

18 substitute   

n.代理，代理人，代用品，代替物；vt.代替；vi.替代，取代

参考例句：

• Can you substitute for the singer who is ill?你能替一下那位得了病的歌手吗？
• Yogurt is a perfectly acceptable substitute for cream in cooking.酸奶是烹饪用的特别受欢迎的奶油替代品。