crops can make the world a 51 place. If bioengineers can create crops that are resistant to insects, 52, then they won’t have to worry about insects destroying plants. In the 53of insect damage, crops can grow to feed the poor and hungry. Genetic engineering can create plants with other desirable properties as well. Plants that don’t require much water, that can live even in times of drought, can help prevent the widespread 54that would occur if people have nothing to eat. It’s easy to see why many people believe that GM crops will help the world meet the difficult 55that it will face as more and more people need to be fed.
But not everyone thinks bioengineering is a good idea. Other people are __56. They
mistrust the claims made and don’t believe that biotechnology is without 57 . The possible dangers include harming the ecosystem—the inter-related community of plants and animals and bacteria that __58the Earth. They__59 that changing plants can harm our environment, and damage to our surroundings can hurt us. One danger is that GM crops can transfer their characteristics to other plants. Plants that reproduce by spreading their pollen (花粉) in the wind can possibly fertilize wild plants, making them more 60 to control. Another problem is that GM plants might be a source of allergens (过敏源). This seems 61, but in the process of making GM foods, genes are transferred that are known to cause problems for some people. Allergic reactions can 62from coughing and sneezing to death.
Indeed, people hold very different opinions about 63 While some people look forward to crops that will not rot during the trip to market, others claim that we will ruin our cropland and destroy what we are trying to save. While some people look forward to crops that can 64droughts, others claim that contact with GM plants can pollute other crops, making them 65
for use. For some people, GM crops are the hope of the future; for others, they are a poison that will harm or destroy our farmland.