Directions: Read the following passage carefully and then translate the underlined sentences into Chinese on the ANSWER SHEET.
Two years ago, the United Nations warned that a disease called “Panama could destroy” much of the worlds banana crop. Since then, things have not gotten better. A new outbreak was discovered last year in Australia. The disease started in Asia in the 1990s, and later spread to Africa and the Middle East.
World health officials worry the disease could travel to Latin America, one of the top banana producers in the world.
(41) The Panama disease is a big concern because bananas are an important source of income and nutrients for millions of people. They are grown in 135 tropical nations. The United Nations lists bananas as one of the most important foods, along with rice, wheat and corn. Bananas also contain a chemical which it says makes people feel happy.
Randy Ploetz, a professor at the University of Florida, is considered by many as America’s top banana expert, or, “top banana.” As he explained Panama disease affects the Cavendish banana, which is the most popular among more than 500 kinds of bananas.
“The industry is waking up to the problem,” Ploetz said Thursday by telephone from Miami, Florida, where he was attending the International Banana Congress.
The meeting was supposed to take place in Costa Rica, but was moved at the last minute. There were concerns banana growers could spread Panama disease from dirt collected on their shoes. Ploetz said.
(42) Ploetz(普罗慈) said if the disease spreads to Latin America, it could hurt the world’s economy along with food supplies for millions of people. Still, he said there is reason for hope. Scientists in Australia are working on a genetically engineered banana that might not be at risk of getting Panama disease. But he wondered if people are ready to accept genetically engineered bananas.
Robert Bertram is chief scientist for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He said bananas are important to many millions of people all over the world. “In Africa, Asia and tropical America, bananas are an important food source for more than 100 million people, he told VOA.” As a cash crop, bananas are sold in local, regional and international markets,” Bertram said. Banana exports provide jobs and foreign money that producing countries need, he said.
Bertram said USAID is organizing a worldwide effort to resist Panama disease. A fungus, known as TR4, causes the Panama disease. Before 2013 Bertram said, it was limited to Asia. Since then, it spread to the Middle East and to Africa. In the 1960s, the same fungus wiped out the Gros Michel, banana crop, which at the time was the world’s most popular. The Cavendish replaced it.
(43) At Wageningen (瓦赫宁根) University in the Netherlands, researchers are looking for Cavendish(卡文迪什) replacements. Their work is difficult. Researchers said the replacements will have to resist Panama disease, and survive the shipping time needed to get bananas to stores thousands of miles away from banana fields. And they will have to taste good.
