Part 4: Read the following passage and choose the option A, B, C, or D that best answers the
questions. Write your answers in the numbered boxes.
Genetically Modified Foods
When a genetically modified organism (GMO) is created, a target organism is given DNA
from some other living things, usually of an unrelated species. The goal is to confer upon the target
organism certain traits of the donor organism. This, of course, makes GMOs inherently ‘unnatural’
in that they have a genetic makeup impossible to attain without deliberate intervention. This places a
human being, the genetic scientist, in a creative position that many people consider improper, either
because they believe such power over living things belongs only to a divine being, or because they
do not trust science to avoid making terrible mistakes. Perhaps the greatest fear is that some odd,
artificial combination of traits will produce a sort of monster - an unstoppable disease bacterium, for
example, or a hyper-aggressive and venomous spider – that would then reproduce in abundance and
cause an environmental disaster. Not far down the list is the fear that some GMOs meant to be eaten,
such as genetically modified (GM) beef cattle, vegetables, or other crops, will prove toxic.
These fears have formed the foundation of some serious, and sometimes effective, opposition
to GM food technology and its products. Much of this opposition comes from environmental activists,
particularly in Europe. Originally, research on GM foods was undertaken partly for ecological reasons
– to lessen the environmental hazards of conventional farming, particularly from the use of chemical
pesticides. By splicing pest-resistance into the DNA of a food crop, it was reasoned, agricultural
scientists could help lessen the buildup of harmful chemicals in the soil, water and food chain.
Nonetheless, environmentalists in the late 1990s rushed to oppose bioengineered crops after a British
scientist, Dr. Arpad Pusztai, raised concerns that GM food might have been responsible for immunesystem problems in some laboratory rats. This coincided with a vigorous push by a huge US supplier
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of seeds and other agricultural products to market GM varieties of soybeans. A great controversy
arose, with conflicting research claims leaving the issue unsettled. In 1998, the European Union (EU)
imposed a 5-year moratorium on genetically modified food.
Companies significantly engaged in the GM market were under a great deal of pressure at the
turn of the millennium, not only from environmentalists and consumer advocacy groups, but also
from shareholders. [A] They were worried that the risks and uncertainties associated with GM food
might adversely affect the value of the shares they held. [B] One big worry was that the companies
would face ruinous liability if a GM product with which they were involved was shown to cause
health problems. [C] These shareholder groups placed resolutions on company meeting agendas in
such market sectors as cereals, fast-food restaurants, soft drinks, and food retailing to limit corporate
risk in several ways. Some resolutions urged a moratorium on the purchase of GM food until research
could better establish its safety. Others concentrated on demands for labeling that would let
consumers know what, if any, GM components a product contained. [D]
In most markets, prospects for the acceptance of GM food as safe and practical brightened in
the first years of the new century. The EU moratorium on GM food was partially lifted in 2003, as a
vast majority of GM research to that date showed no evidence of ill effects from GM food in the
Americas (where no ban was in place). The World Trade Organization ruled in 2006 that the EU
moratorium on GM food was illegal, making further such trade suspensions unlikely. By 2006, EU
one billion acres worldwide had been planted with GM crops. In terms of area harvested, estimates
are that more than half the world’s soy crop, a quarter of its corn, and a tenth of its cotton consists of
genetically modified stock. In fact, the market for conventional seeds is weakening. More and more
companies are vying for a share of the $5.6 billion market in agricultural biotechnology. Health
concerns about GM foods have been allayed somewhat since the late 1990s by essentially
unremarkable research results. Nothing much appears to happen when GM potatoes, for example,
are substituted in one’s diet for potatoes grown conventionally.
Opposition to GM food on philosophical grounds remains strong. Much recent concern has
focused on the patenting practices of companies that develop genetically modified plants and on the
power these patents confer. Having invested significantly in research on and cultivation of novel GM
foods, agricultural-product companies hope to market them without competition from rival firms that
have not made such an investment. However, this raises the question of whether it is proper to patent
a living thing. The law has so far said that it is. To enforce their monopoly on novel species, some
companies have even coded a security switch into the genetics of their products. One highly
successful type of GM potato, for instance, contains genetic material that prevents it from
reproducing. Unlike a potato which is not engineered, it cannot sprout and generate next year’s crop.
If a farmer chooses to grow a second year’s crop, he or she has to purchase new seed stock from the
company that holds the patent. The company, in this instance, is the creator and the source of life.
31. According to paragraph 1, GMOs are ‘unnatural’ because ______.
A. they cannot live outside laboratories
B. natural reproductive processes cannot produce them
C. they might cause an environmental disaster
D. traits from at least two organisms are combined in them
32. The phrase prove toxic in the passage is closest in meaning to ______.
A. seem to be poisonous B. protect against poisons
C. be discovered to be poisonous D. help researchers find poisons
33. From paragraph 2, it can be inferred that environmentalists ______.
A. did not appreciate the environmental benefits of GM crops
B. developed the first genetically modified food crops
C. believed GM laboratory rats caused immune-system problems
D. have had frequent conflicts with the European Union
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34. Which of the following square brackets [A], [B], [C], or [D] best indicates where in paragraph
the sentence “Often with support from outside political activists, the holders of minor stakes
in a company banded together to achieve influence on corporate policy.” can be inserted?
A. [A] B. [B] C. [C] D. [D]
35. According to information in paragraph 4, the World Trade Organization ______.
A. has authority over the European Union B. controls GM research in Europe
C. favors American interests over European interests D. is a European organization
36. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence
in the passage? Health concerns about GM foods have been allayed somewhat since the late
1990s by essentially unremarkable research results.
A. Since the late 1990s, there has been little reliable research into the health effects of GM food.
B. Research in the late 1990s has confirmed that GM foods pose health risks.
C. Research since the late 1990s has shown no dramatic health risks in GM food.
D. Since the late 1990s, researchers have failed to adequately explain the health risks in GM food.
37. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 4 as beneficial to the GM-food business
EXCEPT ______.
A. the EU moratorium B. a ruling by the World Trade Organization
C. research results D. less demand for non-GM seeds
38. In paragraph 5, the author mentions philosophical grounds in order to ______.
A. describe research more recent than that mentioned in paragraph 4
B. give an example of a patenting practice
C. introduce an area of consideration different from those in paragraph 4
D. list places where GM crops can most easily be produced
39. Paragraph 5 states that patents for GM crops are ______.
A. improper B. legal C. novel D. creative
40. The word confer in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. contain B. give C. take away D. keep out

Question

Part 4: Read the following passage and choose the option A, B, C, or D that best answers the 
questions. Write your answers in the numbered boxes.
Genetically Modified Foods
When a genetically modified organism (GMO) is created, a target organism is given DNA 
from some other living things, usually of an unrelated species. The goal is to confer upon the target 
organism certain traits of the donor organism. This, of course, makes GMOs inherently ‘unnatural’ 
in that they have a genetic makeup impossible to attain without deliberate intervention. This places a 
human being, the genetic scientist, in a creative position that many people consider improper, either 
because they believe such power over living things belongs only to a divine being, or because they 
do not trust science to avoid making terrible mistakes. Perhaps the greatest fear is that some odd, 
artificial combination of traits will produce a sort of monster - an unstoppable disease bacterium, for 
example, or a hyper-aggressive and venomous spider – that would then reproduce in abundance and 
cause an environmental disaster. Not far down the list is the fear that some GMOs meant to be eaten, 
such as genetically modified (GM) beef cattle, vegetables, or other crops, will prove toxic.
These fears have formed the foundation of some serious, and sometimes effective, opposition 
to GM food technology and its products. Much of this opposition comes from environmental activists, 
particularly in Europe. Originally, research on GM foods was undertaken partly for ecological reasons 
– to lessen the environmental hazards of conventional farming, particularly from the use of chemical 
pesticides. By splicing pest-resistance into the DNA of a food crop, it was reasoned, agricultural 
scientists could help lessen the buildup of harmful chemicals in the soil, water and food chain. 
Nonetheless, environmentalists in the late 1990s rushed to oppose bioengineered crops after a British 
scientist, Dr. Arpad Pusztai, raised concerns that GM food might have been responsible for immune￾system problems in some laboratory rats. This coincided with a vigorous push by a huge US supplier 
Trang 9/14
of seeds and other agricultural products to market GM varieties of soybeans. A great controversy 
arose, with conflicting research claims leaving the issue unsettled. In 1998, the European Union (EU) 
imposed a 5-year moratorium on genetically modified food.
Companies significantly engaged in the GM market were under a great deal of pressure at the 
turn of the millennium, not only from environmentalists and consumer advocacy groups, but also 
from shareholders. [A] They were worried that the risks and uncertainties associated with GM food 
might adversely affect the value of the shares they held. [B] One big worry was that the companies 
would face ruinous liability if a GM product with which they were involved was shown to cause 
health problems. [C] These shareholder groups placed resolutions on company meeting agendas in 
such market sectors as cereals, fast-food restaurants, soft drinks, and food retailing to limit corporate 
risk in several ways. Some resolutions urged a moratorium on the purchase of GM food until research 
could better establish its safety. Others concentrated on demands for labeling that would let 
consumers know what, if any, GM components a product contained. [D]
In most markets, prospects for the acceptance of GM food as safe and practical brightened in 
the first years of the new century. The EU moratorium on GM food was partially lifted in 2003, as a 
vast majority of GM research to that date showed no evidence of ill effects from GM food in the 
Americas (where no ban was in place). The World Trade Organization ruled in 2006 that the EU 
moratorium on GM food was illegal, making further such trade suspensions unlikely. By 2006, EU 
one billion acres worldwide had been planted with GM crops. In terms of area harvested, estimates 
are that more than half the world’s soy crop, a quarter of its corn, and a tenth of its cotton consists of 
genetically modified stock. In fact, the market for conventional seeds is weakening. More and more 
companies are vying for a share of the $5.6 billion market in agricultural biotechnology. Health 
concerns about GM foods have been allayed somewhat since the late 1990s by essentially 
unremarkable research results. Nothing much appears to happen when GM potatoes, for example, 
are substituted in one’s diet for potatoes grown conventionally.
Opposition to GM food on philosophical grounds remains strong. Much recent concern has 
focused on the patenting practices of companies that develop genetically modified plants and on the 
power these patents confer. Having invested significantly in research on and cultivation of novel GM 
foods, agricultural-product companies hope to market them without competition from rival firms that 
have not made such an investment. However, this raises the question of whether it is proper to patent 
a living thing. The law has so far said that it is. To enforce their monopoly on novel species, some 
companies have even coded a security switch into the genetics of their products. One highly 
successful type of GM potato, for instance, contains genetic material that prevents it from 
reproducing. Unlike a potato which is not engineered, it cannot sprout and generate next year’s crop. 
If a farmer chooses to grow a second year’s crop, he or she has to purchase new seed stock from the 
company that holds the patent. The company, in this instance, is the creator and the source of life.
31. According to paragraph 1, GMOs are ‘unnatural’ because ______.
A. they cannot live outside laboratories
B. natural reproductive processes cannot produce them
C. they might cause an environmental disaster
D. traits from at least two organisms are combined in them
32. The phrase prove toxic in the passage is closest in meaning to ______.
A. seem to be poisonous B. protect against poisons
C. be discovered to be poisonous D. help researchers find poisons
33. From paragraph 2, it can be inferred that environmentalists ______.
A. did not appreciate the environmental benefits of GM crops
B. developed the first genetically modified food crops
C. believed GM laboratory rats caused immune-system problems
D. have had frequent conflicts with the European Union
Trang 10/14
34. Which of the following square brackets [A], [B], [C], or [D] best indicates where in paragraph 
the sentence “Often with support from outside political activists, the holders of minor stakes 
in a company banded together to achieve influence on corporate policy.” can be inserted?
A. [A] B. [B] C. [C] D. [D]
35. According to information in paragraph 4, the World Trade Organization ______.
A. has authority over the European Union B. controls GM research in Europe
C. favors American interests over European interests D. is a European organization
36. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence 
in the passage? Health concerns about GM foods have been allayed somewhat since the late 
1990s by essentially unremarkable research results.
A. Since the late 1990s, there has been little reliable research into the health effects of GM food.
B. Research in the late 1990s has confirmed that GM foods pose health risks.
C. Research since the late 1990s has shown no dramatic health risks in GM food.
D. Since the late 1990s, researchers have failed to adequately explain the health risks in GM food.
37. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 4 as beneficial to the GM-food business 
EXCEPT ______.
A. the EU moratorium B. a ruling by the World Trade Organization
C. research results D. less demand for non-GM seeds
38. In paragraph 5, the author mentions philosophical grounds in order to ______.
A. describe research more recent than that mentioned in paragraph 4
B. give an example of a patenting practice
C. introduce an area of consideration different from those in paragraph 4
D. list places where GM crops can most easily be produced
39. Paragraph 5 states that patents for GM crops are ______.
A. improper B. legal C. novel D. creative
40. The word confer in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. contain B. give C. take away D. keep out

Accepted Answer

Here are the answers to the questions:

31. B. natural reproductive processes cannot produce them
32. C. be discovered to be poisonous
33. A. did not appreciate the environmental benefits of GM crops
34. A. [A]
35. B (However, it is more suitable to say the World Trade Organization) ruled that the EU moratorium on GM food was illegal, this is mentioned in the text, but not among the options, a better answer would be that none of the options given are correct and the most accurate would be "ruled that the EU moratorium on GM food was illegal")
36. C. Research since the late 1990s has shown no dramatic health risks in GM food.
37. A. the EU moratorium
38. C. introduce an area of consideration different from those in paragraph 4
39. B. legal
40. B. give

Part 4: Read the following passage and choose the option A, B, C, or D that best answers the questions. Write your answers in the numbered boxes. Genetically Modified Foods When a genetically modified...