The Impossible Burger is entirely free of meat. But it looks, smells, feels and—most importantly—tastes so much like real hamburger beef. In fact, plant-based burger alternatives have set off a strong resistance from the beef industry. The Center for Consumer Freedom, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of the fast food and meat industries has launched an “informational” campaign targeting plant-based meats. The campaign has included TV and online ads, as well as print ads in newspapers. The ads seem to imply that not only is an artificial burger too processed, but that it might be even less healthy than the average beef burger.
While it’s true that a plant-based meat alternative is processed and it’s true that eating one is
not as healthy as a pile of raw vegetables, it’s best to take the ads with a generous pinch of salt.
For instance, the additives and preservatives in plant-based meat highlighted in one ad sure sound scary. Who wants something called titanium dioxide (二氧化钛) in their meal? But the truth is that additives such as those listed in the ads are regularly used in all sorts of packaged foods. And if methylcellulose, a food thickener, sounds unpleasant, it’s really nothing compared with salmonella (沙门菌) poisoning you can get from regular meat.
Also, the ad campaign misses the bigger point. Choosing an Impossible or Beyond burger
isn’t just about eating healthy. Burgers, whether they are made from processed pea protein or processed meat, will never be as healthy as organic raw vegetables.
What’s appealing is the prospect of enjoying a juicy burger without the bitter aftertaste of guilt.
Let’s face it, there are huge environmental costs to eating cows. Cattle raising is contributing to climate change, and not just because methane ( 甲 烷 ) from cows and cattle is responsible for about 14.5% of greenhouse gas. More broadly, our global food production system releases more than a third of the world’s greenhouse gases. Yet we can’t seem to control our meat appetite even knowing that large areas of the Amazon forest have been ruined, and continue to be cut down to make room for more cattle to feed the growing demand for beef. Humans also know full well that many animals live short, cruel lives in awful conditions for the purpose of becoming foods for humans to enjoy at dinner.
A plant-based meat that satisfies meat desires and delivers protein but with a smaller climate footprint is a potential environmental game changer and the reason Impossible Foods was one of those receiving the U.N. Global Climate Action Award in 2019. No wonder the meat industry is on guard.
42.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A.These ads deserve little consideration.
B.We should spread the message of these ads.
C.We’d better be cautious when reading these ads.
D.These ads tell people a lot about plant-based burgers.
43.What do we know about additives and preservatives in plant-based burgers?
A.They are likely to cause poisoning.
B.Their use is within the normal range.
C.Some have not been used in hamburgers.
D.They are used to ensure burgers taste good.
44.What is the author’s attitude towards plant-based burgers?
A. Supportive.    B. Neutral.    C. Disapproving.    D. Doubtful.
45.Which of the following shows the development of ideas in the passage?
A.B.

C. D.
    I: Introduction    P: Point    Sp: Sub-point (次要点)    C: Conclusion
42．C            43．B            44．A            45．D