阅读理解
There's a new frontier in 3D printing that's beginning to come into
focus: food. Recent development has made possible machines that print, cook,
and serve foods on a mass scale. And the industry isn't stopping there.
Food production
With a 3D printer, a cook can print complicated chocolate sculptures and
beautiful pieces for decoration on a wedding cake. Not everybody can do that —
it takes years of experience, but a printer makes it easy. A restaurant in Spain uses a Foodini to "re-create
forms and pieces" of food that are "exactly the same," freeing
cooks to complete other tasks. In another restaurant, all of the dishes and
desserts it serves are 3D-printed, rather than farm to table.
Sustainability(可持续性)
The global population is expected to grow to 9.6 billion by 2050, and
some analysts estimate that food production will need to be raised by 50
percent to maintain current levels. Sustainability is becoming a necessity. 3D
food printing could probably contribute to the solution. Some experts believe
printers could use hydrocolloids (水解胶体) from plentiful
renewables like algae(藻类) and grass to replace the familiar ingredients(烹饪原料). 3D printing can reduce fuel use and emissions.
Grocery stores of the future might stock "food" that lasts years on
end, freeing up shelf space and reducing transportation and storage requirements.
Nutrition
Future 3D food printers could make processed food healthier. Hod Lipson,
a professor at Columbia University, said, "Food printing could allow
consumers to print food with customized nutritional content, like vitamins. So
instead of eating a piece of yesterday's bread from the supermarket, you'd eat
something baked just for you on demand."
Challenges
Despite recent advancements in 3D food printing, the industry has many
challenges to overcome. Currently, most ingredients must be changed to a paste(糊状物) before a printer can use them, and the printing
process is quite time-consuming, because ingredients interact with each other
in very complex ways. On top of that, most of the 3D food printers now are
restricted to dry ingredients, because meat and milk products may easily go
bad. Some experts are skeptical about 3D food printers, believing they are
better suited for fast food restaurants than homes and high-end restaurants.
(1)
What benefit does 3D printing bring to food production?
A . It helps cooks to create new dishes.
B . It improves the cooking conditions.
C . It saves time and effort in cooking.
D . It contributes to restaurant decorations.
(2)
What can we learn about 3D food printing from Paragraphs 3?
A . It solves food shortages easily.
B . It quickens the transportation of food.
C . It needs no space for the storage of food.
D . It uses renewable materials as sources of food.
(3)
What is the main factor that prevents 3D food printing from spreading widely?
A . The printing process is complicated.
B . 3D food printers are too expensive.
C . Food materials have to be dry.
D . Some experts doubt 3D food printing.
(4)
What could be the best title of the passage?
A . A New Way to Improve 3D Food Printing
B . 3D Food Printing: Delicious New Technology
C . The Challenges for 3D Food Production
D . 3D Food Printing: From Farm to Table
答案: C
D
C
B