Many of us have thrown away a soft, overripe banana. But now scientists have a solution: a genetically engineered banana that does not turn brown. This fruit is part of a growing group of gene-edited produce, designed to stay fresh longer — a technology scientists believe can play a key role in fighting global food waste, a pressing worldwide issue.

Developed by Tropic, a biotech company in Norwich, the non-browning banana has notable advantages: it remains fresh and yellow for 12 hours after peeling and resists browning when bumped during harvesting or transportation. The key is to shut down the gene responsible for producing the browning enzyme (酶). The company achieved this modification by adjusting the banana’s existing genes without adding any foreign material. The unnamed banana is already sold in the Philippines, Colombia, Honduras, the US, and Canada, and is expected to enter the UK market once supporting regulations are passed.

Food waste is a major global concern with far-reaching impacts. About 33% of the world’s harvested produce is never eaten, largely due to short shelf lives, and bananas are among the most wasted foods. Tropic’s chief executive Gilad Gershon emphasizes the severity: “Bananas are the fourth most important crop in the world, but they go bad very quickly — some studies say 50% of all grown bananas are never eaten.” A UK government survey further illustrates the issue: Britons throw away 1.4 million edible bananas every day. Beyond resource waste, Gershon notes that food waste is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

1.1.What is the primary feature of the genetically engineered banana?

A Improved natural sweetness.

B Accelerated ripening speed.

C Extended freshness period.

D Strengthened pest resistance.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。文章第一段明确指出这种基因编辑香蕉“does not turn brown”（不会变褐），第二段进一步说明它“remains fresh and yellow for 12 hours after peeling”（去皮后能保持新鲜和黄色长达12小时）。这些描述共同体现了其核心特点——延长保鲜期。选项A（提升甜度）、B（加速成熟）、D（增强抗虫性）在文中均未提及。故选C。

2.2.The underlined word “modification” in Para. 2 probably refers to ________.

A foreign material addition

B genetic adjustment

C enzyme removal

D color change

解析：选B。B词意指代题。第二段在提到“modification”后，紧接着用“by adjusting the banana’s existing genes without adding any foreign material”（通过调整香蕉的现有基因而不添加任何外来物质）进行解释。这说明“modification”在此具体指基因层面的调整。选项A（添加外来物质）与原文相反；选项C（去除酶）和D（颜色改变）是基因调整带来的结果，而非“modification”一词本身所指的过程。因此最接近的含义是B（基因调整）。故选B。

3.3.What can be inferred about food waste from the data provided in the passage?

A It only impacts developed nations.

B It mainly results from rapid decay.

C It has little environmental effect.

D It hits grain crops the hardest.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。第三段提供了多个数据：全球约33%的农产品因“short shelf lives”（保质期短）未被食用；香蕉研究中“50% of all grown bananas are never eaten”（50%的香蕉因变质未被食用）；英国人每天丢弃大量可食用香蕉。这些数据共同指向食物浪费的主要原因是腐烂速度快。选项A（仅影响发达国家）与文章描述的全球性问题矛盾；选项C（对环境几乎无影响）与文中“food waste is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions”（食物浪费是温室气体排放的重要因素）相反；选项D（对谷物作物影响最大）在文中未提及，文章只强调香蕉是浪费最严重的食物之一。因此，从数据可合理推断出B。故选 B。

4.4.What is the main focus of the passage?

A The risks of genetic engineering in farming.

B The development of a biotech company.

C Gene-edited foods helping cut food waste.

D A comparison of banana types worldwide.

解析：选C。C主旨大意题。文章开篇引出基因编辑香蕉不易变褐的特点，接着说明其技术原理，并聚焦于食物浪费的严重性（以香蕉为例），最后一段进一步扩展到生菜、苹果、葡萄等多种基因编辑农产品，指出基因编辑技术可优化成熟过程、减少浪费。全文始终围绕“基因编辑技术如何帮助延长食物保鲜期、应对食物浪费”这一中心展开。选项A（基因工程的风险）未提及；选项B（一家生物科技公司的发展）只是局部细节；选项D（全球香蕉类型比较）偏离重点。因此C最全面准确地概括了文章主旨。故选C。