International Conference Looks at Agricultural Science and T

By Mario Ritter
Broadcast: July 1, 2003
This is Robert Covent with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
Last week, an international meeting in Sacramento, California, brought together agricultural, science and environmental officials. They attended the Ministerial Conference and 1)Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology. The United States Department of Agriculture and the Agency for International Development organized the event.
During the conference, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman presented a report written by her department. The report advises countries to support scientific discoveries in agriculture. It says greater productivity would improve economic growth and reduce hunger.
The report identifies several technologies that researchers think will be important in twenty-first century agriculture. Genetic¹ research is one area. Tools that work with single 2)molecules - 3)nanotechnology -- may also help research on plants and animals. Another area is bioremediation. This is a process in which organisms could be used to remove pollution from the environment, like oil spills. And better ways to use and spread information through databases can help researchers around the world.
The administrator³ of the Agency for International Development, Andrew Natsios, also spoke⁴ at the conference. He said agricultural productivity in many developing countries is not increasing, as it should. He said these countries should invest more in agricultural technology.
Experts say developing nations invest less than one percent of their economic resources into agricultural research and development. Developed nations invest five percent.
One-hundred-eleven nations took part in the 4)ministerial conference. European Agriculture Commissioner⁵ Franz Fischler was not present. European Union agriculture ministers were meeting in Luxembourg.
Hundreds of people 5)demonstrated outside the conference in California. Large numbers of police enforced heavy security. No major violence was reported. By the end of the four days, police had arrested about seventy people.
Some activists⁶ opposed the conference as an event to support big agriculture businesses. They demanded that more be done to feed the hungry. Others opposed 6)bio-engineered food.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. This is Robert Covent.

注释：
1) expo [5ekspEu] n.博览会, 展览会
2) molecule² [5mClikju:l] n.（化）分子,
3) nanotechnology [5nAnEutek5nClEdVi] n.纳米科技
4) ministerial [minis5tiEriEl] adj.部的
5) demonstrate [5demEnstreit] vi.示威
6) bio-engineered [baiEu 7endVi5niEd] adj.生物工程的

1 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

2 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

3 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》