阅读欣赏 Fresh from a Farm Farming wasn't exactly a profession likely to be successful when Linda Neunzig started Ninety Farms near Arlington about 12 years ago. Today Linda's 52-acre farm, like most, isn't making enough for her to raise her family. So why then is Linda more optimistic than ever? She can tell you in one word: local. “People want local food, and they're willing to pay for the freshness, the taste, the quality,” Linda said of her locally grown vegetables and meat sold primarily to area restaurants. “They're buying more and more local.” All kinds of factors are driving the buy-local view, said Mary Embleton, executive director of the Cascade Harvest Coalition, which represents about 250 farm members. “Certainly health and nutrition,” Mary said, “We know whole fruits and vegetables are better than processed ones in general.” Frustration with large-scale farming in recent years, including incidents involving E. coli and animal diseases such as mad cow, have pushed consumers to explore their local food supply. The distance food travels, called food miles, and the fuels used are other factors. “People are concerned with protecting the environment and air quality,” Mary said. “Having a healthy farm division adds to environmental quality.” Government leaders have been watching the buy-local trend take shape too. Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon has made financial success for farmers and, in turn, farmland preservation, which has been considered most important during the past three years.
He hired longtime county employee John Roney to fill a new agricultural coordinator position so the county would have a full-time contact with farmers. He also started Focus on Farming conferences to connect with farmers. Linda, in addition to running her farm with some outside help, is joining the county effort too, working full time as a project coordinator. Other groups are also working with farmers, including the Northwest Agriculture Business Center, formed in 2005 to serve five counties. The Haggen grocery-store chain has worked with the center to help farmers sell and market their goods. Roney hopes the future of local farming can include not just farm tourism and local food at schools, but crops for making biodiesel fuel, food-processing facilities for local products. “Americans are used to a cheap food supply. The question might be, 'What are you willing to pay for food?'“ Roney said. “Would you rather have the ability to produce food to feed the people of this area or do you want everything to be either houses or a wetland?”
生词注释 1. executive: adj. 执行的, 行政的; n. 执行者, 经理主管人员 2. coalition: n. 联盟, 联合会 3. E. coli: n. 大肠埃希氏杆菌, 一些会引起腹泻症 4. coordinator: n. 协调员 5. chain: n. 连锁店 6. biodiesel: n. 生物柴油
难句解析 1. Frustration with large-scale farming in recent years, including incidents involving E. coli and animal diseases such as mad cow, have pushed consumers to explore their local food supply. 解析：本句主语是frustration (with large-scale farming), 谓语是have pushed consumers to explore their local food supply。在including 引导的介词短语中，现在分词短语involving E. coli and animal diseases作定语，限定incidents。参考译文如下：“近年来，大肠埃希氏杆菌污染事件和一些诸如疯牛病之类动物疾病的出现使人们对大规模化农场生产丧失信心，促使消费者转向本地食品供给。”
2. Linda, in addition to running her farm with some outside help, is joining the county effort too, working full time as a project coordinator. 解析：本句主语是Linda, 而is joining the county effort too作谓语成分。句中in addition to…是介词短语作插入语。现在分词短语working full time…作状语，表示伴随状态。参考译文如下：“琳达接受外来的帮助经营农场，此外，她还参加了该县的农业项目，作全职项目协调员。”
3. Would you rather have the ability to produce food to feed the people of this area or do you want everything to be either houses or a wetland? 解析：本句较长，但其实主要句型很简单，即：Would you rather do something or … 意思是：“你是宁愿~ 还是~？”在后一个选择项中又有“either… or…”结构。参考译文如下：“你是宁愿拥有生产食品的能力，以便养活这个地区的人呢，还是希望周围的一切不是楼房就是湿地？”
阅读操练 1. People want to buy local food due to the following factors EXCEPT __________. A. quantity and cost B. health and nutrition C. food miles and fuels D. E.coli and animal diseases
2. How does the government assist in developing this buy-local tendency? A. Mary Embleton works for the Cascade Harvest Coalition, representing about 250 farm members. B. Aaron Reardon has held Focus on Farming conferences to connect with farmers in Snohomish County. C. John Roney has hired agricultural coordinators to ensure a full-time contact with farmers. D. Linda Neunzig has started Ninety Farms near Arlington with some outside help.
3. Those groups that work with farmers do NOT include __________. A. Haggen grocery-store chain B. Northwest Agriculture Business Center C. Cascade Harvest Coalition D. Ninety Farms
4. What can be predicted about the future of local farming? A. Farms will be turned into either houses or a wetland. B. Local farming will be expanded into large-scale farming. C. Farm tourism, fuel-making, food-processing will be further developed. D. Cheap food supply will be replaced with high-quality but expensive supplies.
5. About local farming, the author feels __________. A. worried B. doubtful C. certain D. hopeful
