# Insects as a food source - 科目：雅思听力真题（Part 4） - 考频：中频 - 最近考试：2022.5.21 - 题目数：10 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/5946e57f-40bf-437e-b17a-eab3a03617a2（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 00:00:00,440 Section four. 00:00:02,300 You will hear part of an environmental studies lecture about the possibility of using insects as a source of food. 00:00:11,200 First, you have some time to look at questions thirty-one to forty on page eight. 00:01:06,540 Now listen carefully and answer questions thirty-one to forty. 00:01:13,980 Good morning. 00:01:15,680 Over the last few weeks, we've been talking about the challenges of producing food for the global population. And, uh, there's been a lot of interest recently in new sources of food, and one of the most interesting is insects. 00:01:29,660 Well, why should insects be considered as a food source? Well, for a start, a number of them are full of protein, and many also have certain vitamins, which may surprise you, more so than a typical farm animal, in fact. 00:01:44,940 And compared to farm animals, whose waste products contain a great deal of ammonia, the waste products of insects are far less acidic and would therefore do very little damage to the soil or to any of the rivers that run through farmland. Furthermore, when it comes to the production of insects, the expense would be very low. No trees need be chopped down or forest turned to pasture, so the space that they would occupy would be radically smaller than for, say, cows or sheep. 00:02:16,280 But even if some consumers decided that they'd rather not put insects in their shopping basket, we could also consider how insects might be added to animal feed, the food given to farm animals. 00:02:29,660 It's already known that some insects, if they were part of the animal feed, would act as a sort of natural antibiotic within a cow or sheep's digestive system, thus removing the need for human intervention. This would be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative for farmers. 00:02:52,760 However, if consumers do decide that insects are a potential superfood, a way of feeding the world, 00:03:00,280 then the next question is, where do we source them from? The wild, perhaps? Or should they be bred on insect farms? 00:03:09,080 Well, if we take from the wild, one potential consequence of this is that too many will be taken, and in turn, a species could become endangered or extinct. Then, for insects which are harvested from the wild, we have no way of knowing where they have been or what they have come in contact with, and this could have harmful consequences for human health. 00:03:31,120 Imagine the scenario if food producers or retailers were supplied with insects that were carrying bacteria. This is not something we want to add to the food chain. If insects are bred on farms, the problems I've just outlined could be avoided. And in many countries, it's already the case that demand for insects is growing, really growing. And it's not in rural areas where you'd expect, but in fact, in the cities. In Thailand, for example, where the demand has really shot up. However, people in countries where insects are traditionally what people eat, they'll tell you that when insects are intensively farmed, their taste is simply not the same. 00:04:13,780 Ironically, this is the same accusation that people have when it comes to the way that cows and sheep are raised. 00:04:20,720 Insect farmers also face a series of challenges, and researchers are keen to assist. 00:04:26,820 First of all, when it comes to breeding, different insects have different requirements. For a start, it's essential to maintain a suitable temperature for many species to reproduce. 00:04:38,240 If this isn't right, nothing's going to happen. 00:04:41,320 Another problem is something that often happens when any species is bred in a confined space. And so far, researchers and farmers have not come up with any clear or long-term effective solution to it. We're talking about the problem of disease. 00:04:57,700 You don't want a whole colony wiped out in one go. 00:05:01,160 There's also the question of where insects need to be kept. If insects are to be bred as a superfood, then the tanks used to house them have to be better designed. And this has to happen so that cleaning takes up less time. 00:05:15,360 If we're talking about mass production, we don't want this to be a time-consuming activity. And finally, like I said before, insects have long been part of the diet in some countries, but not so in others. 00:05:29,720 If farmers want to encourage people in, say, England or France or Germany to eat insects, then they're gonna have to develop a strategy. And I'm not talking about production, but marketing, something that'll persuade potential customers to try something different. 00:05:46,600 Well, I've given you a general overview of the situation. Now let's look at some specific examples. 00:05:55,700 That is the end of section four. You now have half a minute to check your answers. ## 题目与答案 ### 31. Why insects should be considered as a food source · They have a lot of protein and contain 31_____ . Why insects should be considered as a food source · They have a lot of protein and contain 31_____ . **答案**：vitamins 原文定位：Well, for a start, a number of them are full of protein, and many also have certain vitamins, which may surprise you, more so than a typical farm animal, in fact 同义替换：「lot of」↔「many」 ### 32. · Their waste products don`t harm the soil or the 32_____ on farmland. · Their waste products don`t harm the soil or the 32_____ on farmland. **答案**：rivers 原文定位：the waste products of insects are far less acidic and would therefore do very little damage to the soil or to any of the rivers that run through farmland 同义替换：「harm」↔「damage」 ### 33. · Their production requires less expense and little 33_____ compared to other animals. · Their production requires less expense and little 33_____ compared to other animals. **答案**：space 原文定位：No trees need be chopped down or forest turned to pasture, so the space that they would occupy would be radically smaller than for, say, cows or sheep 同义替换：「less」↔「would be very low」；「little」↔「radically smaller」；「compared to」↔「than」 ### 34. · Some can be added to a animal feed as a kind of 34_____ . · Some can be added to a animal feed as a kind of 34_____ . **答案**：antibiotic 原文定位：if they were part of the animal feed, would act as a sort of natural antibiotic within a cow or sheep's digestive system 同义替换：「can be added to」↔「part of」；「kind」↔「sort」 ### 35. Sourcing insects as a food supply: the wild versus farming If insects are taken from the wild: ·it could lead to the loss of a species ·people may be harmed by the 35_____ they contain. Sourcing insects as a food supply: the wild versus farming If insects are taken from the wild: ·it could lead to the loss of a species ·people may be harmed by the 35_____ they contain. **答案**：bacteria 原文定位：Imagine the scenario if food producers or retailers were supplied with insects that were carrying bacteria 同义替换：「contain」↔「carrying」 ### 36. When insects are bred on insect farms: ·this can supply the growing demand in the 36_____ of some countries When insects are bred on insect farms: ·this can supply the growing demand in the 36_____ of some countries **答案**：cities 原文定位：And it's not in rural areas where you'd expect, but in fact, in the cities ### 37. ·the 37_____ of the insects may be affected. ·the 37_____ of the insects may be affected. **答案**：taste 原文定位：they'll tell you that when insects are intensively farmed, their taste is simply not the same ### 38. The challenges facing insect farmers ·Different kinds of insect require a different temperature to breed. ·Farmers and researchers are unclear how to deal with 38_____ The challenges facing insect farmers ·Different kinds of insect require a different temperature to breed. ·Farmers and researchers are unclear how to deal with 38_____ **答案**：disease 原文定位：And so far, researchers and farmers have not come up with any clear or long-term effective solution to it. We're talking about the problem of disease 同义替换：「how to deal with」↔「have not come up with any clear or long-term effective solution to it」 ### 39. ·Better tanks need to be developed so 39_____ is faster. ·Better tanks need to be developed so 39_____ is faster. **答案**：cleaning 原文定位：then the tanks used to house them have to be better designed. And this has to happen so that cleaning takes up less time 同义替换：「need to be developed」↔「have to be better designed」；「faster」↔「takes up less time」 ### 40. ·Farmers need to develop a strategy for 40_____ the insects. ·Farmers need to develop a strategy for 40_____ the insects. **答案**：marketing 原文定位：And I'm not talking about production, but marketing, something that'll persuade potential customers to try something different --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。