【正文】 r shape? Would a square tomato still be a tomato?Scientists are learning how to change the shape of fruits and vegetables so they can be harvested or processed more efficiently, or maybe just to reduce waste in the kitchen. It can be done to some extent with traditional hybrid techniques. And as we hear from reporter Julie Grant, it can also be done by flipping a genetic switch.Ester van der Knaap steps gingerly around the greenhouse. We39。re at the Ohio State Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster. Van Der Knaap points out short, round tomatoes and some oddlooking long, thin ones.VAN DER KNAAP: That39。s one gene. One gene can make that difference. Van der Knaap39。s team discovered that gene and isolated it. They call it the SUN gene. And they39。ve been able to clone it in tomatoes.Van der Knaap39。s research could lead to squareshapes something she thinks the tomato industry might like. Square tomatoes fit into packages better. And, overall, square tomatoes might be easier to work with than the mon round tomatoes.So far money for her research has e from the National Science Foundation not big ag.Designer fruit shapes are gaining popularity. People have been crossbreeding tomatoes to make the shapes they want for a long time. But this is not the same thing.Dick Alford is a chef and professor of hospitality management at the University of Akron [Ohio].The difference between what his brother and lots of other folks have been doing and what van der Knaap is doing is the difference between crossbreeding and locating a specific gene that affects the shape of tomatoes.Chef Alford watches students as they cut yellow crookneck squash and carrots.They39。re trying to make uniform, symmetrical shapes out of curvy and pointed vegetables. There39。s a lot of waste. Chef Alford hates to see so much get thrown away. So he39。s got a request of Dr. van der Knaap.ALFORD: If we could get square carrots, it would be great. If you could get a tomato as long as a cucumber, where you could get 20 or 30 slices out of them, it would be great.In a country that loves hamburgers, Van der Knaap has heard that request before. But the long, thin tomato hasn39。t worked out just yet. She says there39。s more genetics to be studied.“Once we know all the genes responsible for making different shapes in tomatoes”, Van der Knaap says, “ we39。ll have a better idea of what controls the shape of other crops, such peppers, cucumbers and gourds. And maybe then we39。ll get those square carrots.”Exercise A Prelistening Question(open)Exercise B Sentence DictationDirections: Listen to some sentences and write them down. You will hear each sentence three times. 1. what if you could alter the familiar shape? Would a square tomato still be a tomato?2. Scientists are learning how to change the shape of fruits and vegetables so they can be harvested or processed more efficiently, or maybe just to reduce waste in the kitchen.3. People have been crossbreeding tomatoes to make the shapes they want for a long time. But this is not the same thing.4. If you could get a tomato as long as a cucumber, where you could get 20 or 30 slices out of it, it would be great.5. Once we know all the genes responsible for making different shapes in tomatoes, we39。ll have a better idea of what controls the shape of other crops, such as peppers, cucumbers and gourds. Exercise C Detailed Listening Directions: Listen to the passage and answer the following questions. 1. Bananas and Onions are the examples known as much by their shape as by their color or taste. 2. The hybrid or crossbreeding technique is regarded as the traditional way of changing the shape of fruits.3. The genetic technique which can also change the shape of fruits.4. They discovered the SUN gene and managed to clone it in tomatoes.5. Compared with round tomatoes, square tomatoes might be easier to work with than the mon round tomatoes.6. The difference between what his brother and lots of other folks have been doing and what van der Knaap is doing is the difference between crossbreeding and locating a specific gene that affects the shape of tomatoes.7. There39。s a lot of waste. Chef Alford hates to see so much get thrown away. So he39。s got a request of Dr. van der Knaap.8. “Once we know all the genes responsible for making different shapes in tomatoes, Van der Knaap says we39。ll have a better idea of what controls the shape of other crops, such peppers, cucumbers and gourds. And maybe then we39。ll get those square carrots.”Exercise D Afterlistening Discussion Directions: Listen to the passage again and discuss the following questions. 1. Chef Alford’s request: If we could get square carrots, it would be great. If you could get a nice long, a tomato as long as a cucumber, where you could get 20 or 30 slices out of them, it would be great. Van der Knaap’s opinion is that the long, thin tomato hasn39。t worked out just yet. and there39。s more genetics to be studied.2) (Open)