Passage Based Questions: English - 6 | Passage Based Questions for CLAT Preparation PDF Download

Directions: Kindly read the passage carefully and answer the questions given beside.
What exactly is a GMO? The official USDA definition is “an organism produced through genetic modification.” Strictly speaking, all plant breeding methods, including simple cross breeding, alter a plant’s DNA, so all agricultural products are genetically modified, technically. They have been since the dawn of agriculture, thousands of years ago. Genetic engineering in today’s conversation is a more precise and expedient method of modification, however.
Sometimes, the benefits created by GMOs are simply to allow your food to last longer. “A recent example of a GMO crop that provides a consumer benefit is the Arctic Apple, which is genetically modified to prevent the browning of the apple once sliced,” says Vogliano, a PhD candidate studying sustainable food systems in developing countries at Massey University in New Zealand.
“The term ‘GMO’ can sound scary when you first hear about it,” says Vogliano. “However, consumers should feel confident that GMOs on the market are safe to consume and to date have not been linked with any adverse health effects,” he says. “One point I hear often is that GMO wheat is causing the rise of wheat sensitivities. However, this is not true as GMO wheat is not available for commercial use in America.”
A lot goes into making sure that GMO products are safe. “More than 75 studies are performed on each new biotech food crop before it is commercially available in the United States,” explains Cochran. “This ensures they are safe for people, animals, and the environment.”
And then there’s the issue of potential ecological imbalance. “While the genetic modification of crops may come with benefits, the sheer production volume of a single crop variety creates an ecological imbalance in our agricultural system,” says Vogliano. “Biodiversity loss is one of our generation’s gravest concerns.”
Today we have two options to determine this and one is to look for the USDA Organic Certification on a food. You can also look for the third-party Non-GMO Project label, indicating a product contains no GMOs. However, this label is voluntary, and it may cause confusion.