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Genetically modified foods
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How much do you know
about GM foods?

corn

If you live in the United States, it's almost certain that you've eaten foods made from genetically modified crops. But how much do you know about them?

Test your knowledge of high-tech foods with our low-key quiz. The quiz was written by Steve Tally and Peter Goldsbrough, who research GM foods at Purdue University.

corn 1. When was the first genetically modified plant produced in a laboratory?

  1. 1954.
  2. 1964.
  3. 1974.
  4. 1984.
  5. 1994.
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2. Which foods use genetically modified organisms in their production to the largest extent?

  1. Cheese.
  2. Vegetables.
  3. Meat.
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tomato 3. What are the current benefits of having foods made from genetically modified crops?

  1. They improve farm profitability and make some farmers' jobs easier.
  2. They allow farmers to greatly increase the amount of crops produced.
  3. They improve convenience for consumers, e.g. by creating foods with longer shelf lives.
  4. They improve the nutritional quality of foods.
  5. They cause less damage to the environment than conventional chemical-intensive agriculture.

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4. Most foods derived from genetically modified crops contain:

  1. The same number of genes as food produced from conventional crops.
  2. The same number of genes as foods produced from hybrid crops.
  3. One or two additional genes.
  4. Hundreds of additional genes.
  5. No genes at all.
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potatoes 5. Are foods derived from genetically modified crops required to be tested for possible allergic reactions in people?

  1. Yes.
  2. No.
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6. Are foods derived from genetically modified crops nutritionally superior?

  1. Yes, they offer substantial health advantages over foods produced from conventional crops.
  2. Yes, they offer some health advantages over foods produced from conventional crops.
  3. No, they are neither better nor worse than foods from conventional crops.
  4. No, they are slightly less healthful than foods from conventional crops.
  5. No, foods produced from genetically modified crops are a known health risk.
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strawberries 7. How long does it take to develop a new genetically modified crop?

  1. Twenty years.
  2. Ten years.
  3. Five years.
  4. One year.
  5. Six months.
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8. The GM corn called Bt corn produces toxins that kill the European corn borer and its relatives. Can these insects develop resistance to the toxins produced in Bt corn?

  1. It is impossible for insects to develop resistance to Bt corn.
  2. It is unlikely that insects will develop resistance to Bt corn.
  3. Under certain conditions insects may develop resistance to Bt corn.
  4. It is almost certain that insects will develop resistance to Bt corn.
  5. Insects are already resistant to the toxins produced in Bt corn.
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9. Can genes escape from genetically modified crops and jump to other plants?

  1. Yes, and often do.
  2. Only to some crops, but those crops aren't genetically modified.
  3. Only during rare climatic conditions.
  4. No, genes cannot move from species to species without human intervention.
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10. Can scientists predict with certainty where an inserted gene will go on a plant chromosome?

  1. With modern genetic techniques, scientists can insert genes precisely.
  2. Genes are inserted on the proper chromosome, but there is no control over the exact location.
  3. Scientists have a general idea of where the gene will go and what it will do to the plant.
  4. It's just a shot in the dark.
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