A

Experts say that if food were a country, it would rank second behind the US as one of the biggest greenhouse gas polluters. The reason is the rising demand for meat. Animal farming is responsible for 14.5 percent of global methane emissions. While cows are the worst contributors, pigs, sheep, donkeys and other animals play a part as well.

Animal agriculture also causes land to become damaged, water to be polluted and forests to get destroyed. With the world population forecast to rise to 9.8 billion by 2050, things are only looking worse for our already decreasing natural resources. While going vegetarian would help, meat consumption is too deep-rooted in most Western diets to allow for such a sharp, permanent change. That is why experts are advocating substituting some of the beef, chicken, or pork with ordinary insects!

Insects, which grow into adults within a matter of months, if not weeks, are ready for consumption much faster than domestic animals. They also require much less room, use less water and food, and produce far less greenhouse gas than animals.

Of the 1.1 million insect species worldwide, scientists have identified 1,700 as eatable. Among them are ants, grasshoppers, grubs, and earthworms. Just like animals, each insect has a different taste. Tree worms taste just like pork, and grubs are similar to smoked meat.

While eating insects might be a new concept for Western people, over 2 billion people worldwide consume insects as a regular part of their diet. Besides being delicious, insects are high in protein, have very few calories, and are free of the saturated fat found in animal meat. Insects can be prepared in many ways. Creative cooks can use them to cook protein-rich soup, make baked treats, and even fry a few with vegetables. So eat insects—both your body and Mother Earth will thank you for it!

21. Which of the following animals contribute the most to global methane emissions?

A. Sheep.            B. Donkeys.             C. Cows.            D. Pigs.

22. How is the third paragraph developed?

A. By making comparisons.                B. By providing examples.

C. By listing data.                      D. By asking questions.

23. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. Few people eat insects regularly.         B. Ordinary insects are high in fat.

C. Insects contain various vitamins.         D. Saturated fat is harmful to health.