Every baby born a decade from now will have its genetic code (基因编码) mapped at birth, the head of the worlds’ leading genome sequencing (基因图谱) company has predicted.
A complete DNA read – out for every newborn will be technically possible and affordable in less than five years, promising a revolution in healthcare, says Jay Flatley, the chief executive of Illumina. Only social and legal problems are likely to delay the age of “genome sequences,” or genetic profiles. By 2019 it will have become routine to map infants’ genes when they are born, Dr Flatly told The Times.
This will open a new approach to medicine, by which conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease can be predicted and prevented and drugs used more safely and effectively.
A baby’s genome can be discovered at birth by a blood test. By examining a person’s genome, it is possible to identify raised risks of developing diseases such as cancers. Those at high risk can then he screened more regularly, or given drugs or dietary advice to lower their chances of becoming ill.
Personal genomes could also he used to ensure that patients get the medicine that is most likely to work for them and least likely to have side – effects.
The development, however, will raise legal concerns about privacy and access to individuals’ genetic records.
“Bad things can be done with the genome. It could predict something about someone – and you could possibly hand the information to their employer or their insurance company.” said Dr Flatley.
“People have to recognize that this horse is out of the barn, and that your genome probably can’t be protected, because everywhere you go you leave your genome behind. Complete genetic privacy, however, is unlikely to be possible”, he added.
As the benefits become clearer, however, he believes that most people will want their genomes read and interpreted. The risk is nothing compared with the gain.
1.In the first two paragraphs, the author mainly wants to tell us about______.
A.the significant progress in medicine
B.the promise of a leading company
C.the information of babies’ genes
D.the research of medical scientists
2.Which of the following is a problem caused by this approach?
A.The delaying in discovering DNA.
B.The risk of developing diseases at birth.
C.The side – effects of medicine on patients.
D.The letting out of personal genetic information.
3.What does the underlined sentence “… this horse is out of the barn” mean?
A.Genetic mapping technique has been widely used.
B.Genetic mapping technique is too horrible to control.
C.People are eager to improve genetic mapping technique.
D.people can’t stop genetic mapping technique advancing.
4.What’s Dr Flatley’s attitude towards the technology?
A.Tolerant. B.Conservative. C.Positive. D.Doubtful.
One August afternoon, Richard Allen dropped off his last passenger, Mrs. Carey. Lifting two grocery bags, he followed her across the yard and stood on the step of her house. Glancing up, he saw a large wasp(黄蜂) nest under the roof. Allen had heard that wasps can become more likely to sting (sting, sting, stung蜇) in summer. He mentioned this to Mrs. Carey, who had opened the door.
“Oh, they don’t bother me,” she said lightly. “I go in and out all the time.”
Anxiously, Allen looked at the nest again—— to see the wasps flying straight at him. “Hurry!” he shouted to Mrs. Carey. “Get in!”
She stepped quickly inside. Allen ran for his mini-bus. Too late; they were upon him. Just as he jumped aboard, half a dozen red spots showed on his arm, and he felt more on his back and shoulders.
As he was driving down the road, Allen felt as if something was burning at the back of his neck, and the “fire” was spreading forward toward his face. And immediate anxiety took hold of him. Allen knew that stings could cause some persons to die. But he had been stung the previous summer and the after-effects soon passed. However, what he didn’t know what that the first sting had turned his body into a time bomb waiting for the next to set off an explosion.
Miles from the nearest medical assistance, Allen began to feel his tongue thick and heavy and his heartbeat louder. Most frightening, he felt his breathing more and more difficult. He reached for the radio mike(话筒), trying to call the mini-bus center, but his words were hardly understandable. Signals were also poor that far out. He knew a rescue team was on 24-hour duty at the Amherst Fire Department’s north station. So his best chance was to make a run for it.
Rushing down the mountain, Allen tried not to panic, focusing his mind on each sharp turn. He was almost through the last of them when he felt sure he was going into shock(休克). Just then he reached for the radio mike again.
“Call fire station,” he shouted, concentrating to form the words. “Emergency. Bee sting. Emergency. There in ten minutes.”
“Five-ten,” the center replied.
Hold on, Allen thought. Keep your eyes open. Breathe. Keep awake.
At last he reached the station. Two firemen ran out. Allen felt their hands grasp him before he hit the ground. You made it, he thought.It is mentioned in the passage that wasps are more likely to attack when _______.
A.there are huge noises |
B.strangers are approaching |
C.the air is filled with food smell |
D.the hottest season comes around |
Allen didn’t know that if stung by wasps again, he would _______.
A.have no after-effects |
B.suffer from sharper pain |
C.surely lose his life |
D.become more sensitive |
Allen failed at his first attempt to send his message to the mini-bus center because _______.
A.he was unable to speak clearly |
B.his radio equipment was poor |
C.he was in a state of shock |
D.no one was on duty |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
A.Allen, A Helpless Driver |
B.Wasps, Bloody Killers |
C.A Race Against Death |
D.War Against Wasps |
Kathy started at my nursery school at the age of three. She settled into the group easily, and would be first on the slide and highest up the climbing frame. She could put on her coat without help and not only fasten her own buttons but other children's too.
She was a lovely child but unfortunately a scratcher. If anyone upset her or stood in her way, her right hand would flash out fast and scratch down the face of her playmates. Children twice her age would fly in fear from her.
This must have been very rewarding for Kathy but obviously it had to be stopped. All the usual ways failed and then I remembered an account by G Atkinson Highfield School, of how fights in the playground had been stopped. No punishment had been given, but the attacker had been ignored and the victims rewarded. So I decided to try out on Kathy.
With a pocketful of Smarties I followed Kathy around. She was so quick that it was impossible to prevent her scratching, but I was dertermined to stay within arm's length all afternoon.
All was peaceful but then I saw Kathy's hand moved and heard the scream. Gently I gathered up the little hurt one in my arms and said "Nice, nice sweetie" and then looked puzzled when she got nothing.
Soon came another scream, this time from John. While holding him in my arms, I said, "Look, Kathy, a nice Smartie for John" and put it into John's mouth.
A smile of understanding flashed across Kathy's face. Minutes later, she came to me and said loudly, "Give me a Smartie! I have hurt my finger!"
"No," I replied, "you'll get it if someone hurts you."
On purpose, she turned and scratched a nearby boy, Tom, and waited quietly while I mothered and rewarded him, then she walked away.
She has never scratched a child since.
Parents who find older children bullying younger brothers and sisters might do well to replace shouting and punishment by rewarding and giving more attention to the injured ones. It's certainly much easier and more effective.
1. |
From the passage, we know that Kathy is
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2. |
Kathy scratched Tom because
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3. |
According to the passage, the underlined word "bullying" is closest in meaning to"".
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4. |
The writer of this passage aims to recommend an approach to.
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Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building.
She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill. "I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts(工作班次) are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school."
So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 a.m. till 6 a.m. five nights a week for just £90, before tax and insurance. "It's better than it was last year, but I still think that people who work 'unsocial hours' should get a bit extra."
The hours she' s chosen to work meant that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband. However, she doesn't think that puts any pressure on their relationship.
Her work isn't physically very hard, but it's not exactly pleasant, either. "I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs. If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they'd be a bit more careful."
The fact that she's working all night doesn't worry Margaret at all. Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three. "Since I've got to be here, I try to enjoy myself--and I usually do, because of the other girls. We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags."
Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living. "They think you're a cleaner because you don't know how to read and write," said Margaret. "I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I'd been doing, but I don't think that way any more. I don't dislike the work though I can't say I'm mad about it."
1. |
Margaret quit her job as a nurse because
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2. |
Margaret gets angry with people who work in the office because Margaret.
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3. |
When at work, Margaret feels.
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4. |
The underlined part in the last paragraph implies that Margaret's parents would.
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Bill Robinson is on trial for murder (因谋杀而受审). He grew up in a small town in Ohio and then went to Kent State University for one year. When he was nineteen years old, he was asked to join the army and was soon sent to fight in Vietnam. He was very unhappy there as he hated the war and he hated killing people. Two years later he returned home and tried to pick up where he had left off, but things were never quite the same again for the young black man. For one thing, he always had terrible dreams about the war. He could not concentrate on his studies and soon he had to leave school.Then he was fired from one job after another. He wanted to meet someone nice and get married, but he just couldn't seem to get close to anyone. He was always lonely. Finally one day, while eating at a restaurant, Bill lost control of himself and shot someone for no reason at all. Bill's lawyer hopes that the judge and the jury (陪审团) will understand that Bill was “temporarily insane" (一时精神错乱) and did not really choose to kill anyone.
71. What did Bill Robinson do after he returned from abroad?
A. He gave up the chance to go back to college.
B. He tried to go back to his normal life. C. He picked up his things and left again.
D. He found when he had dreamed of.
72. He failed to complete his college education because he _______.
A. hated school B. joined the army C. didn't study hard
D. found it difficult to keep his mind on his studies
73. He never married because _______.
A. there were no nice girls around B. he didn't care to meet any girls
C. he hadn't met girls that he liked D. he found it hard to make friends with girls
74. What happened one day?
A. He went insane. B. He shot a young black man.
C. He killed someone with a gun. D. He shot someone for a large sum of money.
75. The best title for this article is _______.
A.Robinson on Trial B.Murder at a Restaurant
C.A Young Black Man D.A Victim of the Vietnam War
One day an ordinary dog appeared in the ticket office at Campiglia, a busy railroad station on Italy's main line. A ticket agent named Elvio greeted the strange dog in a friendly way, so the dog decided to stay. From that day on, the dog became Elvio's shadow and was named Lampo.
Lampo kept Elvio Company (陪伴) inside the ticket office. When the weather was warm, he would enjoy himself in the sun on the train platform. When it came time for Elvio to return home on the train at night, Lampo ran after the train for a long way and then sadly gave up and went back to the station.
One night as Elvio was riding home on the train, he noticed that Lampo was lying at his feet. Afraid that the conductor would see the dog on the train and shout at him, Elvio pushed Lampo under a seat. Luckily, the conductor did not notice the dog. Lampo came home with Elvio and met his family. Then, after a short visit, Lampo boarded the last train and went back to the station. Lampo quickly learned all of the train schedules (时刻表). He would ride home from work with Elvio every night and then ride back to the station alone.Every morning, Lampo arrived at Elvio's house in time to walk his young daughter, Mivna, to school. The faithful dog would then take another train to travel again to accompany Mivna home from school at 11:30.
Soon, Lampo began to take the train all over Italy. Lampo became famous among the men who worked on the railroad, as his journeys became more frequent, complicated and mysterious. No one could explain why he traveled or how he always found the right train back to Campiglia. People decided that Lampo was a unique dog.
Some of the railroad officials were against Lampo's illegal travels. They were afraid he would bite a passenger or cause some other problems. Finally, the stationmaster threatened to call the dogcatcher if Elvio didn't get rid of the dog.
Elvio decided to put Lampo on a train going as far away as possible. Months went by and Lampo did not come back. Mivna missed him very much and prayed for his return. Finally one day, a sad, very thin, tired Lampo returned to Elvio's office. Everyone, even the stationmaster, was sorry about what had happened. From then on, Lampo was allowed to ride the trains whenever he wanted. After seven years, Lampo grew old, and he began to need Elvio's help to board the train.
One day Lampo was seen lying dead on the tracks. A year later, a life sized statue of Lampo was set up at Campiglia station.
66. The first time Lampo took the train, Elvio was ______.
A. delighted that he was lucky
B. afraid the dog would bite someone
C. afraid the conductor would see him and be angry
D. excited that Lampo would soon meet his family
67. Lampo's traveling all over Italy caused people to believe that _______.
A. he could read the train schedulesB. he was famous in the country
C. Elvio secretly helped him D. he was a very special dog
68. The stationmaster threatened that if Elvio didn't get rid of the dog, _______.
A. Elvio would be fired B. Lampo would be put on the train tracks
C. the stationmaster would send him away D. a dogcatcher would be called
69. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the story?
A. The dog was once sent away by Elvio.
B. The dog finally won the stationmaster's heart.
C. The dog was faithful to his master.
D. The dog died when he was seven years old.
70. The author suggests that a statue of Lampo was set up because _______.
A. the stationmaster felt sorry about what had happened
B. he had been a friend to travelers
C. it would bring good luck to the town
D. Elvio offered money to set up the statue