Recently there was a major discovery in the scientific research—the mapping of all DNA in a human gene(基因)is complete. Couple of years ago, this seems an impossible task for scientist to accomplish. All this progress in science leads us to believe that the day, when the human being will be cloned, is not far away. Human cloning has always been a topic of argument,in terms of morality or religion.
Taking a look at why cloning might be beneficial, among many cases, it is arguable that parents who are known to be at risk of passing a genetic limitation to a child could make use of cloning. If the clone was free of genetic limitations. Then the other clone would be as well. The latter could foe inserted in the woman and allowed to ripen to term. Moreover,cloning would enable women, who can’t get pregnant, to have children of their own.
Cloning humans would also mean that organs could be cloned, so it would be a source of perfect transfer organs. This, surely would be greatly beneficial to millions of unfortunate people around the world that are expected to lose their lives due to failure of single(or more) organ(s).It is also arguable that a ban on cloning may be unlawful and would rob people of the right to reproduce and limit the freedom of scientists.
Arguments against cloning are also on a perfectly practical side. Primarily, I believe that cloning would step in the normal “cycle”of life. There would be a large number of same genes., which reduce the chances of improvement,and, in turn, development-the fundamental reason how living things naturally adapt to the ever-changing environment. Life processes failing to do so might result in untimely disappearance. Furthermore, cloning would make the uniqueness that each one of us possesses disappea. Thus, leading to creation of genetically engineered groups of people for specific purposes and, chances are, that those individuals would be regarded as “objects” rather than people in the society.Scientists haven’t 100 percent. guaranteed that the first cloned will be normal. Thus this could result in introduction of additional limitations in the human “gene-pool”.
Regarding such arguable topics in “black or white” approach seems very innocent to me personally. We should rather try to look at all “shades: of it. I believe that cloning is only legal if its purpose is for cloning organs, not humans. Then we could regard this as for “saving life” instead of “creating life”. I believe cloning humans is morally and socially unacceptable.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Genetic limitation will be beneficial for some women |
B.A large number of genes will prevent us from developing |
C.Prohibition of cloning might limit the freedom of scientists |
D.First cloned humans might be normal according to scientists |
What’s the author’s opinion on cloning?
A.Cloning should be entirely banned |
B.Cloning should be used in creating life |
C.Cloning will take away the right to reproduce |
D.Cloning is acceptable if it is used for cloning organs |
Where can you read this article?
A.In a story book. | B.In a magazine. | C.In a science fiction | D.In a brochure |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage
Disposing(处理)of waste has been a problem since humans started producing it.As more and more people choose to live close together in cities,the waste-disposal problem becomes increasingly difficult.
During the eighteenth century,it was usual for several neighboring towns to get together to select a faraway spot as a dump site.Residents or trash haulers(垃圾拖运者)would transport household rubbish,rotted wood,and old possessions to the site.Periodically some of the trash was burned and the rest was buried.The unpleasant sights and smells caused no problem because nobody lived close by.
Factories,mills,and other industrial sites also had waste to be disposed of.Those located on rivers often just dumped the unwanted remains into the water.Others built huge burners with chimneys to deal with the problem.
Several facts make these choices unacceptable to modern society.The first problem is space Dumps,which are now called landfills,are most needed in heavily populated areas.Such areas rarely have empty land suitable for this purpose.Property is either too expensive or too close to residential neighborhoods.Long-distance trash hauling has been a common practice but once farm areas are refusing to accept rubbish from elsewhere,cheap land within trucking distance of major city areas is almost nonexistent.
Awareness of pollution dangers has resulted in more strict rules of waste disposal.Pollution of rivers,ground water,land and air is a price people can no longer pay to get rid of waste.The amount of waste,however,continues to grow.
Recycling efforts have become commonplace,and many towns require their people to take part.Even the most efficient recycling programs,however,can hope to deal with only about 50 percent of a city’s reusable waste.The most suitable title for this passage would be ______.
A.Places for Disposing Waste | B.Waste Pollution Dangers |
C.Ways of Getting Rid of Waste | D.Waste Disposal Problem |
During the 18th century,people disposed their waste in many ways EXCEPT for ______.
A.burying it | B.recycling it |
C.burning it | D.throwing it into rivers |
What can be inferred from the fourth paragraph?
A.Farm areas accept waste from the city in modern society. |
B.There is cheap land to bury waste in modern society. |
C.It is difficult to find space to bury waste in modern society. |
D.Ways to deal with waste in modern society stay the same. |
The main purpose of writing this article is to ______.
A.draw people’s attention to waste management |
B.warn people of the pollution dangers we are facing |
C.call on people to take part in recycling programs |
D.tell people a better way to get rid of the waste |
The use of the word imitation(模仿) reminds me that we ought to make some more comments on the risk of people imitating what they see on the screen in the way of crime(犯罪) or violence.First there was always a risk of children acting out scenes which could be dangerous.For example,I remember a woman who was head of a middle school telling me that she had happened to look out of her window when the children were on the playground and had seen them putting a small boy on a chair with a rope round his neck and the rope over the branch of a tree;fortunately she was in time to get there before the child was hanged.I remember a film in particular in which the hero who was imprisoned had escaped by electrocuting(通电触死) his guard,the technique of doing this being shown in detail.This was the kind of scene which we could cut for these reasons.
In films for young people and adults we always tried to keep off the screen the details of criminal techniques,such as how to open a locked door with a piece of hard plastic or how to open a safe;if we were consulted(请教) before production,I used to advise that the details should not be shown.When I gave talks in prisons about film checking I had full support for this,since fathers who were in prison for criminal offences did not want their children to get on crime.
Every time I gave a talk in a prison someone used to mention the French film Rififi.made by Jules Dassin in 1954.This remarkable film showed in great detail a robbery of a jeweller’s shop,the robbery lasting about half an hour and being backed by only natural sound...one of the most brilliant film sequences(连续镜头) of all time.I remember our discussion at the time.We thought that the robbery was finished only with the use of advanced and obviously expensive equipment and that only the most experienced and skilled criminals could possibly imitate it;we believed therefore that it was relatively safe.When talking in prisons some years later I learned that there had been several robberies in which the techniques had been copied,so perhaps we were wrong.The writer thinks that______.
A.the details of the criminal technique should be kept |
B.the details of the crime should not be shown on the screen |
C.children should not imitate what they see on the screen |
D.it is dangerous to imitate what they see on the screen |
What is the writer’s attitude(态度) towards the film in which the hero had escaped by electrocuting the guard?
A.The writer likes it very much. |
B.The writer is strongly against it. |
C.The writer thinks the film has some value. |
D.The writer does not show his/her attitude. |
All the following statements about“Rififi”are true EXCEPT______.
A.that the robbery shown needs experience and skills |
B.that some very good tools were used in the robbery |
C.that the film showed the technique in detail |
D.that the technique of the robbery was not imitated |
It can be inferred from the passage that______.
A.it is hard for children to tell the differences between real life and the imaginary |
B.only people in prison support film checking |
C.only children imitate what they have seen on the screen |
D.the writer used to advise the details of crime should be shown |
For many in the United States,Arab-Americans are an invisible part of the population.Though Arab-Americans as a community have made great contributions to American society in fields from literature to politics to medicine,many Americans know very little about Americans of Arab backgrounds.
Arab history in the United States goes back to the late 1800’s when large numbers of Arab immigrants first began making their journey to a land known simply as“Amreeka”.
Historians generally describe Arab immigration to America in two waves.The first wave took place between 1860 and 1924.The first wave consisted of Lebanese and Syrian,and some Egyptian immigrants.These new immigrants,who were mostly Christian,came to America in search of better opportunities.Even the doomed Titanic,which set sail for America in 1912,had close to a hundred Arab passengers aboard.The majority of Arab-Americans today are descendents of the first wave of immigrants;they are the third or more generation Americans.
The second wave of immigrants followed after World War Ⅱ,caused by political unrest in the Middle East.This second wave of immigrants consists of mainly Arab Muslims(穆斯林)and continues to this day.
Arab-Americans make up 3 million of the population in the United States,according to demographers.And quite different from popular belief,64 percent of them are American-born.Eighty-two percent of Arab-Americans are US citizens.
Arab-Americans are beyond the national average in both education and income.Education is important among Arab-Americans;82 percent have high school diplomas,36 percent have bachelor’s degrees or higher,and 15 percent have graduate degrees.The-median(中位数的) average income among Arab-Americans is $39 580,which is higher than the US average. What would be the best title for the text?
A.Arabs in America. | B.The Two Arab Immigration Waves to America. |
C.Arab-Americans,Contributions to America. | |
D.Arab-Americans,Education and Income. |
The first wave of immigrants took place because______.
A.all Arabs were Christian at that time |
B.Arabs wanted to hunt for a better development |
C.the Second World War broke out |
D.Arabs wanted to gain higher income |
The writer of this passage mentioned Titanic______.
A.to tell us that taking ship at that time was dangerous |
B.because Titanic became a well-known disaster |
C.to show us there were many Arabs flocking into America at that time |
D.to inform us that Arabs are brave enough |
From the last paragraph we can infer that______.
A.Arab-Americans are much more clever than native Americans |
B.Arab-Americans are hard-working people |
C.the higher education you receive,the higher income you will get in America |
D.Arab-Americans play the most important role in the American average in both education and income |
As society advances and basic needs are most often being met, things that were not considered important in the past have taken priority(优先). In the past, people could easily get a job and progress pretty well, as long as they were hard-working; education was important but not as crucial(关系重大) as it is today.
Nowadays, just as clothes are important to first impressions, degree is important to a person’s first job interview or even a job with a good salary. Although experience is important to survive in any trade or profession, the first thing that companies look for is that piece of paper before looking at one’s experience.
A passport into the world of any profession is what having a degree means today, especially for professions that have need of certification and pay well, such as architects, doctors, lawyers, and teachers.
That piece of paper, the degree, is also a passport to jobs in top or middle management in any company, especially so for multi-national corporations(跨国公司). Having a degree opens up opportunities that one would not have had if one did not have any kind of degree. A degree simply proves that one has gone through the necessary training and understanding of how to carry out a job.
Although there are many that may say having a degree may not necessarily equal to success, it would most definitely help any person achieve success in shorter and easier steps. Success cannot simply be a result of hard work and/or depending on one’s experience or degree alone; it is the art and knowledge of how to work that determines one’s success. Therefore, it should not be for the sake to get a degree, but the quality of the degree and experiences that one can learn from that matter as well. What would be the best title for this passage?
A.People used to be hard-working |
B.How important is the degree? |
C.How can we enter the top management? |
D.Degree surely leads to success |
Why does the author mention clothes in the second paragraph?
A.To prove the importance of the first impression. |
B.To stress the importance of job interviews. |
C.To show the importance of clothes. |
D.To explain the importance of degree. |
What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refer to?
A.Having a degree |
B.Success |
C.Necessary training |
D.Having an opportunity |
It was getting dark and snow was coming down. Joe was driving home. He’d been unemployed since the factory closed. Most of his friends had left, but he stayed on. After all, he was born here.
Suddenly he saw a lady standing on the side of the road and pulled up. She was worried. No one had stopped to help her. Was he going to hurt her? He looked poor and hungry. Joe knew how she felt and said, “My name is Joe and I’m here to help you.” All she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Joe changed the tire, but he got dirty and his hands were hurt. She wanted to pay Joe and said any amount would have been all right. Joe never thought twice about the money and there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed.
Later the lady went in a dingy-looking restaurant to grab a bite to eat. The cash register was like the telephone of an out-of-work actor----it didn’t ring much. The waitress, who was nearly eight months pregnant, brought a clean towel to her with a sweet smile. The old lady remembered Joe. After the waitress brought the change from a 100-dollar bill, she found the lady gone and something written on a piece of paper, “Someone once helped me out----the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, don’t let the chain of love end with you.”
That night the waitress gave her sleeping husband a soft kiss and whispered, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Joe.”What do we know about Joe from this passage?
A.On his way home after work, he helped an old lady. |
B.He had worked in a factory in his hometown before. |
C.He would move away to fulfill his dream soon. |
D.Though he was poor, he didn’t care about money at all. |
The saying “she wanted to pay Joe and said any amount would have been all right” in Paragraph 2 suggests that _____.
A.the old lady was very grateful to Joe’s timely aid |
B.the old lady was much worried to be hurt by Joe |
C.the old lady wanted to show off her fortune to Joe |
D.the old lady’s car was very difficult to repair for Joe |
Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?
A.The restaurant was not only light but also clean. |
B.The old lady did have a big meal in the small restaurant. |
C.The waitress was more than eight months pregnant. |
D.The old lady left the remaining money to the waitress. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Acts of luck | B.A warm-hearted man |
C.The chain of love | D.A generous lady |