Gene technology to benefit people
Among all the fast growing science and technology, the research of human genes, or biological engineering as people call it, is drawing more and more attention now. Sometimes it is a hot topic discussed by people.
The greatest thing that gene technology can do is to cure serious diseases that doctors at present can almost do nothing with, such as cancer and heart disease. Every year, millions of people are murdered by these two killers. And to date, doctors have not found an effective way to cure them. But if the gene technology is applied, not only these two diseases can be cured completely, bringing happiness and more living days to the patients, but also the great amount of money people spend on curing their diseases can be saved, therefore it benefits the economy as well. In addition, human life span(寿命) can be prolonged.
Gene technology can help people to give birth to more healthy and clever children. Some families, with the English imperial(皇室) family being a good example, have hereditary(遗传的) diseases. This means their children will for sure have the family disease, which is a great trouble for these families. In the past, doctors could do nothing about hereditary diseases. But gene technology can solve this problem perfectly. The scientist just need to find the wrong gene and correct it and a healthy child will be born.
Some people are worrying that the gene research can be used to manufacture human beings in large quantities. In the past few years, scientists have succeeded in cloning a sheep; therefore these people predict that human babies would soon be cloned. But I believe cloned babies will not come out in large quantities, for most couples in the world can have babies in very normal way. Of course, the governments must take care to control gene technology. What does "these two killers" in the second paragraph refer to?
A.Gene technology and another treatment of the two diseases. |
B.The two murderers who killed the cloned baby |
C.The two diseases of cancer and heart disease |
D.Hereditary diseases and cancer |
What’s the main idea of the third paragraph?
A.How gene technology can be applied in the field of treating hereditary diseases. |
B.Gene technology can be used to clone human babies. |
C.Gene technology can help people to give birth of a baby. |
D.Gene technology can help the English imperial family out |
In what way gene technology can help to treat hereditary diseases?
A.Using gene technology, people with hereditary diseases can have more living days. |
B.Using gene technology, scientist finds the wrong gene and corrects it. |
C.Using gene technology, human babies can be cloned. |
D.Doctors can cure cancer and heart disease with the help of gene technology. |
What is the main purpose of writing this passage?
A.Expressing the writer’s idea that gene technology will benefit people |
B.Telling people the advantages of gene technology |
C.Telling the readers that gene technology will not benefit people |
D.Explaining that gene technology will also do harm to the humanity |
Unlike chemists and physicists, who usually do their experiments using machines, biologists and medical researchers have to use living things like rats. But there are three Nobel prize-winning scientists who actually chose to experiment on themselves – all in the name of science, reported The Telegraph.
● Werner Forssmann (Nobel prize winner in 1956)
Forssmann was a German scientist. He studied how to put a pipe inside the heart to measure the pressure inside and decide whether a patient needs surgery (手术).
Experiments had been done on horses before, so he wanted to try with human patients. But it was not permitted because the experiment was considered too dangerous.
Not giving up, Forssmann decided to experiment on himself. He anaesthetized (麻醉) his own arm and made a cut, putting the pipe 30 centimeters into his vein (血管). He then climbed two floors to the X-ray room before pushing the pipe all the way into his heart.
● Barry Marshall (Nobel prize winner in 2005)
Most doctors in the mid-20th century believed that gastritis was down to stress, spicy food or an unusually large amount of stomach acid (胃酸). But in 1979 an Australian scientist named Robin Warren found that the disease might be related to a bacteria (细菌) called Helicobacter pylori. So he teamed up with his colleague, Barry Marshall, to continue the study. When their request to experiment on patients was denied, Marshall bravely drank some of the bacteria. Five days later, he lost his appetite and soon was vomiting (呕吐) each morning – he indeed had gastritis.
● Ralph Steinman (Nobel prize winner in 2011)
This Canadian scientist discovered a new type of immune system cell (免疫细胞) called the dendritic cell. He believed that it had the ability to fight against cancer.
Steinman knew he couldn’t yet use his method to treat patients. So in 2007, when doctors told him that he had cancer and that it was unlikely for him to live longer than a year, he saw an opportunity.
With the help of his colleagues, he gave himself three different vaccines (疫苗) based on his research and a total of eight experimental therapies (疗法). Even though Steinman eventually died from his cancer, he lived four and a half years, much longer than doctors had said he would.The main purpose of the article is to ______.
A.list some famous Nobel prize winners. |
B.introduce a few Nobel prize winners who did experiments on themselves. |
C.describe some dangerous experiments that Nobel prize-winners did on themselves. |
D.list some difficulties that scientists go through to make important discoveries in biology . |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?
A.Forssmann’s experiment ended in failure. |
B.Forssmann had the pipe pushed all the way into his heart. |
C.Barry Marshall succeeded by drinking some Helicobacter pylori. |
D.Barry Marshall was given full responsibility for the study on gastritis at first. |
The underlined word “gastritis” in Paragraph 5 probably means ______.
A.a kind of stomach disease | B.a kind of immune cell |
C.a new type of therapy | D.a type of leg cancer |
From the text, we can conclude that Ralph Steinman ______.
A.had his request to experiment on patients denied |
B.believed that cancer comes from stress and spicy food |
C.discovered a new type of cancer cell called the dendritic cell |
D.tried different therapies containing the dendritic cell on himself |
Someday a stranger will read your email without your permission or scan the websites you've visited. Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.
In fact, it's likely some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a policeman or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen—the 21st century equal to being caught naked.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, though it's important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. Actually few boundaries remain. The digital bread crumbs you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to reconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
The key question is: Does that matter? For many Americans, the answer apparently is “no”.
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey found a majority of people are pessimistic about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is “slipping away, and that bothers me”.
But people say one thing and do another. Only a small part of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths to avoid using the EZPass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessandro Acquits has run a series of tests that reveal people will submit personal information like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50centsoff coupon(优惠券).
But privacy does matter at least sometimes. It's like health: when you have it, you don't notice it. Only when it's gone do you wish you'd done more to protect it.From Paragraph 2, we can infer________.
A.criminals are easily caught on the spot with advanced technology |
B.people tend to be more frank with each other in the information age |
C.in the 21st century people try every means to look into others' secrets |
D.people's personal information is easily accessed without their knowledge |
What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?
A.There should be a distance even between friends. |
B.There should be fewer quarrels between friends. |
C.Friends should always be faithful to each other. |
D.Friends should open their hearts to each other. |
According to the passage, privacy is like health in that________.
A.its importance is rarely understood |
B.it is something that can easily be lost |
C.people will make every effort to keep it |
D.people don't treasure it until they lose it |
Bamboo (竹子) is one of nature’s (自然) most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist reported one bamboo plant which grew 1.5 metres (4 feet) in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe. There are more than 1, 000 kinds of bamboo.
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimetres (1 foot) across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.
Bamboo has been used to make many things such as hats and kitchen tools. Because it is strong, bamboo is also used to build buildings.
Many Asian countries have used bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for buildings and supporting new buildings and bridges while they are being built.
In Africa, poor farmers are taught how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap way to find water because they have no money, and their crops often die from no rain and no water. Bamboo pipes help poor farmers bring water to their thirsty fields without spending a lot of money. How is bamboo like grass?
A.It grows quickly. | B.It’s wood. |
C.It is easy to cut | D.It is very thin |
Though you can see bamboo everywhere, it doesn’t grow ______.
A.in China | B.in Europe |
C.on mountains | D.in Africa |
Why is bamboo used by African poor farmers?
A.Because it is cheap. |
B.Because it has different colours . |
C.Because it is strong. |
D.Because it has been used by Asians. |
Bamboo pipes can ______.
A.make money | B.be trees |
C.grow quickly | D.carry water |
HOTEL INFORMATION
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Rooms are equipped with Double, Queen , or King bed (s) , smoking or non-smoking based on location and availability. Provided in each spacious guest room is a hair dryer, coffee maker, iron, ironing board, 25’TV and guest voice mail.
Check-in Time:7:00 P. M.
Hotel Amenities:Air Conditioned, Free Parking, 24 Hour Front Desk, Pool, Television with Cable, Coffee Maker in Room, Hairdryers Available.
Beach Plaza Hotel
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The oceanfront accommodations at Beach Plaza Hotel are some of the most affordable on Fort Lauderdale Beach.Each room features direct-dial telephone, cable television and daily maid service.The very affordable efficiency studios even include full kitchens! All rooms surround the private poolside garden courtyard.
Check-in Time:7:05 P. M.
Hotel Amenities:Air Conditioned, Coffee Maker in Room, 24 Hour Front Desk, Parking, Hairdryers Available, Pool, Television with Cable.
Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel
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Room Information
Guest rooms feature TVs, in-room movies, Internet access, in-room safes, alarm clock radios, hairdryers, refrigerators, microwaves, and balconies.
Check-in Time:7:00 A.M.
Hotel Amenities:Parking,Heated Pool, Television with Cable, and Coffee Maker in Room.Which hotel gives a promise?
A.Beach Plaza Hotel. | B.Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale. |
C.Baymont Inn Hotel. | D.Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
In which hotel parking is the cheapest?
A.Beach Plaza Hotel. | B.Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale. |
C.Baymont Inn Hotel. | D.Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
If you ______ , you will probably go to Beach Plaza Hotel.
A.enjoy seeing films without leaving your hotel room |
B.want to eat food cooked by yourself in the hotel |
C.are fond of swimming in heated water |
D.are a cigarette smoker |
Which of the following is NOT true to the ads?
A.In Beach Plaza Hotel a 24-hour maid is available. |
B.All of the three hotels provide television with cable. |
C.You can keep your money in the room safe in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
D.While staying in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel, you can surf the Internet. |
Children have their own rules in playing games. They seldom need a referee (裁判) and rarely trouble to keep scores. They don’t care much about who win or lose, and it doesn’t seem to worry them if the game is not finished. Yet, they like games that depend a lot on luck, so that their personal abilities cannot be directly compared. They also enjoy games that move in stages, in which each stage, the choosing of leaders, the picking-up of sides, or the determining of which side shall start, is almost a game in itself.
Grown-ups can hardly find children’s games exciting, and they often feel puzzled at why their kids play such simple games again and again. However, it is found that a child plays games for very important reasons. He can be a good player without having to think whether he is a popular person, and he can find himself being a useful partner to someone of whom he is ordinarily afraid. He becomes a leader when it comes to his turn. He can be confident, too,in particular games, that it is his place to give orders, to pretend to be dead, to throw a ball actually at someone, or to kiss someone he has caught.
It appears to us that when children play a game they imagine a situation under their control. Everyone knows the rules, and more importantly, everyone plays according to the rules. Those rules may be childish, but they make sure that every child has a chance to win.To become a leader in a game, the child has to_______.
A.play well |
B.wait for his turn |
C.be confidence in himself |
D.be popular among his playmates |
What do we know about grown-ups?
A.They are not interested in games. |
B.They find children’s games too easy. |
C.They don’t need a reason to play games. |
D.They don’t understand children’s games. |
Why does a child like playing games?
A.Because he can be someone other than himself. |
B.Because he can become popular among friends. |
C.Because he finds he is always lucky in games. |
D.Because he likes the place where he plays a game. |
The writer believes that _________.
A.children should make better rules for their game |
B.children should invite grown-ups to play with them |
C.children’s games can do them a lot of good |
D.children play games without reason |