精英家教網 > 高中英語 > 題目詳情
Scientist Says ‘No’ to Human Cloning
“I’ve never met a human worth cloning,” says cloning expert Mark Westhusin from his lab at Texas A&M University. “It’s a stupid endeavor.”
That’s an interesting choice of adjective, coming from a man who has spent millions of dollars trying to clone a 13-year-old dog named Missy. So far, he and his team have not succeeded, though they have cloned two cows and a cat.
They just might succeed in cloning Missy soon — or perhaps not for another five years.
Westhusin's experience with cloning animals leaves him upset by all this talk of human cloning. In three years of work on the Missy project, using hundreds upon hundreds of dog's eggs, the A&M team has produced only a dozen or so embryos carrying Missy's DNA. None have survived the transfer to a surrogate（代孕的）mother. The wastage of eggs and the many spontaneously aborted(流產，發(fā)育不全) fetuses（胎）may be acceptable when you're dealing with cats or bulls, he argues, but not with humans. “Cloning is incredibly inefficient, and also dangerous,” he says.
Even so, dog cloning is a commercial opportunity, with a nice research payoff. Ever since Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1997, Westhusin's phone has been ringing with people calling in hopes of duplicating their cats and dogs, cattle and horses. “A lot of people want to clone pets, especially if the price is right,” says Westhusin. Cost is no obstacle for Missy's mysterious billionaire owner; he's put up $3.7 million so far to fund A&M's research.
Contrary to some media reports, Missy is not dead. The owner wants a twin to carry on Missy's fine qualities after she does die. The prototype（原型；雛形）is, by all accounts, athletic, good-natured and supersmart. Missy's master does not expect an exact copy of her. He knows her clone may not have her temperament（氣質、性情）. In a statement of purpose, Missy's owner and the A&M team say they are “both looking forward to studying the ways that her clones differ from Missy.”
Besides cloning a great dog, the project may contribute insight into the old question of nature vs. nurture. It could also lead to the cloning of special rescue dogs and many endangered animals.
However, Westhusin is cautious about his work. He knows that even if he gets a dog pregnant, the offspring, should they survive, will face the problems shown at birth by other cloned animals: abnormalities like immature lungs and heart and weight problems~ “Why would you ever want to clone humans,” Westhusin asks, “when we're not even close to getting it worked out in animals yet?”
小題1:By “stupid endeavor”, Westhusin means to say that ________.
A．human cloning is a foolish undertaking
B．animal cloning is absolutely impractical
C．human cloning should be done selectively
D．animal cloning is not worth the effort at all
小題2:What does the first paragraph tell us about Westhusin's dog cloning project?
A．Its success is already in sight.
B．It is progressing smoothly.
C．It is doomed to utter failure.
D．Its outcome remains uncertain.
小題3:By cloning Missy, Mark Westhusin hopes to ________.
A．study the possibility of cloning humans
B．search for ways to modify its temperament
C．find out the differences between Missy and its clones
D．examine the reproductive system of the dog species
小題4:We learn from the passage that animal clones are likely to have ________.
A．a bad temper
B．defective（有缺陷的、有毛病的）organs
C．immune deficiency
D．an abnormal shape

小題1:A
小題2:D
小題3:C
小題4:B
文章介紹了關于克隆方面的知識。
小題1:猜測詞義題。根據第一句“I’ve never met a human worth cloning,可知是指克隆人是一個愚蠢的做法。
小題2:推理題。根據文章第二段可知這個計劃的結果還是不確定的，它提及這個，是想告訴人們克隆人會有很多的困難與問題。
小題3:細節(jié)題。根據文章倒數第三段最后一句“both looking forward to studying the ways that her clones differ from Missy.”
小題4:推理題。根據文章第4段內容可知動物克隆會產生很多有缺陷的胚胎和器官，很不成功。
練習冊系列答案
相關習題

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Switching telephone providers used to be the only way homeowners could save money on telephone bills. Now thanks to new technology, comsumers have another choice-making phone calls over the internet. And this can be completely free if you call another person with an internet phone set-up.
The technology is called voice over internet protocol (協(xié)議), or VoIP. In 2005, consumer demand for VoIP dramatically grew. In the US, where popularity has grown faster than here in the UK, 8.4 million are predicted to subscribe this year. For the past couple years, VoIP pioneers such as Skype have accounted for the majority of internet phone subscribers.
VoIP is attractive to consumers because it’s cheaper than traditional phone services. With the basic equipment of PC, microphone and headset, and VoIP software and broadband internet for optimum (最適宜的) voice quality, consumers can save a fortune chatting for free to other internet phone owners and save money calling regular landlines (通訊電纜). But, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Many of these services suffer from uncontinuous lapses (失效) in quality. While some users may tolerate echoes or a dropped call, improved quality is needed to attract more customers.
Computing has examined the benefits of using a PC as a telephone with VoIP in how easy they were to set up, how effective they were and the range of their features.
Skype(www. skype.com) came top for its bother-free approach, easy set-up and exceptional voice clarity. Sipgate (www. sipgate. co. uk), MSN(www. messenger. msn. co. uk) and Yahoo! Messenger (uk. messenger. yahoo. com) provide an audio “wizard” that improves sound levels. Google Talk (www. google. com/ talk) was less helpful and Babble. net (www. babble. net) was let down by its poor help files. Yahoo! Messenger provides some of the best features, including the option of landline calls, webcam chats, instant messaging, voice-mail and conference calls.
小題1:Which one of the following if you call others?
A．VolP,voice over internet protocol
B．Switching telephone
C．New technology
D．letters
小題2:The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 implies that ______.
A．VoIP can save money but it has some disadvantages
B．whatever you buy is related to how much you pay
C．what you pay for will belong to you forever
D．what you buy is not always high in quality
小題3:Which of the following statement is true according to the passage?
A．Sipgate is less helpful.
B．Yahoo! Messenger offers some best features.
C．Skype is the best one in the new technology.
D．Google Talk provides very good audio “wizard”.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Due to climate change, Arctic ice is breaking up earlier in the spring, and its area is decreasing. This is creating problems for polar bears that make their homes off northern Alaska and in Hudson Bay.
Polar bears off Alaska normally hunt and raise their young on ice sheets that float on the ocean. But as the ice has melted, the polar bears have been forced to spend more time on land. There, they have begun to frequent beaches, feeding on the remains of whales caught by native hunters. For polar bears, this food is less nutritious than seals that they normally catch on ice sheets. The shrinking（減少） ice has also forced more polar bears into the ocean. In the past, they only had to swim short distances between ice sheets. But as the ice has shrunk, polar bears have been forced to swim longer and longer distances in the open ocean. This poses a severe danger during rough weather, and an increasing number of drowned polar bears have been observed.
In Hudson Bay, the ice breaks up three weeks earlier in the spring now than it did 20 years ago. Polar bears on Hudson Bay fast（絕食） during the summer, waiting for ice to form in the fall to hunt. Every year, the summer gets longer, and the bears get skinnier. Over the past 25 years, the average weight of the female bears has dropped 68 kg. This loss affects their ability to reproduce, and already the number of births has dropped 15 percent. Unless the bears can learn to survive these climate changes, these giants of the ice may one day disappear.
小題1:What is Arctic ice doing earlier each year?
A．It’s freezing.B．It’s hardening.
C．It’s melting.D．It’s expanding.
小題2:What is true of polar bears that are spending more time on land in Alaska?
A．Their young are dying.
B．Their diet is changing.
C．Their health is improving.
D．Their families are growing.
小題3:What do polar bears in Hudson Bay do during the summer?
A．They claim territory(地域).B．They protect mates.
C．They hunt animals.D．They stop feeding
小題4:In which publication would you most likely find this passage?
A．Medical NewsB．Society TodayC．Wildlife JournalD．Design Magazine

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.
“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.
“And you’ll be sorry that you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll surely be the best lawyer in our town!”
After graduation, George never became a lawyer and Richard was anybody but a millionaire …. Instead, it happened that both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street, while it was hard to make much money from books then, which made the competition between them worse. Eventually, Richard closed down his, dreaming of making a fortune elsewhere. 
Now, with only one bookshop in the town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his former rival (競爭對手)。Perhaps he missed him?
George was very interested in old dictionaries, and he had recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was quite delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished — the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading: “Bookends Company has bought ten bookstores from its competitors. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in this country.”
小題1:George and Richard were        at school.
A．roommatesB．good friends C．competitorsD．booksellers
小題2:How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?
A．He envied Richard’s good fortune very much.
B．He thought about Richard from time to time.
C．He felt unlucky with no more rival in the town.
D．He was unhappy of Richard’s disappearance.
小題3:George got information about Richard from       .
A．a dictionary collector in Australia
B．one of Richard’s competitors
C．some rare edition of a dictionary
D．the wrapping paper of a book
小題4:What happened to George and Richard in the end?
A．Both George and Richard became millionaires by selling books.
B．Both of them realized their original ambitions, which were the same.
C．George established a successful business while Richard was missing.
D．Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A new reading tool was put on the market this week for the two-to five-year-old set. It is sold for at least $389, an expensive purchase for a kid – and that doesn’t even include a $99 annual subscription (訂閱) fee for games, e-books, and age-appropriate software.
That might be fine for parents willing and able to pay thousands for private nursery schools, but will the tool actually help kids learn language and reading skills more effectively than traditional books?
Probably not, said Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center for Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston. “There is a sensory components (感官因素) to books that isn’t there with e-books,” he explained. “You can smell it, turn the pages, and taste it, as young kids are likely to do.”
That might help little ones become more familiar with the books, helping them learn from them, but far more important is whether a person is actually sitting with them while they’re looking at the pages.
Researchers have shown time and again that kids learn better when they’re having interaction (互動) with real people, rather than electronic voices reading to them from a computer or speaking to them from the TV.
A Georgetown University study found that kids who learned to put on gloves from watching a video took six times as long to learn the process as those who watched it shown by an adult standing in front of them.
“I’m a big believer in teaching kids to live in the digital society and use what the rest of the family uses, but they do need to be supervised,” said Dr. Gwenn O’Keeffe, a Boston-based children’s doctor and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. “We don’t recommend that young kids use any type of technology for very long since they have the attention span (注意力持續(xù)時間) of a butterfly.”
小題1:According to the text, the new tool        .
A．is mainly used to entertain kids
B．can be accepted by most families
C．is designed for preschool kids
D．can download games for free
小題2:Why is Dr. Michael Rich against the new tool?
A．Because it doesn’t really involve many of the senses.
B．Because it does great harm to kids’ eyesight.
C．Because kids can’t communicate with it.
D．Because traditional books are cheaper.
小題3:The study mentioned in Paragraph 6 aims to        .
A．show the disadvantage of kids’ watching videos
B．prove the importance of interaction with people
C．ask parents to teach their kids to learn
D．prove using e-books saves much time
小題4:The underlined word “supervised” in the last paragraph can be replaced by “     ”.
A．punishedB．watchedC．encouragedD．understood
小題5:What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A．To introduce a new electronic device.
B．To teach kids how to live in a digital world.
C．To show parents how to help kids gain knowledge.
D．To throw new light on kids’ use of electronic tools.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Vending machines （投幣式自動售貨機） are found in 16% of U．S．elementary schools, 52% of middle schools and 88% of high schools．About 22% of students in grades 1 through 12 buy food in vending machines each day—and those purchases added an average of 253 calories to their diets, according to a new study in the September issue of the Journal of School Health．
Just to be clear, those were not 253 calories' worth of tofu, yogurt or carrot．The most popular vending machine items included soft drinks, candy, chips, crackers, cookies, cakes and ice cream．On the plus side （好的方面）, kids also bought low-fat milk, fruit juice and even fruit, the study found．
But the eventual effect on kids' diets was not good．Those who bought from vending machines ate an average of 156 grams of sugar per day, compared with 146 grams for those who abstained （節(jié)制）．They also consumed less fiber, iron and vitamin B．
One silver lining: Vending machine customers ate 4% less sodium （鈉） than other students--an average of 3,287 milligrams per day compared with 3,436 mg for those who didn't buy from vending machines．That's probably because the extra snacks made kids too full to eat as much at mealtimes, when dishes are especially Salty．In any event, kids should eat no more than 1,200 to 1,500 mg of sodium each day, according to the Mayo Clinic．Even for adults, the government recommends a daily limit of 2,300 mg．
Overall, vending machines in school appear to be a threat to children's health．The researchers calculated that all that snacking adds up to about14 extra pounds per child per school year．For some students this might be a serious contributor to weight issues．The study was based on data collected from 2,309 children nationwide for the third School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study, which was
conducted by the U．S．Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service．
小題1:The students using vending machines take in less of all the following EXCEPT ．
A．sugar B．fiber C．vitamin D．iron
小題2:The underlined words “One silver lining” mean “      ”．
A．a discouraging condition at present
B．a bright side of a difficult situation
C．an urgent warning from health experts
D．an increasing concern from the public
小題3:Why do kids buying food from vending machines take less salt probably?
A．They prefer less salty food．
B．They have formed healthy eating habits．
C．They eat less food at mealtimes．
D．They take less junk food as snacks．
小題4:What's the purpose of the text?
A．To teach children a balanced diet．
B．To introduce the finding of a new study．
C．To remind parents of children's health．
D．To tell the history of vending machines．

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

More than a hundred adults and kids gather for the Star Party on a cold evening, chattering excitedly as they stand in the dark on a Virginia hillside. The odd thing is, no one has turned on a flashlight, and no streetlights or house lights wink(閃爍) on around them.
These people have traveled to the countryside more than an hour from Washington, D. C., to get away from the glow of city lights.  That's because they are attending a star party. Star parties are gatherings where professional and amateur astronomers set up their telescopes and invite people to come learn about the night sky. Getting away from light pollution, or artificial skylight from buildings for example,  helps stargazers (看星星的人) see objects in the sky much better.
At this star party, Sean O'Brien of the National Air and Space Museum’s Einstein Planetarium starts off by asking the crowd to simply look up and take in all they can see. He points out plenty of things that can be seen without special equipment. Stars, satellites, and even the Andromeda galaxy(仙女座) can be found if you know where to look.
After that, several dozen astronomers offer close-up views. Each has focused their telescope on a different part of the sky. As kids take a look, the owner gives a mini-lesson.
O’Brien says you can have your own star party at home and learn a lot just by paying attention to what's happening up above. "Watch the sky as the seasons pass, and you will see that it changes," he says. "Or start with the moon. Notice when and where you are seeing it—maybe even in the early morning while you wait for the school bus. "
小題1:What was it special about the Star Party ?
A．It was organized by the local authority.
B．It was carried out without any lights.
C．It was so cold that people chatted to cheer up.
D．It was held in the town center of Virginia
小題2:According to the passage, who were involved in the activity ?
a. some invited guests
b. some government officials
c. some experts in astronomy
d. those who were interested in astronomy
e. students who were major in agriculture
A．a, c, dB．a, d, eC．b, d, eD．c, d, e
小題3:From the passage, we can infer that if you want to see the objects in the sky            .
A．you'd better escape from pollution and sunlight
B．you'd better follow Sean O'Brien's guidance
C．you'd better buy some advanced equipment
D．you'd better make use of your imagination
小題4:Which of the following can be best describe what O'Brien says about discovering the stars'?
A．Roman is not built in a day.
B．No pains, no gains.
C．All roads lead to Roman.
D．Time and tide wait for no man.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Time was running out, and Mark Dickinson wasn't sure whether he'd get to see his dying 2－year－old grandson one last time. A long line at Los Angeles International Airport's security checkpoint had kept him from getting to his gate on time.
His grandson Caden would be taken off life support in a matter of hours in Denver, Colorado, with or without his grandfather's presence, according to CNN affiliate KABC.
“I was kind of panicking because I was running late, and I really thought I wasn't going to make the flight，” Dickinson told KABC.
That's when a pilot from Southwest Airlines stepped up and held the flight at the gate until Dickinson arrived. The pilot was standing by the air bridge waiting for him when Dickinson arrived in socks, so rushed that he just grabbed his shoes at security and ran through the terminal.
“I told him, ‘Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much I appreciated that.’ And he said, ‘No problem. They can't leave without me anyway，’”Dickinson told KABC.
Authorities say Dickinson's grandson, Caden Rodgers, suffered a head injury after his mother's boyfriend threw him across the room. The boyfriend reportedly told police he was drunk and high on marijuana(大麻) at the time. The child later died and the boyfriend has been charged with first－degree murder, according to the Aurora Sentinel.
Thanks to the pilot, Dickinson made it to Colorado in time to say goodbye to his grandson. Most airlines would punish any staff member who holds up a flight, according to consumer advocate Christopher Elliott, who broke the story of the sympathetic pilot on his blog. However, a Southwest spokeswoman said the pilot's actions were praiseworthy.
“You can't hold a plane for every late customer, but I think we would all agree that these were extenuating(可以原諒的) circumstances and the pilot absolutely made the right decision，” Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said. “I don't think you could ask for a better example of great service for our customers.”
小題1:According to the passage, which is the correct order of the following events?
a. The pilot held the plane for Dickinson.
b. People read the story of the pilot on the Internet.
c. Caden suffered a head injury.
d. Dickinson was waiting in line at the security checking point.
d. Marilee McInnis praised the pilot's actions.
A．d，c，a，b，eB．c，a，d，b，eC．c，d，a，b，eD．d，a，b，c，e
小題2:Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A．The security staff prohibited Dickinson from getting to his gate on time.
B．The plane couldn't leave without Dickinson according to the regulations.
C．Dickinson made it to see his grandson one last time.
D．Christopher Elliott holds the view that all the airlines should advocate similar actions.
小題3:What can we infer from the passage?
A．The boyfriend of Caden's mother hates him very much.
B．The boyfriend has been accused of first－degree murder.
C．Many pilots enjoy writing blog.
D．Dickinson had to take off his shoes at the security cheekpoint.
小題4:In writing this passage, the author mainly tells us a story about ________．
A．an unlucky man from Los Angeles making his flight
B．a poor boy being killed by his mother's boyfriend
C．Southwest Airlines' decision not to punish a pilot who held up the flight
D．a pilot holding the flight for a man going to see his dying grandson

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Honey(蜂蜜)from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest(巢)and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper一a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax (蜂蠟) in the beehives (蜂房). The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees’ nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or people as it leads them to the nest. When they
finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.
小題1:Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?
A．It's small in size.
B．It's hidden in trees.
C．It's covered with wax.
D．It's hard to recognize.
小題2:What do the words "the follower" in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A．A bee.B．A bird.
C．A honey seeker.D．A beekeeper.
小題3:The honey guide is special in the way________.
A．it gets its food
B．it goes to church
C．it sings in the forest
D．it reaches into bees' nests
小題4:What can be the best title for the text?
A．Wild Bees
B．Beekeeping in Africa
C．Wax and Honey
D．Honey-Lover's Helper

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習冊答案