2010年职称英语考试综合类阅读理解模拟试题(26)

　　The Gene Industry

　　Major companies are already inpursuit of commercial applications of the new biology. They dream of placingenzymes in the automobile to monitor exhaust and send data on pollution to amicroprocessor that will then adjust the engine. They speak of what the New YorkTimes calls “metal-hungry microbes that might be used to mine valuable tracemetals from ocean water.” They have already demanded and won the right to patentnew life forms.

　　Nervous critics, including many scientists, worry that thereis corporate, national, international, and inter-scientific rivalry in theentire biotechnological field. They create images not of oil spills, but of“microbe spills” that could spread disease and destroy entire populations. Thecreation and accidental release of extremely poisonous microbes, however, isonly one cause for alarm. Completely rational and respectable scientists aretalking about possibilities that stagger the imagination.转自环 球 网校edu24ol.com转自环 球 网校edu24ol.com转自环 球 网校edu24ol.com

　　Should webreed people with cow-like stomachs so they can digest grass and hay, therebyrelieving the food problem by modifying us to eat lower down on the food chain?Should we biologically alter workers to fit the job requirement, for example,creating pilots with faster reaction times or assembly-line workers designed todo our monotonous work for us? Should we attempt to eliminate “inferior” peopleand breed a “super-race” ? (Hitler tried this, but without the genetic weaponrythat may soon issue from our laboratories. )Should we produce soldiers to do ourfighting? Should we use genetic forecasting to pre-eliminate “unfit” babies?Should we grow reserve organs for ourselves, each of us having, as it were, a“savings bank” full of spare kidney, livers, or hands?转自环 球 网校edu24ol.com转自环 球 网校edu24ol.com转自环 球 网校edu24ol.com

　　Wild as thesenotions may sound, every one has its advocates(and opposes) in the scientificcommunity as well as its striking commercial application. As two critics ofgenetic engineering, Jeremy Rifkin and Ted Howard, state in their book WhoShould Play God? “Broad scale genetic engineering will probably be introduced toAmerica much the same way as assembly lines, automobiles, vaccines, computersand all the other technologies. As each new genetic advance becomes commerciallypractical, a new consumer need will be exploited and a market for the newtechnology will be created. ”

　　1. According to the passage, the exhaustfrom a car engine could probably be checked by

　　A. using metal-hungrymicrobes.

　　B. making use of enzymes.

　　C. adjusting the engine.

　　D. patenting new life forms.

　　2. According to the passage, which of thefollowing would worry the critics the most?

　　A. The unanticipated explosionof population.

　　B. The creation of biological solar cells.

　　C. Theaccidental spill of oil.转自环 球 网校edu24ol.com转自环 球 网校edu24ol.com转自环 球 网校edu24ol.com

　　D. The unexpected release of destructivemicrobes.

　　3. Which of the following notions is NOT mentioned?

　　A.Developing a “savings bank” of one’s organs.

　　B. Breeding soldiers for awar.

　　C. Producing people with cow-like stomachs.

　　D. Using geneticforecasting to cure diseases.

　　4. According to the passage, Hitlerattempted to

　　A. change the pilots biologically to win the war.

　　B.develop genetic farming for food supply.

　　C. kill the people he thought ofas inferior.

　　D. encourage the development of genetic weapons for the war.

　　5. What does Jeremy Rifkin and Ted Howard's statement imply?

　　A.The commercial applications of genetic engineering are inevitable.

　　B.America will depend on other countries for biological progress.

　　C. Americaare proud of their computers, automobiles and genetic technologies.

　　D. Thepotential application of each new genetic advance should be controlled

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