Scientists have known since 1952 that DNA is the basic stuff of heredity. They've known its chemical structure since 1953. They know that human DNA acts like a biological computer program some 3 billion bits long that spells out the instructions for making proteins, the basic building blocks of life.
But everything the genetic engineers have accomplished during the past half-century is just a preamble to the work that Collins and Anderson and legions of colleagues are doing now. Collins leads the Human Genome Project, a 15-year effort to draw the first detailed map of every nook and cranny and gene in human DNA. Anderson, who pioneered the first successful human gene-therapy operations, is leading the campaign to put information about DNA to use as quickly as possible in the treatment and prevention of human diseases.
What they and other researchers are plotting is nothing less than a biomedical revolution. Like Silicon Valley pirates reverse-engineering a computer chip to steal a competitor's secrets, genetic engineers are decoding life's molecular secrets and trying to use that knowledge to reverse the natural course of disease. DNA in their hands has become both a blueprint and a drug, a pharmacological substance of extraordinary potency that can treat not just symptoms or the diseases that cause them but also the imperfections in DNA that make people susceptible to a disease.
And that's just the beginning. For all the fevered work being done, however, science is still far away from the Brave New World vision of engineering a perfect human—or even a perfect tomato. Much more research is needed before gene therapy becomes commonplace, and many diseases will take decades to conquer, if they can be conquered at all.
In the short run, the most practical way to use the new technology will be in genetic screening. Doctors will be able to detect all sorts of flaws in DNA long before they can be fixed. In some cases the knowledge may lead
to treatments that delay the onset of the disease or soften its effects. Someone with a genetic predisposition to heart disease, for example, could follow a low-fat diet. And if scientists determine that a vital protein is missing because the gene that was supposed to make it is defective, they might be able to give the patient an artificial version of the protein. But in other instances, almost nothing can be done to stop the ravages brought on by genetic mutations. (409 words)
1. It can be inferred from the text that Collins and Anderson and legions of colleagues _____.
[A] know that human DNA acts like a biological computer program
[B] have found the basic building blocks of life
[C] have accomplished some genetic discovery during the past half-century
[D] are making a breakthrough in DNA
2. Collins and Anderson are cited in the text to indicate all the following EXCEPT that ______.
[A] time-consuming effort is needed to accomplish the detailed map of in human DNA
[B] human gene-therapy operations may be applied to the patients
[C] gene-therapy now is already generally used to the treatment and prevention of human diseases
[D] information about DNA may be used in the treatment and prevention of human diseases
3. The word “pirate” (line 2, paragraph 3) means______.
[A] one who robs at sea or plunders the land from the sea
[B] one who makes use of or reproduces the work of another without authorization
[C] to take (something) by piracy
[D] to make use of or reproduce (another's work) without authorization
4. We can draw a conclusion from the text that_____.
[A] engineering a perfect human is not feasible for the time being
[B] it‘s impossible for scientists to engineer a perfect tomato
[C] many diseases will never be conquered by human beings
[D] doctors will be able to cure all sorts of flaws in DNA in the
long run
5. The best title for the text may be ______.
[A] DNA and Heredity
[B] The Genetic Revolution
[C] A Biomedical Revolution
[D] How to Apply Genetic Technology
参考答案:D C B A B
以上是中公考研为考生整理的“2019考研英语阅读模拟题(3)”相关内容,希望对大家有帮助,中公考研小编预祝大家都能取得好成绩!
相关推荐:
声明:本站点发布的来源标注为“中公教育”的文章,版权均属中公教育所有,未经允许不得转载。
欢迎关注(中公教育考研频道)
及时掌握考研信息
回复“2021”领取备考大礼包
免责声明:本站所提供试题均来源于网友提供或网络搜集,由本站编辑整理,仅供个人研究、交流学习使用,不涉及商业盈利目的。如涉及版权问题,请联系本站管理员予以更改或删除。
01-26
01-26
01-26
01-14
01-14
12-15
01-26
01-26
01-25
01-25
01-25
01-25