Question

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     November 24, 1859 was a special day in London. On that day, many Londoners rushed to a bookstore to
buy a book that was just published. The first printing of 1250 copies sold out on the first day.
     The popular book was The Origin of Species (《物种起源》) by British naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-
1882). In the book, Darwin argued that different forms of life could change over time because of natural
selection. This means that only those who are best suited to their environment will live and reproduce. Darwin
supported his arguments with examples he found during his around-the-world trip in the 1830s.
     The book laid the foundation of modern biology. It changed how other scientists understood the appearance
of life on Earth.
     A hundred and fifty years later, Darwin's theory (理论) of natural selection still has great influence in the
world of science. But some people have a question: since medicine and modem life have made people healthier,
are we still evolving (进化) by natural selection?
     The answer is yes,according to Stephen Stems and his team of Yale University researchers. They did a
study on 2 238 women in the US. They found that shorter,heavier women have more children than thinner,
taller ones. This trend (趋势) runs among their female children and grandchildren. So if this continues, women
in 400 years will be about 2cm shorter and a kilo heavier.
     Stems' findings are supported by other scientists. For example, John Hawks at the University of Wisconsin,
US and his team believe they have found nearly 2000 gene variations(基因变异) in modem humans. Those
variations allow people to drink milk, fight disease and improve brain development.

1. Was The Origin of Species a popular book?
     _______________________________________________________________
2. When was the book published? 
    _______________________________________________________________
3. What does natural selection mean? 
    _______________________________________________________________
4. Why does the writer introduce Stemns' findings in the passage?
    _______________________________________________________________
5. Why is Darwin's theory of natural selection important? 
    _______________________________________________________________

Answer 1

1. Yes.
2. On November 24, 1859.
3. Only those who are best suited to their environment will live and reproduce.
4. To support the idea that we're still evolving by natural selection.
5. The theory laid the foundation of modem biology. It changed other scientists'
    thinking about the appearance of life on Earth. And it still has great influence
    in the world of science today.
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