A recent announcement by scientists that they have successfully cloned the first human embryo has caused much debate and has shocked many people around the world. On the one hand，some scientists point out that if you clone an embryo，you can produce valuable tissues(组织）and organs that could be used to save human lives. On the other hand，many people，including some scientists, disagree and fear that if mankind interferes with（干涉）nature in this way，they may be on their way to producing a real-life Frankenstein’s monster.

    Cloning is producing an exact copy of a plant or an animal using its cells. The first mammal to be cloned successfully from an adult cell was Dolly the sheep. She was born in 1996 and died in early 2003，at a much younger age than normal. When she was born，many people were angry because they thought cloning would create more disease in the animal world. However，in general the scientists were praised for their wonderful scientific breakthrough.

    The Scottish scientist who created Dolly，Ian Wilmut，is shocked that some scientists are now considering cloning human beings. Although he researches cloning，his intention has never been to create copies of humans. Instead，he thinks research efforts should concentrate on creating new tissues and organs that could eventually be used to cure diseases like cancer. However，some people consider that cloning human embryos with the intention of destroying them shows no respect for human life.

    While cloning human embryos is illegal in many countries，some scientists are already pushing ahead with research so as to deliver a cloned human baby. Severino Antinori，an Italian doctor，is one of the leaders in this kind of research. He has declared that he wants to be the first to clone a human being.

    In China，scientists have focused their efforts on cloning animals，as well as stern cells to be used in medical research. China has succeeded in producing clones of cows and goats，and continues to research ways in which cloning can benefit mankind.

51. Which of the following statements about cloning is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Cloning technology can only be applied to animals.

B. A cloned animal can live longer than a normal one.

C. People all over the world are happy about the birth of Dolly.

D. Cloning can produce valuable tissues and organs to cure human diseases.

52. The reasons why people are anti-cloning include the following EXCEPT that_______.

A. cloning may produce a real-life Frankenstein’s monster

B. cloning might create more disease in the animal world

C. cloning can’t help those who want to clone their dead children

D. cloning human embryos shows no respect for human life

53. Who is in favor of cloning human beings?

A. Ian Wilmut.        B. Severino Antinori.

C. The author.        D. The Chinese scientists.

54. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A. If we interfere with nature, we will change the world to be what we want.

B. It is impossible to clone babies for women who cannot have ones.

C. Cloning human beings is illegal in many countries，so no scientists want to do so.

D. Whether cloning human embryos is legal or not remains a matter of debate.

A woman was in a hurry to go to the airport. She told the cab driver to drive quickly. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she was not aware they were going by a different route.
Suddenly, a man got inside the cab. He took her handbag where she had placed her visa, passport, and all her money for the trip.
The driver, who was in cahoots with the robber, left her in the middle of that dark street. She cursed the world for being so mean to her, and thought how unlucky she was in that situation.
That very same night, she heard some shocking news．Tears flowed down her face．Flight 230,which was the plane that she was supposed to have boarded, had crashed．If she had not lost her precious belongings, she could have lost something far more important—her life．
Sometimes bad things really happen．We lose money, fail our exams, or are rejected by others．There are times when nothing seems to go our way．
So what should we do about it? Should we be disappointed? The answer is a resounding “No!" We must get rid of all these frustrations and start all over again in the consistent faith that we will get what we deserve．
Don't waste your time and energy on things that can't be changed．Continuous worrying will only affect your health and you'll be doing much more damage than what was previously done．
What if it was the other way round? What if we never ran out of good luck?
There was a man who won the lottery．He thought he was the luckiest person in the world．He became greedy and wasted all his money on everything he could get his hands on．
One day, he made it to the front page of the newspaper again．But this time, it was a different story．He had been killed because of his riches．
If you attain good luck, you can never be too secure about it．Hope for protection and guidance．Life is so unpredictable．You never know what will happen next．
Live one day at a time．we sometimes subject ourselves to unnecessary emotional trouble．We ask ourselves: "What if I don't get this done in time?" or "What if my family leaves me and I've got no one else to turn to?"
Live for the moment．Do what must be done for the present and the future will turn out just fine． Believe me．And believe in yourself．As Captain Planet always says: "The power is yours!"
【小题1】The underlined phrase "in cahoots with" in Paragraph 3 probably means "____"．

A woman was in a hurry to go to the airport. She told the cab driver to drive quickly. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she was not aware they were going by a different route.

Suddenly, a man got inside the cab. He took her handbag where she had placed her visa, passport, and all her money for the trip.

The driver, who was in cahoots with the robber, left her in the middle of that dark street. She cursed the world for being so mean to her, and thought how unlucky she was in that situation.

That very same night, she heard some shocking news．Tears flowed down her face．Flight 230,which was the plane that she was supposed to have boarded, had crashed．If she had not lost her precious belongings, she could have lost something far more important—her life．

Sometimes bad things really happen．We lose money, fail our exams, or are rejected by others．There are times when nothing seems to go our way．

So what should we do about it? Should we be disappointed? The answer is a resounding “No!" We must get rid of all these frustrations and start all over again in the consistent faith that we will get what we deserve．

Don't waste your time and energy on things that can't be changed．Continuous worrying will only affect your health and you'll be doing much more damage than what was previously done．

What if it was the other way round? What if we never ran out of good luck?

There was a man who won the lottery．He thought he was the luckiest person in the world．He became greedy and wasted all his money on everything he could get his hands on．

One day, he made it to the front page of the newspaper again．But this time, it was a different story．He had been killed because of his riches．

If you attain good luck, you can never be too secure about it．Hope for protection and guidance．Life is so unpredictable．You never know what will happen next．

Live one day at a time．we sometimes subject ourselves to unnecessary emotional trouble．We ask ourselves: "What if I don't get this done in time?" or "What if my family leaves me and I've got no one else to turn to?"

Live for the moment．Do what must be done for the present and the future will turn out just fine． Believe me．And believe in yourself．As Captain Planet always says: "The power is yours!"

1.The underlined phrase "in cahoots with" in Paragraph 3 probably means "____"．

2.From the passage, we learn that___．

3.According to the author, which of the following is the right attitude to adopt towards life?

4.The stories are intended to tell us___．

C

A white-haired old gentleman steps out of his car, bag in hand and coat over his arm, he has called from the office to say that he is on the way. His wife is preparing supper. He can see the light shining inside his own front door. He looks forward to a fire and hot milk. It is a cold night. A few seconds later he is lying on the icy ground in a pool of his own blood.

　　It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen in the capital city of the United States. It is more likely to happen in the near-deserted city center at night. What happened to him could happen to any of us.

　　Senator Stennis, who is 71 , got out of his white Buick at 7:40 p.m. outside his home at 3609 Cumberland Street. Two youths said, "Get out! Money, please." He followed the order. He handed over his wallet containing several cards, a gold watch and the only money he had in his pockets—twenty-five cents. The youths also said, "Now we're going to shoot you anyway." Anyway they did. One bullet(子弹) hit him in the leg and struck the bone. The other entered his chest just below the upper pocket of his suit. It narrowly missed his heart.

　　Strangely he made it across a ten-meter distance, up eight steps and along twenty more feet of stone path. His wife met him at the door, and saw two men running. The senator told her to call the police and the doctor.

　　The senator is a powerful political figure, but it is unlikely that the two young men knew who he was. More likely the reason for the killing was that he had only no more than a quarter of dollar - not enough for two cups of coffee.

49 According to the passage,_______.

　　A. such a mugging(行凶抢劫) might have happened to anyone

　　B. the mugging happened on a cold evening in a senator's home

　　C. the senator was killed because he was an important politician

　　D. the mugging might not have happened if the senator was young and strong

50. Having robbed the senator, the two young men _______.

　　A. pulled him into a pool 　　 B. shot two bullets into his body

　　C. hit out at him hard 　　　　D. carried him away

51. The two young men were angry by the fact that _______.

　　A. the senator attempted to cheat them

　　B. they failed to get the senator's expensive car

　　C. the senator didn't die in their hands

　　D. the mugging didn't bring them what they had expected

52 Which of the following statements is not true?

　　A. A near-deserted city center at night is a dangerous place.

　　B. People should always carry some money with them.

　　C. Though seriously wounded, the senator managed to get home on his own.

　　D. The senator's wife met the two men and recognized them.

―Could I hand in my composition after class?

―Of course, you _____.

A．might                      B．will                C．can               D．should