Have you ever heard a news reporter talk about DNA? Reporters talk about DNA found at the scene of a crime. They talk about police finding DNA “fingerprints.” Police sometimes use DNA as a clue to find out who committed the crime.

DNA is a substance（物质） that makes up genes. Everything alive has genes. Plans have genes. Animals have genes. You have genes.

Genes are the basic units of heredity（遗传）. Heredity means all the characteristics you inherit from your parents. You get your genes from your parents. You inherit half of your genes from your mother. You inherit half of your genes from your father.

Genes are a kind of code. A tree’s genes tell what shape its leaves will be. A cat’s genes tell what color its fur will be. Your genes tell what color your eyes will be. Your genes tell what color your hair will be. Everything about you comes from the code in your genes.

Genes line up on strands（链） called chromosomes（染色体） in cells. Everything alive is made up of cells. Chromosomes are in the center, or nucleus, of cells.

Different parts of you are made of different kinds of cells. Your muscles are made of muscle celIs. Your skin is made of skin cells. The code in your genes tells your body to make different kinds of cells. The genes in each cell tell the cell how to work. They tell the cell when to make new copies of itself.

An Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel first saw inherited patterns in pea plants. He experimented with pea plants in the 1860s. One of the things, or traits（特质）， Mendel studied was what makes some pea plants tall and some short. He said that the traits must come from units of heredity passed from the parent plants. These units were later called genes.

In the mid-1900s, scientists discovered that genes are made of DNA. In the 1970s, scientists learned how to change DNA with genetic engineering. Scientists also learned that problems with certain genes cause diseases. Muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, and hemophilia are some genetic diseases-diseases caused by problems in genes. Today, scientists are looking for ways to cure genetic diseases by changing genes through a process called gene therapy.

1. What is DNA?

A. DNA is a kind of gene.

B.. DNA is a substance that makes up genes.

C. DNA is the basic unit of heredity.

D. DNA is a measure to protect crime.

2. Which of the following about genes is correct according to the passage?

A. Plants, animals and human beings have the same genes.

B. Half people inherit all genes from their mother, others from their father.

C. Genes decide the trees shapes, the cats’ fur color and our eyes’ color as well.

D. Genes will give you a code when you need them.

3.Where are genes?

A. Genes lining up on strands called chromosomes are in the center of cells.

B. Genes hide in everything alive in your body.

C. Genes can be nowhere but in your mind, controlling all your actions.

D. Genes travel in your body and help cope skin, muscle, and eyes.

4.An Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel         .

A. first saw inherited patterns in people

B. was interested in why plants were different

C. first called the units of heredity from parents genes

D. was the first who discovered genes

5. We can conclude that         .

A. scientists were less intelligent than monks in 1900s

B. some genes are bad and can cause diseases

C. we don’t need to worry about genetic diseases any longer

D. the discovery of genes may be of great help in our daily life

 

Parents who feel disappointed at their teenagers’ failure to pay attention in class, and inability to sit quietly long enough to finish homework or plan ahead, should take solace. Their children are not being lazy or careless, according to new research.

The research has found that teenagers’ brains continue developing far longer into adulthood than we used to think. Teens may look like young adults but their brain structure is similar to that of much younger children.

“It is not always easy for teens to pay attention in class without letting their minds wander, or to ignore distractions from their younger brothers or sisters when trying to solve a maths   problem,” said Dr Iroise Dumon-theil. “But it’s not the fault of teenagers that they can’t pay attention and are easily distracted. It’s to do with the structure of their brains. Teens simply can’t think as well as an adult.”

The research showed that the brain of a teenager works less effectively than that of an adult. “We knew that the front of the brain of teens functioned in a chaotic  (混乱的) way but we  didn’ t realize it continued until the late 20s or early 30s,” said Dr Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, who led the research.

Chaotic thought patterns are a result of teenagers’ brains containing too much grey matter — the cell bodies and connections which carry messages within the brain. As we age, the amount of grey matter in our brain reduces.

“What our research has shown is that there is simply too much going on in the brains of teens,” said Blakemore. “The result is that their brain energy and resources are wasted and their decision-making process is badly influenced. Adults, on the other hand, have less grey matter. This means that the brain works far more effectively.”

1.The underlined word “solace” in Paragraph 1 may mean _____.

A． notice           B．medicine          C．comfort           D．action

2.When making decisions, _____.

A．teens’ brains continue to do much needless work

B．the grey matter in young children’s front brain becomes active

C．people are not likely to be distracted until their late 30s

D．adults are more independent than teens

3.What is the effect of having too much grey matter?

A．It makes us always feel disappointed.

B．It makes us more intelligent.

C．It had a bad effect on the growth of teens.

D．It had a bad effect on decision-making.

4.What’s the text mainly about?

A．Teens have different brains from those of children.

B．Adults work more effectively than teens.

C．Grey matter makes teens unable to pay attention.

D．Brain energy is wasted in the brain’s activity.

 

Have you ever heard a news reporter talk about DNA? Reporters talk about DNA found at the scene of a crime. They talk about police finding DNA “fingerprints.” Police sometimes use DNA as a clue to find out who committed the crime.

DNA is a substance（物质） that makes up genes. Everything alive has genes. Plans have genes. Animals have genes. You have genes.

Genes are the basic units of heredity（遗传）. Heredity means all the characteristics you inherit from your parents. You get your genes from your parents. You inherit half of your genes from your mother. You inherit half of your genes from your father.

Genes are a kind of code. A tree’s genes tell what shape its leaves will be. A cat’s genes tell what color its fur will be. Your genes tell what color your eyes will be. Your genes tell what color your hair will be. Everything about you comes from the code in your genes.

Genes line up on strands（链） called chromosomes（染色体） in cells. Everything alive is made up of cells. Chromosomes are in the center, or nucleus, of cells.

Different parts of you are made of different kinds of cells. Your muscles are made of muscle celIs. Your skin is made of skin cells. The code in your genes tells your body to make different kinds of cells. The genes in each cell tell the cell how to work. They tell the cell when to make new copies of itself.

An Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel first saw inherited patterns in pea plants. He experimented with pea plants in the 1860s. One of the things, or traits（特质）， Mendel studied was what makes some pea plants tall and some short. He said that the traits must come from units of heredity passed from the parent plants. These units were later called genes.

In the mid-1900s, scientists discovered that genes are made of DNA. In the 1970s, scientists learned how to change DNA with genetic engineering. Scientists also learned that problems with certain genes cause diseases. Muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, and hemophilia are some genetic diseases-diseases caused by problems in genes. Today, scientists are looking for ways to cure genetic diseases by changing genes through a process called gene therapy.

What is DNA?

A. DNA is a kind of gene.

B.. DNA is a substance that makes up genes.

C. DNA is the basic unit of heredity.

D. DNA is a measure to protect crime.

Which of the following about genes is correct according to the passage?

A. Plants, animals and human beings have the same genes.

B. Half people inherit all genes from their mother, others from their father.

C. Genes decide the trees shapes, the cats’ fur color and our eyes’ color as well.

D. Genes will give you a code when you need them.

Where are genes?

A. Genes lining up on strands called chromosomes are in the center of cells.

B. Genes hide in everything alive in your body.

C. Genes can be nowhere but in your mind, controlling all your actions.

D. Genes travel in your body and help cope skin, muscle, and eyes.

An Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel         .

A. first saw inherited patterns in people

B. was interested in why plants were different

C. first called the units of heredity from parents genes

D. was the first who discovered genes

We can conclude that         .

A. scientists were less intelligent than monks in 1900s

B. some genes are bad and can cause diseases

C. we don’t need to worry about genetic diseases any longer

D. the discovery of genes may be of great help in our daily life

Have you ever heard a news reporter talk about DNA? Reporters talk about DNA found at the scene of a crime. They talk about police finding DNA “fingerprints.” Police sometimes use DNA as a clue to find out who committed the crime.
DNA is a substance（物质） that makes up genes. Everything alive has genes. Plans have genes. Animals have genes. You have genes.
Genes are the basic units of heredity（遗传）. Heredity means all the characteristics you inherit from your parents. You get your genes from your parents. You inherit half of your genes from your mother. You inherit half of your genes from your father.
Genes are a kind of code. A tree’s genes tell what shape its leaves will be. A cat’s genes tell what color its fur will be. Your genes tell what color your eyes will be. Your genes tell what color your hair will be. Everything about you comes from the code in your genes.
Genes line up on strands（链） called chromosomes（染色体） in cells. Everything alive is made up of cells. Chromosomes are in the center, or nucleus, of cells.
Different parts of you are made of different kinds of cells. Your muscles are made of muscle celIs. Your skin is made of skin cells. The code in your genes tells your body to make different kinds of cells. The genes in each cell tell the cell how to work. They tell the cell when to make new copies of itself.
An Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel first saw inherited patterns in pea plants. He experimented with pea plants in the 1860s. One of the things, or traits（特质）， Mendel studied was what makes some pea plants tall and some short. He said that the traits must come from units of heredity passed from the parent plants. These units were later called genes.
In the mid-1900s, scientists discovered that genes are made of DNA. In the 1970s, scientists learned how to change DNA with genetic engineering. Scientists also learned that problems with certain genes cause diseases. Muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, and hemophilia are some genetic diseases-diseases caused by problems in genes. Today, scientists are looking for ways to cure genetic diseases by changing genes through a process called gene therapy.
【小题1】 What is DNA?

A．DNA is a kind of gene.

B．DNA is a substance that makes up genes.

C．DNA is the basic unit of heredity.

D．DNA is a measure to protect crime.

【小题2】 Which of the following about genes is correct according to the passage?

A．Plants, animals and human beings have the same genes.

B．Half people inherit all genes from their mother, others from their father.

C．Genes decide the trees shapes, the cats’ fur color and our eyes’ color as well.

D．Genes will give you a code when you need them.

【小题3】Where are genes?

A．Genes lining up on strands called chromosomes are in the center of cells.

B．Genes hide in everything alive in your body.

C．Genes can be nowhere but in your mind, controlling all your actions.

D．Genes travel in your body and help cope skin, muscle, and eyes.

【小题4】An Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel         .

A．first saw inherited patterns in people

B．was interested in why plants were different

C．first called the units of heredity from parents genes

D．was the first who discovered genes

【小题5】 We can conclude that         .

A．scientists were less intelligent than monks in 1900s

B．some genes are bad and can cause diseases

C．we don’t need to worry about genetic diseases any longer

D．the discovery of genes may be of great help in our daily life

阅读下列文字资料，按照要求匹配信息，并将答题卡上的相应选项涂黑。

请阅读下列科技新闻的信息：

A. One of the biggest science stories last year was the research on stem cells announced by South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk. But now it appears that the research was false. In June, Mr. Hwang reported that he and his team at Seoul National University had created eleven new stem cell lines.

B. Another major science story last year came from the United States. On December twentieth, a federal judge ruled that teaching “intelligent design” in public schools is a violation of the United States Constitution.

C. There was also news last year about the American space program. The American space shuttle（航天飞机） returned to the skies in July. Discovery and its seven-member crew made the first shuttle flight in two and one-half years. NASA had suspended shuttle flights following the deadly explosion of the shuttle Columbia in 2003.

D. Avian influenza（禽流感） was also a major science story last year. The H5N1 virus appeared in birds in Europe for the first time. Yet the only known human cases of the disease have been in East Asia. There have been about one hundred forty confirmed cases of bird flu since 2003. About half the people have died.

E. The World Health Organization advises patients to take a combination of four drugs to treat tuberculosis（肺结核）. These four antibiotics must be taken for about six months to cure the disease. Some people, however, take the drugs only until they feel better. Discontinuing treatment is a mistake.

F. The researchers began the study in January, 2002. They called it SMART---Strategies for Management of Anti-retroviral Therapy. The scientists reached more than ninety percent of the target before they halted（停止） new enrollments last month. The researchers tested all the people for the level of CD-four cells in their blood. The researchers divided the patients into two groups.

阅读以下与科技有关的信息卡，然后匹配信息卡和与之相关的科技新闻：

1.Card 1: One group stayed on continuous anti-retroviral therapy. They took their medicines every day. The other took them periodically. They took the drugs only when their CD-four count fell below two hundred fifty cells per cubic millimeter of blood.

2.Card 2 : Judge John Jones said that intelligent design is not science. He said it is a version of Christianity. So to teach it in public schools violates the law that requires the separation of church and state. Supporters of intelligent design criticize the science of evolution.

3.Card 3: Stem cells have the ability to grow into other cells. Science magazine published the report. The new lines were made from the eggs of eighteen women and skin cells from eleven other people.

4.Card 4: Many of the victims had touched or been around infected farm birds. But health experts around the world began warning that the bird flu virus could change into a form that is passed from person to person.

5.Card 5 : That explosion was the result of damage done to Columbia during its launch. A piece of lightweight protective material fell off the shuttle’s external fuel container. The object hit the shuttle at a high rate of speed and made a hole in one of the wings. This permitted extremely hot gases to enter the shuttle and destroy the spacecraft as it returned to the earth.