.

Scientists have not come close to understanding all the different kinds of life on the planet, but US researcher Craig Venter is already working on creating the first artificial（人造的）life.

Venter and his researchers made a breakthrough late last month, They successfully moved the DNA of one type of bacteria(细菌) to a yeast cell（酵母）, changed it, then put it into another bacterial cell.

“Bacteria have systems that protect them from foreign DNA” Venter explained to the BBC, In the experiment, the team managed to block this system.

The experiment was performed on a simple type of bacteria celled mycoplasma mycoides. The team took the bacteria’s genes and put them into a yeast cell.

Putting a DNA in a yeast cell allowed the team to change the genes in this case, taking out a gene that was not necessary for the bacteria to live.   

They then put the gene into a host bacteria cell. The cell went on to divide normally, producing new healthy bacteria.

In January, the team created artificial genes of a new type of bacteria. Their next goal is to put the artificial DNA into a host cell to create a new species, according to a report in Science magazine.

“lf we don’t make any errors, I think it should work and we should have the first artificial species by the end of the year.” Venter said in the report.

The first artificial life form is likely to be a simple man-made bacteria, to prove that the technology can work.. But that form will be followed by more complex bacteria that turn coal into cleaner natural gas, or algae  that can take in carbon dioxide and change it into fuel.

Many scientists think it’s good news to have this artificial life, but others are worried that the technology to create new organisms might end up in the wrong hands, with dangerous result.

57．Which of the following is true according to the text ?

A  Bacteria have systems that protect them from yeast cell.

B  If we put a gene into a host bacteria cell,the cell will not go on to divide as usual.

C  Venter and his researchers completely achieved all their goals.

D  All the scientists didn’t agree to this artificial life.

58. What can we learn from the underlined sentences?

A. Venter and his researchers had succeeded in this project.

B. Venter predicted that they would make errors in the future,so he decided to give it up.

C. Venter would go on the study and he was full of confidence.

D. Venter was a clearer man but a little shy.

59. Which of the following shows the order of the passage ?

1.change the genes

2. put the gene into a host bacteria cell

3. moved the DNA of one type of bacteria to a yeast cell

4. The cell went on to divide normally

5. put it into another bacteria cell

A. 3-5-1-4-2     .               B. 3-5-1-2-4   C. 4-2-5-1-3                      D. 2-3-5-1-4

60.What will be mentioned in the next paragraph?

A. The wrong hands that created by the artificial life.

B. The advantages and disadvantages about the artificial life.

C. The future about this project.

D. The author’s attitude.

.

Scientists have not come close to understanding all the different kinds of life on the planet, but US researcher Craig Venter is already working on creating the first artificial（人造的）life.

Venter and his researchers made a breakthrough late last month, They successfully moved the DNA of one type of bacteria(细菌) to a yeast cell（酵母）, changed it, then put it into another bacterial cell.

“Bacteria have systems that protect them from foreign DNA” Venter explained to the BBC, In the experiment, the team managed to block this system.

The experiment was performed on a simple type of bacteria celled mycoplasma mycoides. The team took the bacteria’s genes and put them into a yeast cell.

Putting a DNA in a yeast cell allowed the team to change the genes in this case, taking out a gene that was not necessary for the bacteria to live.   

They then put the gene into a host bacteria cell. The cell went on to divide normally, producing new healthy bacteria.

In January, the team created artificial genes of a new type of bacteria. Their next goal is to put the artificial DNA into a host cell to create a new species, according to a report in Science magazine.

“lf we don’t make any errors, I think it should work and we should have the first artificial species by the end of the year.” Venter said in the report.

The first artificial life form is likely to be a simple man-made bacteria, to prove that the technology can work.. But that form will be followed by more complex bacteria that turn coal into cleaner natural gas, or algae  that can take in carbon dioxide and change it into fuel.

Many scientists think it’s good news to have this artificial life, but others are worried that the technology to create new organisms might end up in the wrong hands, with dangerous result.

57．Which of the following is true according to the text ?

A  Bacteria have systems that protect them from yeast cell.

B  If we put a gene into a host bacteria cell,the cell will not go on to divide as usual.

C  Venter and his researchers completely achieved all their goals.

D  All the scientists didn’t agree to this artificial life.

58. What can we learn from the underlined sentences?

A. Venter and his researchers had succeeded in this project.

B. Venter predicted that they would make errors in the future,so he decided to give it up.

C. Venter would go on the study and he was full of confidence.

D. Venter was a clearer man but a little shy.

59. Which of the following shows the order of the passage ?

 1.change the genes

2. put the gene into a host bacteria cell

3. moved the DNA of one type of bacteria to a yeast cell

4. The cell went on to divide normally

5. put it into another bacteria cell

A. 3-5-1-4-2     .               B. 3-5-1-2-4   C. 4-2-5-1-3                      D. 2-3-5-1-4

60.What will be mentioned in the next paragraph?

A. The wrong hands that created by the artificial life.

B. The advantages and disadvantages about the artificial life.

C. The future about this project.

D. The author’s attitude.

D
If you have a chance to go to Finland, you will probably be surprised to find how “foolish” the Finnish people are.
Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz with a fare(车费) of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then walk off without paying your fare. The driver would not show the least sign of anxiety.
The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals. The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration（登记） card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends to dine free of charge.
The Finnish workers are paid by the hour. They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss on the rate. From then on they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly.
With so many loopholes （漏洞）in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take “petty advantages”. But the strange thing is, all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in. As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”.
68． The underlined words in this passage means to “______”。
A. be ready to help others         B. make good use of one’s friends
C. be a little ahead of others     D. gain something at other’s loss
69． Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. While taking a taxi in Finland, you can get off without first paying your fare.
B. In a big hotel in Finland, you can enjoy free meals if you’re living in the hotel.
C. The bosses in Finland pay the employees according to registration of their working hours.
D. The workers are always honest with their working hours.
70． We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. the Finnish society is of very high moral level
B. there are many loopholes in everyday life in Finland
C. in Finland, most taxi drivers will not charge you anything
D. everyone in Finland is like a gentleman, for they have faith in themselves
71． Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. Life in Finland     B. A Society with “Foolish” People
C.What a Life         D. Honest accounts of the Finns

This is a dangerous world we live in. The numbers of murders goes up every year； people are dying of cancer；more people contract（感染）HIV；more teens are using drugs；etc. You know this because you’ve heard all the statistics on the news. But do you really have an accurate idea what they mean? The numbers are going up, but how do they compare to the growth in population? Are more cases of these diseases being reported because of better testing techniques, or are the diseases more common? The fact is that without knowing the background, statistics mean very little.
This growing trend of reporting only part of the information is becoming dangerous.
For example, several years ago a high school student reported dangers of the chemical known as dihydrogen monoxide. This chemical, found in most cancerous tumors（肿瘤）， is found in the blood of people drunk on alcohol, and causes complete physical and mental dependence for those who take the chemical even once. After reading his report, more than 75% of his Advanced Placement Chemistry class voted to forbid this dangerous chemical! Every one of the above statements is true, yet this chemical is necessary to all life on earth. The students made the mistake because they voted knowing only a few statements and statistics, rather than the chemical’s full background.
The point of this article is that one should be aware of what is and is not being said. When one finds a new fact or number, one should try to consider other important information before forming an opinion with only half-truths. Always remember that the author is trying to convince you of his or her own view, and will leave out information that is different to his view. For example, look again at the statistics that suggest skiing is safe. Only 32 people may die each year when skiing, while 897 die from lightning strikes, but which is really more dangerous? If you think about it, you will realize far fewer people go skiing each year than the number of people who are in danger of a lightening strike. When you think about it, skiing is more dangerous than you might at first think when looking at statistics. If we teenagers are to be left in this world, we had better be able think critically, and form our own views. rather than be easily persuaded by another’s. To be warned is to be prepared.
59．In the first paragraph, what problem does the writer want to warn us?
A. We are now living in a dangerous world.
B. We got a lot of false statistics from the media.
C. There are around us more and more murders, diseases etc.
D. Statistics alone without full background don’t give us an accurate picture of things.
60．Why does the writer use the example in the second paragraph?
A. To show the danger of reporting only part of the information.
B. To argue that high school students are easily persuaded.
C. To prove what is necessary to us might be dangerous.
D. To warn us of the harmful substances（物质）around us.
61．Relative information is often left out because__________
A. relative information is not that important
B. the author is trying to show what he or she says is true
C. too much information will make readers feel confused
D. readers are not able to analyze so much information at once
62．What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Some measures must be taken to protect our dangerous world.
B. We should learn to think critically and look at problems from all sides.
C. The growing trend of reporting only half-truths is getting out of control.
D. Teenagers ought to improve their ability of telling right from wrong.

This is a dangerous world we live in. The numbers of murders goes up every year； people are dying of cancer；more people contract（感染）HIV；more teens are using drugs；etc. You know this because you’ve heard all the statistics on the news. But do you really have an accurate idea what they mean? The numbers are going up, but how do they compare to the growth in population? Are more cases of these diseases being reported because of better testing techniques, or are the diseases more common? The fact is that without knowing the background, statistics mean very little.
This growing trend of reporting only part of the information is becoming dangerous.
For example, several years ago a high school student reported dangers of the chemical known as dihydrogen monoxide. This chemical, found in most cancerous tumors（肿瘤）， is found in the blood of people drunk on alcohol, and causes complete physical and mental dependence for those who take the chemical even once. After reading his report, more than 75% of his Advanced Placement Chemistry class voted to forbid this dangerous chemical! Every one of the above statements is true, yet this chemical is necessary to all life on earth. The students made the mistake because they voted knowing only a few statements and statistics, rather than the chemical’s full background.
The point of this article is that one should be aware of what is and is not being said. When one finds a new fact or number, one should try to consider other important information before forming an opinion with only half-truths. Always remember that the author is trying to convince you of his or her own view, and will leave out information that is different to his view. For example, look again at the statistics that suggest skiing is safe. Only 32 people may die each year when skiing, while 897 die from lightning strikes, but which is really more dangerous? If you think about it, you will realize far fewer people go skiing each year than the number of people who are in danger of a lightening strike. When you think about it, skiing is more dangerous than you might at first think when looking at statistics. If we teenagers are to be left in this world, we had better be able think critically, and form our own views. rather than be easily persuaded by another’s. To be warned is to be prepared.
59．In the first paragraph, what problem does the writer want to warn us?
A. We are now living in a dangerous world.
B. We got a lot of false statistics from the media.
C. There are around us more and more murders, diseases etc.
D. Statistics alone without full background don’t give us an accurate picture of things.
60．Why does the writer use the example in the second paragraph?
A. To show the danger of reporting only part of the information.
B. To argue that high school students are easily persuaded.
C. To prove what is necessary to us might be dangerous.
D. To warn us of the harmful substances（物质）around us.
61．Relative information is often left out because      .
A. relative information is not that important
B. the author is trying to show what he or she says is true
C. too much information will make readers feel confused
D. readers are not able to analyze so much information at once
62．What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Some measures must be taken to protect our dangerous world.
B. We should learn to think critically and look at problems from all sides.
C. The growing trend of reporting only half-truths is getting out of control.
D. Teenagers ought to improve their ability of telling right from wrong.