研究生英语阅读教程（基础级2版）课文05及其翻译

Science and Technology (->technique)

By Judith Raughman (Editor)

[1] (optimistic->)Optimism and empowerment. As the century drew to a close (end), the potential for human invention and understanding appeared (seemed) boundless (limitless). Scientific understanding expanded daily, from the fundamental (basic) building blocks of matter to the source code of all life to the origins, and perhaps the eventual (finally) demise (end), of the universe. The technological advances (progresses) of the 1990s ushered in (led to) what appeared to be a social and economic revolution that would rival (match / compete with) the Industrial Revolution two centuries earlier (information revolution), creating a new society of technologically connected citizens with a world of digitized information, commerce, and communication at its fingertips. The new \Age\represented by the \Superhighway\was not all-inclusive, threatened to leave many (people) behind, including older citizens and those (people) who could not afford (pay for) the new technology. Still (Furthermore), by 1999 more than three-quarters of the U. S. population was \Americans felt that technological advances were improving their quality of life. Optimism was the reigning tone [key-note speaker/ speech] of the decade. New advances in science and technology seemed to promise eventual (final) solutions to problems ranging from eliminating toxic (poisonous) waste to grocery shopping — genetic engineers developed microbes that would eat industrial sludge and researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Media Lab worked to devise (design) a refrigerator that could sense (feel) when it was out of milk and use the Internet to order more. The 1990s allayed (relieved/ reduced) the fear that a technologically advanced society was necessarily heavily centralized, with Big Brother watching every move (=movement). Instead (On the contrary), with the creation of the Internet and the World Wide Web, and their emphasis on decentralization, equality, and the open sharing of resources, many individuals found that greater access (right) to information increased their sense (feeling) of personal freedom and power.

[2] Ethics and the Natural. With the explosion of knowledge came public concern (worry) over where all of these new discoveries and technologies might be taking society. The cloning of an animal in 1997 suggested (show) that human cloning had become viable (feasible) as well (too), raising concerns — no longer quite theoretical — that humanity might be moving toward a \(adventurous) new world\in 1990 with a mission (missionary/ task) to decode the entire human genetic makeup, held (raise) promises (hope) for an end (terminate) to genetic disorders, but threatened to open the way for \babies\who could be genetically altered to suit their parents' wishes. While many (people) argued that plant and animal breeders had been fooling around with genetics for centuries in order to better (improve) the lot of humankind, others pointed out that new advances (progresses) in genetics allowed researchers to cross boundaries set by nature, implanting human genes in animals in order to turn them into medicine factories, creating plants that produced plastics and glowed in the dark, even attempting (trying) to create “terminator\own reproductive capacity (ability) in order to maintain (keep) the seed manufacturer's cash flow. The question of what was \the environment and the organisms in it seemed safe from genetic tinkering. Yet, while experiments with human cloning or customizing a child's genetic makeup seemed abhorrent (horrible/ terrible) to most Americans, there was general support for genetic research that could help to identify

(recognize) and cure genetic diseases or make food sources healthier and more plentiful for a growing global population.

[3] (private->)Privacy. Privacy was an overarching (most important) concern (worry) with many of the technological and scientific advances of the 1990s. The Internet was an amazing (surprising) new tool for sharing information, yet it was also a powerful means (tools) for finding information that was intended to be private, including government and military secrets, the source codes to proprietary (private) software, and even a neighbor's social security number. Companies and individuals alike (ad. similarly) worried that their private information would be compromised when (since) sophisticated computer technologists could \into protected computer systems and erase or steal important data. Computer viruses, self-replicating codes (program) written by malicious individuals, could steal into personal computer systems through e-mail or the Web and wreak havoc with (make a mess of) the data stored there. Protecting privacy over the Internet was not easy, and many people worried that government attempts (try) to intervene would only cripple (disable/ paralyze) the development of the Internet. Similar fears were sparked (vt. sparkled) when concerned (relevant) groups lobbied (persuade) the government to outlaw pornography and other disturbing materials on the Web in the name of \agreed that children should not be exposed to (touch/ watch) such material, attempts (efforts) to regulate (control) the content of individual Web pages and newsgroups conflicted with the idea of the Internet as an open, decentralized mass medium, where even the most absurd or repellant (disgusting) ideas could receive a hearing (have some audience). Digital surveillance in the workplace also became an issue (problem), as (when) some companies spied on (watch) their workers' use of the Internet and e-mail. [sur-: above; from above]

[4] Genetics and Privacy. Advances (progresses) in genetics also threatened personal privacy. With the Human Genome Project scheduled (planned) to be finished early in the twenty-first century, and private companies competing to win patents on genetic discoveries, many individuals worried about what scientists might do with a complete understanding of the human genetic code. While genetic diseases could be discovered and perhaps cured, this information might also be used to discriminate against people predisposed (inclined to) to certain genetic malfunctions, or to group (vt./ classify) individuals based on their genetic data. The idea that scientists would own patents on the human genetic code was disturbing, as well, as (for/ since) it meant that human life could become a proprietary (private) resource (property).

[5] Big Science And Little Science. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) continued to wow (surprise) the world, sending the giant Hubble Telescope into orbit to gather and transmit never-before-seen images (picture) of deep space that offered (gave) increasingly tantalizing (attractive) clues to the origins of the universe. The search for extraterrestrial life continued during the decade, as NASA scientists found possible evidence of bacterial life in a meteor from Mars, and distant planets were discovered that might contain water. NASA sent space probes (n./vt.) to land on the surface of Mars, sent national hero John Herschel Glenn Jr. back into space to study aging, and made plans to build an International Space Station with research teams from other countries. Still (Furthermore), some critics wondered if all of the money spent on space research might not be better used to fund new discoveries here on Earth, almost as if the (divide->)diversion of space was no longer as necessary when (since) there were so many new and interesting projects going on right here. One of the most fascinating (attractive) new realms (world/ field) of study was nanotechnology, a field of research that attempted to manipulate matter at the molecular level, building new devices (equipment) atom by atom that could be used in miniaturized manufacturing, drug-delivery system, and tiny (small) minicomputers. With the discovery of a new family of carbon molecules known as fullerenes, nanotechnology researchers had a new raw material to work with (process). The science was still very experimental at the turn (beginning) of the century, but researchers and government officials saw great potential for this science of the tiny (small). (1, 151 words)

deliver milk/ a baby

ABOUT THE TEXT

This text is excerpted from the book American Decades 1990-1999, edited by Judith Baughman (Editor), Victor Bondi (Editor), Vincent Tompkins (Editor) and Gale Group, which is the last volume of the American Decades 1900-2000 Series. The series is the latest installment of the Gale series documenting the history and social trends of the United States of America during the 20th century. The current text is the overview (summary) of the book's one chapter on Science and Technology.

EXERCISES

I. Reading Comprehension

Answer the following questions or complete the following statements. 1. This article is mainly about _____.

A. how to tackle the problems in the new \B. the direction of scientific and technological development

C. both the positive and negative effects of the technological advances

D. the great impact on our ethics and privacy brought by the technological advances

2. The \ _____. A. represents the digital age B. emphasizes on humanity C. is highly civilized D. benefits everyone except older citizens

3. The phrase \ A. interested in B. accustomed to C. fascinated by D. connected to

4. Which of the following is NOT responsible for the increased sense of personal freedom and power?

A. A technologically advanced society is centralized.

B. There is much greater access to information than before. C. People can have the open sharing of resources online. D. The notion of equality is emphasized on the Internet.

5. Concerned about the potential effect of the Human Genome Project, most Americans would _____.

A. welcome human cloning to improve their standard of living

B. support the genetic research which could help to cure genetic diseases C. welcome creating plants that produced plastics and glowed in the dark D. support making genetically altered babies to suit their parents' wishes

6. How could the \A. They are so reproductive that they will outsell other kinds of seeds.

B. The patents on the \

C. The farmers have to buy seeds again as the \seeds themselves.

D. Because the plants, into which the \the dark, the seeds sell extremely well.

7. Many people who think government should not outlaw pornography on the Web believe that _____.

A. there were still a large number of people who have need for pornography B. everyone could voice his ideas, no matter how weird or offensive they are C. the government had no right to interfere with the development of the Internet D. the government might be encouraged to spy on each suspicious computer

8. The development of genetic science might threaten personal privacy in that _____. A. the data of the people with genetic diseases will be published B. people may be treated differently based on their genetic data

C. patents on the human genetic code will bring scientists enormous profits D. scientists will use information about human life for personal gains

9. \_____. A. the study of life in outer space B. the study of the origin of life C. the study of molecules D. the study of nanotechnology

10. What is the critics' attitude towards the large scale of space research as mentioned in the last paragraph?

A. They believe that such a research would be a waste of resources.

B. They doubt its necessity because there are new and interesting projects on Earth. C. They are concerned that space research would prove to be fruitless. D. They believe that space research is not so important as nanotechnology.

II. Vocabulary

A. Read the following sentences and decide which of the me choices below each sentence is closest in meaning to the underlined word.

1. The demise (death) of the industry has caused untold misery to thousands of hard-working (diligent) tradesmen. A. size B. expansion C. development D. termination

2. There were difficulties for her about making the whole surgery financially viable (feasible) and eventually (finally) she left. A. practicable B. sufficient C. deficient D. impractical

3. Learning some basic information about preparing and delivering (~ a speech) formal presentations can help allay (relieve/ reduce) some of the fear involved in public speaking. [oral presentation]

A. ease [(1)n. feel at ~; (2)to relieve pain] B. express C. prevent D. dispose (get rid of)

4. Whatever the cause (may be), the incident could easily cripple (damage/ paralyze) the peace talks.

A. influence B. damage C. end D. complicate (a./ vt.)

5. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster (develop/ cultivate)

productivity, not stifle it.

A. retain B. repress (suppress) C. crash D. abandon (abundant: a. enough)

6. He listened keenly to his guests, treated what he heard with complete discretion and never said a malicious word. [malice: n.->malicious: a.] [be keen on sth.] A. disheartening (discouraging<->encourage) B. sympathetic [sym-: same; pathy: feeling C. harsh (severe) D. polite [be sympathetic with sb./ sympathize with sb.]

7. After the summit (peak) meeting, peace reigned throughout the region once more (again). A. emerged (appeared) B. continued C. dominated D. resumed (restore)

8. There are many people who still find the act of abortion abhorrent (disgusting/ horrible/ terrible).

A. shocking (=surprising) B. (tolerate->)tolerable C. uncontrollable [high ~<->low ~] D. distasteful (disgusting) 9. The police have got the evidence to sue him, which is shot with a miniature (hidden) camera. A. small B. digital

C. concealed (hidden) D. sophisticated [shoot, shot shot/ gun shot]

10. The chief [chef=cook] has assembled (collected) 300 tantalizing (attractive) recipes for all occasions and lifestyles, plus down to earth (=practical) advice on matching food with wine. A. disturbing B. tempting C. promising D. offending (=offensive/ ~ talk)

B. Choose the best word or expression from the list given for each blank. Use each word or expression only once and make proper changes where necessary.

predisposed to decode wreak havoc compromise malfunction at one's fingertips usher in discriminate toxic customize

1. You have to admit how wonderful the service center is — it just puts anything you may possibly need at your fingertips!

2. He belonged to a generation that took it for granted that after the war a brave new world was to be ushered in (be led to somewhere).

3. We must understand the double language used today and carefully decode its meaning. 4. The civil war has wrought havoc on the economy.

5. The government's future may be plunged (dive) into jeopardy (danger) unless the coalition () partners manage to (try to) reach a compromise. [win-win situation] 6. This heat can cause certain circuit-board components to malfunction or fail altogether. 7. Evidence showed the herbs were not toxic (poisonous) and did not contain poisons or common drugs.

8. It was alleged (claimed) that the restaurant discriminated against black customers. [Negro] 9. Some people are genetically predisposed (inclined to do sth.) to cancers.

10. You are in charge of your own schedule (plan/ timetable) and can customize that schedule to fit your own training needs. [(1)charge sb with sth.=accuse sb. of sth.; (2)~a battery; (3) be in charge of sth.(4)~ sb. some money]

III. Cloze

There are ten blanks in the following passage. Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer from the four choices given for each blank.

A U.S. company says [sez] they have developed pigs with organs 1 for use in human transplant operations. They are the first pigs 2 engineered to keep their organs from being 3 by humans.

The researchers believe their work is the best hope for people 4 an organ transplant operation. More than seventy-thousand people in the United States alone need 5 an operation to replace organs that 6 work. Scientists consider (think) pigs to be the best animals to provide organs for people. This is because the organs are 7 .

The company has developed pigs of different 8 . The first four genetically engineered pigs were born in September and October last year. The pigs are smaller than normal. The five other pigs are 9 normal size. They were born in December. The company says it wants to use the pigs as part of its program (project) to 10 a cure for patients with heart disease. 1. A. detailed B. denoted (imply) C. desired D. designed (=devised) 2. A. genetically B. generally C. especially D. essentially 3. A. eliminated B. discarded C. rejected (repel) D. abandoned 4. A. serving on B. contributing to C. waiting for D. associating with 5. A. thus B. this C. so D. such 6. A. not B. no longer C. not more D. no other 7. A. similar B. familiar C. identical (=same) D. unique 8. A. shapes B. types C. sizes D. sorts (=kind/ category) 9. A. off B. of C. for D. from 10. A. see B. seem C. size D. seek

IV. Translation

Put the following parts into Chinese.

1. The technological advances of the 1990s ushered in what appeared to be a social and economic revolution that would rival the Industrial Revolution two centuries earlier, creating a new society of technologically connected citizens with a world of digitized information, commerce, and communication at its fingertips.

20 世纪90 年代的技术进步似乎带来了一场其意义堪与200 媲美的社会与经济方面的革命，它创造了一个崭新的社会年以前的工业革命相在这个社会里人们由技术相互连接，数字化的信息、商业以及通讯都在弹指一挥间。

2. New advances in science and technology seemed to promise eventual solutions to problems ranging from eliminating toxic waste to grocery shopping—genetic engineers developed microbes that would eat industrial sludge and researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Media Lab worked to devise a refrigerator that could sense when it was out of milk and use the Internet to order more.

科技的新发展似乎向人们承诺提供从消除有毒废料到食品采买一系列问题的最终解决方案― 遗传科技人员培养出了能够吞食工业残渣的微生物，麻省理工学院媒体实验室的研究人员设计出了能够觉察箱内牛奶告罄并可上网定购的电冰箱。

3. The cloning of an animal in 1997 suggested that human cloning had become viable as well, raising concerns—no longer quite theoretical—that humanity might be moving toward a \

new world\

1997 年克隆动物的成功表明了克隆人也已不成问题，人们担心人类可能会朝着一个由基因制造的人组成的“美丽新世界”方向发展（这己不再是单纯的理论问题了）。

4. While most Americans agreed that children should not be exposed to such material, attempts to regulate the content of individual Web pages and newsgroups conflicted with the idea of the Internet as an open, decentralized mass medium, where even the most absurd or repellant ideas could receive a hearing.

尽管大多数美国人赞成小孩不应接触这些内容，但试图规范个人网页和新闻组内容的努力还是同互联网应是公开、非集权的大众媒体的理念发生了冲突，在这种媒体中，即使最荒唐、最令人讨厌的东西也可以发表。

5. Still, some critics wondered if all of the money spent on space research might not be better used to fund new discoveries here on Earth, almost as if the diversion of space was no longer as necessary when there were so many new and interesting projects going on right here.

但是一些批评人士提出质疑说，把花在太空上的钱用来资助地球上的新发现是不是更好呢？似乎地球上正进行着这么多有趣的新项目，太空研究不再那么必要了。

V. Oral Practice and Discussion

1. Why was the new \2. List the threats confronting Americans' privacy.

3. What positive effects is the Human Genome Project likely to bring to the American life? 4. Describe the efforts made by NASA scientists during the 1990s in exploring the space. 5. What effect has the \

6. Has your private computer been hacked into? Or have you ever got your pin for your e-mail box or messenger stolen? Describe the situation, and what you did to solve the problem.

7. What is your view on the possibility of genetically engineered people?

VOCABULARY ITEMS

1. empowerment: (strength) investing with power, especially legal power or official authority; abuse of power/ drug; superpower [en-: enable: ~sb to do sth. ; possible->impossible]

2. demise: n. the end of existence or activity; termination/ death 3. usher: v. to precede and introduce; inaugurate

4. digitize: v. to put (data, for example) into digital form; a three-digit number] to be as clever as Chinese programmers

5. microbe: n. a minute life form; a microorganism, especially a bacterium (bacteria) that causes disease; micro-: <->macro-: four ~ skills

6. sludge: a. thick mud

7. allay: v. to cause sth. to be felt less strongly; to relieve sb/ sb.s pain/ go to sb.s relief/ to rescue sb.

8. ethics: n. the study of question about what is morally right, and wrong

9. viable: adj. capable of success or continuing effectiveness; practical/ feasible

10. genome: n. (in biology and genetics) the particular number and combination of certain chromosomes necessary to form the single nucleus of a living cell

11. (encode<->)decode: v. to convert from code into plain text/ plain water/ plain-clothed policemen

12. implant: v. to put or insert (a tissue) within the body 13. stifle: v. to stop sth. from happening or developing

14. tinker: v. to make small changes to sth. in order to repair it or make it work better 15. customize: v. to make or alter to individual or personal specifications；customer: n.

16.abhorrent: adj. disgusting and hateful, completely unacceptable (because sth. seems morally wrong) ; horror/ terror->horrible/ terrible; terrorist; aboriginal; normal->abnormal 17. overarching: adj. including or influencing every part of sth.; arc/ arch-: above; bishop->archbishop

18. proprietary: adj. exclusively owned; private

19. replicate: a to duplicate, copy->copier, reproduce, or repeat;

20. malicious: adj. having the nature of or resulting from malice; deliberately harmful; spiteful ; mal-: bad/ wrong; treat->maltreat/ ill-treat

21. outlaw: v. to declare (sth.) illegal

22. pornography: n. magazines, films, etc. that show sexual acts and images in a way that is intended to make people feel sexually excited; photography (n.); dirty / blue/ naughty film/ magazine; yellow: ~ page; green page

23. repellant: adj. distasteful or very unpleasant; disgusting

24. surveillance: n. close observation of a person or group, especially one under (suspect->)suspicion; sur- above/ from above, e.g. surpass

25. malfunction: n. / vt. a fault in the way a machine or computer operates 26. aeronautics: a. the science of designing and flying planes; aero- =air-

27. tantalizing: adj. making one feel a strong desire to have sth. that one cannot have; attractive 28. extraterrestrial: adj. originating, located, or occurring outside Earth or its atmosphere; extra pay for extra work

29. meteor: a piece of rock or metal that floats in space, and makes a bright lighting in the night sky when it falls through the Earths (atom->)atmosphere 30. Mars: (Marsian: a.) n. the planet in the solar system that is fourth in order from the sun, is nearest to the Earth, and is a red color; Mars Square

31. nanotechnology: n. the science of making or working with things that are so small that they can only be seen using a powerful microscope

32. fullerene: n. any of a class of carbon molecules in which the carbon atoms are arranged into 12 pentagonal faces and 2 or more hexagonal faces to form a hollow sphere, cylinder, or similar figure

33. usher in: to be the start of sth. new; lead

34. at one’s fingertips: at hand, ready to use conveniently; be thoroughly familiar

35. plug in to: connect a piece of electrical equipment to the main supply of electricity, or to another piece of electrical equipment; plug<-> socket

36. fool round with: to behave in a careless and irresponsible way; fool: vt.

37. hock into: to secretly find a way to get into the information on sb. else's computer system in order to use or change it; hack

38. wreak havoc: to bring about; cause a situation in which there is a lot of confusion or damage; make a mess of sth.

39. receive a hearing: to get the chance to voice one's idea or defense; get public attention or assessment (=evaluation)

40. spy on: to act as a spy on; watch secretly 41. turn of the century: beginning of a century

NOTES

1. Source code: A computer program that can be read by sb. who knows the language it is written in. Here it refers to heredity code. resource-> a resourceful person 2. Big brother: Any person, organization, or system that seems to want to control people's lives and restrict their freedom.

3. Brave (adventurous) New World: A novel written by Aldous Huxley. In the story, control of reproduction, genetic engineering, conditioning (stimuli and response/ training), and a perfect pleasure drug called \are the cornerstones of the new society. Reproduction has been removed from the womb and placed on the conveyor belt, where reproductive workers tinker with the embryos to produce various grades of human beings, ranging from the super-intelligent Alpha Pluses down to the dwarfed semi-moron Epsilons.

4. Human Genome Project: (also known as Human Genome Initiative) Controversial international effort launched in 1990 by the National Institute of Health to map and sequence all the genes on the 46 chromosomes of humans; knowledge expected to help geneticists identify (recognize) the causes of all inherited disorders and to help them eliminate as many as possible; headed (led) by molecular geneticist Francis Collins.

5. NASA: A U.S. government organization that controls space travel and the scientific study of space.

6. Hubble Telescope: Also called Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the first large orbital optical observatory and the most sophisticated optical observatory ever placed into orbit around the Earth. Built from 1978 to 1990 at a cost of $ 1.5 billion, the HST (named for astronomer E. P. Hubble) was expected to provide the clearest view yet obtained of the universe.

7. John Herschel Glenn Jr.: The first U. S. astronaut to orbit the Earth (1962)

READING SELECTION B

Should We Improve Our Genome?

by Nicolas Wade

[1] Now that we have decoded the human genome, why don't we improve it?

[2] The question is at present theoretical but could well emerge as the hardest of all bioethical issues. Biologists routinely alter the genes of mice, with methods that are not yet acceptable for making inheritable changes in people, but one day genetic engineers may figure out how to apply safe patches to the human biological software.

[3] Everyone would like to have children who are healthy, beautiful and gifted. But people vary widely in all these qualities, depending on their parents' genes, and the pure luck of the draw at conception when each child gets allotted a random selection of half the parental gene pool.

[4] Most human genes exist in several different versions in the population: some of them are great to have, some so-so and some downright deleterious.

[5] This month the Icelandic company Decode Genetics found three quite common versions of a gene called BMP-2, each of which considerably increases its owner's risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture.

[6] Suppose it were possible to delete any bad version of BMP-2, and of all other human genes, in a human embryo, and to replace them with good versions, without any risk to health. Would that be the right thing to do?

[7] Parents who made such a choice would know they had given their child the best possible start in life. However expensive the procedure, it would be cheap in the long run if it saved a lifetime of medical bills, and therefore could be made available to all. Life's most serious unfairness, the difference in genetic endowment would be erased from birth.

[8] \day, people may view sex as essentially recreational, and conception as something best done in the laboratory,\start to believe it is \

[9] Yet there are weighty arguments for not making inheritable changes to the human genome. [10] On the practical side, many genes have more than one effect and swapping out the bad version of a gene can have unpredictable complications. The new gene, for example, may interact badly with the person's other genes.

[11] But if the elimination of disease-causing variants of genes should prove successful, there might be no holding the line against parents who wanted to enhance strength or intelligence as well.

[12] Upgrading the imperfect human material is all very well, but handling the transition between the super people and the ordinary variety promises to be awkward. Social stresses may emerge, especially if the technology does not trickle down quickly and smoothly.

[13] Soup up those genes for IQ? Altering the genes that shape human behavior is not to be undertaken lightly. Human nature is a subtle blend of contrary qualities, the only survivor of evolution's many disastrous experiments. What could justify the risk of messing with such a delicate brew? Can we be happy as we are, just as nature has shaped us?

[14] \gradual and exacting evolution, are almost certainly at risk from any ill-considered attempt at improvement',\enhancing the body's natural abilities.

[15] As the products of evolution, people may seem churlish if they challenge evolution's wisdom. But of course, evolution has none. It is a blind process that depends on constant error to create occasional lucky accidents.

[16] By culling the unfortunate owners of bad genes, evolution keeps animals healthy and vigorous until the age of reproduction, and a bit beyond for species that provide parental

[17] But evolution's rigor at favoring good genes that act early in life is mirrored by a weakness in screening out bad genes that act after the age of reproduction. Because of this weakness, evolution has failed to eliminate the bone-fracturing variants of BMP-2, and the bad, late-acting versions of many other genes in the human genome. This is the very reason that we age and die.

[18] If evolution cannot help us after a certain age, why should we not help ourselves? Should not everyone have a right to the best versions of the genes in our collective genetic heritage, or at least to be born free of the worse ones?

[19] And yet, if we reduce genetic differences, we risk turning the human population into one giant clone, tedious to meet with and bereft of the variation needed to respond to changing environments. The pursuit of perfection, if carried to extremes, is a sure recipe for extinction. (769 words)

Reading Comprehension

1. The question of why we don't improve the human genome is at present theoretical because___.

A. whether to improve the human genome is the hardest of all bioethical issues B. biologists are not ready with the methods to improve human genome C. the genetic engineers haven't found out how to alter human genes

D. at present the methods to change genes are not allowed to be used on humans

2. According to the passage, people get half of their parents' genes ____. A. intentionally B. selectively C. luckily D. randomly

3. According to the studies made by the Icelandic company Decode Genetics, A. some people are born with the possibility of osteoporosis and bone fracture

B. the risk of osoeoporosis and bone fracture can be deleted without any risk to health

C. osteoporosis and bone fracture can be prevented by inserting BMP-2 genes into a human embryo D. it is right to replace BMP-2 genes with some good versions

4. According to the passage, ___. A. everyone is born equal biologically

B. the nature is fair for everyone living on this earth

C. genetic endowments make the most difference in people D. it serves some people right to have deleterious genes

5. According to Dr. Gregory Stock, in the future ____. A. babies will be developed in laboratories B. non-sexual marriage will be more popular

C. parents will go genetic testing before having babies

D. it is absurd for parents to go genetic testing before having babies

6. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned as the arguments for opposing the improvement of the human genome?

A. The newly changed genes may have unknown complications. B. Making genetic changes in some people may cause social stress.

C. The lack of variation in human beings cannot respond to the changing environments. D. Human beings are such a delicate brew in nature that they cannot survive the changes.

7. The President's Council of Bioethics believes that ___.

A. human beings are the only survivor of evolution's many disastrous experiments

B. the human body and mind as masterpieces of evolution need no artificial improvement C. we should take it lightly to change the genes that shape human behavior

D. The human body and mind are so complex and delicate that they should be enhanced

8. According to the author, evolution is ___. A. a process of errors and trials B. a process with its purpose C. a process without any purpose D. a very wise process of the nature

9. According to the passage, people are less healthy when they get old because ___. A. they have run out of the good genes that act early in life B. evolution has failed to eliminate BMP-2 genes

C. late-acting versions of genes in the human genome are bad

D. evolution doesn't eliminate the bad genes that act after the age of reproduction

10. The author's attitude toward genome improvement is ____. A. worried B. supportive C. enthusiastic D. indifferent

VOCABULARY TEMS

1. decode: vt. to convert from code into plain text 2. bioethical: adj. of or relating to biological ethics 3. conception: n. the condition of being pregnant 4. allot: vt. to parcel out; distribute or apportion 5. downright: adv. thoroughly; absolutely

6. deleterious: adj. having a harmful effect; injurious

7. osteoporosis: n. a disease in which the bones become extremely porous, are subject to fracture, and heal slowly, occurring especially in women following menopause and often leading to curvature of the spine from vertebral collapse

8. endowment: n. a natural gift, ability, or quality 9. recreational: adj. of or relating to recreation

10. reckless: adj. careless, rash or disregardful of consequences

11. primitive: adj. of or relating to an earliest or original stage or state )flet ,

12. complication: n. a secondary disease or a negative reaction occurring during the course of an illness and usually aggravating the illness

13. trickle: v. to flow or fall in drops or in a thin stream 14. brew: sth. produced as if by brewing; a mix

15. eon: n. an indefinitely long period of time; an age 16. exacting: adj. making severe demands; rigorous 17. churlish: adj. having a bad disposition 18. roll: vt. to pick out from others; select

19. tedious: adj. tiresome by reason of length, slowness, or dullness; boring 20. bereft: adj. deprived of sth.; lacking sth needed or expected it

21. recipe: n. a set of directions with a list of ingredients for making or preparing sth. , especially food or medical prescription A2,-;

22. swap out: to exchange (one thing) for another. 23. hold the line against: to restrain; keep back

24. soup up: to increase the power of (a engine) or make better 25. mess with: to interfere with

NOTES

1. genome: The complete genetic information about an organism. In most organisms this is contained in the DNA sequences within chromosomes, while in RNA-based viruses it is the total RNA sequence. Genome sizes have a 100, 000 fold range from a few thousand base pairs in simple viruses to 10 base pairs in some plants. Since individual members of an organism may have slightly different genetic constitutions (genotypes), genomes describe the common sequences characteristic of the organism.

2. bioethics: in philosophy, a branch of ethics concerned with issues surrounding health care

and the biological sciences. These issues include the morality of abortion, euthanasia, in vitro fertilization, and organ transplants. In the 1970s bioethics emerged as a discipline with its own experts, often professional philosophers, who developed university courses on the subject. Many hospitals now employ experts on bioethics to advise on such issues as how to treat terminally ill patients and to allocate limited resources. Advances in health care, the development of genetic screening, and the new research in genetic engineering, including gene therapy, have also given rise to questions in bioethics.

3. IQ: An intelligence quotient or is a score derived from a set of standardized tests of intelligence. Intelligence tests come in many forms, and some tests use a single type of item or question. Most tests yield both an overall score and individual sub-test scores. Regardless of design, all IQ tests attempt to measure the same general intelligence. Component tests are generally designed and selected because they are found to be predictive of later intellectual development, such as educational achievement. IQ also correlates with job performance, socioeconomic advancement, and \pathologies\but very weakly or not at all with accumulated wealth, especially inherited. Recent work has demonstrated links between IQ and health, longevity, and functional literacy.

For people living in the prevailing conditions of the developed world, IQ is highly heritable, and by adulthood the influence of family environment on IQ is undetectable. That is, significant variation in IQ between adults can be attributed to genetic variation, with the remaining variation attributable to environmental sources that are not shared within families. In the United States, marked variation in IQ occurs within families, with siblings differing on average by around 12 points.

The average IQ scores for many populations were rising rapidly during the 20th century: a phenomenon called the Flynn effect. It is not known whether these changes in scores reflect real changes in intellectual abilities (if not, then this raises questions about what IQ tests do measure). On average, IQ scores are stable over a person's lifetime, but some individuals undergo large changes. For example, scores can be affected by the presence of learning disabilities. space probes.

第五课A 科学与技术 朱迪思· 鲍曼（编辑）

[l]乐观与强盛到世纪末时，人类的发明和认识似乎没有止境。从物质的基本构成单位到一切生命体的遗传密码，从宇宙的起源，也许到宇宙的最终完结，人们对科学的认识逐日扩大。20 世纪90 年代的技术进步似乎带来了一场其意义堪与200 年以前的工业革命相媲美的社会与经济方面的革命，它创造了一个崭新的社会，在这个社会里人们由技术相互连接，数字化的信息、商业以及通讯都在弹指一挥间。以“信息高速公路”为代表的新“数字化时代”并不包括每一个人，许多人面临着被抛弃的威胁，包括老年人和无力使用新技术的人。不过，到了1999 年仍有超过四分之三的美国人“接通”了这一全新的数字化社会，大多数美国人觉得技术进步正在提高他们的生活质量。这十年里，乐观情绪是人民生活的主色调。科技的新发展似乎向人们承诺提供从消除有毒废料到食品采买一系列问题的最终解决方案― 遗传科技人员培养出了能够吞食工业残渣的微生物，麻省理工学院媒体实验室的研究人员设计出

了能够觉察箱内牛奶告罄并可上网定购的电冰箱。过去人们认为一个技术发达的社会必定是高度集权的，有老大哥监视着人们的一举一动，但到了20 世纪90 年代，这种恐惧减轻了。相反，随着强调分散化、平等和公开资源共享的互联网及万维网的出现，许多人发现能够更多地接触各类信息，这增强了他们的个人自由及权力感。

[2]伦理道德与自然知识爆炸引起公众对这些新发现、新技术会将社会引向何处的忧虑。1997 年克隆动物的成功表明了克隆人也己不成问题，人们担心人类可能会朝着一个由基因制造的人组成的“美丽新世界”方向发展（这己不再是单纯的理论问题了）。1990 年启动的旨在破译人类整个基因组成的人类基因组工程为消灭基因疾病带来了希望，但也令人恐惧地要开辟一条“定做婴儿”之路，这些婴儿的基因可以根据其父母的愿望加以调整。尽管许多人争辩说，儿百年来，为了改善人类生活，动植物培育者一直在遗传学领域忙活，但另外一些人指出，遗传技术的新成果使得研究者得以越过大自然设定的界限，把人的基因移植到动物身上，使它们变成药厂；让植物能生产塑料并在黑暗中发光；甚至想办法制造出“绝命”种子，使其丧失繁殖能力，以保证种子厂家的滚滚财源。由于环境和机体都有可能被这种技术所改变，于是什么是“天然的”，这个问题引起了人们的认真的思考。然而，尽管大多数美国人对克隆人以及按需定做婴儿的基因组成感到僧恶，但又普遍支持有助于确定并治疗遗传疾病或使食物来源更卫生更丰盛以满足全球日益增长的人口的需求的遗传研究。

[3 ]隐私随着20 世纪90 年代许多科技的发展，隐私就成了首当其冲的关注点。互联网是资源共享方面令人惊异的新工具，可它也是获取本应保密的国家机密、军事机密、商业软件（指非开放源代码软件）的源代码甚至邻居的社会保险号码的强有力的工具。公司和个人同样担忧电脑黑客“闯入”设有保护的电脑系统，删除或盗窃重要数据，从而使私人信息遭到破坏。存心不良的人编写的电脑病毒，即可自行复制的编码，可通过电子邮件或网络潜入个人电脑系统大肆破坏存储在那里的数据。在互联网上保护个人私密不是一件容易的事情。许多人担心政府方面试图插手只能会阻碍互联网的发展。而当有关团体组织以“保护儿童”的名义游说政府禁止网上出现色情及其他令人不安的东西时，也引起了同样的忧虑。尽管大多数美国人赞成小孩不应接触这些内容，但企图规范个人网页和新闻组内容的努力还是同互联网应是公开、非集权的大众媒体的理念发生了冲突。在大众媒体领域里，即使最荒唐、最令人讨厌的东西也应能找到发表之地。有些公司监视员工使用互联网和收发电子邮件，使工作场所中数字监控成为备受关注的问题。

[4]遗传学与隐私遗传学的发展也威胁到了个人隐私。人类基因组项目定于21 世纪初完成，许多私人公司竞相获取遗传发现的专利，于是不少人担心科学家彻底掌握了人类遗传密码之后可能会干出什么事情来。虽然遗传疾病有可能被发现，也许还会治好，但有人也许会利用这个信息去歧视那些易患某种基因疾病的易感人群，或根据基因数据歧视某些群体。科学家会拥有人类基因密码专利，这点也令许多人惴惴不安，因为这意味着人的生命会变成一种专享资源。

[5]大科学和小科学美国国家宇航局仍然做着举世惊叹的事情，他们把哈勃望远镜送入轨道来获取人类从未见过的宇宙深处的图像，并传送回地球。这些图像提供了极具诱惑力的宇宙起源的线索。90 年代，宇航局的科学家从一块火星的陨石中发现了可能会证明细菌存活的证据，并发现遥远的行星上可能有水。人们在继续寻找外星生命。宇航局发送宇宙探测器登陆火星，将美国航天英雄小约翰· 赫谢尔· 格伦再次送入太空研究衰老问题，还计划同其他国家的研究组织共同建立一个国际太空站。但是一些批评人士提出质疑说，把花在太空上的钱用来资助地球上的新发现是不是更好呢？似乎地球上正进行着这么多有趣的新项目，太空研究不再那么必要了。最令人心仪的新领域是纳米技术，这项研究是力图在分子水平上操纵物质，用原子建立新的构件以用于微型制造业、药物体内释放系统及微型计算机等。新发

现的碳元素家族成员富勒烯使得纳米技术的研究人员有了新的研究材料。这一科学领域在新旧世纪交替时期仍处在实验阶段，但科技人员及政府官员己经看到了这门微科学的巨大潜力。

第五课B 我们应该改进我们的基因组吗？

尼古拉斯· 韦德

既然我们已经解读了人类基因组，我们为什么不去改进它呢了这个问题目前仅停留在理论层面上，但很可能会成为所有生物伦理学问题中最难司多解决的问题。生物学家们已经常规地采用目前人类还无法接受的可使遗传发生变化的方法改变老鼠的基因，但总有一天基因工程技术人员们会找到如何把基因补丁安全地应用到人类生物软件上的方法。

每个人都想拥有健康、美丽和聪明的孩子。但人们在所有这些特质上差异很大，这取决于他们父母的基因，以及受孕时每个孩子从其父母各自的基因库中完全凭运气分配到的一半。 人群中大多数的人类基因存在着几种不同的类型：其中一些非常优秀，值得拥有；一些很一般；还有一些则纯粹有害。

冰岛“解读遗传学”公司本月（指2003 年n 月，下同― 译者）发现了一种叫做BMP 一2 的基因的三种具有相当共性的类型，其中每一种类型都在很大程度上增加了其拥有者患骨质疏松症和脆骨症的风险。

假定有可能除去BMP 一2 和人类胚胎中所有其他人类基因中的任何不良类型，并代之以对健康没有任何风险的优良类型。这样做难道不对吗了选择这样做的父母们知道，他们已经让自己孩子的一生有了尽可能好的开端。无论手术费用是多么的昂贵，但假如它能省下一生的医药费，从长远看还是便宜的，所以所有人都能付得起这笔费用。人生中最严重的不公平― 遗传天赋的差别― 将从出生时就得以消除。

格雷戈里· 斯托克博士最近在《 重新设计人类》 一书中写道：“总有一天，人们会把性主要视为一种娱乐，把怀孕视为在实验室里做得最好的事。”父母们会开始相信“怀孕前如不进行基因测试就是鲁莽和无知”。

然而，反对改变人类遗传基因的观点也有非常有力的理由。实际上，许多基因都有不止一种的效应，而更换不良的基因类型可能导致无法预知的并发症。比如，换上去的新基因可能与一个人的其他基因相互作用产生坏的结果。但如果消除致病基因变种的尝试获得成功，到时候可能就会难以阻止那些想以同样方法提高其后代的体力或智力的父母。

改进有缺陷的人类基因物质固然很好，但超人和普通人之间的过渡可能会导致令人尴尬的局面。社会压力会随之出现，尤其是在技术不能迅速而且顺利地推广的情况下更是如此。 通过强化基因来追求智商了改变塑造人类行为的基因不应轻率而为。人类是进化过程中无数灾难性试验的唯一幸存者，其本性是许多相互矛盾的特性的微妙组合。有什么理由值得我们去冒险干预如此精美的造化天成？难道我们就不能为自然所赋予我们的现状而感到快乐吗2 （美国）总统生物伦理委员会在上个月发表的一份关于提高人体自然能力所带来的危险的报告中写道：“人类的躯体和心智既高度复杂又精细地平衡，是千万年渐进而艰难地进化的结果，任何考虑欠周的‘改进’尝试儿乎肯定会带来风险。”作为进化的产物，人们若挑战进化的智慧也许显得莽撞。但进化当然并不存在智慧。它是一个在不断出错的基础上偶然产生幸运机缘的盲目过程。

通过淘汰不良基因的不幸拥有者，进化使动物一直保持健康，充满活力，直到其进入繁殖期。对那些养育后代的物种，这个阶段还要再长一些。但进化对在生命早期就起作用的优良基因的严格偏爱与其筛选在生殖年龄过后起作用的不良基因时所存在的缺陷形成对比。由于这个缺陷，进化未能淘汰造成脆骨症的BMP 一2 基因变种，以及人类基因组中在生命后期才起作用的许多其他基因中的不良类型。这是导致我们衰老和死亡的真正原因。

如果进化在某个年龄段后不能帮助我们，为什么我们不能自助呢2 每一个人难道不应享有在我们共有的基因遗传中拥有最佳的基因类型的权利吗了或者至少在一出生时就免受那些较差基因的困扰了然而，如果我们减少个体之间的基因差异，我们就要冒将整个人类变成一个巨大克隆体的风险，导致索然无味的千人一面，从而丧失应对环境变化所必需的多样性。追求完美如走到极端，就一定会导致灭绝。

通过淘汰不良基因的不幸拥有者，进化使动物一直保持健康，充满活力，直到其进入繁殖期。对那些养育后代的物种，这个阶段还要再长一些。但进化对在生命早期就起作用的优良基因的严格偏爱与其筛选在生殖年龄过后起作用的不良基因时所存在的缺陷形成对比。由于这个缺陷，进化未能淘汰造成脆骨症的BMP 一2 基因变种，以及人类基因组中在生命后期才起作用的许多其他基因中的不良类型。这是导致我们衰老和死亡的真正原因。

如果进化在某个年龄段后不能帮助我们，为什么我们不能自助呢2 每一个人难道不应享有在我们共有的基因遗传中拥有最佳的基因类型的权利吗了或者至少在一出生时就免受那些较差基因的困扰了然而，如果我们减少个体之间的基因差异，我们就要冒将整个人类变成一个巨大克隆体的风险，导致索然无味的千人一面，从而丧失应对环境变化所必需的多样性。追求完美如走到极端，就一定会导致灭绝。

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