What is cloning? Are there different types of cloning?

_____71____ Actually, there are different technologies which can be used for other purpose besides producing the genetic twin of another organism. A basic understanding of the different types of cloning is key to talking an informed stance on current public policy issues and making the best possible personal decisions. The following three types of cloning technologies are usually performed; recombinant DNA technology or DNA cloning, reproductive cloning, and therapeutic cloning.

___72_____

Scientists have been cloning animals for many years. In 1952, the first animal, a tadpole, was cloned. ___73_____ Since Dolly, researchers have cloned a number of large and small animals including sheep, goats, cows, mice, pigs, cats, rabbits, and a gaur. ____74____

Hundreds of cloned animals exist today, but the number of different species is limited. ____75____ Some species may be more resistant to somatic cell nuclear transfer than others. The process of stripping the nucleus from an egg cell and replacing it with the nucleus of a donor cell is a traumatic one, and improvements in cloning technologies may be needed before many species can be cloned successfully.

E.       Cloning is making a genetic copy of something else.

F.       Attempts at cloning certain species such as monkeys, chickens, horses, and dogs, have been unsuccessful.

G.       Before the creation of Dolly, the first mammal cloned from the cell of an adult animal, clones were created from embryonic cells.

What is cloning? Are there different types of cloning?
_____71____ Actually, there are different technologies which can be used for other purpose besides producing the genetic twin of another organism. A basic understanding of the different types of cloning is key to talking an informed stance on current public policy issues and making the best possible personal decisions. The following three types of cloning technologies are usually performed; recombinant DNA technology or DNA cloning, reproductive cloning, and therapeutic cloning.
___72_____
Scientists have been cloning animals for many years. In 1952, the first animal, a tadpole, was cloned. ___73_____ Since Dolly, researchers have cloned a number of large and small animals including sheep, goats, cows, mice, pigs, cats, rabbits, and a gaur. ____74____
Hundreds of cloned animals exist today, but the number of different species is limited. ____75____ Some species may be more resistant to somatic cell nuclear transfer than others. The process of stripping the nucleus from an egg cell and replacing it with the nucleus of a donor cell is a traumatic one, and improvements in cloning technologies may be needed before many species can be cloned successfully.

Does technology pose a threat to the purity of Chinese language?

Many Chinese use instant messenger tools such as MSN or QQ, listen to music on MP3 players and log on the Internet using ADSL—most without knowing the literal Chinese translation of the abbreviations(缩略词). But they don’t have to, as many English letters have become part of the local vocabulary.

A dozen abbreviations including GDP, NBA, IT, MP3, QQ, DVD and CEO are among the 5,000 most-frequently used words in the Chinese media last year, according to a report on the 2006 Language Situation in China.

The report said some parents are so keen on English letters that a couple tried to name their baby “@”, claiming the character used in email addresses reflects their love for the child. While the “@”is obviously familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word “at” to pronounce it “ai ta”,or “love him”.

The study collected more than 1 billion language samples from newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and websites. The annual report is jointly compiled by the Ministry of Education and the State Language Commission.

“Nowadays, more and more English abbreviations are being used in Chinese, making them an important part of modern language,” said Hou Min, a professor at Communication University of China.

“The abbreviations have gained popularity because of the ease of usage,” Hou said. For example, DNA is much simpler to use than its Chinese version. “As more Chinese people learn foreign languages, especially English, in recent years, using abbreviations has become a trend among educated people,” she added.

Some language scholars fear such usage will contaminate(污染)the purity of Chinese and cause confusion in communication.

Which of the following is TRUE about the report on the 2006 Language Situation in China?

A．The report is compiled by the Ministry of Education alone.

B．The report is compiled every year.

C．The report is compiled every two years.

D．The report is based on over 1 billion language samples from websites.

Why does the author use the example of a couple who tried to name their baby “@”?

A．To show Chinese is badly polluted by English.

B．To express the couple’s love for the child.

C．To indicate “@”is a very common sign among the e-mail users.

D．To show some people are very enthusiastic over English letters.

Why are the English abbreviations becoming more and more popular according to the passage?

A．Because English is the most common language in the world.

B．Because using English abbreviations is a fashion.

C．Because English abbreviations are easy and simple to use.

D．Because English abbreviations are easy to pronounce.

What can we infer from the passage?

A．People should know clearly the exact Chinese translation of English abbreviations.

B．More and more Chinese people will use English abbreviations in the future.

C．Most parents like to give their child English names now.

D．Language scholars hate to use English abbreviations.

E

“NOW I just don't believe that." Surely all of us, at some point, have watched a movie and thought: It's simply badly researched, or, the makers must think we're idiots (白痴).

  Recently, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph ran a humorous piece on unconvincing(不让人信服的) tech moments from some top movies. Let's see what all the fuss (激动) is about.

  Telegraph writer Tom Chiver's first example is from the end-of-the-world movie Independence Day, in which a character comes up with a virus capable of destroying Windows, the computer system the alien spacecraft uses. “It's a good thing they didn't have Norton Antivirus,” jokes Chivers.

  It's just one case of a movie that takes a lot of license with its science. Another one Chivers mentions is from Star Wars, where glowing beams (闪亮的光束) of light traveling through space look very impressive. The problem is that in space there are no air particles (粒子) for the light to reflect off. In reality, they'd be invisible, which wouldn't look so cool on the big screen.

  Chiver's second piece of Star Wars nonsense is the sound the fighters make in the movies: “the bellow (咆哮) of an elephant mixed with a car driving on a wet road”. But sound needs a medium (介质) to travel through, like air. In space, there wouldn't actually be any sound at all.

  Few people would deny that the mind-bending Matrix films make for great viewing, but for Chivers, the science in the movies is a little silly.

  He comments “…the film is based on the idea that humans are kept alive as electricity generator (发电机). This is not just unlikely – it's fundamentally impossible. They would need more energy to stay alive than they would produce. It's like saying you'll power your car with batteries, and keep the batteries charged by running a dynamo (发电机) from the wheels.”

  And finally: as Chivers points out, DNA is not replaceable. But this bit of elementary genetics (遗传学) passed the makers of the 2002 Bond film Die Another Day by. In the film the villain (坏人) has “gene therapy (疗法)” to change his appearance and his DNA, which is completely impossible.

71. The following are all movies mentioned in the article except _______.

A. Die Another Day.      B. Matrix                     C. Star War      D. Norton Antivirus

72. Chivers uses the car as an example to show that _______.

A. cars can’t be powered by batteries

B. humans consume more power that they could have made

C. the villain has “gene therapy” to change his appearance and his DNA

D. it would take so much power to keep humans alive by electricity generator that it’s hardly possible

73. Which of the following is a scientific fact?

   A. No virus can destroy Windows.

   B. Light can be reflected with the help of air particles.

   C. DNA is replaceable as long as there is enough energy.

   D. We can design a car powered with batteries which are charged from the wheels.

74. What kind of people Chivers may be?

A. Humorous.       B. Brave.        C. Sensitive.    D. Careless.

75. Chivers probably writes the article in order to _______.

A. persuade people not to watch some silly movies

B. criticize movie makers’ carelessness

C. provide readers with something to read for fun

D. educate the public on some basic scientific knowledge

Does technology pose a threat to the purity of Chinese language?
Many Chinese use instant messenger tools such as MSN or QQ, listen to music on MP3 players and log on the Internet using ADSL—most without knowing the literal Chinese translation of the abbreviations(缩略词). But they don’t have to, as many English letters have become part of the local vocabulary.
A dozen abbreviations including GDP, NBA, IT, MP3, QQ, DVD and CEO are among the 5,000 most-frequently used words in the Chinese media last year, according to a report on the 2006 Language Situation in China.
The report said some parents are so keen on English letters that a couple tried to name their baby “@”, claiming the character used in email addresses reflects their love for the child. While the “@”is obviously familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word “at” to pronounce it “ai ta”,or “love him”.
The study collected more than 1 billion language samples from newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and websites. The annual report is jointly compiled by the Ministry of Education and the State Language Commission.
“Nowadays, more and more English abbreviations are being used in Chinese, making them an important part of modern language,” said Hou Min, a professor at Communication University of China.
“The abbreviations have gained popularity because of the ease of usage,” Hou said. For example, DNA is much simpler to use than its Chinese version. “As more Chinese people learn foreign languages, especially English, in recent years, using abbreviations has become a trend among educated people,” she added.
Some language scholars fear such usage will contaminate(污染)the purity of Chinese and cause confusion in communication.

1. 1.

   Which of the following is TRUE about the report on the 2006 Language Situation in China?

   1. A.
      The report is compiled by the Ministry of Education alone.
   2. B.
      The report is compiled every year.
   3. C.
      The report is compiled every two years.
   4. D.
      The report is based on over 1 billion language samples from websites.
2. 2.

   Why does the author use the example of a couple who tried to name their baby “@”?

   1. A.
      To show Chinese is badly polluted by English.
   2. B.
      To express the couple’s love for the child.
   3. C.
      To indicate “@”is a very common sign among the e-mail users.
   4. D.
      To show some people are very enthusiastic over English letters.
3. 3.

   Why are the English abbreviations becoming more and more popular according to the passage?

   1. A.
      Because English is the most common language in the world.
   2. B.
      Because using English abbreviations is a fashion.
   3. C.
      Because English abbreviations are easy and simple to use.
   4. D.
      Because English abbreviations are easy to pronounce.
4. 4.

   What can we infer from the passage?

   1. A.
      People should know clearly the exact Chinese translation of English abbreviations.
   2. B.
      More and more Chinese people will use English abbreviations in the future.
   3. C.
      Most parents like to give their child English names now.
   4. D.
      Language scholars hate to use English abbreviations.