One step too far
Scientists have been trying to figure out how to alter the genes of humans for many years now, and it looks like they've finally cracked (破解) the code. But while this may seem like a great step forward in science, some also believe that it's one step back when it comes to ethics.
In August, a group of scientists from the US and South Korea worked together to successfully edit a human embryo and remove a genetic mutation (突变) that would have led to heart disease, reported The Guardian.
This was achieved with the help of CRISPR, a gene-editing tool that allows scientists to “cut and paste” human DNA.
Although this was the first example of an embryo's genes being changed successfully, the benefits of gene editing have already been tested in living patients.
In 2015, a five-month-old girl from the UK was saved after doctors used edited cells to fight off her cancer. As of today, she's alive and well.
And in the US last year, scientists managed to remove HIV cells from several patients by editing the genes inside their bodies.
Some people hope that in the future, diseases or birth detects could simply be “edited out”. However, others believe this could lead to so-called designer babies, giving parents the option to choose everything from eye color to intelligence.
“You could find wealthy parents buying the latest ‘upgrades’ for their children, leading to even greater inequality than we already live with,” Marcy Darnovsky, director of the San Francisco Center for Genetics, told BBC News.
In spite of these ethical concerns, experts say it’s not possible to create the “perfect” human being. Despite the progress scientists have made, we don’t understand human genes enough to give all unborn child great brainpower or amazing singing abilities.
“Right now, we know nothing about genetic enhancement,” Hank Greely, a director of sciences at Stanford University, US, told The New York Times. “We’re never going to be able to say, honestly, ‘This embryo looks like it would score high on the two-part SAT.’”
So it looks like if we want good exam results, or to impress people with our piano skills, we’ll have to stick with the old fashioned method of plain hard work — at least for now.
1.The underlined word “alter” in Paragraph 1 probably means ______.
A.record
B.change
C.remove
D.increase
2.Why do some people consider human gene editing a step backwards？ ______
A.They don't think it is an effective way to light diseases.
B.They are concerned that it could lead to genetic mutations.
C.They think it could lead to designer babies and increased inequality.
D.They worry that it could make parents abandon children with birth defects.
3.What was the first successful example of human embryo gene editing？ ______
A.A genetic mutation related to heart disease was removed by scientists
B.A newborn baby with cancer was saved by edited cells.
C.HIV cells were removed from patients’ bodies.
D.Some birth defects were simply edited out.
4.What can we conclude from the text？ ______
A.Gene editing is regarded as the perfect way to treat birth defects.
B.There is still a long way to go to fully understand human genes.
C.Gene editing could help enhance human intelligence in the near future.
D.Scientists are pessimistic about the future of gene editing.
Morgan Holmes had taken part in Boy Scouts of America activities for a few years, but she only became a full member recently.
This was because the Boy Scouts began accepting girls from fifth grade to 12th grade into a new program called Scouts BSA. It brings girls the opportunities boys have, including becoming Eagle Scouts, the highest rank of the Boy Scouts.
“I'm loving it,” Morgan, now 17, said. “I finally get to wear the uniform now.”
Six middle school girls have joined Morgan in Troop48 in Scouts BSA. Some were members of Girls Scouts, and some have brothers in the Boy Scouts.Now brothers and sisters can take part in activities.
Morgan knows Boy Scouts activities well. Starting when she was 14, Morgan went on high-adventure outings like hiking 100 miles and shooting guns. But she’d never been able to progress to become an Eagle Scout.
Now Morgan’s goal is to reach the top rank of Eagle Scout.
She regularly runs a mile to build up her body. Now, she’s planning on camping in the snow.
“The journey to get there is really exciting,” she said.
Since Boy Scout activities are led by the Scouts themselves, Morgan, as the oldest girl, will be organizing activities and teaching the girls to tie knots and other skills.
One of those girls in Troop48 is Nicolette Ulrich, who is also in the Girl Scouts.
Her mother, Sasha Ulrich, said she sees, the Boy Scouts as more leadership oriented and the Girl Scouts as more culturally oriented.This will be shown by all upcoming gathering where girls will learn about different food and cultures from around the world.
“Girl Scouts is a great group and she’ll continue to do that.” Sasha said. “But she also wanted the opportunities provided by the Boy Scouts.”
1.What did Morgan want to do after becoming a full member of Boy Scouts？ ______
A.She wanted to join in the activities with her brother.
B.She wanted to challenge herself to become all Eagle Scout.
C.She wanted to compete with boys in all activities.
D.She wanted to hike long distances and shoot guns with boys.
2.What is the best word to describe Morgan？ ______
A.Communicative
B.Helpful
C.Creative
D.Adventurous
3.What does Sasha Ulrich think of Boy Scouts？ ______
A.It is more culturally oriented.
B.It helps to build teamwork.
C.It helps to improve leadership.
D.It is more interesting than Girl Scouts.
People back in the United States are always asking me, “What's it like to live in China?” They hope to hear strange stories about weird food and cultural conflicts. Instead, I tell them that living in China is like being a baby.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I don’t think that Chinese people are babies. I am a baby. Or at least, I become one when I leave my house. That’s because babies can’t read, and when I leave my house in Beijing, I’m illiterate (不识字的).
This can be dangerous. If a sign says, “Watch out for big angry bears,” in Chinese, I will continue walking, completely ignorant of my peril (危险). Then a bear will eat me for breakfast.
I have started to recognize a few characters, but they seem impossible to ever learn without a lifetime of study. When I see a character I like. I give it a name. There is “The Square,”“The Octopus(章鱼) ,”“The-upside-down Octopus,” and my favorite, “Upside-down Octopus on an airplane.” However, I still don't know their sounds or meanings.They are just beautiful mysteries to my eyes.
Because I can’t read, city streets present an endless series of enigmas. If I see a business, I wonder, “Is that a restaurant? A dentist? A lawyer’s office?” Once, while hungry, I saw a big colorful sign. I walked in and asked a realtor (房屋中介) to see the drink menu.
Speaking of menus, eating at restaurant is a daily misadventure. Many places have photos of food, which is helpful. But if they have no photos, I walk from table to table and point at whatever looks delicious. I apologize if I’ve ever interrupted your dinner to point at your plate. I didn’t mean to be rude. I was just a hungry baby!
1.Why does the author think living in China is like being a baby？ ______
A.Some Chinese people behave like babies.
B.It’s comfortable to be a baby in China.
C.He is as curious as a baby about Chinese things.
D.He is like a new-born who can’t read at all.
2.What do we know about the author？ ______
A.He can order food in simple Chinese.
B.He doesn't know many Chinese Characters.
C.His spoken Chinese is better than his written Chinese.
D.He memorizes Chinese words based on their sounds.
3.In Paragraph 5, what does the underlined word “enigmas” mean？ ______
A.Stories.
B.Miracles.
C.Choices.
D.Puzzles.
4.What is the passage mainly about？ ______
A.The author’s love for Chinese food.
B.The language barrier the author meets in China.
C.Cultural conflicts the author faces in China.
D.How the author overcomes difficulties in learning Chinese.
The Breakfast Club
Starred by John Hughes, 1985
Five high school students with nothing in common are forced to spend an entire Saturday together in detention (拘留). At seven a.m. they had nothing to say, but by four p.m, they had bared their souls to each other and became good friends — the Jock, the Brain, the Criminal, the Princess, and the Kook.They were finally able to talk about themselves while they were forced to stay together.
Pretty in Pink.
Starred by Howard Deutch, 1986
Pretty in Pink looks at the central dilemma of adolescence where one’s dreams are much larger than one's confidence. Molly Ringwald plays Andie Walsh, a poor girl living with her father and working in a downtown record store. The school she attends is full of wealthy snobs (势利小人) and she likes a rich kid Blane.There is nothing new about the plot-rich boy and poor girl love each other and snobbery nearly destroys the romance.
Clueless
Starred by Amy Heckerling and Alicia Silverstone, 1995
Cher, played by Alicia Silverstone, is one of the most popular girls at Beverly Hills High School where rich kids hang out, talk to each other on cell phones and occasionally attend classes.
At 15 going on 16, Cher has it all — a white Jeep, an extensive wardrobe with a computer to help select the perfect dress, and an unbelievable ability to charm, cajole and whine (哄骗和哭诉) until others obey her requests.The dialogue is wiry and entertaining.
1.The Breakfast Club is about ______ .
A.a prince and a princess
B.several criminals
C.several students
D.some tourists
2.we can conclude from Pretty in Pink that ______ .
A.the love between Molly and Blane aren't going smoothly
B.Molly and Blane eventually get married
C.Molly’s and Blane’a parents quite agree to their love
D.the love between Molly and Blane defeats snobbery
3.Which of the following is starred by Howard Deutch？ ______
A.The Breakfast Club.
B.Pretty in Pink.
C.Clueless.
D.Beverly Hill Schoo1.
4.We can infer that the Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Clueless are three ______ .
A.world-famous paintings about religion
B.Disney’s cartoons about love stories
C.films about teenagers
D.ancient Roman fairy tales
假定你是李华，今年暑假一批英国学生到你校参观并游览你所在的城市，学校需要一批志愿者作为导游，你准备应聘。请根据以下提示，写一封申请信。
1. 申请缘由；
2. 你的优势；
3. 旅游建议。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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I’m more than delighting to know you are going to explore the Yangtze River, one of the Mother Rivers of Chinese civilizations.
In my view, only if you take the trip to the Yangtze River can you have better knowledge of the history of China. Naturally, along the river is many attractive scenic spots, all of them are heavy with legends. Every rock looked like a person or animal, and every stream joins the great river carries its legends. Taking advantage of the trip, and you will not only have a good view of the surrounding sceneries but also broaden your horizons.
I really hope we’ll get a kick out of the trip to the Yangtze River, which will definitely impress on you.
