Question

Have you seen Jurassic Park? In this film, scientists use DNA kept for tens of millions of years to clone dinosaurs. They find trouble, however, when they realize that the cloned creatures are smarter and more dangerous than expected. That’s nothing more than a fiction.

But could we really clone endangered animals?

To date, the most successful attempt to do so was the cloning of a gaur, a rare ox-like animal from southeast Asia. Scientists used a cow to bring the cloned baby gaur, named Noah. Two days after birth, however, Noah died from a common bacterial infection. Other endangered species that may be cloned include the African bongo antelope (邦戈羚羊), the Sumatran tiger, the cheetah (猎豹), and the giant panda. Next, could we really clone extinct animals?

In theory? Yes. To do this, you need a well-kept source of DNA from the extinct animals such as wool mammoth (毛象), Tasmanian tiger, or even dinosaur, and a closely related species, still living, which could serve as a surrogate mother.

In reality? Probably not. On the one hand, it’s not likely that extinct animals’ DNA could survive undamaged for such a long time. Cloning extinct animals as wool mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, or dinosaur is much more difficult due to the lack of properly well-preserved DNA. On the other hand, for example, a gaur can have a cow as a surrogate mother, definitely not a monkey. But what about an extinct animal as unique as the panda? What species could possibly serve as a surrogate mother?

Cloning presents many exciting possibilities. However, even if extinct animals are brought back, they could not survive in today’s world. Not only do most extinct animals have no habitat to live in, but the other plants and animals they depended on for food may also be gone as well.

1. It can be learned from the passage that ________.

A. scientists have cloned the African bongo antelope

B. both the cheetah and the giant panda live in Asia

C. the gaur lives in Asia and is endangered

D. the gaur is an extinct species

2.The underlined words “a surrogate mother” probably refer to a female who __________.

A. contributes its eggs to another female

B. gives birth to a baby for another female

C. gives birth to a baby of its own

D. cannot give birth to a baby

3.The difficulty in cloning an extinct species is the lack of ______.

A. both the well-preserved DNA and plants to live on

B. both the habitat to live in and the well-preserved DNA

C. both habitat to live in and plants to live on

D. both the well-preserved DNA and a surrogate mother

4. In the author’s opinion, it is possible that ______.

A. some extinct species may be cloned, but not survive  

B. extinct species may be cloned and easily survive

C. a gaur can have a monkey as a surrogate mother

D. all the extinct species may be cloned

5.Which of the following statements is true according the passage?

A. Jurassic Park is a cloned animal.

B. The cloned creatures are the same as the real one.

C. We could clone extinct animals in reality.

D. We could clone extinct animals in theory.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.D

4.A

5.D

【解析】

试题分析：我们可以克隆濒临灭绝的动物吗？我们能克隆已经灭绝的动物吗？

1.C 考查推理判断题。由 a rare ox­like animal from southeast Asia(一种来自亚洲最南部罕见的长得象牛一样的动物 )和 Other endangered species that may be cloned(其他遍临灭绝的物种)可知选C项。

2.B 考查推理判断题。根据由and a closely related species(和一种极其相近的物种 )，可知选B项。

3.D 考查推理判断题。由much more difficult due to the lack of properly well­preserved DNA.(要更加困难，由于缺乏完好的妥善保存的DNA。)和 What species could possibly serve as a surrogate mother？(什么物种可以作为代孕母亲)可知选D项。

4.A 考查细节理解题。由even if extinct animals were brought back, they could not survive in today's world.(即使灭绝的动物能够被克隆回来，他们也无法在现今的世界中存活)可知选A项。

5.考查推理判断题。根据最后一段提到Cloning presents many exciting possibilities.克隆会呈现许多令人兴奋的可能性，故选D项。

考点：科普类阅读。