职称英语在线答题

每日一练：职称英语考试综合类每日一练(2017/12/9)
【单选题】

The Gene Industry

Major companies are already in pursuit of commercialapplications of the new biology. They dream of placing enzymes in theautomobile to monitor exhaust and send data on pollution to a microprocessorthat will then adjust the engine. They speak of what the New York Times calls"metal-hungry microbes that might be used to mine valuable trace metalfrom ocean water". They have already demanded and won the right to patentnew lifeforms.

Nervous critics, including many scientists,worry that there is corporate, national, international, and inter-scientificrivalry in the entire biotechnological field. They create images not of oilspills, but of "microbe spills" that could spread disease and destroyentire populations. The creation and accidental release of extremely poisonousmicrobes, however, is only one cause for alarm. Completely rational andrespectable scientists are talking about possibilities that stagger theimagination.

Should we breed people with cow-with stomachsso they can digest grass and hay, thereby relieving the food problem bymodifying us to eat lower down on the food chain? Should we biologically alterworkers to fit the job requirement, for example, creating pilots with fasterreaction times or assembly-line workers designed to do our monotonous work forus? Should we attempt to eliminate "inferior" people and breed a"super-race"? (Hitler tried this, but without the genetic weaponrythat may soon issue from our laboratories.) Should we produce soldiers to doour fighting? Should we use genetic forecasting to pre-eliminate"unfit" babies? Should we grow reserve organs for ourselves, each ofus having, as it were, a "savings bank" full of spare kidney, livers,or hands?

Wild as these notions may sound, every one hasits advocates (and opposers) in the scientific community as well as itsstriking commercial application. As two critics of genetic engineering, JeremyRifkin and Ted Howard, state in their book Who Should Play God? , "Broadscale genetic engineering will probably be introduced to America much the sameway as assembly lines automobiles, vaccines, computers and all the othertechnologies. As each new genetic advance becomes commercially practical, a newconsumer need will be exploited and a market for the new technology will becreated."

1. According to the passage, the exhaust from acar engine could probably be checked by

A) using metal-hungry microbes.

B) making use of enzymes.

C) adjusting the engine.

D) patenting new life forms.

2. According to the passage, which of the followingwould worry the critics the most?

A) The unanticipated explosion of population.

B) The creation of biological solar cells.

C) The accidental spill of oil.

D) The unexpected release of destructivemicrobes.

3. Which of the following notions is NOTmentioned?

A) Developing a "savings bank" ofone's organs.

B) Breeding soldiers for a war.

C) Producing people with cow-like stomachs.

D) Using genetic forecasting to cure diseases.

4. According to the passage, Hitler attemptedto

A) change the pilots biologically to win thewar.

B) develop genetic farming for food supply.

C) kill the people he thought of as inferior.

D) encourage the development of genetic weaponsfor the war.

5. What does Jeremy Rifkin and Ted Howard'sstatement imply?

A) the commercial applications of geneticengineering are inevitable.

B) America will depend on other countries forbiological progress.

C) Americans are proud of their computers,automobiles and genetic technologies.

D) The potential application of each newgenetic advance should be controlled.