The study of genetics has given rise to a profitable new industry called biotechnology. As the name suggests, it blends biology and modern technology through such techniques as genetic engineering. Some of the new biotech companies, as they are called, specialize in agriculture and are working enthusiastically to patent seeds that give a high yield, that resist disease, drought, and frost, and that reduce the need for hazardous chemicals. If such goals could be achieved, it would be most beneficial. But some have raised concerns about genetically engineered crops.
“In nature, genetic diversity is created with certain limits.” Says the Genetic Engineering, Food, and Our Environment. “A rose can be crossed with a different kind of rose, but a rose will never cross with a potato… Genetic engineering, on the other hand, usually involves taking genes from one species and inserting them into another in an attempt to transfer a desired property or character. This could mean, for example, selecting a gene which leads to the production of a chemical with antifreeze properties from an arctic fish, and joining it into a potato or strawberry to make it frost-resistant. It is now possible for plants to be engineered with genes taken from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans.” In essence, then, biotechnology allows humans to break the genetic walls that separate species.
Like the green revolution, what some call the gene revolution contributes to the problem of genetic uniformity—some say even more so because geneticists can employ techniques such as cloning and tissue culture, processes that produce perfectly identical copies, or clones. Concerns about the erosion of biodiversity, therefore, remain. Genetically altered plants, however, raise new issues, such as the effects that they may have on us and environment. “We are flying blindly into a new era of agricultural biotechnology with high hopes, few constraints, and little idea of the potential outcomes,” said science writer Jeremy Rifkin.
1. According to the author, biotech companies are ____.
2. Now biotech products are made ____.
3. In nature, genetic diversity is created ____.
4. Biotechnology has made it possible ____.
5. According to the author, with the development of biotechnology ____.
问题1选项
A.mostly specialized in agriculture
B.those producing seeds of better properties
C.mainly concerned about the genetically engineered crops
D.likely to have big returns in their business
问题2选项
A.within the limits of natural genetics
B.by violating laws of natural genetics
C.without interference of humans
D.safer than those without the use of biotechnology
问题3选项
A.by mixing different species
B.within the species itself
C.through natural selection
D.through selection or contest
问题4选项
A.for us to solve the food shortage problem in the world
B.for plants to be produced with genes of humans
C.for humans to assume the cold-resistant property
D.to grow crops with the taste of farm animals
问题5选项
A.the species of creatures will be reduced
B.our living environment will be better than it is now
C.humans will pay for its side effect
D.we will suffer from fewer and fewer diseases
第1题:D
第2题:B
第3题:B
第4题:B
第5题:C
第1题:
【选项释义】
According to the author, biotech companies are ____. 根据作者的说法，生物技术公司____。
A. mostly specialized in agriculture A. 主要研究农业
B. those producing seeds of better properties B. 那些生产特性良好的种子的公司
C. mainly concerned about the genetically engineered crops C. 主要关注转基因作物
D. likely to have big returns in their business D. 他们的生意可能有很大的回报
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词biotech companies定位到原文第一句话，该句提到“对遗传学的研究催生了一个有利可图的新产业（a profitable new industry），叫做生物技术（biotechnology）。”由“一个有利可图的新产业（a profitable new industry）”可以，生物技术公司的回报很高，D选项“他们的生意可能有很大的回报”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“主要研究农业”，定位到第一段第三句，该句提到“一些新的生物技术公司（Some of the new biotech companies），如他们所称，专门研究农业（specialize in agriculture）”，由此可知，只是一些新的生物技术公司主要研究农业，该选项属于以偏概全；
B选项“那些生产特性良好的种子的公司”，原文并未提及，该选项属于无中生有；
C选项“主要关注转基因作物”，定位到第一段第二句，该句提到“顾名思义，它通过基因工程等技术（techniques as genetic engineering），将生物学和现代技术结合在一起（blends biology and modern technology）”，“转基因技术”和“转基因作物”不能等同，该选项曲解原文。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Now biotech products are made ____. 现在的生物技术产品是____。
A. within the limits of natural genetics A. 在自然遗传的范围内制造的
B. by violating laws of natural genetics B. 违反自然遗传的规律制造的
C. without interference of humans C. 不受人类的干扰制造的
D. safer than those without the use of biotechnology D. 比那些不使用生物技术的更安全
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词biotech products定位到原文第二段。本段第一句提到“在自然界中（In nature），遗传多样性是有一定限度的（certain limits）。”本段最后一句提到“因此，从本质上说，生物技术（biotechnology）允许人类打破物种间的遗传壁垒（break the genetic walls that separate species）。”由此可知，利用生物技术制造生物技术产品，是打破了自然遗传的限制的，B选项“违反自然遗传的规律制造的”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“在自然遗传的范围内制造的”，该选项不符合原文，属于反向干扰；
C选项“不受人类的干扰制造的”，生物技术产品是人为利用生物技术，打破自然遗传规律制造的，该选项不符合原文，属于反向干扰；
D选项“比那些不使用生物技术的更安全”定位到第一段最后一句“但一些人对转基因作物表示担忧（raised concerns）。”文章没有提到生物技术更安全，反而提出有的人担忧其安全性，该选项属于反向干扰。
第3题:
【选项释义】
In nature, genetic diversity is created ____. 在自然界中，遗传多样性是____创造的。
A. by mixing different species A. 通过混合不同的物种
B. within the species itself B. 在同一个物种内部
C. through natural selection C. 通过自然选择
D. through selection or contest D. 通过选择或竞争
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词genetic diversity定位到原文第二段。本段开头两句提到“在自然界中（In nature），遗传多样性是有一定限度的”，“玫瑰可以和另一种玫瑰杂交，但玫瑰永远不会和土豆杂交（will never cross with a potato）。”由此可知，在自然界中，同一个物种可以杂交，但是不同的物种不行，B选项“在同一个物种内部”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“通过混合不同的物种”，与原文表述相反，该选项属于反向干扰；
C选项“通过自然选择”，原文并未提及，该选项属于无中生有；
D选项“通过选择或竞争”，原文并未提及，该选项属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
Biotechnology has made it possible ____. 生物技术已经使____成为可能。
A. for us to solve the food shortage problem in the world A. 我们解决世界粮食短缺问题
B. for plants to be produced with genes of humans B. 用人类的基因培育出植物
C. for humans to assume the cold-resistant property C. 人类拥有耐寒性
D. to grow crops with the taste of farm animals D. 种植具有家畜味道的农作物
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词made it possible定位到原文第二段倒数第二句，该句提到“现在，利用从细菌、病毒、昆虫、动物甚至人类（even humans）身上提取的基因来改造植物（for plants to be engineered with genes taken from）已经成为可能。”由此可知，B选项“用人类的基因培育出植物”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“我们解决世界粮食短缺问题”，原文并未提及，该选项属于无中生有；
C选项“人类拥有耐寒性”，定位到原文第二段第四句，该句提到“例如，这可能意味着，选择一种基因，从北极鱼身上选择一种基因（这种基因使其产生一种具有防冻特性的化学物质），并将其加入土豆或草莓中，使其具有抗冻性（frost-resistant）。”首先，这句话表明的内容只是一种可能，并没有实现，其次，这句话说的也不是让人类有耐寒性，该选项属于曲解原文；
D选项“种植具有家畜味道的农作物”，原文并未提及，该选项属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
According to the author, with the development of biotechnology ____. 作者认为，随着生物技术的发展____。
A. the species of creatures will be reduced A. 生物的种类将会减少
B. our living environment will be better than it is now B. 我们的生活环境会比现在好
C. humans will pay for its side effect C. 人类将为其副作用付出代价
D. we will suffer from fewer and fewer diseases D. 我们遭受的疾病将越来越少
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】本题要求选择符合作者观点的一项。原文最后一段第一句提到“有些人认为基因革命导致了基因一致性问题（the problem of genetic uniformity）”；第二句提到“对生物多样性流失的担忧（Concerns about the erosion of biodiversity）仍然存在。”第三句提到“转基因植物引发了新的问题（new issues），比如它们可能对我们和环境产生的影响（the effects that they may have on us and environment）。”综上所述，生物技术的发展可能带来各种各样的问题，C选项“人类将为其副作用付出代价”最能概括原文内容。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“生物的种类将会减少”，只是原文提到的一点，该选项属于以偏概全；
B选项“我们的生活环境会比现在好”，原文说转基因植物可能会影响环境，该选项不符合原文，属于反向干扰；
D选项“我们遭受的疾病将越来越少”，原文并未提及，该选项属于无中生有。
