Gene technology is already being used in a variety of fields — including agriculture and medicine — to fashion a bio-industrial world. After thousands of years of adapting inanimate matter to create useful things we are now modifying living material to make commercial goods.
The global life science companies are quickly maneuvering to exert their influence and control over the new genetic commerce. Multinational corporations are already scouting the continents, hoping to locate microbes, plants, animals, and humans with rare genetic traits that might have future market potential which they can patent as their new “inventions”. The financial rewards of successful bio-prospecting are likely to be significant. Already patents have been awarded for a genetically engineered sweet protein derived from a West African plant called thaumatin.
Extending patents to life raises the important legal question of whether engineered genes, cells, tissues, organs and whole organisms, are truly human inventions or merely discoveries of nature that have been skillfully modified. In order to qualify as a patented invention in most countries, the inventor must prove that the object is novel, non-obvious, and useful.
But even if something fulfills these criteria, if it is a discovery of nature it is not an invention and, therefore, not patentable. For this reason, the discovery of chemical elements in the periodic table, while unique, non-obvious when first isolated and purified, and very useful, was none the less not considered patentable as they were discoveries of nature, even though some degree of human ingenuity went into isolating and classifying them.
The United States Parent Office (PTO) has said, however, that the isolation and classification of a gene’s properties and purposes is sufficient to claim it as an invention.
The prevailing logic becomes even more strained when consideration turns to patenting a cell, or a genetically modified organ, or a whole animal. Is a kidney patentable simply because it has been subjected to a slight genetic modification? What about chimpanzees, who share 99 percent of our genetic makeup? Should they qualify as human inventions if researchers insert a single gene into their biological makeup? The answer from the patent office is yes.
Corporate efforts to turn genes into a commodity are meeting strong resistance from a growing number of non-governmental organizations and countries in the southern hemisphere, who are beginning to demand an equitable share of the fruits of the biotech revolution.
Southern counties claim that what northern companies call “inventions” are really the pirating of their local genetic resources and the accumulated indigenous knowledge of how to use them. The companies argue that patent protection is essential if they are to risk financial resources and years of research and development, bringing new and useful products to market.
1. This passage is mainly concerned with ______.
2. Multinational corporations are making efforts to dominate ______.
3. A discovery of nature may be taken for an invention in that the former can also be ______.
4. Whether genetic products should be patented becomes a hectic question mainly with respect to ______.
5. One can infer from the passage that the fact that the US PTO approved of the genetic patents reflects the age-old competition between ______.
6. Southern countries are strongly opposed to patented genetic commodities because ______.
问题1选项
A.the promising prospect of the new genetic commerce
B.some controversy about patent
C.some worries about the genetic commerce
D.some worries of southern countries
问题2选项
A.the market of genetic products
B.the field of life science
C.the field of gene technology
D.the market of patented inventions
问题3选项
A.patentable
B.a modification of natural object.
C.novel, non-obvious and useful
D.something containing human ingenuity
问题4选项
A.scientific theories
B.technological problems
C.ethical concerns
D.profit concerns
问题5选项
A.big and small companies
B.economic and technological powers and underdeveloped countries
C.governmental and non-governmental organizations
D.the new genetic industries and the traditional ones
问题6选项
A.they are afraid that they cannot afford to use these products
B.they hate that their genetic resources will be taken advantage of by rich countries as other natural recourses
C.they want to set aside financial resources to develop their own genetic commerce
D.they do not like to share their genetic resources with other countries
第1题:C
第2题:A
第3题:D
第4题:D
第5题:B
第6题:B
第1题:
【选项释义】
This passage is mainly concerned with ____. 这篇文章主要是关于____。
A. the promising prospect of the new genetic commerce A. 新基因商业的美好前景
B. some controversy about patent B. 关于专利的一些争议
C. some worries about the genetic commerce C. 对基因商业的一些担忧
D. some worries of southern countries D. 南方国家的一些担忧
【考查点】主旨大意题
【解题思路】文章开头提到基因技术（Gene technology）正在被用于多个领域以创造一个生物工业世界，并且全球生命科学公司正在迅速行动以对新的遗传商业（the new genetic commerce）施加影响和控制。接着文章讨论了将专利扩展到生命所引发的法律问题，即是否应该将改造过的基因、细胞、组织、器官和整个生物体（engineered genes, cells, tissues, organs and whole organisms）视为人类发明还是仅仅是自然界的发现。然后提到了美国专利局（PTO）的立场，以及考虑到给细胞、遗传修改过的器官或整个动物授予专利时逻辑上的紧张关系。最后，文章指出企业将基因转化为商品的努力正遭遇来自南方半球越来越多的非政府组织和国家的强烈抵抗，这些国家开始要求公平分享生物技术革命的成果。由此可知，整篇文章讨论的对象都是“the new genetic commerce”以及有关基因产品申请专利的各种分歧意见与担忧，故C选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“新基因商业的美好前景”虽然在文章中有所提及，但不是文章的主要关注点，属于以偏概全；
B选项“关于专利的一些争议”范围太广，文章主要谈论的是基因技术应用产生的专利权问题，属于曲解原文；
D选项“南方国家的一些担忧”虽然在文章中有所提及，但不是文章的主要关注点，属于以偏概全。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Multinational corporations are making efforts to dominate ____. 跨国公司正在努力主导____。
A. the market of genetic products A. 基因产品市场
B. the field of life science B. 生命科学领域
C. the field of gene technology C. 基因技术领域
D. the market of patented inventions D. 专利发明市场
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】根据关键词“Multinational corporations”定位到第二段第二句“跨国公司（Multinational corporations）已经在各大洲寻找，希望找到具有罕见遗传特征的微生物、植物、动物和人类，这些特征可能具有未来的市场潜力，它们可以作为自己的新‘发明’申请专利。”而本段第一句提到“全球生命科学公司正迅速采取行动，对新的基因商业施加影响和控制（The global life science companies are quickly maneuvering to exert their influence and control over the new genetic commerce.）。”结合这两句内容可以推断出，多国公司正在努力主导的是与新的基因特性相关的市场，即基因产品的市场，它们寻求通过专利保护来确保对这些产品的控制，故A选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“生命科学领域”和C选项“基因技术领域”文章强调的是多国公司对市场的控制，而不是科学或技术领域本身，属于曲解原文；
D选项“专利发明市场”是一个更广泛的范畴，没有特指遗传产品，属于曲解原文。
第3题:
【选项释义】
A discovery of nature may be taken for an invention in that the former can also be ____. 自然界的发现可以被认为是一项发明，因为前者也可以____。
A. patentable A. 申请专利
B. a modification of natural object B. 是对自然物的改造
C. novel, non-obvious and useful C. 是新颖的、不明显的和有用的
D. something containing human ingenuity D. 是包含人类聪明才智的东西
【考查点】细节事实题
【解题思路】根据关键词“A discovery of nature”和“an invention”可定位到第四段第一句“但是，即使符合这些标准，如果是自然界的发现（if it is a discovery of nature），也不属于发明（it is not an invention），因此不能申请专利。”而第五段作者则提到“然而（however），美国专利商标局（PTO）却认为，只要将基因的特性和用途分离出来并加以分类，就足以将其申请为发明（the isolation and classification of a gene’s properties and purposes is sufficient to claim it as an invention）。”根据转折词“however”可知，第五段与上一段的内容是相反的，表明了自然界的发现只要“将基因的特性和用途分离出来并加以分类”也可以视为一项发明。根据第四段最后一句“即使人类在一定程度上发挥聪明才智将其分离和分类（even though some degree of human ingenuity went into isolating and classifying them）……”可知，“将基因的特性和用途分离出来并加以分类”是包含人类聪明才智的东西，故D选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“申请专利”根据原文“如果是自然界的发现，也不属于发明，因此不能申请专利”可知，自然界的发现可以申请专利是因为它是一项发明，而不是因为可以申请专利才可以被认为是一项发明，属于因果颠倒；
B选项“是对自然物的改造”根据以上分析可知，这也不是可以被认为是一项发明的本质特征，属于曲解原文；
C选项“新颖的、不明显的和有用的”定位到第三段最后一句“为了在大多数国家获得发明专利的资格，发明人必须证明其发明具有新颖性、非显而易见性和实用性（novel, non-obvious, and useful）。”而根据下一段第一句“但是，即使符合这些标准（But even if something fulfills these criteria），如果是自然界的发现，也不属于发明，因此不能申请专利。”可知，“novel, non-obvious and useful”不是被认为是一项发明的本质特征，属于曲解原文。
第4题:
【选项释义】
Whether genetic products should be patented becomes a hectic question mainly with respect to ____. 基因产品是否应该申请专利成为一个棘手的问题，主要是出于对____的考虑。
A. scientific theories A. 科学理论
B. technological problems B. 技术问题
C. ethical concerns C. 伦理问题
D. profit concerns D. 利润
【考查点】细节事实题
【解题思路】文章最后一句提到“这些公司认为，如果它们冒着财务资源和多年研发的风险，将新的有用的产品推向市场，专利保护是必不可少的（patent protection is essential if they are to risk financial resources and years of research and development, bringing new and useful products to market）。”由此可知，关于基因产品的专利问题主要是出于获利的考虑，故D选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“科学理论”、B选项“技术问题”和C选项“伦理问题”文章均未提及，属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
One can infer from the passage that the fact that the US PTO approved of the genetic patents reflects the age-old competition between ____. 人们可以从文章中推断，美国专利商标局批准基因专利的事实反映了____之间由来已久的竞争。
A. big and small companies A. 大小公司
B. economic and technological powers and underdeveloped countries B. 经济和技术大国与不发达国家
C. governmental and non-governmental organizations C. 政府和非政府组织
D. the new genetic industries and the traditional ones D. 新兴基因产业与传统基因产业
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】文章倒数第二段讲“公司把基因变成商品的努力遭到越来越多的非政府组织和南半球国家（a growing number of non-governmental organizations and countries in the southern hemisphere）的强烈抵制，它们开始要求公平分享生物技术革命的成果（who are beginning to demand an equitable share of the fruits of the biotech revolution）。”而最后一段第一句也提到“南方国家声称，北方公司（northern companies）所谓的‘发明’实际上是对当地遗传资源和如何使用这些资源的积累的土著知识的掠夺。”由此可推断，非政府组织和南半球国家与北方国家在这些资源的共享上存在竞争，而根据常识“大多数南半球国家一般技术与经济相对落后”可知B选项“经济技术强国与不发达国家”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“大小公司”文章没有提到大公司和小公司之间的竞争，属于无中生有；
C选项“政府和非政府组织”虽然文章提到了非政府组织，但并没有说到政府和非政府组织的竞争，而是非政府组织和南半球国家与北方国家之间的竞争，属于曲解原文；
D选项“新兴基因产业与传统基因产业”文章没有提到新兴基因产业与传统基因产业之间的竞争，属于无中生有。
第6题:
【选项释义】
Southern countries are strongly opposed to patented genetic commodities because ____. 南方国家强烈反对专利基因商品，因为____。
A. they are afraid that they cannot afford to use these products A. 他们担心自己负担不起使用这些产品的费用
B. they hate that their genetic resources will be taken advantage of by rich countries as other natural resources B. 他们讨厌自己的遗传资源被富裕国家当作其他自然资源来利用
C. they want to set aside financial resources to develop their own genetic commerce C. 他们希望拨出财政资源来发展自己的基因商业
D. they do not like to share their genetic resources with other countries D. 他们不喜欢与其他国家分享他们的遗传资源
【考查点】细节事实题
【解题思路】根据“Southern countries”和“patented genetic commodities”定位到文章最后一段第一句“南方国家声称（Southern counties claim that），北方公司所谓的‘发明’实际上是对当地遗传资源和如何使用这些资源的积累的土著知识的掠夺（the pirating of their local genetic resources and the accumulated indigenous knowledge of how to use them）。”也就是说，基因技术和产品的专利化使得富裕的国家可能会像对待其他自然资源一样，对这些国家的基因资源进行剥削，故B选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、C选项文章没有提及南方的国家因为害怕他们无法负担这些产品的费用而反对专利，或者他们想要专门拨出财政来发展他们自己的基因商业，属于无中生有；
D选项“他们不喜欢与其他国家分享他们的遗传资源”文章实际上提到了南方国家希望能公平地分享生物技术革命的成果，而不是他们不希望与其他国家分享自己的基因资源，属于曲解原文。
