Scientists have known since 1952 that DNA is the basic stuff of heredity. They’ve known its chemical structure since 1953. They know that human DNA acts like a biological computer program some 3 billion bits long that spells out the instructions for making proteins, the basic building blocks of life。

But everything the genetic engineers have accomplished during the past half-century is just a preamble to the work that Collins and Anderson and legions of colleagues are doing now. Collins leads the Human Genome Project, a 15-year effort to draw the first detailed map of every nook and cranny of gene in human DNA. Anderson, who pioneered the first successful human gene-therapy operations, is leading the campaign to put information about DNA to use as quickly as possible in the treatment and prevention of human diseases。

What they and other researchers are plotting is nothing less than a biomedical revolution. Like Silicon Valley pirates reverse-engineering a computer chip to steal a competitor’s secrets, genetic engineers are decoding life's molecular secrets and trying to use that knowledge to reverse the natural course of disease. DNA in their hands has become both a blueprint and a drug, a pharmacological substance of extraordinary potency that can treat not just symptoms or the diseases that cause them but also the imperfections in DNA that make people susceptible to a disease。

And that’s just the beginning. For all the fevered work being done, however, science is still far away from the Brave New World vision of engineering a perfect human—or even a perfect tomato. Much more research is needed before gene therapy becomes commonplace, and many diseases will take decades to conquer, if they can be conquered at all。

In the short run, the most practical way to use the new technology will be in genetic screening. Doctors will be able to detect all sorts of flaws in DNA long before they can be fixed. In some cases the knowledge may lead to treatments that delay the onset of the disease or soften its effects. Someone with a genetic predisposition to heart disease, for example, could follow a low-fat diet. And if scientists determine that a vital protein is missing because the gene that was supposed to make it is defective, they might be able to give the patient an artificial version of the protein. But in other instances, almost nothing can be done to stop the ravages brought on by genetic mutations。

56. It can be inferred from the text that Collins and Anderson and legions of colleagues _____。

[A] know that human DNA acts like a biological computer program

[B] have found the basic building blocks of life

[C] have accomplished some genetic discovery during the past half-century

[D] are making a breakthrough in DNA

57. Collins and Anderson are cited in the text to indicate all the following EXCEPT that ______。

[A] gene-therapy now is already generally used to the treatment and prevention of human diseases

[B] human gene-therapy operations may be applied to the patients

[C] time-consuming effort is needed to accomplish the detailed map of in human DNA

[D] information about DNA may be used in the treatment and prevention of human diseases

58. The word “pirate” (line 2, paragraph 3) most probably means______。

[A] one who robs at sea or plunders the land from the sea

[B] one who makes use of or reproduces the work of another without authorization

[C] to take (something) by piracy

[D] to make use of or reproduce (another’s work) without authorization

59. We can draw a conclusion from the text that_____。

[A] engineering a perfect human is not feasible for the time being

[B] it’s impossible for scientists to engineer a perfect tomato

[C] many diseases will never be conquered by human beings

[D] doctors will be able to cure all sorts of flaws in DNA in the long run

60. The best title for the text may be ______。

[A] DNA and Heredity

[B] The Genetic Revolution

[C] A Biomedical Revolution

[D] How to Apply Genetic Technology

Section IV English-Chinese Translation

Directions:

Read the following passage carefully and then translate the underlined sentences into Chinese. Your translation must be written clearly on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)

The value which society places on work has traditionally been closely associated with the value of individualism and as a result it has had negative effects on the development of social security. (61)It has meant that in the first place the amount of benefits must be small lest people’s willingness to work and support themselves suffers. Even today with flat rate and earnings-related benefits, the total amount of the benefit must always be smaller than the person’s wages for fear of malingering. “The purpose of social security,” said Huntford referring to Sweden’s comparatively generous benefits, “is to dispel need without crossing the threshold of prosperity。” Second, social security benefits are granted under conditions designed to reduce the likelihood of even the boldest of spirits attempting to lice on the State rather than work. Many of the rules surrounding the payment of unemployment or supplementary benefit are for this purpose. Third, the value placed on work is manifested in a more positive way as in the case of disability. (62)People suffering from accidents incurred at work or from occupational diseases receive preferential treatment by the social security service compared with those suffering from civil accidents and ordinary illnesses。

Yet, the stranglehold which work has had on the social security service has been increasingly loosened over the years. The provision of family allowances, family income supplements, the slight liberalization of the wages stop are some of the manifestations of this trend. (63)Similarly, the preferential treatment given to occupational disability by the social security service has been increasingly questioned with the demands for the upgrading of benefits for the other types of disability. It is felt that in contemporary industrial societies the distinction between occupational and non-occupational disability is artificial for many non-occupational forms of disability have an industrial origin even if they do not occur directly in the workplace. (64)There is also the additional reason which we mentioned in the argument for one benefit for all one-parent families, that a modern social security service must concentrate on meeting needs irrespective of the cause behind such needs。

The relationship between social security and work is not all a one-way affair. (65)It is true that until very recently the general view was that social security “represented a type of luxury and was essentially anti-economic。” It was seen as merely government expenditure for the needy. As we saw, however, redundancy payments and earnings-related unemployment benefits have been used with some success by employers and the government to reduce workers’ opposition towards loss of their jobs。

Section V Writing

66. Directions:

[A] Title: FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILDREN

[B] Word limit: 160-200 words

[C] Your composition should be based on the OUTLINE below

[D] Your composition must be written clearly on the ANSWER SHEET. (20 points)

OUTLINE:

1. Present situation: Lack of communication between parents and children

2. Possible reasons:

1) Different likes and dislikes

2) Misunderstanding

3) Others

3. Suggestions:

1) For parents

2) For children