A．The great impact and progress in genetic engineering B．Worries about privacy p

1.__________

Current researchinto the human gene system is helping us understand why people havepredispositions（易患某病倾向）to certain diseases．Knowing our genetic makeup can help us to judge whether or not wemay be stricken by particular illness, such as cancer．Even before birth, we are ableto do genetic screenings to determine what a child's genetic disorder will be．Scientists have alreadyisolated and identified the genes responsible for the more than 4,000 geneticdiseases that affect human beings．

2.__________

The implicationsof this knowledge are astonishing. In addition to predicting geneticpredisposition towards diseases, gene therapies may provide new treatments orcures for serious diseases．Millions of people already use genetically engineered drugs to treatheart disease, cancer, AIDS, and strokes （中风）. But with the research that is now being conducted, we may findcures to many more diseases．In the near future, genetic experimentation will also allow parentsto select the traits of their children. Genetic traits that determine height,weight, eye and hair color will be able to be controlled, and many parents areexcited about this potential.

3.__________

Many people,however, are unwilling to accept the possibilities genetic research allowsForexample, one reason some women do not use the largest genetic testing forbreast cancer is because they are afraid they will be discriminated against．Another problem is that manypeople do not want to discover their weakness．What if they learn that they have a disease forwhich there are no medical cures? How will such knowledge affect their lives?Do people really want to know what they will die of?

4.__________

Many peoplebelieve that history has not always shown human decision-making to be brightwhen it comes to ethical（道德的）choices. Jeremy Rifkin is probably the most well known opponent ofgenetic engineering. He believes that humans are not responsible enough toexperiment with genes and should not “play God” He asks, “Just because it canbe done, does that mean it should be done?” He points out that our society willeventually look and act the same if parents select the traits of theirchildren, and he questions the desirability of such a society．

5.．__________

One of the fearsexpressed about genetic experimentation involves privacy. Already blood sampletaken from patients in hospitals have been used for genetic research withoutthe patients’ permission. Most people would agree that one’s health and geneticmakeup are private concerns. But if insurance companies gain access to thisinformation, it could have a large impact on insurance coverage or costs; ifemployers gain access to the information, it could have a large impact onhiring or promotion decisions. The possibilities for discrimination are obvious．

试题答案

【答案】

1.A

2.B

3.C

4.E

5.B

【解析】 略