Having worked at a 7-Eleven store for two years, I thought I had become successful at what our manager calls “customer relations”. But the other night an old woman shattered my belief that a glib(非诚恳的) response could smooth over the rough spots of dealing with other human beings.
The moment she entered the store, the woman presented a sharp contrast to our shiny store with its bright lighting and neatly arranged shelves. On a zero-degree night, she was wearing only a faded print dress, a thin sweater too small to button, and black slippers with the backs cut out to expose heels. There were no stockings or socks on her blue-veined legs.
After strolling around the store for several minutes, the old woman stopped in front of the rows of canned vegetables. She picked up some corn niblets and stared with a strange intensity at the label. At that point, I decided to be a good employee and asked her if she needed help.
“I need some food,” she muttered(嘟囔) in reply to my bright “Can I help you?”
“Are you looking for corn, ma’am?”
“I need some food,” she repeated. “Any kind. But I can’t pay.” She said.
For a second, I was tempted to say, “Take the corn.” But the employee rules flooded into my mind. I responded dutifully, “ I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t give away anything for free.”
The old woman’s face collapsed a bit more, and her hands trembled as she put the can back on the shelf. She shuffled(蹒跚) past me toward the door, her torn and dirty clothing barely covering her bent back.
Moments after she left, I rushed out the door with the can of corn, but she was nowhere in sight. For the rest of my shift, the image of the woman kept coming to my mind. I had been young, healthy. She had been old, sick and desperate. Wishing with all my heart that I had acted like a human being rather than a robot, I was saddened to realize how fragile a hold we have on our better instincts(本能).
1. What does the underlined world “shatter” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Maintain. | B．Hold. |
| C．Break. | D．Lose. |
| A．She was attracted by the shiny store with neatly arranged shelves. |
| B．She left the store in disappointment without any food. |
| C．She declined the writer’s offer of a can of corn. |
| D．She was very healthy and was not afraid of the cold weather. |
| A．He was actually very mean. |
| B．He followed the employee rules. |
| C．He disliked the woman’s appearance. |
| D．He wanted to give her after she went out of the store. |
| A．A Lady and I | B．Working at A Store |
| C．Sadness | D．If Only …… |
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【推荐1】I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and awards from the job. I also think my work is important. There was a time when I thought I would never have that sort of career(职业).
I wasn’t an excellent student because I didn’t do much schoolwork. In my final term I started thinking what I might do and found I didn’t have much to offer. I just accepted that I wasn’t the type to have a career.
I then found myself a job. Looking after two little girls, it wasn’t too bad at first. But the problems began when I agreed to live in, so that I would be there if my boss had to go out for business in the evening. We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week, she’d give me time off the next. But unfortunately, it didn’t often work out. I was getting extremely tired and fed up, because I had too many late nights and early mornings with the children.
One Sunday, I was in the park with the children, and met Megan who used to go to school with me. I told her about my situation. She suggested that I should do a course and get a qualification (资格证书) if I wanted to work with children. I didn’t think I would be accepted because I didn’t take many exams in school. She persuaded me to phone the local college and they were really helpful. My experience counted for a lot and I got on a part-time course. I had to leave my job with the family, and got work helping out at a kindergarten.
Now I’ve got a full-time job there. I shall always be thankful to Megan. I wish I had known earlier that you could have a career, even if you aren’t top of the class at school.
1. What is the author’s present job?| A．Working part-time in a college. |
| B．Looking after children at a kindergarten. |
| C．Helping children with their schoolwork. |
| D．Taking care of children for a family. |
| A．was paid for extra work |
| B．took a day off every other week |
| C．got much help from her boss |
| D．often worked long hours |
| A．She found a full-time job. |
| B．She was fed up with children. |
| C．She decided to attend a part-time course. |
| D．She needed a rest after working extra hours. |
【推荐2】On one day my grandma died, I went for a walk to clear my mind. The small purse I carried with me was a gift from her. The bag only weighted several pounds but it felt like I was dragging heavy luggage.
As I was walking, I spotted Mary who gave me an excited hug. She asked how I was. “How are you” is a question that can turn meaningless or meaningful, depending on how you answer it. I considered going the meaningless route. Then I remembered that she is a friend from church. We once celebrated an activity together. Maybe I could lean on her for some comfort. I explained that my grandma died and I was feeling in bad shape emotionally.
Mary expressed kind regards. Then she asked the question everyone asks when you tell them someone died, “Were you two close?” It’s the main standard that determines the appropriate size someone’s sadness can take. The answer to this question depends on how someone defines closeness. I tend to feel close to people I can have heart-to-heart with. I nodded to Mary and said, “Yeah, we were.”
She nodded back, playing her role in the cultural script (剧本)we all know. Mary gathered information about the funeral arrangements, and then we parted. Seeing her was a catalyst (催化剂) to my quickly getting in touch with my sorrow. I cried loudly on the street directly.
Later that night I texted my friend Roger to tell him what had happened. I expected a text back with sympathy. Instead, the phone rang. Soon he was asking me what my favorite song was. While I hesitated, he started singing the hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul.” He finished it and prayed for me over the phone. It really made me exhilarated. I felt that a heavy burden was removed. But I cried again because of the spiritual synchronization(同步). I didn’t share stories of my grandmother or try to explain my complicated emotions over the phone.
Then I realized that courtesy (客套话) is generally good practice, but it can’t compare to personalized, thoughtful communication. And that kind of pat statement really has no place if you want to make a real connection.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?| A．The author used to offer Mary advice to Mary. |
| B．The author and Mary enjoyed social activities. |
| C．The author and Mary often shared their secrets. |
| D．The author hesitated to turn to Mary for comfort. |
| A．judge how sad the author was |
| B．determine what sadness it was |
| C．prove that they were close friends |
| D．see if the author needed comfort |
| A．Mary decided to attend the funeral |
| B．the author felt touched to see Mary |
| C．the author got no real comfort from Mary |
| D．Mary felt helpless about relieving the author’s pain |
| A．Cheered me up | B．Made me satisfied |
| C．Let me down | D．Kept me down |
| A．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| B．Spiritual communication is better than courtesy. |
| C．Crying is an effective way to ease people’s pain. |
| D．It’s hard to recover from the pain of losing a loved one. |
【推荐3】While many local teens spent their summers playing by the pool, Shea Frenyea-Provost brought her talents to life, leaving a lasting memory for years to come.
After five weeks, the 15-year-old’s artwork is now on show in People’s Park for all to see as the Village of Dannemora’s first outdoor mural(壁画)-symbolic of the ongoing efforts to give new energy to the village and all it has to offer.
For the young artist，the project took her out of the comfort zone(舒适区)-going from colored pencils and sketchbooks(素描本)to her first life-size mural- the first in what will now become a series of projects between the local teen and village.
With her mom active in the village’s growing Beautification Committee, Shea also got involved with volunteering. After seeing Shea’s sketches during the early stages of the mural planning, Tina Leduc, director of Beautification Committee, was awed by her talent and knew she was a perfect fit for the project.
With the help of her family, Shea was soon set up with her very own studio, where she spent weeks researching the Luna moth(蛾)，observing its outline and perfecting each final detail. “I used a projector(投影仪)to observe the moth for weeks and researched native plants in our area and the rest I really ended up doing freehand,“ Shea said, pointing to the fine lines of the climbing grape plants and moth antennas(触角).
For the Beautification Committee and villagers alike, her work has brought a welcomed new addition to the park while clearly showing her bright artistic future ahead. “She’s just such a natural,” said Leduc, who offered beginning guidance, otherwise leaving the creativity and design to the promising young artist. “I feel this is just the beginning for her. I know it is. We’re going to see so much from her.”
1. What can we learn about Shea’s mural?| A．It is the first indoor mural in her village. |
| B．It shows the history of her village. |
| C．It took her a month to complete. |
| D．It was a real challenge for her. |
| A．Amazed | B．Encouraged |
| C．Changed | D．Affected |
| A．Creative and humorous. |
| B．Polite and generous. |
| C．Talented and patient. |
| D．Experienced and professional. |
| A．It will inspire more kids to do art. |
| B．It promises a bright future for her. |
| C．It will attract more foreign visitors to the village. |
| D．It raises the villagers’ awareness of environmental protection. |
【推荐1】There is a new type of animal that has been walking on the beaches since the 1990s. They are called Strandbeast, which is Dutch language for beach beast. But these beasts are mainly made of plastic tubes and wood. They are creations of a Dutchman Theo Jansen, who designs kinetic sculptures (雕塑). Jansen's creations look alive when they do a steady and smooth motion on the hard sand. They can push themselves forward using nothing more than the power of the wind. The beauty of these creations is that they have no electronic parts, and yet they have a basic logic system that helps them walk in their habitat.
Jansen's kinetic sculptures use an revolutionary design to change simple motions into amazing works of art. The Strandbeasts have a mechanical linkage (连杆) that creates a walking motion using triangles. The fascinating combination of thin tubes and fine fin—like (鱼鳍般的) sails which flap in the wind create a striking image. Jansen has even created a way for his beasts to “eat” the air, and store its power by pressurizing bottles (增压瓶). This stored power also allows for sculptures to recognize when they have entered water and change their direction.
These sculptures are large but have a fine appearance. Besides, Jansen's designs also work with heavier structures. He created a beast, named Animaris Rhinoceros Lignatus, which was made out of wood and weighed 250 kilograms. Every year, he improves his designs. His hope is that one day he will create herds of beasts that can "live" on the beaches and survive without the help of humans.
Kinetic art isn't just about making large sculptures move. There are many artists that use motion to create amazing visual effects. Some are large pieces, but many can sit on a desk or hang on a wall. However, they all have one thing in common: you can't appreciate their artistry until you see them move. Jansen also sells mini versions of some of his beasts. They come in kits (成套零件) that you can fit them together without any special tools. You, too, can try your hand at creating kinetic art!
1. What does the animal mentioned in paragraph1 refer to?| A．A movable sculpture. | B．A plastic sculpture. |
| C．A creation of wind. | D．A forest animal. |
| A．The beautiful appearance. | B．The designer. |
| C．The design principle. | D．The stored power. |
| A．They are some sort of life form. |
| B．Ordinary people can create them. |
| C．They have large but soft structures. |
| D．Their motion gives people a pleasure for their eyes. |
| A．He is a stubborn designer. |
| B．He loves doing woodwork. |
| C．He's a successful salesman. |
| D．He's an imaginary and ambitious artist. |
【推荐2】After a car crash left 14-year-old Collin Smith paralyzed, doctors told him he had a 20 percent chance of finishing high school. The opportunity to attend college seemed even slimmer. Yet eight years later, Collin earned a bachelor of arts degree. He achieved the nearly impossible--with the help of a kind and generous man five decades his senior.
Emest Greene and his wife attended the same church as Collin and his parents did. The Creenes had moved to the area just nine months earlier. But when Emest heard about Collin' s accident and the fact that his parents would not be able to care full-time for him, he approached Collin's parents with the idea that he looked after the boy while they were at work. The Smiths gratefully accepted.
Emest sought training to care for Collin and then began arriving early on weekday mornings. He would help Collin get out of bed, wash, dress and have breakfast. Then he' d drive Collin to and from school. Then, while the two waited for one of Collin's parents to get home, "We played lot of Monopoly," says Emest with a laugh. At first, the age difference was a challenge but they learned to compromise. "Older folks are just older versions of you," says Collin. "Same people. great stories."
Some days were better than others. "He can't do for himself, so he can be demanding," says Emest. But he attests that Collin's strong will got him through tough times.
After graduation, Collin was accepted to nearby High Point University. Emest accompanied him to every class. On graduation day, Emest received an honorary degree in humanities.
"I was floored, "he says.
Collin wasn't surprised, however. "Emest is a godly example of the way a man should live-calm, modest," he says.
1. What do we know about Emest Greene?| A．He took care of Collin at his parents' request. |
| B．He was an old family friend of the Smiths. |
| C．He was a witness to Collin's car accident. |
| D．He overcame difficulties to tend Collin. |
| A．By providing training for him |
| B．By playing Monopoly with him |
| C．By completing the same course. |
| D．By accompanying him in life and study. |
| A．Evidences. | B．Expects. |
| C．Guesses | D．Clarifies. |
| A．To share a special friendship. |
| B．To describe an act of kindness. |
| C．To stress the importance of determination. |
| D．To appeal for helping the disabled. |
【推荐3】“Meet me in the conference room with the contracts and a cup of coffee,” my boss barked at me. “Ten minutes.”
I didn’t respond. I stood still as if my shoes had been glued to the floor. I had no intention of taking a cup of anything to anyone, supervisor or not.
I had seen with my own eyes what such behavior did to a woman. It happened to Mrs. Wilson next door. Old Mr. Wilson wouldn’t put in his own false teeth without his wife’s assistance, let alone make himself lunch. It was a miserable union. I vowed by age eight that I would never live like her. I adopted the motto: Don’t help those who won’t help themselves.
I rushed to the file room and pulled my phone. I explained to my father what had happened and asked his advice on what to do, only to be asked back. He must have forgotten the unwritten rule between us about not answering a question with a question. Fortunately, I came up with an idea that would have the best of both worlds.
I took up the files and headed for the coffee pot. I took two cups and made two cups of coffee. Then I walked into the boss’ office with a cup of coffee in each hand. I handed my boss a cup of coffee and drank at the same time as him.
“Let’s take a break,” partway through the meeting, my boss stood, saying, “I need more coffee.” I picked up my empty cup. “I do, too,” I said, and handed it to him across the table. “Thanks,” I added, looking at him expectantly. The boss was staggered for a moment, and then took the cup from me.
When I finally left my boss’ office, I hid in the bathroom and called my dad. My father’s laughter on the phone made me feel even prouder.
1. Why does the author mention the Wilsons?| A．To explain her unwillingness to serve the coffee. |
| B．To picture what she will be like when she ages. |
| C．To stress her opposition to inequality in society. |
| D．To show how the couple grew old together. |
| A．She intended to play a trick on her mean boss. |
| B．She planned to have the boss serve her later. |
| C．She meant to share instead of serving. |
| D．She wanted to save the trouble of doing it again. |
| A．Moved. | B．Scared. | C．Excited. | D．Shocked. |
| A．She figured out how to show respect for her superior. |
| B．She took a wise approach to stand up for herself. |
| C．She found it practical to seek solutions from her father. |
| D．She considered it significant to fight against men bravely. |
【推荐1】Actor Warwick Davis realized he was shorter than other people when he was eight years old. He suddenly noticed all his schoolmates were twice his size. It was then that the effect of having dwarfism hit him for the first time.
Now aged 48, Davis says, “I have very fond memories of school but I realized I had to become a little bit louder and funnier so I wouldn’t get left out of conversations. I became quite the performer, so being short was my training in acting.”
It worked. Director George Lucas cast young Warwick as the Ewok Wicket in Return of the Jedi. The actor has gone on to star in many TV shows and films, including playing Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter films.
Warwick’s dwarfism means he is 1.07 meters tall, while the average UK adult male height is 1.78 meters. Most types of dwarfism are caused by a genetic disorder that stops some of the body’s building blocks working properly.
Davis has a positive attitude to being “different”. He says, “If I had my life all over again, I would choose the same job and be the same height. I have enjoyed every minute. At school I played rugby and football and tried long jump and high jump. I wasn’t very good at them but I always had a go. I defeated everyone at chin-ups (引体向上) because I had a low body weight combined with a strong upper body from climbing up to the top cupboards to reach the biscuit boxes at home.”
Warwick is supporting Jeans for Genes Day, a charity raising public concern for millions of children born with genetic disorders in the U.K. He says, “Even if you can only give a tiny amount of money, it will make such a difference to the children.”
1. Why did Warwick Davis decide to become a little bit louder and funnier?| A．It was his training in his acting. |
| B．He didn’t want to be ignored by his classmates. |
| C．The effect of having dwarfism influenced him strongly. |
| D．The genetic disorder prevented his body from working properly. |
| A．Davis has a positive attitude to being “different”. |
| B．Davis turns his short body to his advantage at chin-ups. |
| C．Davis is not fond of rugby and football, long jump and high jump. |
| D．Davis doesn’t want to choose the same job if he can live his life again. |
| A．pleased | B．independent | C．sensitive | D．confident |
| A．My Strong Upper Body | B．Dwarfism Caused by Genetic Disorder |
| C．Height Is Not My Limitation | D．More Money, Bigger Difference |
【推荐2】Jason Sotiris calls it “the moment”. It comes when a child has been in hospital for days, or weeks, or more. And suddenly something magical happens.
“There’s a knock on the door,” he says. “You look up, and you see your favourite superhero — Iron Man or Captain Marvel. And that reaction is what we call ‘the moment’.” A visit from a superhero is pretty exciting in itself. But these superheroes bring more than just high-fives.
“This superhero says...hey, I’ve heard about you,” Jason says. “You have been so brave that you have earned a spot among other superheroes. The only thing you need is a costume.” And the superhero presents the child with a Supertee, which can help them tap into their own natural superpowers.
Jason Sotiris created Supertee when his daughter Angela was hospitalised with a rare cancer after her first birthday, and he came up with the idea to create a T-shirt designed to make changing clothes easy. Supertee is X-ray friendly with underarms that open easily for temperature checks and sides which come apart quickly with removable buttons. Best of all, it builds courage. The superhero theme was inspired by Jason’s three-year-old son who dressed up as Batman to save his younger sister.
“There is research showing pretend play, like being a superhero, helps a child put psychological distance between themselves and the problem at hand. It’s known as ‘The Batman Effect’ and allows children to step back from a problem and think about it from multiple angles, seeing different options for a solution. It helps fight boredom and keep up spirits for children,” said Jason.
Recipients have included eight-year-old Indyana Wedderburn, who has a rare and incurable form of disease that has led to frequent brain operation. “It’s more than just a T-shirt. It has given the family strength,” says her mum. “His creation is genius. Jason cares because he can relate to what it’s like.”
1. How will a young patient probably feel at “the moment”?| A．Surprised. | B．Scared. | C．Upset. | D．Relieved. |
| A．It’s radiation-proof. | B．It’s conveniently designed. |
| C．It’s smartly controlled. | D．It’s environmentally friendly. |
| A．Prove the popularity of Batman. | B．Reveal problems children have. |
| C．Offer the supporting evidence. | D．Lead into a new topic. |
| A．Brain diseases are incurable. | B．Creations come from geniuses. |
| C．Supertee has magical medical value. | D．Supertee offers great spiritual support. |
【推荐3】After paying £20 for my racing red ukulele at a Denmark Street music shop, I happily turned up to the “Ukulele Hootenany” at a club near Liverpool Street. The host came around and tuned it for me. I went to get a drink from the bar and was about to start playing when the little man approached again and said, “Let me tune that again for you.” I hesitated, wanting to reassure him that I’d not touched it since its last tuning but he took it and returned a few minutes later saying, “I’ve tuned it, but it won’t be worth it—use this one instead. And he handed me a racing red version of a more expensive ukulele that I happily handled clumsily with that night.
You can master the basics online and come along expecting to be able to play the most commonly used chords. Just don’t expect to fluently flip (弹) between them without any mistakes. It is easier said than done.
What makes this hobby unique is the fact that it’s not seen as “serious” or “proper” instrument, so it all tracts those more likely to pick it up for fun. That night’s crew were a random collection of around 30 people ranging from 20 to 60, with various shaped and sized ukuleles and various levels of ability.
We sat around a table, with two song books in front of us, and the “leader” called out a page number as we flipper through to a well-known Johnny Cash or Queen tune and did our best to keep up. Later on we got to argue—a Lady Gaga here, an Eric Clapton there.
But the part I enjoyed the most and that I wasn’t expecting was the singalong. Everyone sang, and as no one eared about your singing abilities, people had lot of fun when they were harmonizing and putting on a heavy Southern accent even if it’s not a country song. What it resulted in was a hobby with a unique mix and thus one of my favorites; it was cheap, social, and above all great fun.
1. Which of the following words can best describe the host?| A．Strict and responsible. | B．Considerate and generous |
| C．Friendly and stubborn. | D．Ambitious and professional |
| A．People who are serious musicians. |
| B．People who are keen on classical music. |
| C．People who seek pleasure in playing despite mistakes. |
| D．People who expect social interactions with strangers. |
| A．Each member of the crew played excellent tunes. |
| B．They couldn’t produce a consistent rhythm while playing. |
| C．The author was good at singing country songs. |
| D．The author couldn’t catch up with others during the singalong part. |
| A．embarrassed | B．moody | C．cheerful | D．optimistic |
【推荐1】If what we did were simply work to live, the reality of our everyday existence would be equivalent to that of stone age man. All of human achievement that makes modern life possible has happened because of the time that has been freed up from the work of everyday survival.
For most of the human species on earth man and woman have been occupied with the simple business of staying alive in as much relative comfort as possible.
Hunting and gathering, finding or building shelter, defending the little that one has from plunder(抢夺), surviving long enough to have offsprings of a mature enough age to contribute to the welfare of the group—this was initially the main business of living.
It has only been comparatively recently, since the agricultural and industrial revolutions that used emerging technologies to free human beings from the drudgery of day-to-day survival, that time has become available to do other than simply survive.
However, living to work is a luxury that we should not take for granted, for even now still most of the human race couldn’t be blessed with the pearl.
When we live to work we enjoy what we are doing, otherwise we wouldn’t be doing it. The term “live to work” implies choice. Working to live denotes the exact opposite: anything will do that pays the bills. Anyone in the latter situation will attest to the undesirability of being in such a position. Living to work suggests exhilaration in one’s calling; it summons images of freedom and excitement in the prospect of what each new day will bring, whereas working to live suggests little choice if any. “What do you want to do when you grow up?” is a question with which most children will be familiar, perhaps even bored. It is a question of what even a young adult can often not be sure of until they have had experiences of many different jobs, or at least the ones they thought to try. But to be forced to work at a task that one does not enjoy day after day for survival would be last choice on anyone’s list. Enlightened humanity, while acknowledging that some undesirable jobs must be done regardless, would acknowledge that if one was motivated in his work, the work would be so much better accomplished.
1. The underlined word drudgery is closest in meaning to ______.| A．imagination | B．hard labor |
| C．dragging | D．familiarity |
| A．have been satisfied by contributing to the welfare of the group. |
| B．stayed alive in much possible comfort for centuries |
| C．made little progress before the emergence of technologies |
| D．were addicted to hunting, gathering and building shelters. |
| A．Human achievements facilitating modern life are done during the leisure time freed from survival work. |
| B．The major early business of humans is to seek chances for technological developments. |
| C．In modern society, most people have enough comforts to make individual choices for work. |
| D．Most adults can answer confidently questions concerning what jobs they want to do. |
| A．Technology, a driving force to push humans ahead |
| B．Working to live, a basic condition for pleasant living to work |
| C．Different desires and prospects people have for different kinds of work. |
| D．Working to live or living to work, a choice distinguishing joy from suffering |
【推荐2】For centuries, dolphins have got our admiration, and it is easy to see why. They are beautiful, cute and smart sea animals. Dolphins are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this way, they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. It is said that dolphins are the world’s second brightest creatures after humans and have many brain features related to intelligence. Their brain is nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time at least twenty or thirty years.
Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw.
Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people.
There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903, Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area－except for The Penguin.
Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them.
1. Dolphins are different from many other animals because they _____.| A．live in groups |
| B．have large brains |
| C．are warm-blooded |
| D．have their own language |
| A．Its nose. | B．Its ears. | C．Its jaw. | D．Its eyes. |
| A．He was lonely and liked to be with people. |
| B．They enjoyed playing with him. |
| C．He was seriously wounded. |
| D．They wanted his help. |
| A．dolphins are friendly and clever |
| B．people are cruel to animals |
| C．Jack is different from other dolphins |
| D．dolphins should be protected by law |
【推荐3】“I’ve never met a human worth cloning,” says cloning expert Mark Westhusin from his lab at Texas A&M University. “It’s a stupid endeavor.” That’s an interesting choice of adjective, coming from a man who has spent millions of dollars trying to clone as 13-year-old dog named Missy. So far, he and his team have not succeed, though they have cloned two cows and expect to clone a cat soon. They just might succeed in cloning Missy this spring — or perhaps not for another five years. It seems the reproductive system of man’s best friend is one of the mysteries of modern science.
Westhusin’s experience with cloning animals leaves him upset by all this talk of human cloning. In three years of work on the Missy project, he and the A&M team has failed over and over again. The wastage of eggs and the many fetuses(胎) may be acceptable when you’re dealing with cats or bulls, he argues, but not with humans. “Cloning is incredibly inefficient, and also dangerous,” he says.
Even so, dog cloning is a commercial opportunity, with a nice research payoff. Ever since Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1997, Westhusin’s phone has been ringing with people calling in hopes of duplicating their cats and dogs, cattle and horses. “A lot of people want to clone pets, especially if the price is right,” says Westhusin. Cost is no obstacle for Missy’s mysterious billionaire owner; he’s put up $3.7 million so far to fund A&M’s research.
Contrary to some media reports, Missy is not dead. The owner wants a twin to carry on Missy’s fine qualities after she does die. The prototype is, by all accounts, athletic, good-natured and super-smart. Missy’s master does not expect an exact copy of her. He knows her clone may not have her temperament. In a statement of purpose, Missy’s owner and the A&M team say they are “both looking forward to studying the ways that her clones differ from Missy.”
Besides cloning a great dog, the project may contribute insight into the old question of nature vs. nurture. It could also lead to the cloning of special rescue dogs and many endangered animals.
However, Westhusin is cautious about his work. He knows that even if he gets a dog pregnant, the offspring, should they survive, will face the problems shown at birth by other cloned animals: abnormalities like immature lungs and heart and weight problems. “Why would you ever want to clone humans,” Westhusin asks, “when we’re not even close to getting it worked out in animals yet?”
1. By cloning Missy, Mark Westhusin and A&M team attempt to ________.| A．figure out the possibility of human cloning |
| B．find out the differences between Missy and its clone |
| C．study why the prototype, Missy, is so athletic and smart |
| D．show their love for lovely Missy since it has passed away |
| A．was conducted long before the sheep cloning |
| B．has gained an unexpected cold response from the society |
| C．has posed a great financial challenge to Westhusin |
| D．can generate an enormous wealth of economic returns |
| A．Careful. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Passive. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Current cloning techniques have proved quite adequate for human cloning. |
| B．The outcome of Westhusin’s dog cloning project remains uncertain. |
| C．Dangerous as it is, cloning is an incredibly efficient method. |
| D．Westhusin thought it an interesting attempt to clone human beings. |
