单选题 The topic of cloning has been a politically and ethically controversial one since its very beginning. While the moral and philosophical aspects of the issues are entirely up to the interpretation of the individual, the application of cloning technology can be studied objectively. Many in the scientific community advocate the use of cloning for the preservation and support of endangered species of animals, which aside from cloning, have no other practical hope for avoiding extinction.
The goal of the use of cloning to avoid extinction is the reintroduction of new genes into the gene pool of species with few survivors, ensuring the maintenance and expansion of genetic diversity. Likely candidates for this technique are species known to have very few surviving members, such as the African Bongo Antelope, the Sumatran Tiger, and the Chinese Giant Panda. In the case of Giant Panda, some artificial techniques for creating offspring have already been performed, perhaps paving the way for cloning as the next step in the process.
With the estimated population of only about 1000 Giant Pandas left in the world, the urgency of the situation has led to desperate measures. One panda was born through the technique of artificial insemination in the San Diego Zoo in the United States. "Hua Mei" was born in 1999 after her parents, Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling, had trouble conceiving naturally.
The plan to increase the Giant Panda population through the use of cloning involves the use of a species related to the Giant Panda, the American Black Bear. Egg cells will be removed from female black bears and then fertilized with Panda cells such as those from Ling-Ling or Hsing-Hsing. The fertilized embryo will then re-implanted into the black bear, where it will grow and mature, until a new panda is delivered from the black bear host.
Critics of cloning technology argue that the emphasis on cloning as a method by which to preserve species will draw funding away from other methods, such as habitat preservation and conservation. Proponents of cloning counter that many countries in which many endangered species exist are too poor to protect and maintain the species' habitats anyway, making cloning technology the only practical way to ensure that those species survive to future generations. The issue is still hotly debated, as both sides weigh the benefits that could be achieved against the risks and ethical concerns that constantly accompany any argument on the issue. (402 words)

Notes: ethically 道德上。gene pool 基因库。insemination n.受精。fertilize 使受精。embryo 胚胎。proponent支持者，拥护者。weigh A against B权衡A和B的利弊。

单选题 The author raises the issue of ethical consideration in cloning in paragraph 1 in order to
[A] identify the issues that will not be addressed in the text.
[B] reveal an area of interest that will be explored later in the text.
[C] identify one of the main issues affecting the cloning controversy today.
[D] draw the reader's attention to a sensitive issue that bears consideration in the topic of cloning.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[注释] 细节理解题。本题问：作者在第1段中提出克隆方面的道德考虑问题其目的何在?第1段第1句写道：“克隆的话题从一开始就是一个在政治上和伦理上有争议的问题。”接着作者说：“虽然这些问题的道德观和哲学观完全依赖于个人的解释说明，但是对克隆技术的应用还是可以进行客观研究的。”从这句话中可以看出，作者在本文中并不打算来论述克隆问题的道德观和哲学观，而是想客观地研究克隆技术的应用问题。因此，[A]“来确认本文中不想陈述的问题”是作者提出该问题的目的。
单选题 The author directs attention to "Hua Mei", the baby panda born in the San Diego Zoo, in order to
[A] show that cloning as an artificial birth technique has succeeded.
[B] argue that pandas are a particularly likely candidate for cloning.
[C] show that artificial birth techniques other than cloning have succeeded.
[D] demonstrate the necessity of cloning and other artificial birth techniques to the survival of certain species.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[注释] 细节理解题。本题问：作者把注意力转到圣地亚哥动物园中的大熊猫幼仔“华妹”其目的何在?第2段最后一句写道：“就大熊猫而论，某些人工繁衍后代的技术已经施行，或许这就为下一步克隆大熊猫铺平了道路。”这句话说明，现在已经研究出一些人工繁衍后代的技术，这些技术虽不是克隆技术，但为下一步实施克隆技术铺平了道路。接着在第3段中作者以大熊猫幼仔“华妹”为例来说明，除，克隆外，一些人工繁衍后代的技术(如人工授精技术)已经取得成功。可见，[C]“表明除了克隆以外其他一些人工繁殖技术已经取得成功”是正确选项。 注意：上述两题属于“深入应用题”，解这类题要求考生在理解文章中相关细节的基础上能够利用所获得的信息去发掘深层次的内涵。这类题难度较大。2003年统考的阅读理解试题中有一部分题就属于这种类型。希望考生深入研究命题思路，制定行之有效的应试对策。
单选题 Paragraph 4 is written in order to
[A] detail the process by which cloning in the panda population has been executed in the past.
[B] guide the reader to consider the possibility of cloning in restoring the panda population.
[C] demonstrate that the use of cloning to repopulate the panda species is a feasible goal.
[D] inform the reader of how cloning would be carried out in the panda population.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[注释] 总结归纳题。本题问：第4段写来是为了什么?第4段第1句写道：“通过使用克隆技术来增加大熊猫的种群，这一计划涉及使用与大熊猫相关的物种——美国黑熊。”接着作者详细阐述了这一克隆的全过程。可见，本段内容写来是向读者介绍如何在大熊猫种群中进行克隆工作。故答案非[D]莫属。
单选题 The main purpose of the last paragraph is to
[A] argue in favor of one side on a particularly controversial topic of cloning.
[B] display both sides' arguments on another contentious issue in cloning.
[C] redirect the readers' attention to the previously raised issue of ethics in cloning.
[D] provide further relevant information to the evaluation of cloning as a preservation technique.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[注释] 总结归纳题。本题问：第5段写来是为了什么?第5段第1句陈述了在研究资金问题上克隆技术反对者的论据，而第2句则介绍了在经济能力问题上克隆技术支持者的论点。可见，选项[B]“摆出了在克隆方面另一个争论的问题上双方的论据”总结归纳了第5段的写作目的。
单选题 It can be inferred from the information given in the text that the best candidate for cloning would be
[A] Giant Pandas.
[B] an endangered species with many living related species.
[C] the species in which previous techniques of artificial reproduction have been successfully applied.
[D] those for which cloning is the only feasible method by which to reproduce the species.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[注释] 推理判断题。本题问：从本文所给信息中可以推理，下面哪一项会成为克隆的最佳候选者?[A]项无概括性，不能选用。至于[C]项，文中只讲到过去曾经采用人工授精的方法来繁殖大熊猫，但这不能推理说，过去成功采用人工技术繁殖的物种是克隆的最佳候选者。至于[D]“那些只能靠克隆来作为惟一可行的繁殖方法的物种”，文章中没有相关的细节可作为此推理的依据，故不能入选。文章中说到大熊猫是濒临灭绝的动物，而且又有与它相关的物种(如美国黑熊)可以作为克隆媒体。可见，克隆的最佳候选者应具备以上两条，故[B]为正确选项。