单选题
Every newborn baby is dealt a genetic hand of cards
which helps to determine how long he or she will be allowed to play the game of
life. There are good cards, which predispose those who have them to a long and
healthy existence, and there are bad cards, which predispose people to high
blood pressure, say, or heart disease. Occasionally, cards are dealt out that
doom their holders to an early death. In the past, people never knew exactly
which cards — in other words, which genes — they had been dealt. They could
guess at the future only by looking at the kind of health problems experienced
by their parents or grandparents. Genetic testing, which makes
it possible to probe for dangerous genes, has changed all this. But, until
recently, if you tested positive for a bad gene, you were not obliged to reveal
this to anyone else except in a few extreme circumstances. This month, however,
Britain became the first country in the world to allow life insurers to ask for
test results. So far, approval has been given only for a test
for a fatal brain disorder known as Huntington's disease. But ten other tests
(for seven diseases) are already in use and are awaiting similar
approval. The independent body that gives approval, the
Department of Health's Genetics and Insurance Committee does not have to decide
whether the use of genetic information in insurance is ethical. It must judge
only whether the tests are believable to insurers. In the case of Huntington's
disease the answer is clear-cut. People unlucky enough to have this gene will
die early, and cost life insurers dearly. This is only the
start. Clear-cut genetic answers, where a gene is simply and directly
related to a person's risk of death, are uncommon. More usually, a group
of genes is associated with the risk of developing a common disease, dependent
on the presence of other genetic or environmental factors. But, as tests
improve, it will become possible to predict whether or not a particular
individual is at risk. In the next few years researchers will discover more and
more about the functions of individual genes and what health risks or benefits —
are associated with them.
单选题
What does the word "cards" (Line 1, Para. 1) refer to?
A. Genes.
B. Disease.
C. Problems.
D. Games.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】语义题。根据第一段提到的“…which cards—in other words，which genes”，可见此处的 cards指的就是基因，故选[A]
单选题
What is the function of genetic testing according to this passage?
A. It helps people know what health problems their parents ever
experienced.
B. It enables people to change those dangerous genes to better ones.
C. It reveals possible genetic diseases people may have.
D. It calls on the public to help people who have bad genes.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】推断题。根据第二段提到的“Genetic testing，which makes it possible to probe for dangerous genes．has changed all this．”。可见基因测试的目的是为了揭示人类所拥有的潜在危险基因，故选[C] [A] 、[B] 、[D] 在文中未提及。
单选题
What benefit can insurance companies get from the use of genetic
information?
A. They can help to save the lives of those who have bad genes.
B. The can save a lot of money.
C. They can gain trust from their customers.
D. They can clear the misunderstanding of their customers.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】推断题。根据第四段最后一句提到的“People unlucky enough to have this gene will die early， and cost life insurers dearly．”(不幸有这种基因的人将会英年早逝，使人寿保险公司损失惨重。)可见了解基因测试的结果可以帮助人寿保险公司节省很多钱，故选[B]
单选题
Which of the following statements is CORRET according to the passage?
A. It is impossible to get clear-cut genetic answers at present.
B. Environmental factors are more important than genes.
C. Genetic factors may contribute to some common diseases.
D. It is common that some genes are directly related to a person's risk of
death.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】推断题。根据最后一段提到的“More usually，a group of genes is associated with the risk of developing a common disease…”，可见基因有可能诱发一些普通疾病，故选[C]
单选题
What is the author's purpose of writing the passage?
A. To show the way genetic testing works.
B. To indicate the relation between genes and Huntington's disease.
C. To reveal the influence of environmental factors on genes.
D. To introduce genetic testing and its functions.