Question

By day he is just a normal cat but when the lights go out, he glows (发光) in the dark.

Scientists have genetically modified (更改) a cat as part of an experiment that could lead to treatments for diseases.

   Named Mr. Green Genes, he looks like a six-month-old cat but, under ultraviolet (紫外线的) light, his eyes, gums (牙龈) and tongue glow green. That is the result of a genetic experiment at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans, US.

   Mr. Green Genes is the first fluorescent (荧光的) cat in the US and probably the world, said Betsy Dresser, the center's director.

   The researchers made him so they could learn whether a gene could be introduced harmlessly into a cat's genetic sequence (次序).

   If so, it would be the first step in a process that could lead to the development of ways to treat diseases via gene therapy (治疗).

   The gene, which was added to Mr. Green Genes' DNA, has no effect on his health, Ms Dresser said.

   Cats are ideal for this project because their genetic makeup is similar to that of humans, said Dr Martha Gomez, a scientist at the center.

   To show that the gene went where it was supposed to go, the researchers settled on one that would glow.

   The gene "is just a marker"， said Leslie Lyons, an assistant professor at the University of California, Davis. Lyons is familiar with the center's work.

   "The glowing part is the fun part," she said.

   Glowing creatures made international news earlier this month when the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists who had discovered the gene through their work with jellyfish (水母).

51. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A. A Glowing Cat         B. Mr. Green Genes

C. One Cat’s Life         D. An experiment on cats

52. What can we conclude from the passage?

A. Fortunately, scientists have found ways to treat diseases via gene therapy.

B. Scientists think cats’ genetic makeup is the same as that of human beings.

C. Three scientists who had discovered the gene were given Nobel Prize in  Physics.

D. Scientists have managed to introduce a gene into a cat’s genetic sequence.               

53. What does “settled on”  most probably mean in Paragraph 9?

A. chose       B. killed     C. took        D. raised

54. From the passage we can see that ____.

A. Mr. Green Genes was made by researchers to treat diseases

B. the cat named Mr. Green Genes can glow when it is dark

C. Mr. Green Genes is the first fluorescent cat in the world

D. Mr. Green Genes is a cat of seven months old up to now

55. Which of the following is WRONG according to the text?

A. The gene added to Mr. Green Genes’ DNA doesn’t affect its health at all.

B. The scientists came up with the idea of the glowing genes totally for fun.

C. Earlier this month glowing creatures became news all through the world.

D. Scientists had discovered the gene from the jellyfish they worked with.

Answer 1

51、A。52、D。53、A。54、B。55、B。

解析:

51、A。标题、主旨题。本文主要讲述了科学家给一只猫的身体引入了新的基因，使其会在没有灯光的时候可以发光。使用A选项不但反映了文章的中心思想，而且能引起读者的兴趣。

52、D。细节理解题，根据文章第五、七段可知答案。

53、A。词义理解题，根据文章倒数第四段可得知答案：为了弄清基因到了它该去的地方，   研究者们选择了一种会发光的基因。

54、B。细节理解题，根据文章第一段可得知答案。

55、B。细节理解题，根据文章倒数第二、三、四段可得知答案。