As if there weren’t enough of them in the world already, scientists have succeeded in cloning flies. The alike fruit flies are the first insects ever cloned, says the Canadian team that created them. The question everyone asks is why anyone would want to clone flies in the first place. She hopes that the insects , which are very easy to experiment with , will help to adjust the cloning process in other animals and even in humans, where the technique is being researched to aid production of therapeutic (治疗的) stem cells.

In cloning, the DNA-containing nucleus of an adult cell is injected into an egg whose own nucleus(细胞核) has been removed. At the moment, the majority of cloned mice, sheep and other animals die before birth. It is thought this is because the adult DNA is not properly ‘reprogrammed’.

Using flies, researchers might discover genes that are important for this reprogramming, and that have matches in other animals. That is because it is relatively easy in flies to knock out the function of a single gene and then attempt

cloning with these cells, which will test whether that gene is important. If such genes are confirmed, then in theory cloned mammalian embryos(晶胚) might be grown in selected solutions that change the activity of those genes to improve the technique’s success rate. Although some groups have attempted to clone insects before, Lloyd says this is the first time it has been successful. The team used a slight difference on the standard cloning process: they transferred nuclei taken from embryos rather than fully-grown adult cells. They sucked several nuclei (pl)out of developing fly embryos, and injected them into a fertilized(已受精的) fly egg. From over 800 early attempts, they cloned five adult insects, the group reports in the journal Genetics.

 

67.The best title of this passage probably is _______.

A. The importance of clone

B. First insects are cloned

C. The disagreement in clone

D. The advantages of clone

68. The scientists cloned flies because________.

     A. there are fewer and fewer flies in the world 

B. flies are easy to find and cheap to use

     C. they can gain some experience before cloning other animals

     D. it is safe to cline flies

69. The failure of most cloned animals is due to _______.

   A. the difference of other animals’ genes

   B. the improper technique of clone

   C. the complex of other animals

   D. the improper rearrange of the adult gene

70. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ______.

     A. the clone of insects before used grown-up cells

  B. the clone of insects were never experimented before  

C. this time scientists cloned flies successfully and easily

      D. based on this success, other animals will be cloned in large quantities. 

To prevent the deserts coming near, China has planted billions of trees---to replace destroyed forests and as barriers against the sand. This isn’t a cure, though, say experts, as thirsty trees can make the problem worse by taking in groundwater.

“Planting tress is one way, but it isn’t that simple. It doesn’t solve the basic issue of water resources,” says Wu Bo, a professor. “We need to calculate how much water the trees will absorb, or else it could have a negative effect.”

Villagers in Zhengxin have taken on this challenge, with limited success. When the irrigation channels began to run dry, Lu Xianglin switched from wheat to cotton on his land. He also planted trees to protect his fields from sandstorms. He says he still gets good yields using flood irrigation and earns a good income for his family.

Other farmers haven’t stuck it out: About one in three have left Zhengxin in the past 10 years after their wheat crops died. Young people who can find jobs in the towns rarely return.

Last week, Mr Lu joined the other men in his village on a government-arranged trip to see the land that has been set aside for their relocation, nearly 40 miles to the south. The next day, he was back, shaking his head at the plan. The idea of uprooting his family troubles him, as does the idea of giving up the land that fed his forefathers. He prefers to stay and keep up the fight.

“With enough water, this problem can be solved,” Lu says. “We can plant trees and grass, and they will grow bigger. That will stop the desert.”

Experts say that farmers could switch to drip irrigation to lessen their water intake for growing crops. Elsewhere in the region, farmers have built brick greenhouses as part of a plan to grow vegetables using less water. Roadside signs urge farmers to “Save Water, Protect the Environment”.

 

49. The negative effect of planting trees in deserts is that __________.

   A. it can make groundwater become less

   B. it can prevent the sand moving freely

   C. it can stop crops growing well

   D. it can get the soil to become poor

50. Why did Mr Lu NOT accept the idea of relocation?

   A. Because the plan of relocation will cost him much money.

   B. Because his family had trouble moving away.

   C. Because he was reluctant to give up his land.

   D. Because he would rather stay than fight against the deserts.

51. What can we infer from the passage?

   A. The deserts drive more and more people to leave their homes for their lives.

   B People have no means to fight against the land becoming desert

   C. Water is the biggest barrier for people to stop the desert.

   D. Planting trees cannot solve the problem of desertification of farmland

52. What advice is given by experts to save water?

   A. To plant more trees         B. To build greenhouses

   C. To change crops             D. To use drip irrigation. 

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