One genetic mutation(基因突变)occurs on average for every 15 cigarettes that a typical lung-cancer patient smokes, according to a study that has found for the first time all of the mutations happen during the lifetime of a cancer patient.
Scientists have completed a full genetic examinations of the genomes（基因组） of cancer patients, and hope the information will lead to a basic understanding of the causes of cancer—and possibly drugs and treatments—by making out the mutations that turn a healthy cell into a cancerous tumor cell.
They studied a lung-cancer patient who had about 23,000 DNA mutations in his lung cells that were connected with exposure(暴露) to the toxins found in cigarette smoke and had built up over his lifetime.
They also looked at a patient with malignant melanoma(恶性黑色肿瘤), the most dangerous form of skin cancer, who had got 30,000 special mutations known to be connected with exposure to sunlight.
Scientists believe this new finding into the genetics of cancer will finally lead to new drugs and perfect treatments that aim at the specific changes to the gene that cause the disease, as well as new techniques for discovering following cancers that have escaped from treatment in other parts of the body.
“For the first time, we have a complete map of all mutations in a cancer cell,” said Dr. Peter Campbell, who led the Cancer Genome project to work out the whole DNA system of tumor cells in order find the mutations.
A similar method was performed on the cells of a patient with skin cancer, which is how the researchers were able to show that the malignant skin cells contained changes that resulted from exposure to light.
“These are the two main cancers in the developed world for which we know the chief exposure. For lung cancer it is cigarette smoke, and for malignant melanoma it is exposure to sunlight,” Professor Campbell said.
【小题1】What can the genetic examination of the genomes of cancer patients be used for?

One genetic mutation(基因突变)occurs on average for every 15 cigarettes that a typical lung-cancer patient smokes, according to a study that has found for the first time all of the mutations happen during the lifetime of a cancer patient.

Scientists have completed a full genetic examinations of the genomes（基因组） of cancer patients, and hope the information will lead to a basic understanding of the causes of cancer—and possibly drugs and treatments—by making out the mutations that turn a healthy cell into a cancerous tumor cell.

 They studied a lung-cancer patient who had about 23,000 DNA mutations in his lung cells that were connected with exposure(暴露) to the toxins found in cigarette smoke and had built up over his lifetime.

They also looked at a patient with malignant melanoma(恶性黑色肿瘤), the most dangerous form of skin cancer, who had got 30,000 special mutations known to be connected with exposure to sunlight.

Scientists believe this new finding into the genetics of cancer will finally lead to new drugs and perfect treatments that aim at the specific changes to the gene that cause the disease, as well as new techniques for discovering following cancers that have escaped from treatment in other parts of the body.

“For the first time, we have a complete map of all mutations in a cancer cell,” said Dr. Peter Campbell, who led the Cancer Genome project to work out the whole DNA system of tumor cells in order find the mutations.

A similar method was performed on the cells of a patient with skin cancer, which is how the researchers were able to show that the malignant skin cells contained changes that resulted from exposure to light.

“These are the two main cancers in the developed world for which we know the chief exposure. For lung cancer it is cigarette smoke, and for malignant melanoma it is exposure to sunlight,” Professor Campbell said.

1.What can the genetic examination of the genomes of cancer patients be used for?

   A.To help the professors to win the Nobel Prizes.

   B.To advance the study of reason and cure of cancer.

   C.To make the medicine industries earn more money.

   D.To help the cancer patients reduce their pain.

2.The underlined word in the third paragraph can be placed by_____.

    A.smoke        B.sunlight      C.cell        D.poison

3.Which of the following statements is right according to the passage?

   A.The lung-cancer patient had 30,000 mutations in his lung cells.

   B.The genetics of cancer will finally lead to new drugs soon.

   C.It’s the first time that people mapped mutations in a cancer cell.

   D.Dr. Peter tries to invent a new drug with the DNA system.

4.What’s the similarity between malignant melanoma and skin cancer of patients?

   A.Their smoking too much in daily life.

   B.Their receiving too much sunshine.

   C.Their refusing to accept treatment.

   D.Their interest in travelling abroad.

In a society where lung and breast cancers are leading causes of cancer death worldwide, early detection of the disease is highly desirable. In a new scientific study, researchers present astonishing new evidence that man's best friend, the dog, may have the ability to contribute to early cancer detection.

Researchers show scientific evidence that a dog’s extraordinary smelling ability can distinguish people with both early and late stage lung and breast cancers from healthy people. Researchers first discovered this in the case report of a dog warning its owner to the presence of a melanoma (恶性黑素瘤) by constantly sniffing the skin lesion (损伤). Later studies published in major medical magazines proved the ability of trained dogs to detect both melanomas and bladder cancers. The new study is the first to test whether dogs can detect cancers only by sniffing the breath of cancer patients.

In this study, five household dogs were trained within a short 3-week period to detect lung or breast cancer by sniffing the breath of cancer patients. The experiment consisted of 86 cancer patients (55 with lung cancer and 31 with breast cancer) and 83 healthy people. All cancer patients had recently been diagnosed with cancer and had not yet undergone any chemotherapy treatment (化疗). The dogs were presented with breath samples from the cancer patients and the healthy ones, captured in a special tube. Dogs were trained to give a positive identification of a cancer patient by sitting or lying down directly in front of a test station containing a cancer patient sample, while ignoring healthy samples.

The results of the study showed that dogs can detect breast and lung cancer between 88% and 97%. Moreover, the study also proved that the trained dogs could even detect the early stages of lung cancer, as well as early breast cancer. The researchers concluded that breath analysis might become a potential of cancer diagnosis.

56. What's the best title of the passage?

  A. Can dogs smell cancer?                      B. Dogs and treatment

 C. A new research on breast cancer        D. An interesting experiment on lung cancer

57. In this scientific study, five household dogs, _____lung cancer patients and        healthy people are involved.

  A. 86; 88            B. 31; 97          C. 55; 83           D. 86; 83

58. The last sentence of the passage means       .

  A. doctors won’t be worried about detecting cancers any more

  B. dogs will be the only way to detect cancers

  C. breath analysis can be used in diagnosing cancers in the future

  D. dogs can use its smell to identify people

59. The research found that dogs could help detect cancers by_______.

   A. being captured in a special tube        

B. sniffing the skin lesion

   C. sniffing the breath of the cancer patients 

D. sitting or lying down before a cancer patient

It was 3:45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken. After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot debates, Australia’s Northern Territory became the first legal area in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to die. Almost immediately word spread on the internet and was picked up, half a world away, by John Hofsess, director of the Right to Die Society of Canada. He sent it on through the group’s on-line service, Death NET. “We posted statements all day long, because this isn’t just something that happened in Australia. It’s world history.” says Hofsess.

The newly-passed law has left doctors as well as citizens trying to deal with its different meanings. Some have shown satisfaction, others, including churches, right-to-life groups and the Australian Medical Association, bitterly fought against the law. But the tide is unlikely to turn back. In Australia — where an aging population, life-extending （延长生命） technology and changing society attitudes have all played their part — other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia （安乐死）. In the US and Canada, where the right-to-die movement is gathering strength, observers are waiting for the dominoes （多米诺骨牌） to start falling.

Under the new Northern Territory law, an adult patient can require death — probably by a deadly injection or pill — to end suffering. The patient must be diagnosed as incurably ill by two doctors. After a “cooling off” period of seven days, the patient can sign a certificate of requirement. After 48 hours the wish for death can be met. For Lloyd Nickson, a 54-year-old Darwin citizen suffering from lung cancer, the new law means he can get on with living without the fear of his suffering: a terrifying death from his breathing condition. “I’m not afraid of dying, but what I was afraid of was how I’d go, because I’ve watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and tearing at their masks （氧气面罩）,” he says.

1．From the second paragraph we learn that ________.

    A．the disagreement of euthanasia is slow to come in other countries

    B．doctors and citizens share the same view on euthanasia

    C．changing technology is mainly responsible for pass of the law

    D．it takes time to realize the importance of the law’s passage

2．When the author says that observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling, he means __.

    A．observers are against euthanasia

    B．similar laws are likely to be passed in the US, Canada and other countries

    C．observers are waiting to see the result of the game of dominoes

    D．the passed bill may finally come to a stop

3．When Lloyd Nickson dies, he will ________.

    A．choose euthanasia and die peacefully

    B．experience the suffering of a lung cancer patient

    C．have a strong fear of terrible suffering

    D．have a cooling off period of seven days

4．The author’s attitude towards euthanasia seems to be that of ________.

    A．disagreement             B．doubt           C．agreement               D．cold