Recently there was a major discovery in the scientific research — the mapping of all DNA in a human gene(基因) is complete. Couple of years ago, this seems an impossible task for scientist to accomplish. All this progress in science leads us to believe that the day, when the human being will be cloned, is not far away. Human cloning has always been a topic of argument, in terms of morality(道德) or religion.
Taking a look at why cloning might be beneficial, among many cases, it is arguable that parents who are known to be at risk of passing a genetic limitation to a child could make use of cloning. If the clone was free of genetic limitations, then the other clone would be as well. The latter could be inserted in the woman and allowed to ripen to term. Moreover, cloning would enable women, who can’t get pregnant, to have children of their own.
Cloning humans would also mean that organs could be cloned, so it would be a source of perfect transfer organs. This surely would be greatly beneficial to millions of unfortunate people around the world that are expected to lose their lives due to failure of single (or more) organ(s). It is also arguable that a ban on cloning may be unlawful and would rob people of the right to reproduce and limit the freedom of scientists.
Arguments against cloning are also on a perfectly practical side. Primarily, I believe that cloning would step in the normal “cycle” of life. There would be a large number of same genes, which reduce the chances of improvement, and, in turn, development — the fundamental reason how living things naturally adapt to the ever-changing environment. Life processes failing to do so might result in untimely disappearance. Furthermore, cloning would make the uniqueness that each one of us possesses disappear, thus leading to creation of genetically engineered groups of people for specific purposes, and chances are that those individuals would be regarded as “objects” rather than people in the society.
Scientists haven’t 100% guaranteed that the first cloned humans will be normal. Thus, this could result in introduction of additional limitations in the human “gene-pool”.
Regarding such arguable topics in “black or white” approach seems very innocent to me personally. We should rather try to look at all “shades” of it. I believe that cloning is only legal if its purpose is for cloning organs; not humans. Then we could regard this as for “saving life” instead of “creating life”. I believe cloning humans is morally and socially unacceptable.
【小题1】   Which of the following is true according to the passage？

Three years ago, five parrots were set free in a wild place of Arizona, thousands of miles from the Channel Islands in Jersey where they had been looked after by zookeepers. No evolutionary strategies informed them how to behave in this new landscape of mountainous pine forest unoccupied by their kind for 50 years. To the researchers’ surprise, they failed to make contact with a group of wild parrots imported from Mexico and set free at the same time. Within 24 hours the reintroducing ended in failure, and the poor birds were back in cages, on their way to the safety of the Arizona reintroduction programme.

 Ever since then, the programme has enjoyed great success, mainly because the birds now being set free are Mexican birds illegally caught in the wild, confiscated （没收） on arrival north of the border, and raised by their parents in the safety of the programme. The experience shows how little we know about the behaviour and psychology （心理） of parrots, as Peter Bennett, a bird researcher, points out: “Reintroducing species of high intelligence like parrots is a lot more difficult. People like parrots, always treating them as nothing more than pets or valuable ‘collectables’.”

 Now that many species of parrot are in immediate danger of dying out, biologists are working together to study the natural history and the behaviour of this family of birds. Last year was an important turning point: conservationists founded the World Parrot Trust, based at Hayle in Cornwall, to support research into both wild and caged birds.

 Research on parrots is vital for two reasons. First, as the Arizona programme showed, when reintroducing parrots to the wild, we need to be aware of what the birds must know if they are to survive in their natural home. We also need to learn more about the needs of parrots kept as pets, particularly as the Trust’s campaign does not attempt to discourage the practice, but rather urges people who buy parrots as pets to choose birds raised by humans.

What do we know about the area where the five parrots were reintroduced?

A. Its landscape is new to parrots of their kind.

B. It used to be home to parrots of their kind.

C. It is close to where they had been kept.

D. Pine trees were planted to attract birds.

The reintroducing experience three years ago shows that man-raised parrots

A. can find their way back home in Jersey

B. are unable to recognize their parents

C. are unable to adapt to the wild

D. can produce a new species

Why are researches on parrots important according to the passage?

A. The Trust shows great concern for the programme.

B. We need to know more about how to preserve parrots.

 C. Many people are interested in collecting parrots.

 D. Parrots’ intelligence may some day benefit people.

According to the passage, people are advised ______.

 A. to treat wild and caged parrots equally

 B. to set up comfortable homes for parrots

 C. not to keep wild parrots as pets

 D. not to let more parrots go to the wild

第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）

请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Cyber Step-Mother

    I’ve often felt “step-parent” is a label  (标签 )we attach to whoever marries into families where children already exist. At   36   that’s how I feel about   37    a step-mother to my husband’s four children.

    Over the years, we all learned to    38   our new family arrangement. We enjoyed vacations together, ate    39   meals, and so on.   40  , I continued to feel somewhat like a(n)  41   . There was a boundary line that could not be   42  .

    When the children moved to a town five hours   43   , my husband was depressed. In order to    44   regular communication with the kids, we send e-mails. However, if a computer message came   45   to “Dad”, I’d feel forgotten and   46    . If my name appeared along with his, it would make me feel like I was part of their family unit   47    .

    Late one evening, as I was checking my e-mail, an “instant message” appeared on the   48  . It was Margo, who was also sitting in front of her computer five hours away. We sent several messages back and forth,    49    the latest news. When we would “chat” like that, she wouldn’t   50   know if it was me or her dad. That night, she didn’t ask and I didn’t identify myself either. At about 11, I commented that I should go to sleep. Her return message   51   , “Okay, talk to you later! Love you!”

    As I read this message, a wave of    52   ran through me and I realized that she   53   she was talking with her father. Feeling   54   for not identifying myself, yet not wanting to embarrass her, I simply responded, “Love you too! Good night!”

    I felt again the sharp (剧烈的) ache of emptiness (空虚) and otherness. Then, as I was   55  to leave, Margo’s final message appeared, reading “Tell Dad good night for me too.” With tears filled eyes, I turned the machine off.

36.   A. most    B. least    C. present        D. last

37.   A. to be    B. being   C. is D. was

38.   A. adjust  B. look forward to    C. expect D. adapt to

39.   A. family  B. school  C. meat    D. fish

40.   A. But       B. Though         C. However      D. So

41.   A. outsider       B. member       C. stranger       D. foreigner

42.   A. across B. cross    C. crossing       D. crossed

43.   A. far        B. away    C. far from        D. away from

44.   A. maintain      B. entertain     C. contain         D. obtain

45.   A. addressing  B. signing          C. signed D. addressed

46.   A. neglected    B. devoted        C. ignore  D. concerned

47.   A. in short         B. after all        C. above all      D. as a result

48.   A. programme B. window        C. screen D. keyboard

49.   A. sending        B. exchanging  C. discussing    D. commenting

50.   A. unexpectedly       B. carefully       C. fortunately  D. necessarily

51.   A. read     B. reads   C. reading         D. wrote

52.   A. sickness       B. anger   C. nervousness         D. sadness

53.   A. must think   B. might have thought     C. must have thought      D. might think

54.   A. responsible B. stupid  C. guilty   D. disappointed

55.   A. about   B. due       C. prepare        D. willing

根据下列句子及所给汉语注释，在句子右边的横线上写出空缺处各单词的正确形式。（每空限写一词）。

1.She is due to arrive on Thursday．______, (同时) what do we do?  

2.The rich lady lives in a _______(金碧辉煌的) house．       

3.we benefit a lot from our teacher’s _____(严格) in our study． 

4.They were busy ______ （装）a truck with coal．        

5.Nothing _____ ( 使满意) him and he is always complaining ．

6.High technology helps us enter into a life of ______（便利）．

7.There are twenty books______.(总共)                    

8.I changed into my sports shoes so that I could walk more_____（舒服）

9..How do you adapt to a ______(易变的) environment?                 

10.Looking back, she always______ （祝贺）herself on this decision.       

 Maybe it is time for the rest of society to _________ the fact _________ I may not be able to walk, there are many other great things I can do.