Question

【题目】 AIDS may be one of the most undesirable diseases in the world. Luckily, there is now hope for AIDS patients. According to a recent paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Chinese scientists have successfully used CRISPR technology-a method of gene editing-to treat a patient with HIV. While it may not have cured the patient fully, it still represents a huge step forward in fighting the disease.

The patient was a 27-year-old Chinese man who was diagnosed with both AIDS and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood cancer. Despite his bleak situation, doctors offered him a glimmer of hope: a bone marrow (骨髓) transplant to treat his cancer and an experimental treatment for his HIV.

They edited the DNA in bone marrow stem cells from a donor before transplanting the cells into the patient. Specifically, the treatment involved using the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to delete a gene known as CCRS, which encodes a protein that HIV uses to get inside human cells. Without the gene, HIV is unable to enter cells. Talking about the gene, lead scientist Deng Hongkui told CNN, “After being edited, the cells-and the blood cells they produce-have the ability to resist HIV infection.” Nineteen months after the treatment, the patient’s leukemia was in complete relief and donor cells without CCR5 remained, according to the research paper.

Though the transplant did not cure the man’s HIV, it still showed the effectiveness of gene-editing technology, as there was no indication of any unintended genetic alterations (改变) -a major concern with past gene therapy experiments.

Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in the United States, who was not involved in the study, praised the treatment. “They did a very innovative experiment, it was safe,” he told Live Science. “It should be viewed as a success.”

Deng believes gene-editing technology could “bring a new dawn” to blood-related diseases such as AIDS and sickle cell anemia. Thanks to this new technology, “the goal of a functional cure for AIDS is getting closer and closer,” he said.

【1】How did the new treatment fight against HIV?

A.By preventing HIV from entering cells.B.By changing the structure of HIV.

C.By removing a protein that HIV feeds on.D.By identifying and killing HIV.

【2】What was the result of the treatment?

A.CCR5 and other genes in the patient’s cells were changed.

B.Some of the patient’s blood cells could resist HIV infection.

C.HIV could no longer get into the patient’s cells.

D.The donor cells without CCR5 disappeared finally.

【3】What do we know about the experiment?

A.It has provided an innovative way to cure AIDS patients.

B.It pointed out the problems of gene therapy for AIDS.

C.It’s the first experiment to use gene-editing technology to treat AIDS.

D.It could offer a safe treatment for blood-related diseases.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】B

【3】D

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。艾滋病可能是世界上最令人讨厌的疾病之一。幸运的是，现在艾滋病患者有了希望。根据最近发表在《新英格兰医学杂志》上的一篇论文，中国科学家已经成功地利用CRISPR技术——一种基因编辑的方法——来治疗艾滋病患者。虽然它可能没有完全治愈病人，但它仍然代表着对抗疾病的一大步。

【1】细节理解题。根据第三段Without the gene, HIV is unable to enter cells. Talking about the gene, lead scientist Deng Hongkui told CNN, “After being edited, the cells-and the blood cells they produce-have the ability to resist HIV infection.”可知没有这种基因，HIV就无法进入细胞。在谈到该基因时，首席科学家邓宏奎告诉CNN，“经过编辑，这些细胞和它们产生的血细胞有能力抵抗艾滋病毒感染”由此可知这种疗法通过阻止艾滋病毒进入细胞对抗艾滋病毒。故选A。

【2】细节理解题。根据第三段中“After being edited, the cells-and the blood cells they produce-have the ability to resist HIV infection.”可知经过编辑，这些细胞和它们产生的血细胞有能力抵抗艾滋病毒感染。由此可知，基因编辑的细胞能够抵抗艾滋病毒感染。故选B。

【3】细节理解题。根据文章最后一段中Deng believes gene-editing technology could “bring a new dawn” to blood-related diseases such as AIDS and sickle cell anemia.可知邓认为基因编辑技术可以带来新的曙光”血液相关的疾病,如艾滋病和镰状细胞性贫血。由此可知，这个实验可以为血液相关疾病提供一种安全的治疗方法。故选D。