The English language is spoken or read by the largest number of people in the world, for historical, political, and economic reasons; but it may also be true that it owes something of its wide appeal to qualities and characteristics inherent in itself. What are these characteristic features which outstand in making the English language what it is, which give it its individuality and make it of this worldwide significance?
First and most important is extraordinary receptive and adaptable — it has taken to itself material from almost everywhere in the world and has made the new elements of language its own. English, which when the Anglo-Saxons first conquered England in the fifth and sixth centuries was almost a "pure" or unmixed language—which could make new words for new ideas from its own compounded elements.
A second outstanding characteristic of English is its simplicity and the relationship of words in a sentence with only the minimum of change in their shapes or variation of endings.
A third quality of English is its relatively fixed word order. （177 words）
1. This passage is primarily concerned with
A. reasons for the popularity of English
B. English language has largest number of people in the world
C. extraordinary receptive and adaptable of English language
D. characteristic of English
参考答案：A
2. What are the most important characteristic features of English?
A. the largest number of people
B. historical, political, and economic reasons
C. extraordinary receptive and adaptable
D. worldwide significance
参考答案：C
3. Where has English taken itself material?
A. everywhere in the world.
B. the Anglo-Saxons.
C. a "pure" or unmixed language.
D. many places in the world.
参考答案：D
4. According to the text, England was once
A. conquered by some foreigners.
B. defeated by the Anglo-Saxons.
C. a colony of the Anglo-Saxons.
D. mixed with the Anglo-Saxons.
参考答案：A
5. Which of the following is NOT the characteristic of English language?
A. simple
B. wide spread
C. pure
D. relatively fixed word order
参考答案：C
For all the fevered work being done, however, science is still far away from the Brave New World vision of engineering a perfect human—or even a perfect tomato. Much more research is needed before gene therapy becomes commonplace, and many diseases will take decades to conquer, if they can be conquered at all.
In the short run, the most practical way to use the new technology will be in genetic screening. Doctors will be able to detect all sorts of flaws in DNA long before they can be fixed. In some cases the knowledge may lead to treatments that delay the attack of the disease or soften its effects. Someone with a genetic heart disease, for example, could follow a low-fat diet. And if scientists determine that a vital protein is missing because the gene that was supposed to make it is defective, they might be able to give the patient an artificial version of the protein. But in other instances, almost nothing can be done to stop the damages brought on by genetic mutations. （176 words）
1. The 1st passage implies that
A. science is still far away from perfection
B. it’s difficult to engineer a perfect human
C. it’s difficult to create a perfect tomato
D. many diseases will take decades to conquer
参考答案：A
2. According to the author, many human diseases
A. may be conquered.
B. will be surely conquered.
C. may not be conquered.
D. may never be conquered.
参考答案：A
3. What does “in the short run” mean?
A. to run in a short time
B. for the near future
C. for the time being
D. after enough time
参考答案：B
4. The use of the new technology in genetic screening includes all the following EXCEPT
A. detecting all sorts of flaws in DNA
B. fixing all sorts of flaws in DNA
C. treatments that delay the attack of the disease
D. artificial version of the protein
参考答案：B
5. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. genetic engineering
B. genetic screening
C. a new technology
D. Application of genetic engineering
参考答案：D
