A
In 2001, scientists at Texas A&M University successfully cloned a cat for the first time, but this copy cat is no mirror image of the original.Copy Cat (CC) was the first cat ever cloned.In 2001, researchers at Texas A&M University created the clone from the DNA of a calico cat(三色猫) named Rainbow after a failed attempt at cloning a dog.
Interestingly, Rainbow and Copy Cat are different in many ways.Rainbow's coat is brown, and white, while CC's is gray and white; Rainbow is shy, but CC is outgoing and curious.
The differences in the two cats indicate that identical DNA won't necessarily create similar appearances or personalities because there are many other factors that contribute to both surface characteristics and temperament(性情)．
CC has since gone on to have three healthy kittens via the natural method, and the research that led to her creation became the foundation for a Californiabased pet cloning company called Genetic Savings & Clone, Inc.
However, the cat cloning project caused criticism from animal welfare groups, which pointed out that millions of cats are killed in shelters each year due to pet overpopulation.They argued that the large sums of money spent on creating more cats could be put to better use providing homes for strays.
There are also objections to the cloning process itself.Many people consider cloning cruel, as it is a process that can lead to deformities and other problems, which is evident in the fact that many clones die within months or even days of creation.
Much to the delight of animal welfare advocates, after cloning five cats in total, Genetic Savings & Clone shut down in 2006.The reason for the company's close was its inability to make its cloning technology affordable and thus accessible to mainstream consumers.
【语篇解读】 本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述的是克隆猫所带来的令人惊讶的结果以及大众对她的看法。
1．What is the best title of the passage?
A．Cloned Cats－a Surprising Development on Technology
B．Cloned Cats－Cloning Produces Surprising Results
C．Cloned Cats－a Cruel Research in Science
D．Cloned Cats－a Project Caused Criticism
B [标题归纳题。根据文中的主题讲述的是克隆出来的猫在性格和外观上都有所不同，这是比较鲜明的特点，因此文章的标题应该体现这一点，因此选B。]
2．Which of the following about CC is TRUE?
A．The researchers failed in cloning it in 2001.
B．Its fur is brown and white as the calico cat.
C．It is outgoing and curious as Rainbow.
D．It doesn't have similar personalities as Rainbow.
D [细节理解题。根据文中第三段“The differences in the two cats indicate that identical DNA won't necessarily create similar appearances or personalities”即可判断答案。]
3．What's the underlined word in the 6th paragraph similar to?
A．Criticism. B．Waste of money.
C．Disability. D．Overpopulation.
C [词义猜测题。根据文中第六段“cruel”，“other problems”和“which is evident in the fact that many clones die within months or even days of creation”可判断许多人认为克隆残酷会造成残疾和许多问题，甚至出现死亡，因此画线词指的是身体上的残疾。]
4．The reason for the company's demise is that cloning is ．
A．a waste of money
B．cruel sometimes
C．inaccessible to most people
D．affordable to consumers
C [细节理解题。根据文章最后一段“...its inability to make its cloning technology affordable and thus accessible to mainstream consumers.”可判断答案。]
