1、专业英语八级（阅读）模拟试卷 105及答案与解析 SECTION A MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS In this section there are several passages followed by fourteen multiple-choice questions. For each multiple-choice question, there are four suggested answers marked A , B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer. 0 (1)Th
2、at smoking causes lung cancer is well established. But what causes smoking? This is the question at the heart of a study published in Nature by a group of researchers who work at deCODE, an Icelandic genomics company. They do not, quite, answer it. But they do think they have the answer to the relat
3、ed question of why some smokers smoke in moderation whereas others are rarely found without a fag in their hands and thus why some people are, genetically speaking, more susceptible to lung cancer than others. (2)That answer lies in part of human chromosome 15, and depends on what is known as allele
4、 T of SNP rsl051730. A SNP, or single-nucleotide polymorphism, to give its full name(the short version is pronounced “snip“), is a place where genomes routinely differ from one another by a single genetic letter. (3)In this case, the variation happens inside a gene for one of the receptor molecules
5、that nicotine attaches itself to when it produces its buzz. Based on a study of 13,945 Icelandic smokers, deCODEs researchers showed that having a T in the appropriate part of the gene correlates very strongly indeed with being a heavy smoker. The team estimates that the chance of their being wrong
6、is less than one in a thousand trillion. (4)Not surprisingly, having the T variant also correlates with the chance of a smoker getting lung cancer. Each copy(there may be none, one or two, since one can come from a persons father and one from his mother)increases that chance by 30%. The T variant do
7、es not, however, increase the likelihood that someone will take up smoking in the first place. That is either a matter of free will or, if it is genetic, is controlled by genes somewhere else. It all looks neat and simple and extremely plausible. Genes promote smoking; smoking promotes cancer. Howev
8、er, it might be wrong, for another paper in Nature, and a third in its sister journal Nature Genetics, report similar studies that have drawn rather different conclusions. (5)Paul Brennan and Christopher Amos both agree mat something significant is going on in the part of chromosome 15 studied by de
9、CODE. But they have concluded that genetic variation there acts directly on a persons susceptibility to lung cancer, rather than acting indirectly by modifying his smoking behavior. That does not mean the gene or genes in question actually cause lung cancer. Rather, it means that they amplify the ef
10、fects of smoking instead of the amount of smoking. (6)Like deCODE, both Dr. Brennan(who works at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, in France)and Dr. Amos(who works at the University of Texas)identified rsl051730 as an important SNP. Unlike deCODE, though, both think a second SNP, rs80
11、34191, is involved as well. That, and the fact that the region of chromosome 15 under scrutiny has two other nicotine-receptor genes in it, suggests the situation may indeed be more complex. (7)On top of this, Dr. Brennan and Dr. Amos both used a different method from deCODEs. They compared lung-can
12、cer patients directly with otherwise similar cancer-free smokers, in what is known as a case controlled study, and concluded that genetic variants in the nicotine-receptor-rich part of chromosome 15 are changing not smokers behavior, but their susceptibility to cancer. Moreover, Dr. Brennan also cla
13、ims to have discovered an increased susceptibility to lung cancer in non-smokers with the relevant SNPs, though his sample size is small and his result is not supported by Dr. Amoss work. (8)These contradictory conclusions are both puzzling and intriguing. DeCODE has one further piece of evidence in
14、 its favor. Besides the correlation with lung cancer, the T variant also seemed to correlate with peripheral arterial disease, another common side-effect of smoking. On the other hand, the firm also acknowledges that the link it thinks it has discovered does not account for the whole of the risk of
15、smoking-induced lung cancer. What is not in doubt, however, is that there is some sort of a link between genetics and lung cancer. (9)That raises interesting issues, particularly as genetic testing becomes easier. DeCODE has already announced it will add rsl051730 to the standard screen it offers to
16、 those who wish to know their susceptibility to diseases. The day is not far off, therefore, when those who take the essentially irrational decision to start smoking tobacco will be able to find out in advance exactly how foolish they are being. 1 All of the following have enough evidence EXCEPT tha
17、t _. （ A） lung cancer is related to chromosome 15 （ B） lung cancer is related to genetics （ C） smoking is genetically decided （ D） smoking causes lung cancer 2 The results of the study done by Paul Brennan and Christopher Amos _. （ A） have shown a completely contradictory situation with the study do
18、ne by deCODE （ B） suggest that the situation may be more complex than deCODE has identified （ C） show that rs8034191 instead of rs1051730 is related to the susceptibility to lung cancer （ D） smoking behavior is modified by genetic variations in the region of chromosome 15 3 The current conclusions d
19、rawn from the studies have been _. （ A） disappointing （ B） frustrating （ C） enlightening （ D） comprehensive 4 Which of the following is INCORRECT about the study of genetics? （ A） The different methods adopted have led to the different conclusions that researchers drew. （ B） The two groups of resear
20、chers have provided evidence in their favor respectively. （ C） The role of genetics in smoking and lung cancer has yet to be studied and confirmed. （ D） The development of genetic testing has made studies on genetics and lung cancer easier. 4 (1)When outsourcing company Keane Inc. hired Jyoti Taneja
21、 10 months ago to work in its Gurgaon, India, offices, her parents were worried. The 22-year-old Ms. Taneja would be taking calls from American customers of U.S. health-insurance companies, finishing her shift at 2:30 a.m. (2)Hoping to reassure their young hires parents about her safety, her supervi
22、sors at Keane paid several visits to Ms. Tanejas family home in nearby New Delhi. (3)They outlined the security measures Keane takes to protect employees, such as providing a shuttle service to and from work, and having security escorts accompany young women who are riding home alone. “All of that a
23、dds to my mom and dads confidence,“ Ms. Taneja says. (4)Facing a shortage of workers, Indias outsourcing specialists are pulling out the stops. In a culture where twenty-somethings often live with their parents and seek their blessing on major life decisions, family outreach has become a critical re
24、cruiting and retention tool, along with offering more-flexible work hours, higher salaries and continuing education. (5)Such efforts “create a bond, not just between the employees and the organization, but also with the families, and is key to our retention strategy,“ said Ritu Anand, a human-resour
25、ces executive at Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., one of Indias largest technology and outsourcing companies, in an email. (6)Indias technology-services and outsourcing industry generated $33 billion in revenue last year and is expected to continue growing at a fast clip, as U.S. and European compani
26、es increasingly farm out customer service and software development, as well as such functions as billing, payroll, benefits administration and insurance-claims review. (7)That growth has led to stiff competition for labor. Outsourcing firms are constantly trying to recruit new college graduates and
27、lure young talent away from one another. Employee turnover rates have jumped, with half of the employees at Indian customer-service operations changing jobs annually. (8)Like many other young call-center workers, Ms. Taneja has fielded several calls from headhunters offering her a salary increase. B
28、ut having settled in at Keane and won over her parents, she isnt moving. “I do get plenty of calls, but Im not interested,“ she says. “I dont want to start all over.“ (9)Keane, which is based in San Ramon, California, and operates in 10 countries, goes to great lengths to win parents confidence. The
29、 company, which employs 14,000 people world-wide and has $1 billion in annual revenue, invites parents to attend orientation sessions for the 200 to 300 new hires in India that start every few weeks. (10)Because Keane isnt a household name, some parents worry that working there mightnt enhance their
30、 childs marriage prospects, a key consideration in India, or are concerned about money. “Theyll ask, how much will my son get?“ says Sudip Mandal, Keanes head of recruitment in India. (11)Other parents want to make sure that transportation to and from work is safe, especially for young women. Those
31、anxieties were reinforced last fall by the rape and murder of a 22-year-old outsourcing employee of Wipro Technologies Ltd. on her way to the office for a night shift. (12)Keanes Mr. Mandal assures parents that Keane conducts rigorous background checks on local drivers before hiring them, and checks
32、 them daily to make sure they are alert and arent under the influence of alcohol. (13)Like much of the industry, Genpact Ltd., a spinoff of General Electric Co. that has more than 34,000 employees in India, holds periodic “Family Days“ for employees to allow parents and other relatives to see what t
33、hey do. (14)At a Genpact Family Day late last year, executives gave a presentation about the companys business to 75 or so workers and family members. Then family members watched a talent show featuring their young relatives singing and dancing. Next came a comic skit about what life might be like i
34、f Americans were the call-center workers and Indians were the customers on the line complaining about poor service. (15)Amarjit Vohra says she was initially opposed to her 24-year-old daughter Pawanpreet working at Genpact, mainly because of late-night safety concerns. But she says Family Day put he
35、r at ease. “I got to see the workplace from the inside,“ the elder Ms. Vohra says. (16)Tim Huiting, vice president of human resources at Convergys Corp., a Cincinnati-based outsourcing firm with 12,000 employees in India that handles customer service and billing for clients such as Dupont Co., Whirl
36、pool Corp. and AT&T Inc., says, “People here now look at(outsourcing)opportunities as one of the most attractive career options for their children.“ 5 A 23-year-old Indian woman will most probably take the job that _. （ A） is equipped with security measures （ B） guarantees a high salary （ C） offers
37、continuing education （ D） is recommended by her family 6 What is the role of Paragraph 4 in the development of the topic? （ A） To provide an example for the previous paragraph. （ B） To provide a transition to the following paragraphs. （ C） To illustrate the reason for the employee retention measures
38、. （ D） To illustrate the reason for adopting the family strategy. 7 The high employee turnover rates in Indias outsourcing industry are due to all of the following EXCEPT _. （ A） growth of the industry （ B） shortage of workers （ C） Indias unstable culture （ D） fierce competition 8 Which of the follo
39、wing is NOT true, according to the passage? （ A） A bond with employees families is a key retention strategy of Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. （ B） Competition for labor in Indias outsourcing industry is going to be even fiercer this year. （ C） Family Days have provided opportunities for the families
40、 to know more about the company. （ D） People in India are still having great doubts about working in the outsourcing industry. 8 (1)Ready for breakfast? How about some nice juicy raw or pickled herring, or some toasted seaweed in a bowl of rice? Losing your appetite? Maybe a spicy sauce made of lent
41、ils could wake up your taste buds! (2)These dishes may seem strange to a North American, but they are typical morning meals in other parts of the world. Young, fresh raw herring, known as “green herring“, is enjoyed in the Netherlands. Dried seaweed, called “nori“, is a popular food in Japan. Lentil
42、 sauces, called “dal“, are eaten along with fresh fruit and bread for breakfast in India. Kids in these countries might be astonished to hear that an American, on average, eats about 5 kilograms a year of our favorite breakfast food dry cereal. What tastes good to people, as well as what is tasteful
43、 to offer as refreshment to guests, can be very different from one culture to another. (3)“Birds-nest“ soup is a Chinese delicacy. This rare and expensive food is actually made from the jellylike saliva that swifts(a type of bird)secrete as they line their nests. It is really “birds-spit“ soup! If y
44、ou are sure you would say “No, thanks! “ to this dish, think again. You already may have eaten a sweet treat from just as strange a source. Many Americans enjoy honey, which is produced inside the bodies of bees. We may not think often of the insects that secrete this sticky fluid, but Ethiopians do
45、. They believe that the best honey is crunchy, and proudly offer their guests honey filled with fragments of waxy honeycomb and bits of dead baby bees. (4)Insects are eaten in several parts of the world. Termites are a gourmet treat in Africa. In Asia, the Japanese eat locusts and the Thais enjoy cr
46、ickets.(In case youre curious, dry-roasted crickets are supposed to taste like smoke-flavored nuts!)But many Africans and Asians who snack on insects consider shellfish inedible. They would never have the bad taste to offer a guest lobster stew or steamed crab legs dishes that appear on many America
47、n tables. (5)Tastes in food also change over time. Rabbit was once a dish fit for medieval English kings, and American colonists often ate robins. Nowadays, neither of these meats is a frequent menu item in the English-speaking world. Vegetables have also gone in and out of fashion. Baked, stuffed,
48、or fried potatoes are a “hot“ food item today. But when explorers first brought this South American vegetable back to Europe, peasants feared it would cause leprosy. (6)Many people would only feed spuds to pigs. In the 18th century, Scotland even passed a law against potatoes, because this supposedl
49、y poisonous, “ungodly“ vegetable was not mentioned in the Bible! (7)Still hesitating about having some seaweed for breakfast? Dont worry, you can always have a tasty mouthful later in the day. “Carageenan,“ an ingredient in many brands of ice cream, comes from a type of seaweed called “Irish moss.“ The alginates used to stabilize and thicken other frozen foods, cakes, and pies are also derived from seaweed. 9 Which of the following shall be viewed as a normal main course on Americans dinner table? （ A） Dry cereal. （ B） Bi
