Section ¢òReading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A,B,C or D.Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.(40 points)
Text 1
£Û1£ÝThe Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it is trying to track down as many as 386 piglets that may have been genetically engineered and wrongfully sold into the U.S. food supply.
The focus of the FDA investigation is pigs raised by researchers at the University of Illinois in Urbanaª²Champaign. They engineered the animals with two genes: One is a cow gene that increases milk production in the sow. The other, a synthetic gene, makes the milk easier for piglets to digest. The goal was to raise bigger pigs faster.
There has been no evidence that either genetically altered plants or animals actually trigger human illness,but critics warn that potential side effects remain unknown. £Û2£ÝUniversity officials say their tests showed the piglets were not born with the altered genes, but FDA rules require even the offspring of genetically engineered animals to be destroyed so they don¬ðt get into the food supply.
£Û3£ÝThe FDA, in a quickly arranged news conference Wednesday prompted by inquiries by USA TODAY, said the University of Illinois will face possible sanctions and fines for selling the piglets to a livestock broker, who in turn sells to processing plants.
Both the FDA and the university say the pigs that entered the market do not pose a risk to consumers. But the investigation follows action by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in December to fine a Texas company that contaminated 500,000 bushels of soybeans with corn that had been genetically altered to produce a vaccine for pigs.
Critics see such cases as evidence of the need for more government oversight of a burgeoning area of scientific research. ¡°This is a small incident, but it¬ðs incident like this that could destroy consumer confidence and export confidence, ¡±says Stephanie Childs of the Grocery Manufacturers of America. ¡°We already have Europe shaky on biotech. The countries to whom we export are going to look at this.¡±
The University of Illinois says it tested the DNA of every piglet eight times to make sure that the animal hadn¬ðt inherited the genetic engineering of its mother. Those piglets that did were put back into the study. Those that didn¬ðt were sold to the pig broker. ¡°Any pig who¬ðs tested negative for the genes since 1999 has been sent off to market, ¡±says Charles Zukoski, vice chancellor for research.
But FDA deputy commissioner Lester Crawford says that under the terms of the university¬ðs agreement with the FDA, the researchers were forbidden to remove the piglets without FDA approval. ¡°The University of Illinois failed to check with FDA to see whether or not the animals could be sold on the open market. And they were not to be used under any circumstance for food.¡±
The FDA is responsible for regulating and overseeing transgenic animals because such genetic manipulation is considered an unapproved animal drug. £Û471 Words£Ý

21. The 386 piglets wrongfully sold into food supply are from
£ÛA£Ý Europe.
£ÛB£Ý an American research organization.
£ÛC£Ý a meat processing plant.
£ÛD£Ý an animal farm.22. The purpose of the transgenic engineering research is to
£ÛA£Ý get pigs of larger size in a shorter time.
£ÛB£Ý make sows produce more milk.
£ÛC£Ý make cows produce more milk.
£ÛD£Ý make pigs grow more lean meat.23. The 4th paragraph shows that the University of Illinois
£ÛA£Ý was criticized by the FDA.
£ÛB£Ý is in great trouble.
£ÛC£Ý is required by the FDA to call back the sold piglets.
£ÛD£Ý may have to pay the penalty.24. The FDA declares that the wrongfully sold piglets
£ÛA£Ý may have side effects on consumers.
£ÛB£Ý may be harmful to consumers.
£ÛC£Ý are safe to consumers.
£ÛD£Ý may cause human illness.25. It can be inferred from this passage that
£ÛA£Ý all the offspring have their mothers¬ð genetic engineering.
£ÛB£Ý part of the offspring have their mothers¬ð genetic engineering.
£ÛC£Ý none of the offspring have their mothers¬ð genetic engineering.
£ÛD£Ý half of the offspring have their mothers¬ð genetic engineering.
Text 2
£Û1£ÝTwo Canadianª²based research projects with applications in the health sector were destroyed when the space shuttle Columbia broke up in midª²air on Saturday, killing all seven astronauts.
Marc Garneau, Canada¬ðs first astronaut and president of the Canadian Space Agency, pegged the Canadian investment in the experiments at ¡°hundreds of thousands of dollars.¡± ¡°The experiments were successful during the mission, but the analysis of the samples was to be done when the shuttle returned, ¡±said Garneau.
A team from the Canadian Space Agency was waiting Saturday at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida to fly the retrieved materials in a Lear jet to Pearson airport in Toronto for distribution to researchers in Toronto, Kingston, Ont., Montreal and Saskatoon.The Columbia mission was the seventh since 1993 in which the Canadian Space Agency had sponsored similar research. The Canadian experiments were among more than 100 projects on the subject of microgravity conducted during the 16ª²day mission.
£Û2£ÝMicrogravity is the proper term for the condition, often referred to as zeroª²gravity, that exists on board an orbiting spacecraft.The term zeroª²gravity is actually a popular misconception. Gravity does exist on board an orbiting spacecraft¡ªit is the force that keeps a craft in orbit around the earth.However, it acts on all objects equally, including astronauts, other items, even the entire spacecraft. The result is a condition that appears to have no gravity.
The first research project was part of the OSTEOª²2 experiments, designed to study the degenerative effects of prolonged exposure to microgravity conditions.Microgravity conditions lead to significant physiological changes among astronauts.According to the Canadian Space Agency, astronauts¬ð muscles and bones deteriorate up to 10 times faster than the rate seen in patients suffering from muscular dystrophy and osteoporosis.While in space, astronauts can lose up to 2 percent of their bone mass each month. The experiments on board the Columbia attempted to discover the molecular mechanism that causes this degeneration and find an effective countermeasure.
There were four Canadian experiments involved with the OSTEOª²2 research project. Dr. Leticia Rao and Dr. Tim Murray of St. Michael¬ðs Hospital in Toronto led a team investigating the use of hormones to increase bone formation in microgravity.£Û3£ÝA second team, led by Dr. Reginald Gorczynski of the University Health Network in Toronto, investigated the effects of disturbances in sleep and immune functions on bone metabolism. Dennis Sindrey of Millenium Biologix and Dr. Bradford Brinton on NPS Pharmaceuticals led an experiment to characterize and identify bone gene regulation patterns.Finally, a University of Toronto experiment studied how microgravity affected the cells involved in bone metabolism.
The second research project also involved microgravity, but studied protein crystal growth. Sedimentation and convection impede protein crystal growth on earth, but not in space, where the size and quality of crystallized proteins is much better. Scientists study the architecture of crystallized proteins to design more efficient medication with fewer side effects. Protein crystals are used to fight breast and prostate cancer, diabetes and antibioticª²resistant bacteria. Five Canadian scientists from universities and research institutes across the country were involved in the protein crystal research project.
Ron Dittemore, shuttle program manager, told a news briefing that a few results from Columbia experiments had been routinely transmitted to NASA and would be ¡°a legacy¡± of the dead astronauts.He said he could not imagine that the shuttle¬ðs problems would be traced to any of the 100 experiments on board. Among the cargo on board for experiments were spiders, flowers, cancer cells, ants, carpenter bees, fish embryos, silkworms and rats. £Û588 Words£Ý

26. This passage shows that Canadian researchers conducted experiments on board Columbia spacecraft
£ÛA£Ý for the first time.£ÛB£Ý three times.
£ÛC£Ý seven times.£ÛD£Ý at least twice.27. What is true about microgravity?
£ÛA£Ý It is zeroª²gravity.
£ÛB£Ý It pushes spacecraft moving around the earth.
£ÛC£Ý It keeps spacecraft from slowing down.
£ÛD£Ý It keeps spacecraft flying around the earth.28. How many Canadian experiments were conducted onboard Columbia spacecraft during its 16ª²day mission?
£ÛA£Ý Two.£ÛB£Ý Four.
£ÛC£Ý Five. £ÛD£Ý Not mentioned in the passage.29. One of the purposes of the Canadian experiments is to find
£ÛA£Ý the cause of physiological degeneration.
£ÛB£Ý the physiological changes in astronauts.
£ÛC£Ý the molecular mechanism in some plants.
£ÛD£Ý new drugs to speed up the growth of bones.30. The word ¡°legacy¡± probably means
£ÛA£Ý reminder of the astronauts.
£ÛB£Ý memorial to the astronauts.
£ÛC£Ý things passed on.
£ÛD£Ý story about the astronauts.Text 3
Nancy Casey was born in Chicago, Illinois, and left when she was three years old. Her family moved to Iowa and lived on 900 acres of farmland, where Nancy trained horses and ponies and helped raise all kinds of farm animals. Nancy loved animals then, and still has a big place in her heart for them. She currently has two Siamese cats, Misha and Iman. At sixteen years old, Nancy¬ðs family moved to California and Nancy became a big city girl. The public was very aware at the uncanny resemblance between the two divas, and Nancy was discovered as Liz at age eighteen.
In high school, Nancy was quite popular. She was a cheerleader, a school princess, she took tap, jazz, ballet and played basketball.Her junior year, she met her high school sweetheart and was married a year after graduation. At the time, she was offered a screen test from Warner Brothers films, but Nancy decided marriage was the more important choice.
Nancy studied interior design at UCLA, and worked as a contract designer doing commercial work for restaurants, hotels and homes. Her interest in design took her to places like Paris and France to study art and architecture. Along the way, she had also worked as a legal secretary in law firms, but her most interesting work has been as the Elizabeth Taylor LOOKª²ALIKE.
In 1988, a friend of Nancy¬ðs suggested that she send in her photo to a celebrity LOOKª²ALIKE agent.She was immediately called as Liz for corporate functions. The timing couldn¬ðt have been more perfect.At the time, Liz was in the public eye with a new fragrance, book and husband. Work poured in for Nancy.
Nancy does not mistake her own identity and that of her character Liz. Since Nancy has looked like Elizabeth Taylor her whole life, she has become accustomed to being stared at, or mistaken for the star. However, Nancy says that working as a LOOKª²ALIKE has given her the opportunity to feel what it must be like to be a celebrity for a day. LOOKª²ALIKE work has also helped her to play the role. Working in this field has brought many new and wonderful things to Nancy¬ðs life. £Û1£ÝShe is grateful to the friends she has met, places she has traveled to and the opportunity to get a glimpse into the entertainment world of film, television and performing.
Nancy recalls the time she met her inspiration. She¬ðs a true survivor, her compassion for others in need, her loyalty, her unique and full life while always in the public eye and her ability to cope with judgement and scrutiny, is amazing, to say the least. I have met her briefly and found her to be very earthy, with a great sense of humor. She¬ðs a very tiny woman for the great amount of clout and power that she possesses.
Nancy feels her similarities to Elizabeth are a gift. Nancy has worked almost fulltime as a celebrity LOOKª²ALIKE for film, television, print, commercials and on the corporate circuit. £Û2£ÝAs a professional actress she has appeared on numerous television shows such as The Joan Rivers Show, Entertainment Tonight, Dream On, Hard Copy and Inside Edition. Her film credits include Dave, Postcards from the Edge, Sister Act H and Repossessed.£Û548 Words£Ý

31. It can be known from this passage that Nancy
£ÛA£Ý changed her name.
£ÛB£Ý misses the horses on the Iowa farmland.
£ÛC£Ý has two cats with similar looks.
£ÛD£Ý has a strong affection for animals.32. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
£ÛA£Ý Nancy once turned down a film producer¬ðs invitation.
£ÛB£Ý Nancy regards marriage the most important thing.
£ÛC£Ý Nancy never engages herself in advertising.
£ÛD£Ý Nancy wrote an autobiography.33. It can be inferred from the passage that Taylor
£ÛA£Ý never got married all her life.£ÛB£Ý married at least twice.
£ÛC£Ý got divorced in 1988.£ÛD£Ý got divorced at least twice.34. What does the phrase ¡°play the role¡± in the 5th paragraph probably mean?
£ÛA£Ý being a celebrity.£ÛB£Ý being a look alike.
£ÛC£Ý being an actress.£ÛD£Ý playing a role in a film.35. Nancy¬ðs comment on Taylor is one of
£ÛA£Ý flattery.£ÛB£Ý contempt.
£ÛC£Ý appreciation.£ÛD£Ý depreciation.
Text 4
A class action lawsuit has been filed against a prominent Toronto doctor, by patients who allege he injected a banned substance into their faces for cosmetic purposes. £Û1£ÝThe doctor had already been investigated more than three years ago for using the liquid silicone, a product not authorized for use in Canada.
Some patients say they are now suffering health problems and think the liquid silicone may be to blame. One of those patients is Anna Barbiero. She says her Toronto dermatologist told her he was using liquid silicone to smooth out wrinkles. What she says he didn¬ðt tell her is that it isn¬ðt approved for use in Canada. ¡°I didn¬ðt know what liquid silicone was and he just called it ¡®liquid gold¡¯.¡± Barbiero remembers. After her last treatment, Anna discovered Dr. Sheldon Pollack had been ordered to stop using the silicone two years earlier by Health Canada. Experts say silicone can migrate through the body, and cause inflammation and deformities.
¡°My upper lip is always numb and it burns,¡± Barbiero says. Barbiero is spearheading a lawsuit against the doctor, who her lawyer thinks might involve up to 100 patients injected with the same material.£Û2£Ý¡°The fact, a physician of his stature would use an unauthorized product on a patient because he thought it was okay, is really very disturbing, ¡±says lawyer Douglas Elliott.
£Û3£ÝOntario¬ðs College of Physicians and Surgeons is also investigating Dr. Pollack to see if, in fact, he continued to use the silicone after agreeing to stop and whether he wrote in patient records that he used another legal product when he had used silicone. However, in a letter to the College, Dr. Pollack wrote that he had always told patients that the silicone was not approved for sale in Canada, and had warned them of the risks. And in Barbiero¬ðs case, ¡°... at the time of her first visit, prior to her ever receiving IGLS treatment, I specifically informed her that the material was not approved for sale in Canada by the Health Protection Branch and that I did receive the material from outside the country ... I would like to emphasize that, as is evident on Ms. Barbiero¬ðs chart, I drew a specific diagram on the chart which I carefully discussed with and explained to Ms. Barbiero as I do with every other patient to explain the nature and likelihood of possible complications and the reasons and consequences of those possible complications.¡±
Dr. Pollack declined to speak to CTV News, or to have his lawyer discuss the case. None of the allegations have been proven in court. But the case raises questions about the ability of governing bodies to monitor doctors. ¡±There¬ðs a larger message and that is: buyer beware,¡° says Nancy Neilsen of Cosmetic Surgery Canada. ¡±It¬ðs incumbent on consumers to do their research. £Û473 Words£Ý

36. Doctor Sheldon Pollack was charged that
£ÛA£Ý he had prescribed wrong medicine for patients by mistake.
£ÛB£Ý he had treated his patients with something illegal, causing bad result.
£ÛC£Ý he had pretended to be a prominent surgeon.
£ÛD£Ý he had sold an unauthorized product in large amount.37. It can be learned from the second paragraph that ¡°dertmatolgist¡± must be a doctor dealing with
£ÛA£Ý heart disease.
£ÛB£Ý eye disease.
£ÛC£Ý breathing disorder.
£ÛD£Ý disorder and disease of the skin.38. The investigation of OCPS is to find
£ÛA£Ý whether he still has illegal treatment on his patients.
£ÛB£Ý how many patients have been abused.
£ÛC£Ý if he told his patients about the risk.
£ÛD£Ý how much money he got from his illegal treatment.39. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
£ÛA£Ý Barbiero took the treatment after being told the risk.
£ÛB£Ý Dr. Sheldon Pollack started his work with the patients¬ð agreement to accept the potential risk.
£ÛC£Ý A famous doctor should be authorized to use something he thinks okay on patients.
£ÛD£Ý Barbiero is suffering a lot.40. From the ending part of the passage, we can conclude that
£ÛA£Ý Barbiero will win the lawsuit.
£ÛB£Ý Dr. Sheldon Pollack will win the lawsuit.
£ÛC£Ý the cases have been dismissed.
£ÛD£Ý governing bodies to monitor doctor will be charged.¡¡