It was the biggest scientific grudge match since the space race. The Genome Wars had everything：two groups with appealing leaders ready to fight in a scientific dead heat, pushing the limits of technology and rhetoric as they battled to become the first to read every last one of the 3 billion DNA “letters” in the human body. The scientific importance of the work is unquestionable. The completed DNA sequence is expected to give scientists unprecedented insights into the workings of the human body, revolutionizing medicine and biology. But the race itself, between the government’s Human Genome Project and Rockville, Md., biotechnology company Celera Genomics, was at least partly symbolic, the public/private conflict played out in a genetic lab.
Now the race is over. After years of public attacks and several failed attempts at reconciliation, the two sides are taking a step toward a period of calm. HGP head Francis Collins (and Ari Patrinos of the Department of Energy, an important ally on the government side) and Craig Venter, the founder of Celera, agreed to hold a joint press conference in Washington this Monday to declare that the race was over (sort of), that both sides had won (kind of) and that the hostilities were resolved (for the time being). No one is exactly sure how things will be different now. Neither side will be turning off its sequencing machines any time soon—the “finish lines” each has crossed are largely arbitrary points, “first drafts” rather than the definitive version. And while the joint announcement brings the former Genome Warriors closer together than they’re been in years, insiders say that future agreements are more likely to take the form of coordination, rather than outright collaboration.
The conflict blew up, this February when Britain’s Wellcome Trust, an HGP participant, released a confidential letter to Celera outlining the HGP’s complaints. Venter called the move “a lowlife thing to do.” But by spring, there were the first signs of a thaw. “The attacks and nastiness are bad for science and our investors,” Venter told Newsweek in
March, “and fighting back is probably not helpful.” At a cancer meeting earlier this month, Venter and Collins praised each other’s approaches, and expressed hope that all of the scientists involved in sequencing the human genome would be able to share the credit. By late last week, that hope was becoming a reality as details for Monday’s joint announcement were hammered out. Scientists in both camps welcomed an end to the hostilities. “If this ends the horse race, science wins.” With their difference behind them, or at least set aside, the scientists should now be able to get down to the interesting stuff: figuring how to make use of all that data.
1. The recent Genome Wars were symbolic of _____. ［A］ the enthusiasm in scientific research ［B］ the significance of the space race ［C］ the public versus private conflict
［D］ the prospect of the completion of DNA sequence
2. The tone of the author in reporting the joint press conference this Monday is _____. ［A］ astonished ［B］ enthusiastic ［C］ disappointed ［D］ objective 3. It is implied in the third paragraph that _____.
［A］ the “finish lines” refers to completion of DNA research. ［B］ former Genome Warriors will never fight again. ［C］ the former warriors are now collaborators ［D］ both sides will still work on independently
4. The word “thaw”(Line 3, Paragraph 4) most probably means _____ . ［A］ aggravation of tension ［B］ improvement in relation ［C］ intensification in attacks ［D］ ending of coordination
5. The critical issue facing the scientists is to _____.
［A］ apply the newly-found knowledge to the benefit of mankind ［B］ end their horse race for the success of science ［C］ get down to their genome research ［D］ set their differences aside
答案
1.C 2.D 3.D 4.B 5.A 总体分析
本文介绍了基因组测序过程中两个科研机构之间的分歧与合作。 第一段：介绍了基因组之战的参战方，斗争的内容及其象征意义。
第二、三段：介绍了现在的和平阶段并对这次的和解发表评论。双方将通过共同召开记者招待会来宣布和解，但这次和解对他们之间的关系不一定会带来实质性的变化。
第四段：回顾了双方由矛盾爆发到走向和解的过程，并指出了他们下一步面临的关键问题。 试题精解
1.最近的基因组之战象征______。 ［A］ 对科学研究的热情 ［B］ 星球大战的重要性 ［C］ 公私矛盾
［D］ DNA测序结束的前景
［精解］ 本题考查事实细节。文章首段最后一句话说：政府的人类基因组项目与塞莱拉基因公司之间的竞争至少具有部分的象征意义——公私矛盾在基因实验室上演。［C］项是对
该句的改写，是正确项。［A］项是文中没有涉及的问题。文章首句提到了星球大战，是为了说明基因之战的激烈性，与它的象征意义无关，［B］项不能选。［D］项也与“基因组之战”无关。
2.作者在报导本周一的记者招待会时的语气是 _____。
［A］ 惊讶的 ［B］ 充满热情的 ［C］ 失望的 ［D］ 客观的
［精解］ 本题考查推理引申。第二段最后一句是对周一记者招待会的具体报导。作者在正文中是直接引用会议中两方的声明，而为了说明真实情况保持客观性，作者在括号中用了一系列表程度的词加以限制，所以［D］项正确。全文作者只是在客观地介绍一种现象，没有表现出其他项所说的“惊讶”、“热情”或“失望”。 3.第三段暗示_____。
［A］ “终点线”指DNA研究的结束 ［B］ 以前的基因勇士们将永远不会再对抗了 ［C］ 以前的勇士现在是合作伙伴 ［D］ 双方将仍然继续独立地工作
［精解］ 本题考查推理引申。第三段最后一句提到：尽管共同宣言使以前的基因勇士们比几年来都更加亲密，内部人士说未来达成的共识可能更多采取协调的形式，而不是直接的合作。［D］项所述内容是该句的言外之意。
由第三段的第二句话可知 finish line指基因测序工程基本完成，但所得结果只是初稿，还不是最终的确定版本，所以研究还要继续，［A］项错误。该段首句说：没人确定现在情形与以前有何不同。可见，他们以后会不会再起烽烟是不确定的事，所以［B］项错误。［C］项与［D］项相反，由对［D］项的分析，可知［C］项错误。 4.“thaw”这个词最有可能意为 _____。
［A］ 紧张形势的恶化 ［B］ 关系改进 ［C］ 攻击更加激烈 ［D］ 停止协作
［精解］ 本题考查词义的理解。第四段开始讲到矛盾的爆发。第三句but转折指出，...there
were the first signs of a thaw，下文又以塞莱拉公司创始人认为对抗不好的讲话和一次癌症会议上双方的互相称赞为例，对该句话进行论证。可见他们的关系是改善了，所以［B］项正确。单词thaw意为“解冻”，与［B］项一致。其他项均是说不好的方面，与文意不符。 5.科学家们面临的最紧迫的事情是要_____。 ［A］ 把新发现的知识用来为人类服务 ［B］ 为了科学的胜利结束他们之间的竞争 ［C］ 潜心进行他们的基因组研究 ［D］ 将他们的分歧先搁置到一边
［精解］ 本题考查事实细节。文章最后一句话提到，现在把分歧抛在了背后，或者至少暂时放在了一边，科学家们应该能够开始好好研究这个有趣的问题了：考虑怎样利用那些数据。 ［A］项与该句同义，正确。［D］项是已经做到的事情，不能选。现阶段敌对已经结束，基因测序也已完成，所以［B］、［C］项都不再是迫切需要做的事情。
核心词汇或超纲词汇
(1)grudge（n.）忌恨，妒忌（v.）嫉妒；吝惜，不愿意给或承认~ the tuition money不愿付学费
(2)genome（n.）基因组，染色体组 (3)dead beat胜负不分的赛跑或竞赛，平局
(4)reconciliation（n.）调解，调和；和谐，一致；reconcile（v.）调和，调停；使和解；（to）使接受be ~ed to the loss of his wife接受了丧妻的事实；（with）使符合，使一致~ their words with their actions使他们的言行一致
(5)hostility（n.）敌意，敌对，反对；（复数形式）战斗，战争
(6)arbitrary（a.）任意的，武断的；独裁的，专断的；arbitrate（v.）作出公断，仲裁 (7)thaw（n.）解冻，解冻期（v.）融化，解冻；(态度、感情等)趋于和缓