Unit 3 A healthy life language points课时作业

Ⅰ. 阅读理解

The Human Genome(基因组) Project，a great $3 billion,15­year task aimed at drawing the genetic(遗传的) map of humans，is now more than 90 percent completed. The scientific and medical communities are very excited about the chances genetic research provides for getting rid of diseases and prolonging(延长) human life. But those communities and policy makers are also careful about the scientific door they are opening as the project uncovers the mysteries of life.

For the last few years，the genetic advances in the developing field of biotechnology(生物技术) have provides material for all kinds of work，but the developments of modern science in unlocking the secrets of the human genetic code(密码)have opened a world of possibilities for human health，as well as for the popular imagination.

While European and Japanese researchers are making rapid progress in decoding(解码) human DNA，the leading organization for genetic research in the United States，which began in 1990，is"unlocking the code"of the human body to learn how to defeat fatal(致命的)diseases. Already，the Human Genome Project has become widely known and praised for finding the genes connected with terrible diseases as yet(迄今)，and making progress toward separating the genes that show a sign of breast cancer or AIDS.

Once these genes are found and studied，researchers can develop new ways to attack infections(传染)，and genetic diseases. Medical companies are very interested in mapping the human genome，as they expect to develop a lot of new drugs for these illnesses.

1．Why did the scientists work hard at mapping the human genome?

A．Because the human genome can destroy many illnesses.