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Finding the Right Genes 寻找完美基因

課文朗讀

課文中英文講解

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Genetics determines almost everything about us, from our physical qualities to our chances of developing certain diseases. It possibly even determines certain aspects ___1___ our personality. Through scientific advances, we’re starting to make more ___2___ of what genes mean to us.

遗传支配我们人体的绝大部分，从身体特征到罹患某些疾病的机率，甚至可能影响我们性格的某些层面。拜科学进步之赐，人类开始对基因更进一步的了解。

Thanks to genetics, men and women can ___3___ their future. With genetic counseling, patients can be informed of their risk of developing an ___4___ disorder. It can help future parents prepare for diseases that they may pass on to their children.

由于遗传学的发展，人们得以预见自己的未来。透过基因咨询，病人可得知自己罹患某种遗传病的机率。此咨询也有助准父母们预知自己可能遗传给下一代的疾病。

New treatments for those who suffer from certain diseases are also ___5___ developed through genetics. Gene therapy involves inserting new genes into an individual’s cell and tissues to threat a disease. The technology is still in its ___6___, but its potential to save lives is astonishing.

遗传学也为某些疾病的患者发展出新疗法。基因疗法是将新基因嵌入患者的细胞或组织来治疗疾病。该科技虽还在萌芽阶段，但救人一命的潜力令人惊叹。

Even our ___7___ is being affected by genetics. Today, we have what are called genetically-modified foods. Scientists can take regular crops and change their genetic makeup to make them more ___8___ to things like droughts, weather conditions and even pests. These are just some of the possibilities. In the future, we may see bananas that produce vaccines ___9___ infectious diseases, or fish that mature more quickly. Genetics holds great promise, and we’ve only begun to ___10__ the surface of what it can do for us.

遗传学甚至影响了人类的饮食。如今，我们有所谓的基因改造食品。科学家将普通农作物的基因结构加以改变，使其对干旱、天气、甚至虫害更具抵抗力。这只是许多可能性中的一小部分而已。未来，我们或许可以见到能制造传染病疫苗的香蕉，或是可以成长更快的鱼类。遗传学的未来潜力无限，而人类对它的功用才刚略知一二而已。

−by Joe Henley

Vocabulary

counseling [ˋkaʊns!ɪŋ] n. 咨询服务

astonishing [əˋstɑnɪʃɪŋ] adj. 惊人的

drought [draʊt] n. 干旱

vaccine [ˋvæksin] n. 疫苗

inherit [ɪnˋhɛrɪt] v. 经遗传而获得

resistant [rɪˋzɪstənt] adj. 抵抗的

More Information

personality [͵pɝsnˋælətɪ] n. 个性，性格

thanks to  托...福; 幸亏

inform [ɪnˋfɔrm] v. 告知

disorder [dɪsˋɔrdɚ] n.(机能)失调，轻病

pass on 传递

insert [ɪnˋsɝt] v. 插入；嵌入

regular [ˋrɛgjəlɚ] adj. 普通的，一般的

makeup [ˋmek͵ʌp] n. 构成; 构造

pest [pɛst] n. 害虫

mature [məˋtjʊr] v. 使成熟；使长成

promise [ˋprɑmɪs] n. 希望，前途

scratch the surface  略懂皮毛

infancy [ˋɪnfənsɪ] n. 初期；未发达阶段

see into  查看，调查……；观察……的真义，性质等

Answer