克隆北极狼首亮相

江海连

世界上第一只克隆的北极狼诞生，这意味着在生命领域，克隆技术又一次尝试成功。这对于挽救濒危和灭绝的动物、重建生态平衡，意义重大。

1 A Beijing?based gene company announced the debut （首次亮相） of the worlds first cloned Arctic wolf via video on September 19， 2022， marking the 100th day since its birth in a Beijing lab.

2 Born on June 10， 2022， the wolf pup is energetic and in very good health. Its donor cell came from the skin samples of a wild Arctic wolf named Maya， who had been introduced from Canada to Harbin Polarland. Its oocyte （卵母细胞） was from a female dog and its surrogate （代理的） mother was a beagle （猎兔犬）.

3 “This is not only the achievement of our research cooperation with Harbin Polarland， but also our new attempt and breakthrough in the protection and breeding （繁殖） of wild and endangered animals. From the start of the project in 2020 to the healthy birth of the wolf pup in June of this year， we have overcome many difficulties. Looking back， its worth it，” said Mi Jidong， the companys general manager.

4 The birth of the worlds first cloned Arctic wolf is a milestone for the application of cloning technology and is of great significance to biodiversity （生物多样性）， the protection of wildlife， and the restoration of endangered species in the world， researchers believe. “Cloning technology is a breeding method different from natural reproduction， especially for animals with small populations. It is an effective way to protect gene diversity and increase species population size，” said Lai Liangxue， a researcher from Guangzhou Province.

5 It is understood that the Arctic wolves ancestral origin survived the Ice Age over 300，000 years ago. They have the ability to withstand extremely cold temperatures and live in many snowy regions around the globe. However， due to constant threat from poachers and erosion （腐蚀） of their living space， Arctic wolves are now included in the International Union for Conservation of Natures Red List of Endangered Species.

6 It is reported that at present， the technology of cloning Arctic wolves has gained strong value in its application， and the company has announced that another male cloned Arctic wolf is expected to come to the world in the near future.

1. What can be learned about the cloned Arctic wolf？

A. Its cell came from the skin samples of a dog.

B. It was in good health on its 100th day.

C. It stayed in Canada for some time.

D. It is one of the cloned wolves in the world.

2. What did Mi Jidong think of the process of cloning the Arctic wolf？

A. It was dangerous.

B. It was easy and interesting.

C. It was tough but worthwhile.

D. It was a waste of time.

3. Which word can best describe cloning technology according to Lai Liangxue？

A. Meaningful. B. Time?consuming.

C. Expensive. D. Unnecessary.

4. What does the underlined word “withstand” in paragraph 5 probably mean？

A. Lower. B. Ignore.

C. Stand. D. Destroy.

Useful expressions

in good health 健康狀况良好

breakthrough 突破

protection and breeding of wild and endangered animals 野生濒危动物的保护与繁殖

application of cloning technology 克隆科技的运用

be of great significance to 对……意义重大

natural reproduction 自然繁殖

protect gene diversity 保护基因多样性

due to 由于

constant threat from poachers 来自偷猎者的不断威胁

It is reported that 据报道

male cloned Arctic wolf 雄性的克隆北极狼