8. Which of the following is NOT a primary focus of Industri…
Questions
8. Which оf the fоllоwing is NOT а primаry focus of Industriаl and Organizational Psychology?
DIRECTIONS: Chооse the best аnswer fоr eаch question. First Artists [A] This is where the cаve lions are, and the woolly rhinos, mammoths, and bison, a collection of ancient creatures, stampeding, battling, stalking in total silence. Outside the cave, where the real world is, they are all gone now. But this is not the real world. Here they remain alive on the shadowed walls. [B] Around 36,000 years ago, someone living in a time incomprehensibly different from ours walked from the original mouth of this cave to the chamber where we stand and, by flickering firelight, began to draw on its bare walls: profiles of cave lions, herds of rhinos and mammoths, a magnificent bison off to the right, and a chimeric creature - part bison, part woman - on an enormous rock. Other chambers harbor horses; an owl shaped out of mud by a single finger on a rock wall; an immense bison formed from handprints; and cave bears walking casually, as if in search of a spot for a long winter's nap. The works are often drawn with nothing more than a single and perfect continuous line. In all, the artists depicted 442 animals over perhaps thousands of years, using nearly 400,000 square feet of cave surface as their canvas. [C] Hidden by a rock slide for 22,000 years, the cave came to light in December 1994, when three spelunkers named Eliette Brunel, Christian Hillaire, and Jean-Marie Chauvet scrambled through a narrow crevice in a cliff and dropped into the dark entry. Since then, what is now known as the Cave of Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc has been ferociously protected by the French Ministry of Culture. We are among the rare few who have been allowed to make the same journey the ancient artists did. The age of these drawings makes youngsters of Egypt's storied pyramids, yet every charcoal stroke, every splash of ocher looks as fresh as yesterday. One moment you are anchored in the present, observing coolly. The next you are seeing the paintings as if all other art - all civilization - has yet to exist. [D] How did such human accomplishment come to be, so long ago, seemingly out of nowhere? Most of the cave paintings in southern France and Spain were created after 40,000 B.C. Why there? Why then? One clue is the deep and extensive caves themselves. Tito Bustillo in northern Spain is a half mile from one end to the other. El Castillo and other caves on Monte Castillo dive, twist, and turn into the ground like enormous corkscrews. France's Lascaux, Grotte du Renne, and Chauvet run football fields deep into the rock, with multiple branches and cathedral-like chambers. [E] Perhaps the explosion of creativity we see on the walls of these caverns was inspired in part by their sheer depth and darkness - or rather, the interplay of light and dark. Illuminated by the flickering light from fires or stone lamps burning animal grease, such as the lamps found in Lascaux, the bumps and crevices in the rock walls might suggest natural shapes, the way passing clouds can to an imaginative child. In Altamira, in northern Spain, the painters responsible for the famous bison incorporated the humps and bulges of the rock to give their images more life and dimension. Chauvet features a panel of four horse heads drawn over subtle curves and folds in a wall of receding rock, accentuating the animals' snouts and foreheads. Their appearance changes according to your perspective: One view presents perfect profiles, but from another angle the horses' noses and necks seem to strain, as if they are running away from you. In a different chamber a rendering of cave lions seems to emerge from a cut in the wall, accentuating the hunch in one animal's back and shoulders as it stalks its unseen prey. [F] In his book La Prehistoire du Cinema, filmmaker and archeologist Marc Azema argues that some of these ancient artists were the world's first animators, and that the artists' images combined with flickering firelight in the pitch-black caves to create the illusion that the paintings were moving. "They wanted to make these images lifelike," says Azema. He has re-created digital versions of some cave images that illustrate the effect. The Lion Panel in Chauvet's deepest chamber is a good example. It features the heads of ten lions, all seemingly intent on their prey. But in the light of a strategically positioned torch or stone lamp, these ten lions might be successive characterizations of just one lion, or perhaps two or three, moving through a story, much like the frames of a flip-book or animated film. Beyond the lions stands a cluster of rhinoceroses. The head and horn of the top one are repeated six times, one image above the other, as if thrusting upward, its whole body shuddering with multiple outlines. [G] Azema's interpretation fits with that of eminent prehistorian Jean Clottes - the first scientist to enter Chauvet, only days after its discovery. Clottes believes the images in the cave were intended to be experienced much the way we view movies, theater, or even religious ceremonies today - a departure from the real world that transfixed its audience and bound it in a powerful shared experience. "It was a show!" says Clottes. [H] Thousands of years later you can still feel the power of that show as you walk the chambers of the cave, the sound of your own breath heavy in your ear, the constant drip, drip of the water falling from the walls and ceilings. In its rhythm you can almost make out the sound of ancient music, the beat of the dance, as a storyteller casts the light of a torch upon a floating image and enthralls the audience with a tale. In paragraph B, what is a chimeric creature?
DIRECTIONS: Chооse the best аnswer fоr eаch question. First Artists [A] This is where the cаve lions are, and the woolly rhinos, mammoths, and bison, a collection of ancient creatures, stampeding, battling, stalking in total silence. Outside the cave, where the real world is, they are all gone now. But this is not the real world. Here they remain alive on the shadowed walls. [B] Around 36,000 years ago, someone living in a time incomprehensibly different from ours walked from the original mouth of this cave to the chamber where we stand and, by flickering firelight, began to draw on its bare walls: profiles of cave lions, herds of rhinos and mammoths, a magnificent bison off to the right, and a chimeric creature - part bison, part woman - on an enormous rock. Other chambers harbor horses; an owl shaped out of mud by a single finger on a rock wall; an immense bison formed from handprints; and cave bears walking casually, as if in search of a spot for a long winter's nap. The works are often drawn with nothing more than a single and perfect continuous line. In all, the artists depicted 442 animals over perhaps thousands of years, using nearly 400,000 square feet of cave surface as their canvas. [C] Hidden by a rock slide for 22,000 years, the cave came to light in December 1994, when three spelunkers named Eliette Brunel, Christian Hillaire, and Jean-Marie Chauvet scrambled through a narrow crevice in a cliff and dropped into the dark entry. Since then, what is now known as the Cave of Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc has been ferociously protected by the French Ministry of Culture. We are among the rare few who have been allowed to make the same journey the ancient artists did. The age of these drawings makes youngsters of Egypt's storied pyramids, yet every charcoal stroke, every splash of ocher looks as fresh as yesterday. One moment you are anchored in the present, observing coolly. The next you are seeing the paintings as if all other art - all civilization - has yet to exist. [D] How did such human accomplishment come to be, so long ago, seemingly out of nowhere? Most of the cave paintings in southern France and Spain were created after 40,000 B.C. Why there? Why then? One clue is the deep and extensive caves themselves. Tito Bustillo in northern Spain is a half mile from one end to the other. El Castillo and other caves on Monte Castillo dive, twist, and turn into the ground like enormous corkscrews. France's Lascaux, Grotte du Renne, and Chauvet run football fields deep into the rock, with multiple branches and cathedral-like chambers. [E] Perhaps the explosion of creativity we see on the walls of these caverns was inspired in part by their sheer depth and darkness - or rather, the interplay of light and dark. Illuminated by the flickering light from fires or stone lamps burning animal grease, such as the lamps found in Lascaux, the bumps and crevices in the rock walls might suggest natural shapes, the way passing clouds can to an imaginative child. In Altamira, in northern Spain, the painters responsible for the famous bison incorporated the humps and bulges of the rock to give their images more life and dimension. Chauvet features a panel of four horse heads drawn over subtle curves and folds in a wall of receding rock, accentuating the animals' snouts and foreheads. Their appearance changes according to your perspective: One view presents perfect profiles, but from another angle the horses' noses and necks seem to strain, as if they are running away from you. In a different chamber a rendering of cave lions seems to emerge from a cut in the wall, accentuating the hunch in one animal's back and shoulders as it stalks its unseen prey. [F] In his book La Prehistoire du Cinema, filmmaker and archeologist Marc Azema argues that some of these ancient artists were the world's first animators, and that the artists' images combined with flickering firelight in the pitch-black caves to create the illusion that the paintings were moving. "They wanted to make these images lifelike," says Azema. He has re-created digital versions of some cave images that illustrate the effect. The Lion Panel in Chauvet's deepest chamber is a good example. It features the heads of ten lions, all seemingly intent on their prey. But in the light of a strategically positioned torch or stone lamp, these ten lions might be successive characterizations of just one lion, or perhaps two or three, moving through a story, much like the frames of a flip-book or animated film. Beyond the lions stands a cluster of rhinoceroses. The head and horn of the top one are repeated six times, one image above the other, as if thrusting upward, its whole body shuddering with multiple outlines. [G] Azema's interpretation fits with that of eminent prehistorian Jean Clottes - the first scientist to enter Chauvet, only days after its discovery. Clottes believes the images in the cave were intended to be experienced much the way we view movies, theater, or even religious ceremonies today - a departure from the real world that transfixed its audience and bound it in a powerful shared experience. "It was a show!" says Clottes. [H] Thousands of years later you can still feel the power of that show as you walk the chambers of the cave, the sound of your own breath heavy in your ear, the constant drip, drip of the water falling from the walls and ceilings. In its rhythm you can almost make out the sound of ancient music, the beat of the dance, as a storyteller casts the light of a torch upon a floating image and enthralls the audience with a tale. The following sentence would be best placed at the end of which paragraph? As our guide put it, it is almost as if some animals were already in the rock, waiting to be revealed by the artist's charcoal and paint.
DIRECTIONS: Chооse the cоrrect word from the box to complete eаch sentence. Use eаch word only once. component confers culprit federаl legislation miserable register set off suppress tolerate Being on the Dean’s List _______________ the right to free parking at the campus garage. [BLANK-1]
DIRECTIONS: Reаd the pаssаge and answer the questiоns. The War оn Allergies A Suppоse that 54.3 percent of your country’s population had cancer. That figure might set off a nationwide panic—a search for something wrong with people’s diet, the environment, activity levels. In fact, that’s the percentage of Americans who show a positive skin response to one or more allergens. B The manifestations of allergy—sneezing, itching, rashes—are signs of an immune system running amok, attacking foreign invaders—allergens— that mean no harm. Allergens include pollen, dust mites, mold, food, drugs, stinging insects, or any other substance to which the body can choose to react, or overreact. Allergies rarely kill. They just make the sufferer miserable—sometimes for brief periods, and sometimes for life. C Allergies are essentially an epidemic of modernity. As countries become more industrialized, the percentage of population affected by them tends to grow higher. There are remote areas of South America and Africa where allergies are virtually nonexistent. D In contrast, six percent of young children in the U.S. today have food allergies. Federal legislation requires manufacturers to clearly label whether major allergens—peanuts, soy, shellfish, eggs, wheat, milk, fish, and tree nuts—are ingredients in any product. Children who cannot tolerate these foods sit at special tables at lunchtime; there are websites and support groups for parents who homeschool their severely allergic children. E Here’s how an allergy develops: One day, a body is exposed to a protein in something that seems perfectly harmless—the wheat flour, say, in a home-baked muffin. But for some unclear reason, the body looks at the protein and sees trouble. There will be no symptoms at first, but the body is remembering—and planning. F That first exposure causes the immune system to produce an antibody called IgE (immunoglobulin E). Then IgE antibodies attach to certain cells, called mast cells, in tissue throughout the body. There they stay like wary soldiers waiting for war. With a second exposure, even months later, some of the allergen binds with the IgE on the mast cell. This time, the mast cell releases a flood of irritating chemicals, which cause inflammation and itching. G A minor or isolated reaction can become more serious with repeated exposure to an allergen, or when other cells involved in the immune system, the T cells, come into play. Certain T cells remember the “insult” of the allergen and ensure that some part of the body keeps becoming inflamed. Often the allergen and the immune system become increasingly antagonistic, and the reaction worsens. H There is, unquestionably, a hereditary component to allergies. In some cases, people with allergies show signs of asthma. A child with one asthmatic parent has a good chance of developing the condition. If both parents have asthma, the chance of occurrence increases. I Still, the rise in allergies is too rapid to be explained solely by genetics. “The genetic pool can’t change that much in such a short time,” says Donald Leung, director of an allergy-immunology program in the U.S. “There have to be environmental and behavioral factors as well.” Dozens of theories have blamed everyone from urban landscapers for favoring male plants (the ones that produce pollen), to women who don’t breastfeed. Breastfeeding, the theory goes, confers greater protection against allergies. J Another probable factor: diet. “Reduced fresh fruit and vegetable intake, more processed food, fewer antioxidants, and low intake of some minerals—these are all shown to be a risk,” says professor of medicine Harold Nelson, considered one of the foremost experts on allergies in the U.S. K The use of antibiotics may also be an underlying cause of rising allergy rates. Certain bacteria in the intestine are associated with greater or lesser chances of having allergies. Researchers believe, as Donald Leung says, “Overuse of antibiotics may be disrupting certain gut flora that suppress allergy.” L Another prime culprit: environmental pollutants. Exactly what pollutants and in what quantities are a source of heated debate. One of dozens of examples: Children who are raised near major highways and are exposed to diesel fumes from trucks register an increased sensitivity to allergens they already react to. M Ironically, it’s not just the pollutants that are affecting us. It may be too much cleanliness. A prevalent theory among allergists is known as the hygiene hypothesis. While it’s true that industrialization brings with it better health care and fewer serious childhood infections, it also brings an obsession with cleanliness. We are not exposed to dirt at a young enough age to give our immune systems a good workout. Also, because of the high cost of energy, more homes are built with better insulation—insulation that seals in mold and dust. N “The hygiene hypothesis has been on the scene since people first started looking at allergies,” says associate professor Andrew Liu. “John Bostock, the guy who first identified hay fever in 1819, noted that it was a condition of the educated. He couldn’t report any cases among poor people.” O But if dirt is a good thing, why are allergies and asthma so prevalent today in poor, inner-city neighborhoods? “It’s not just a question of exposure to dirt that reduces allergies—it has to be the right kind of dirt,” says Liu. “We’re talking about exposure to endotoxin and good microbes in soil and animal waste.” Research supports the hygiene hypothesis. “There was a famous study,” says Harold Nelson, “where one of the protective factors for asthma was having a pig in the house.” P Since most of us are unable to room with a pig, we have to come up with a plan. Can we avoid allergies altogether? Can we get rid of allergies we already have? Can we desensitize our immune systems? “We still don’t know exactly how to prevent allergies,” says Andrew Liu. “We know the immune response is supposed to be a helpful one, that it’s not supposed to be the cause of disease. We know that the immune system of someone with allergies needs to be reeducated. But how? It’s not always clear.” Leung agrees, adding, “If you are exposed to . . . microbial products early in life, it may prevent allergies. But later in life, the early exposure may actually make things worse.” Q There are those who argue that to prevent allergies, we should reduce exposure to harmful allergens early on. Others believe allergens should be administered in large quantities at a young age. Many believe it depends on the specific allergen. And food allergies may work on an altogether different principle. Confused? So are the allergists. R But there is hope that allergy sufferers may one day live in a world that’s far more comfortable. Suddenly there’s a booming market for products and services that were unimaginable 30 years ago. Hotels offer allergy sufferers rooms with special ventilation systems and linens washed with nontoxic products. Scientists are finding ways to get rid of the allergenic proteins in common offenders. Researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia also claim to have developed the first hypoallergenic rye grass: It doesn’t cause hay fever. S But the questions remain: Are allergies truly preventable? How much genetic engineering is feasible? And even if we can eliminate the allergens we fight today, what will our immune systems decide are the enemies tomorrow? Choose the best answer.In Paragraph K, Donald Leung implies that _______________.
DIRECTIONS: Reаd the pаssаge and answer the questiоns. The War оn Allergies A Suppоse that 54.3 percent of your country’s population had cancer. That figure might set off a nationwide panic—a search for something wrong with people’s diet, the environment, activity levels. In fact, that’s the percentage of Americans who show a positive skin response to one or more allergens. B The manifestations of allergy—sneezing, itching, rashes—are signs of an immune system running amok, attacking foreign invaders—allergens— that mean no harm. Allergens include pollen, dust mites, mold, food, drugs, stinging insects, or any other substance to which the body can choose to react, or overreact. Allergies rarely kill. They just make the sufferer miserable—sometimes for brief periods, and sometimes for life. C Allergies are essentially an epidemic of modernity. As countries become more industrialized, the percentage of population affected by them tends to grow higher. There are remote areas of South America and Africa where allergies are virtually nonexistent. D In contrast, six percent of young children in the U.S. today have food allergies. Federal legislation requires manufacturers to clearly label whether major allergens—peanuts, soy, shellfish, eggs, wheat, milk, fish, and tree nuts—are ingredients in any product. Children who cannot tolerate these foods sit at special tables at lunchtime; there are websites and support groups for parents who homeschool their severely allergic children. E Here’s how an allergy develops: One day, a body is exposed to a protein in something that seems perfectly harmless—the wheat flour, say, in a home-baked muffin. But for some unclear reason, the body looks at the protein and sees trouble. There will be no symptoms at first, but the body is remembering—and planning. F That first exposure causes the immune system to produce an antibody called IgE (immunoglobulin E). Then IgE antibodies attach to certain cells, called mast cells, in tissue throughout the body. There they stay like wary soldiers waiting for war. With a second exposure, even months later, some of the allergen binds with the IgE on the mast cell. This time, the mast cell releases a flood of irritating chemicals, which cause inflammation and itching. G A minor or isolated reaction can become more serious with repeated exposure to an allergen, or when other cells involved in the immune system, the T cells, come into play. Certain T cells remember the “insult” of the allergen and ensure that some part of the body keeps becoming inflamed. Often the allergen and the immune system become increasingly antagonistic, and the reaction worsens. H There is, unquestionably, a hereditary component to allergies. In some cases, people with allergies show signs of asthma. A child with one asthmatic parent has a good chance of developing the condition. If both parents have asthma, the chance of occurrence increases. I Still, the rise in allergies is too rapid to be explained solely by genetics. “The genetic pool can’t change that much in such a short time,” says Donald Leung, director of an allergy-immunology program in the U.S. “There have to be environmental and behavioral factors as well.” Dozens of theories have blamed everyone from urban landscapers for favoring male plants (the ones that produce pollen), to women who don’t breastfeed. Breastfeeding, the theory goes, confers greater protection against allergies. J Another probable factor: diet. “Reduced fresh fruit and vegetable intake, more processed food, fewer antioxidants, and low intake of some minerals—these are all shown to be a risk,” says professor of medicine Harold Nelson, considered one of the foremost experts on allergies in the U.S. K The use of antibiotics may also be an underlying cause of rising allergy rates. Certain bacteria in the intestine are associated with greater or lesser chances of having allergies. Researchers believe, as Donald Leung says, “Overuse of antibiotics may be disrupting certain gut flora that suppress allergy.” L Another prime culprit: environmental pollutants. Exactly what pollutants and in what quantities are a source of heated debate. One of dozens of examples: Children who are raised near major highways and are exposed to diesel fumes from trucks register an increased sensitivity to allergens they already react to. M Ironically, it’s not just the pollutants that are affecting us. It may be too much cleanliness. A prevalent theory among allergists is known as the hygiene hypothesis. While it’s true that industrialization brings with it better health care and fewer serious childhood infections, it also brings an obsession with cleanliness. We are not exposed to dirt at a young enough age to give our immune systems a good workout. Also, because of the high cost of energy, more homes are built with better insulation—insulation that seals in mold and dust. N “The hygiene hypothesis has been on the scene since people first started looking at allergies,” says associate professor Andrew Liu. “John Bostock, the guy who first identified hay fever in 1819, noted that it was a condition of the educated. He couldn’t report any cases among poor people.” O But if dirt is a good thing, why are allergies and asthma so prevalent today in poor, inner-city neighborhoods? “It’s not just a question of exposure to dirt that reduces allergies—it has to be the right kind of dirt,” says Liu. “We’re talking about exposure to endotoxin and good microbes in soil and animal waste.” Research supports the hygiene hypothesis. “There was a famous study,” says Harold Nelson, “where one of the protective factors for asthma was having a pig in the house.” P Since most of us are unable to room with a pig, we have to come up with a plan. Can we avoid allergies altogether? Can we get rid of allergies we already have? Can we desensitize our immune systems? “We still don’t know exactly how to prevent allergies,” says Andrew Liu. “We know the immune response is supposed to be a helpful one, that it’s not supposed to be the cause of disease. We know that the immune system of someone with allergies needs to be reeducated. But how? It’s not always clear.” Leung agrees, adding, “If you are exposed to . . . microbial products early in life, it may prevent allergies. But later in life, the early exposure may actually make things worse.” Q There are those who argue that to prevent allergies, we should reduce exposure to harmful allergens early on. Others believe allergens should be administered in large quantities at a young age. Many believe it depends on the specific allergen. And food allergies may work on an altogether different principle. Confused? So are the allergists. R But there is hope that allergy sufferers may one day live in a world that’s far more comfortable. Suddenly there’s a booming market for products and services that were unimaginable 30 years ago. Hotels offer allergy sufferers rooms with special ventilation systems and linens washed with nontoxic products. Scientists are finding ways to get rid of the allergenic proteins in common offenders. Researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia also claim to have developed the first hypoallergenic rye grass: It doesn’t cause hay fever. S But the questions remain: Are allergies truly preventable? How much genetic engineering is feasible? And even if we can eliminate the allergens we fight today, what will our immune systems decide are the enemies tomorrow? Choose the best answer.What is the purpose of Paragraph I?
DIRECTIONS: Cоmplete the cоncept mаp with infоrmаtion from the pаssage “Hypoallergenic Cats.” Use the words in the box. allergic DNA reactions saliva Siberian fur proteins data nar004-1.jpg What is the best word to fill the fourth space? [BLANK-1]
DIRECTIONS: Cоmplete the sentences with infоrmаtiоn from the grаphic. Eаch answer should only be one or two words. nar005-1.jpg In people with asthma, the lung walls are ___________ and thickened. [BLANK-1]
DIRECTIONS: Reаd the pаssаge and answer the questiоns. Hypоallergenic 1 Cats A The wоrld's first hypoallergenic cats may soon be curling up and purring in the laps of allergy sufferers. Allerca, Inc., a biotechnology firm in San Diego, California, is now taking orders for its Allerca Gene Divergence (GD) kittens. The cats are not transgenic animals—which means their genes have not been altered to make them less of an allergy risk. Instead Allerca officials say they searched for natural genes in the cat that control these allergy-inducing properties and then bred cats with the desired trait. B "People breed cats all the time, so why not a company who has used data based on experiments to identify hypoallergenic cats? Siberian cats have been touted by breeders as being hypoallergenic for a long time" said Leslie Lyons, an assistant professor in the school of veterinary medicine at the University of California, Davis. According to Lyons, who specializes in research on domestic cat genetics, if Allerca used Siberians—or another low-allergen breed found through genetic screening—a hypoallergenic breed could be developed in as few as "one to two crosses." C Megan Young, Allerca's CEO, said that the firm has simply "taken selective breeding to the next level." Allerca officials are closely guarding their scientific data. But Young says human-exposure trials conducted by Allerca and an independent lab revealed that known cat-allergy sufferers ranging from mildly to highly allergic showed no signs of reaction when in contact with the newly bred cats. She also notes that Allerca plans to submit its findings for publication in a peer-reviewed journal in early 2007. D Approximately 10 million people in the U.S. are allergic to cats, according to the nonprofit Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Cat allergens can trigger severe asthma attacks for 20 to 30 percent of asthma sufferers and exposure can lead to chronic asthma. E Contrary to popular belief, people are not allergic to a cat's fur or dander. The sneezing, wheezing, and itching are brought on by Fel d 1, a protein excreted in feline saliva and skin glands. Even a hairless breed can trigger an allergic reaction. Cats—notorious self-groomers—transfer the allergy-inducing protein to their skin and fur while licking themselves. F According to Young, Allerca researchers used genetic sequencing to search for natural variations in the genetic code of the Fel d 1 protein. They then selectively bred cats to express the protein at a lower molecular weight, reducing the likelihood of an allergic reaction. G Allerca's low-allergen felines, expected to arrive in homes next spring, carry a price tag that could send some pet lovers into shock. The firm currently charges $3,950 (U.S.) per cat, plus nearly $1,000 for processing and transportation. The steep cost includes pet insurance, vaccines, a microchip identifier, spaying or neutering, nail caps, and a starter kit. Kittens will be delivered via private jet courier to pre-selected veterinary offices where owners can pick them up. H Because building up a breeding pool takes time, Young projects that Allerca will only have 400 to 500 cats available next year. As a safety precaution, Young says the kittens will be tested for their Fel d 1 levels before they are delivered. Owners and their homes must also undergo FDA-approved allergy tests to create a baseline for any preexisting allergens. Should an individual exceed the threshold level for tolerating the new cats' low levels of allergens, Allerca will strongly suggest the owner not claim the cat and will refund the purchase price. Cat Fight?I A Denver, Colorado-based firm, Felix Pets, is trying to produce hypoallergenic cats using a different technique: developing a hypoallergenic cat via direct cellular modification. In theory, while a developing kitten is still a single cell, its DNA can be modified to remove or suppress the gene that produces the allergen protein, Felix Pets' president David Avner explains. The modified cell would then be implanted into a surrogate mother cat to finish developing into an allergen-free kitten. Avner says gene modification has an advantage over selective breeding in that modification takes less time to produce a cat consistently free of the allergen protein. "To breed out the allergen could take decades," he said. Avner says he expects to have transgenic allergen-free cats ready for the market by 2008. While kittens will be "expensive" initially, Avner said, he hopes to eventually sell them for $800 to $1,000. J According to Young, Allerca had been pursuing genetic modification until last year, when researchers ran into challenges silencing the allergen-producing gene. But it was during this research that Allerca developed genetic testing to focus on less potent versions of the Fel d 1 protein. Little is known about the exact role the Fel d 1 protein plays in cats, so no one is sure what effect removing or suppressing the protein would have on an animal. UC Davis' Lyons, agrees: "If [we learn] anything from these experiments these companies are doing, we might learn a lot about the physiology of this particular protein." 1 If something is hypoallegenic, it is less likely to cause an allergic reaction. Source: Adapted from “‘Hypoallergenic’ Cats for Sale, U.S. Firm Announces,” by Rachel Pepling: National Geographic News: June 2006 Choose the correct answer.In Paragraph J, what is Lyons’ attitude toward research on the Fel d 1 protein?
DIRECTIONS: Reаd the pаssаge and answer the questiоns. Hypоallergenic 1 Cats A The wоrld's first hypoallergenic cats may soon be curling up and purring in the laps of allergy sufferers. Allerca, Inc., a biotechnology firm in San Diego, California, is now taking orders for its Allerca Gene Divergence (GD) kittens. The cats are not transgenic animals—which means their genes have not been altered to make them less of an allergy risk. Instead Allerca officials say they searched for natural genes in the cat that control these allergy-inducing properties and then bred cats with the desired trait. B "People breed cats all the time, so why not a company who has used data based on experiments to identify hypoallergenic cats? Siberian cats have been touted by breeders as being hypoallergenic for a long time" said Leslie Lyons, an assistant professor in the school of veterinary medicine at the University of California, Davis. According to Lyons, who specializes in research on domestic cat genetics, if Allerca used Siberians—or another low-allergen breed found through genetic screening—a hypoallergenic breed could be developed in as few as "one to two crosses." C Megan Young, Allerca's CEO, said that the firm has simply "taken selective breeding to the next level." Allerca officials are closely guarding their scientific data. But Young says human-exposure trials conducted by Allerca and an independent lab revealed that known cat-allergy sufferers ranging from mildly to highly allergic showed no signs of reaction when in contact with the newly bred cats. She also notes that Allerca plans to submit its findings for publication in a peer-reviewed journal in early 2007. D Approximately 10 million people in the U.S. are allergic to cats, according to the nonprofit Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Cat allergens can trigger severe asthma attacks for 20 to 30 percent of asthma sufferers and exposure can lead to chronic asthma. E Contrary to popular belief, people are not allergic to a cat's fur or dander. The sneezing, wheezing, and itching are brought on by Fel d 1, a protein excreted in feline saliva and skin glands. Even a hairless breed can trigger an allergic reaction. Cats—notorious self-groomers—transfer the allergy-inducing protein to their skin and fur while licking themselves. F According to Young, Allerca researchers used genetic sequencing to search for natural variations in the genetic code of the Fel d 1 protein. They then selectively bred cats to express the protein at a lower molecular weight, reducing the likelihood of an allergic reaction. G Allerca's low-allergen felines, expected to arrive in homes next spring, carry a price tag that could send some pet lovers into shock. The firm currently charges $3,950 (U.S.) per cat, plus nearly $1,000 for processing and transportation. The steep cost includes pet insurance, vaccines, a microchip identifier, spaying or neutering, nail caps, and a starter kit. Kittens will be delivered via private jet courier to pre-selected veterinary offices where owners can pick them up. H Because building up a breeding pool takes time, Young projects that Allerca will only have 400 to 500 cats available next year. As a safety precaution, Young says the kittens will be tested for their Fel d 1 levels before they are delivered. Owners and their homes must also undergo FDA-approved allergy tests to create a baseline for any preexisting allergens. Should an individual exceed the threshold level for tolerating the new cats' low levels of allergens, Allerca will strongly suggest the owner not claim the cat and will refund the purchase price. Cat Fight?I A Denver, Colorado-based firm, Felix Pets, is trying to produce hypoallergenic cats using a different technique: developing a hypoallergenic cat via direct cellular modification. In theory, while a developing kitten is still a single cell, its DNA can be modified to remove or suppress the gene that produces the allergen protein, Felix Pets' president David Avner explains. The modified cell would then be implanted into a surrogate mother cat to finish developing into an allergen-free kitten. Avner says gene modification has an advantage over selective breeding in that modification takes less time to produce a cat consistently free of the allergen protein. "To breed out the allergen could take decades," he said. Avner says he expects to have transgenic allergen-free cats ready for the market by 2008. While kittens will be "expensive" initially, Avner said, he hopes to eventually sell them for $800 to $1,000. J According to Young, Allerca had been pursuing genetic modification until last year, when researchers ran into challenges silencing the allergen-producing gene. But it was during this research that Allerca developed genetic testing to focus on less potent versions of the Fel d 1 protein. Little is known about the exact role the Fel d 1 protein plays in cats, so no one is sure what effect removing or suppressing the protein would have on an animal. UC Davis' Lyons, agrees: "If [we learn] anything from these experiments these companies are doing, we might learn a lot about the physiology of this particular protein." 1 If something is hypoallegenic, it is less likely to cause an allergic reaction. Source: Adapted from “‘Hypoallergenic’ Cats for Sale, U.S. Firm Announces,” by Rachel Pepling: National Geographic News: June 2006 Choose the correct answer.What are transgenic animals?