新GRE小短文阅读练习题十六
16Why save endangered species?For the general public, endangeredspecies appear to be little more than biological oddities.A very dif-
ferent perception is gained from considering the issue of extinction in a
wider context.The important point is that many major social advances
have been made on the basis of life forms whose worth would never have
been perceived in advance.Consider the impact of rubber-producing
plants on contemporary life and industry:approximatelytwo-thirds of the
world's rubber supply comes from rubber-producing plants and is made
into objects as diverse as rubber washers and rubber boots.
Any of the following facts could be used as illustrative examples in addi-
tion to the example of rubber-producing plants EXCEPT:
The discovery of the vaccine for smallpox resulted from observing
the effect of the cowpox virus on the hands of dairy workers.
The major source of our pharmaceutical supplies is plants, some of
them commonly thought of as weeds.
Certain antibiotics were originally derived from mold growing on
cantaloupes.
Plastic is a unique product derived from petroleum and petroleum by-
products.
Hamsters and other rodents have played an important role in labo-
rator y tests of medicine for use on humans.
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