[职称英语综合类a级考试试题]2017年职称英语综合类A级阅读材料精选(10)

捍卫进化论仍必要

　　美国生物科学院主席Judith S. Weis正发动全国的力量来“捍卫”进化论。研究所看到来自学校董事会和政府部门的反对和冷漠，尽管如此，Weis仍带领大家为捍卫进化论而努力。

　　研究所认为美国的进化论教育由于神创论教育和高中完全缺少达尔文理论的讲授而减少。“没有命令要求学校教授进化论。高中老师有时就忽略了它。然而，从生物学家的角度来看，进化论是生物学的中心理解，是万物存在的基础。”Weis说。“不幸的是，在美国许多地方和美国生物科学院，讲授进化论成了一个政治事件，作为生物学家的代表，我想为进化论教育而疾呼。”

　　Weis说生物科学院正和美国地理学院和国家生物教师联合会及其80多个成员组织合作来对抗来自政治上和法律上的关于教授进化论的威胁。在国内，面对进化论教育的挑战，生物科学院寄信给学校董事会和国家立法机关，在公众会议上展示证据，通知其成员及联合组织，生物科学院拥有80多个成员社团和250000个成员。它建立了一个电子邮件系统使各州的科学家和成员社团能相互联合，先知进化论教育面临的威胁。

　　达尔文的进化论主张生物变化以适应他们的环境，并且现有物种(包括人类)是由早期物种经过自然选择的改造遗传下来的。这个理论已经被科学家接受了近100年，Weis说，并且由于古生物学的发现和生物学的发展而被完善、拓展、加强。

　　基因、分子生物学和整组遗传因子方面的发现——这些都对人类健康大有好处——如果离开进化论是不可能实现的。而且，Weis补充说，“现代分子生物学和基因学加深了我们对进化论的认识。”然而，进化论仍是政治性而非科学性的争议问题。

　　Weis说仅今年，七个州的地方性或全州性地减少了进化论教育或使其处于和神创论教育同等的地位。神创论是指从宗教上相信物种是由一种更高级的力量，例如上帝分别创造。“极少有人使用‘神创论”这个词，因为它太明显。”Weis说“目前使用的术语是‘天才的设计’”。

Defending the Theory of Evolution Still Seems Needed

　　Judith S. Weis, a biology professor who serves as president of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is leading a nationwide effort to “defend” the theory of evolution. Weis leads the effort in the face of what the institute views as opposition and indifference from school boards and government entities.

　　The Institute believes that the teaching of evolution in America is being diminished by the teaching of creationism as well as by an overall lack of teaching Darwin’s theory in high school. “There’s nothing that requires schools to teach evolution. Sometimes teachers in high schools just leave it out. However from the point of view of biologists, evolution is the central theory of biology upon which everything is based,” said Weis. “Unfortunately, teaching evolution has become a political issue in many parts of the country and AIBS, as a representative of biologists, wanted to be a major force speaking out in favor of its teaching.”

　　Weis said the institute is working together with the American Geological Institute and the National Association of Biology Teachers and its 80-plus member organizations to address the political and legislative threats to teaching evolution. In states challenging its teaching, the institute responds by sending letters to school boards and state legislatures, by providing testimony at public meetings and by notifying members and affiliated organizations. AIBS, with more than 80 member societies and 250,000 members, has established an email system enabling scientists and teachers in each state, and member societies, to keep each other informed about threats to the teaching of evolution.

　　Darwin’s theory of evolution holds that living things change and adapt to their environment and that present-day species (including human beings) are descended from earlier species through modification by natural selection. The theory has been accepted by scientists for nearly 100 years, Weis said, and has been refined, extended and strengthened over the years by findings in paleontology and developmental biology. Discoveries in genetics, molecular biology and genomics—all of which provide significant benefits for human health—would not be possible without the underlying knowledge of evolution. And, Weis adds, “modern molecular biology and genomics have increased our understanding of how evolution works.” Nonetheless, evolution remains a politically, if not scientifically, controversial issue.

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