Job-related illnesses are growing in frequency. In 1985, there were 390,000 cases of illnesses that were job related, including

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问题     Job-related illnesses are growing in frequency. In 1985, there were 390,000 cases of illnesses that were job related, including lung and bladder(膀胱)cancers, skin ailments, emphysema(肺气肿), and heart disease. There were also 100,000 deaths. Many of these illnesses and deaths are attributable to chemically hazardous substances.
    An obvious approach to reducing occupational illnesses is to rid the workplace of the chemical agents or toxins that are the source of many of the problems. However, sometimes that is not financially feasible or technically possible. An alternative approach is to capitalize on the fact that not all individuals are equally susceptible to health hazards in the workplace. For example, until the early 1970s when strict safety standards were introduced, all workers in shipbuilding plants were exposed to excessively high levels of asbestos(石棉)dust, yet only some have, or will develop, respiratory problems such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and emphysema.
    Researchers have begun only a certain portion to attack the puzzling problem of work groups that are "hyper susceptible" to particular chemical agents or toxins. One approach is to use genetic information as a means of differentiating between those who will and will not have adverse reactions to the toxin. At present, there are several known genetic markers that signal an individual’s predisposition to developing health problems in the presence of certain working conditions. For example, people with a pair of genes deficient in an enzyme called G-6-PD are more likely than others to experience a breakdown of red blood cells and consequent anemia(贫血)when they work with chemicals contained in TNT, or types of antimalarial drugs(抗病药).
    Recent research also suggests that presence of a defective gene on the eleventh chromosome (染色体)reduces the body’s ability to remove excess cholesterol(胆固醇)deposits from artery walls(动脉壁), thus predisposing carriers of the gene to coronary artery(冠状动脉)disease.
    Presumably, individuals with this genetic anomaly(异常)would be more likely to have heart problems when stressful job situations are encountered than those without it.
    Accordingly, genetic screening is based on the premise that individuals have different genetic markers and some of these differences can be used to predict predisposition to occupational diseases. There is some evidence that certain companies have used the genetic screening to control the incidence of job-related illnesses. Some of the companies also had taken action as a result of the tests, including warning employees about potential health problems, transferring employees, suggesting that employees seek other jobs, using the data for replacement purposes, or changing the production process.
According to the passage, when a person has a defective gene on the eleventh chromosome, he or she is at the risk of developing______.

选项 A、coronary artery disease
B、pulmonary disease
C、respiratory disease
D、bladder cancer

答案A

解析 根据文章第四段第一句“Recent research also suggests that presence of a defective gene on theeleventh chromosome(染色体)reduces the body’s ability to remove excess cholesterol(胆固醇)deposits fromartery walls(动脉壁),thus predisposing carriers of the gene to coronary artery(冠状动脉)disease.”可知,最近的研究还表明,第11个染色体上可能出现的某个缺陷基因,可以使人体从动脉壁清理胆固醇积淀的能力降低,从而预示着携带这种基因的人容易患上冠状动脉疾病。据此判断,答案是A。
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