Question

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow :
GENETIC MAP TO FORETELL DEATH
(Discursive-Interpretative)
One of the world's most renowned scientists is setting up a service to map individuals' entire genetic codes that could help predict how and when they might die.
For pounds 400,000, Craig Venter, who helped decipher the human genome-man's genetic code—plans to provide details of a person's genes within a week. Armed with such information, the individual will be able to check for mutations linked with illnesses such as cancer and alzheimer's.
Although at present scientists know the genetic abnormalities to blame for only a few dozen diseases, thousands more are expected to be discovered in the coming decades.
Venter, who has annoyed the scientific establishment with his commercial approach, said he had already signed several millionaires, though he declined to name them.
"I have been approached by a number of people who want to have their individual genome decoded," he said. "Initially, we will be able to decode people's genes in less than a week but hope eventually to bring it down to less than a day."
Venter, an American, is spending pounds 25 minion on the new facility, which will offer the service from later this year. Individuals will get a CD enshrining a full description of all their genes to pass on to their descendants. The technique maps the genes unique to the individual and then matches them with DNA common to all humans.
Venter says his main aim is to use the customers' genes—and money—to test out new ultra-fast techniques for analysing DNA that could one day enable everyone to have a map of their genome.
Other researchers are skeptical. Among geneticists, Venter is renowned as the brilliant but abrasive researcher who dropped out of the publicly-funded International Human Genome Project (HGP), which was set up in the mid 1980s to map humanity's genetic code.
He established his own rival laboratories and, to the fury of his former colleagues, started working on the human genome. He even suggested that he might take out patents on humanity's 'blueprint for life'.
Venter's new facility will enable him to crack the genetic codes faster than ever before. His scientists are already working on the genomes of 40 species. However, other experts are skeptical about the value of mapping individuals genes.
Tim Hubbard, head of human genome analysis at the Sanger Institute in Cambridge, said knowingly someone's genome was not the same as understanding it.
Answer the following questions briefly :
(a) What new service is being offered ? How will it help mankind and how much will it cost ? (b) How far is present knowledge about genes confined ? What's expected in coming decades ?
(c) What do you learn about Craig Venter's personality and his new facility ?
(d) What, according to Venter, is the aim of the new facility ? How far is it likely to help man-kind ?
Find a word from para 6 which convey similar meanings as :
(i) 'coming generations'.
(ii) well-known
(iii) change in genetic structure
(iv) belonging to a particular person

Answer 1

(a) The service to map individual's entire genetic code is being provided. It will help the men to predict how and when they might die. It will cost 400,000 pounds per head.
(b) Present knowledge of genetic abnormalities is confined only to a few dozen diseases.Thousands more diseases are expected to be discovered in the coming decades.
(c) Craig Venter is known as a brilliant but abrasive researcher. He dropped out of the publicly funded HGP and established his own rival laboratories. His new facility will decode individual genome.
(d) His aim is to use the customer's genes to test out new fast techniques for analysing DNA. Venter's new facility will help him to crack the genetic code faster.
2.2 (i) Descendants (ii) renowned (iii) mutation (iv) unique.