《新视野大学英语》是国务院批准的教育部“面向21世纪振兴行动计划”的重点工程“新世纪网络课程建设工程”项目系列教材之一。 由国家级名师上海交通大学郑树棠教授担任总策划和教材总主编，清华大学、上海交通大学和东北大学等全国十余所大学几十名资深教授和中青年骨干教师共同设计、编写和制作的教育部普通高等教育“十五”国家级规划教材，教育部大学英语推荐教材。
<1> genetics n. [U] a branch of biology dealing with heredity and genetic variations 遗传学
Such work is considered essential in studying human genetics. 这种工作被认为在研究人类遗传学方面是很重要的。
Advances in molecular genetics have reinforced that view. 分子遗传学研究的进步进一步证实了那种观点。
<2>superiority n. [U] the quality of being better, more skillful, etc. than other people or things 优越（性）；优势
The top student was eager to display his superiority over the others. 那位优等生急于显示他强于他人的优势。
It is hard to tell whether my superiority is because of my genes or because of the lessons I learned as a child. 很难说清我的优势是来自基因还是来自童年读的书。
<3>bias vt. unfairly in fluence attitudes, choices, or decisions 使有偏见
We have argued that the broadcasting was biased toward the right wing and the government of today. 我们认为广播偏向于右翼和现政府。
The witness may be biased. 证人可能持有偏见。
n. [sing.] a tendency to consider sb. or sth. more favorably than others 偏见；成见
They are wondering whether bias in the news media contributed to the president's defeat. 他们正想知道是否是新闻媒体的倾向性导致了总统的失败。
There were fierce attacks on the BBC for alleged political bias. 对英国广播公司值得怀疑的政治倾向性提出了猛烈的攻击。
<4> biased a. preferring one person or thing to another 有偏见的；偏袒一方的
This is an obvious biased report. 这报道明显带有偏见。
Phrases and Expressions
<5>to date until now 至今，直到现在
This is the biggest donation I've had to date. 这是到目前为止我所收到的最大一项捐赠。
To date, research on the application of the genetic map is very limited. 至今，对基因图应用的研究工作还是非常有限的。
<6>nothing less thanused to emphasize how important or surprising sth. is; exactly 简直是；完全
Our aim is nothing less than to make China the best trained and educated nation in the world. 我们的目标就是要使中国成为世界上受到最好培训和教育的国家。
What was needed was nothing less than a new industrial revolution and a thriving market. 我们所需要的就是一场新的工业革命和一个繁荣的市场。
<7>be conined tobe kept within certain limits 限制于，局限于
His concerns were not confined to property, housing and environmental questions. 他所关心的事不局限于财产、住房、环境等问题。
Criticism and debate should not be confined to academic circles. 批评和辩论不应该仅局限于学术界。
<8>as of/from starting from (the time stated) 从...起
As of now, cigarettes are banned in my house and all the offices. 从现在起，我的屋子和所有的办公室都禁止吸烟。
As of today, we do not believe that the declaration of a state of emergency would increase the flow of supplies. 从今天起，我们不相信宣布处于紧急状态会加大补给品的流量。
<9>in effect in reality in fact 事实上，实际上
In effect, the influence of this government was going down gradually. 事实上，这个政府的影响力正在逐渐下降。
The two economic systems are, in effect, identical. 这两种经济制度实际上一模一样。
<10>in combination with together with 与...一起；共同
The new treatment can be used either alone or in combination with the traditional one. 这新疗法可单独使用，也可以和传统疗法结合使用。
The firm is working on a new product in combination with several overseas partners. 公司正在联合几家海外合伙人制造新产品。
<11>be descended from be related to sb. who lived long ago 为...的后裔
Wherever they are now, black people are descended from Africans. 无论黑人在哪儿，他们都是非洲人的后裔。
People say that she is descended from royalty. 人们说她是王室后裔。
Proper Names
<12>Luca Cavalli-Sforza 卡瓦里-斯福尔扎（人名）
<13>Stanford 斯坦福大学
<14>Khoisan （南非）科伊桑人
<15>Ethiopia 埃塞俄比亚（位于非洲东北部）
<16>Basque 巴斯克人（欧洲比利牛斯山西部地区的古老居民，绝大多数居住在西班牙北部）
<17>Cro-Magnon 克罗马努人（1968年发现于法国南部克罗马努山洞中，是旧石器时代晚期新人的总称）