Notes:
inherit 受け継ぐ;
trait (人・ものの)特性、特色;
wondrous すばらしい;

**********************
It is a well-known fact that we inherit physical traits from our parents. If a child is left-handed, it is very likely that one of her parents writes with his or her left hand. If a boy’s father is bald, he will have a greater chance of going bald when he gets older. While everyone knew that physical traits were inherited, it wasn’t until the twentieth century that scientists discovered the biological key to this process: DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid. Finding DNA took almost 100 years. Now scientists are working to decode the DNA molecule. To do this, they must “read” each of the over 3 billion DNA letters in the human body. This decoding of human DNA, also known as the human genome 2 project, will result in a map of the DNA in the human body. As former U.S. President Clinton said, “Without a doubt, this is the most important, most wondrous map ever produced by humankind.” (From the book of “Language & Life Sciences: Mapping the Human Genome”)
**********************

Notes
currency 通貨;

********************
The Euro became the European currency in 2002. The Euro had always been stronger than the American currency, but now, for the first time in almost 20 years, 1 Euro equals 1 U.S. dollar. How did this happen? A major reason is energy. The U.S. produces most of its oil, so Americans don’t need to worry so much about energy. Most European countries don’t produce much oil, and since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, they are trying not to buy oil from Russia. The price of oil is going up, and this is hurting their economies. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
********************