Unit 20 Biotechnological ethics

What do you know about ethical issues?

Why are some people against biotechnological

research?

1. Read the text about ethical issues in

biotechnology and translate it.

Ethical issues in biotech

From the time when the earliest pioneers of medicine took the Hippocratic Oath, the importance of ethical considerations about actions affecting liv- ing entities has been recognized by professionals. The general principles are still of fundamental im- portance: respect for life and the need for a balance of benefit over harm resulting from any intervention. There are three particular contemporary fea- tures that account for the public concern on the threshold of the 21st century. First, much of the cur- rent development in biotechnology results from an advanced understanding of the nature of genetics and the ability to perform manipulations in the genomes

of plants and animals. Some feel that 'respect for life' implies that there should be no interference with it in this basic way. Obviously, heart transplants are as radically unnatural as gene transplants, but most people consider them to be ethically acceptable.

biotechnology should clearly include it being pro- vided only on a fair and just basis.

Vocabulary

Second, the pace of discovery in genetics-based biotechnology is very rapid and there is anxiety that technology will drive developments ahead of proper ethical considerations. The moratorium on human germ-line therapy is an example that there must be ethical restraints on the use of what is technically feasible. Part of the reason for this restriction is un- certainty about the long-term effects of such inter- ventions. There is also uncertainty about the envi- ronmental consequences of the genetic manipulation of plants. These issues are scientific questions that need to be answered before we have an adequate ba- sis of knowledge for final ethical decisions.

Third, advanced technology involves processes

anxiety acceptable consequence consider (v) drive (v) employ (v) ethical decision harm

Hippocratic Oath genetics-based imply (v) interference with involve (v)

living entity long-term manipulation moratorium perform (v) public suspicion rapid

reliability respect for life restraints restriction

heart transplants

that are only well understood by the experts who de- velop and use them. This places considerable power in the hands of the companies that employ these ex- perts. Currently, there is much public suspicion about the reliability and independence of this 'expert' advice. Although some of this suspicion comes from a difficulty in understanding that certain answers cannot be given to complex questions.

There is also much suspicion of transnational corporations, which want to maximize their profits by making users dependent on their products and then controlling availability. But the ethical use of

2. Give Russian equivalents for the following words. Use some of them in the sentences of your own. earliest pioneers, ethical considerations, in rela-

tion to, living entities, general principles, respect for life, contemporary features, account for, nature of ge- netics, manipulations in the genomes of plants and animals, heart transplants, gene transplants, to be ethi- cally acceptable, genetics-based biotechnology, pace of discovery, drive developments, human germ-line therapy, ethical restraints, long-term effects, environ- mental consequences, scientific question, adequate ba-

sis of knowledge, ethical decision, advanced technol- ogy, public suspicion, 'expert' advice, transnational corporations.

3. Translate the sentences into English using the words you learned.

1) Этот исследователь был главным в этом проекте, и он нес всю ответственность за послед- ствия.

2) Геном – это совокупность хромосомных наследственных факторов.

3) Испытание на надёжность прошло ус- пешно.

4) Пациенту была назначена операция по пе- ресадке органа.

5) Мир живых существ насчитывает не- сколько миллионов видов.

6) Больному был назначен долгосрочный

уход.

7) Феномен генетической рестрикции лежит также в основе развития ряда иммунопатологий.

8) Исследователь получил положительные отзывы коллег о своих достижениях.

4. Put the words in the right order and write down the sentences:

1) genetics-based / The / of / very / discovery / rapid / is / pace / in / biotechnology.

2) is / about / uncertainty / the / of / There / envi- ronmental / genetic / the / of / plants / consequences / manipulation.

3) as / transplants / Heart / radically / are / gene / unnatural / as / transplants.

4) There / much / about /reliability /and / of / is

/'expert' / the / independence / suspicion / public / ad- vice.

5) a /suspicions / from / Some / difficulty/ derive / in / understanding.

5. Answer the questions according the text.

1) When did ethical considerations start to be recognized?

2) What are the general ethics principles?

3) What do some people think about interference in life in its basic way?

4) What anxiety appears in connection with the rapid development of genetic-based biotechnology?

5) What example does the moratorium on human germ-line therapy shows?

6) What anxiety does public have about the ex- perts?

7) Is there any suspicion about the transnational corporations` activity?

8) What basis should ethics of biotechnology have?

6. Write out the sentences expressing the main ideas of each logical part of the text.

7. Write a summary of the text in your own words making use of plan and the sentences you’ve written out.

8. Orally enlarge this summary and retell the

text.

9. Phrasal verbs. Translate sentences and pay at- tention to the underlined adverbs in these sentences.

Example: There`s a film on television. Can I put it on?

1) We finished all the food up.

2) I`m writing in pencil so I can rub out my mis-

take.

3) Martin didn`t answer. He just went on read-

moving up again.

10. Phrasal verbs. Put in the correct adverb.

1) Everything is so expensive. Prices seem to go up all the time. – Yes, and the government is supposed to be bringing inflation.

2) You shouldn`t leave the televi- sionall night. – Sorry, I forgot. I usually turn it.

3) I`ve written the wrong here. – Well, rub it. – I can`t. It`s in biro. I`ll have to write it all again.

4) They`re going to pullthis beautiful old building. – I know. There are some protestots handingleaflets about it.

5) Holda minute. I thought I heard some call. – You imagined it. Come

, or we`ll be late.

ing.

6) Why don`t you read

the letter so

out.

4) A woman in the audience shouted something

5) I`ll just read over what I`ve written.

6) The water was off for an hour today.

7) Ellie has an aggressive manner which fright-

that we all know what`s in it? – Yes, and could you speakso that everyone can hear you.

11. Read the text and translate it.

ens people off.

8) The company is trying to get its costs down.

9) The embassy was burnt down by terrorists.

10) I`ve got this form that I have to fill out.

11) Social workers were giving out soup to the hungry.

12) The boss is optimistic. The sales figures are