Unit 22 Human Cloning

Pre-listening tasks

Before listening pay attention to the following words and collocations and their translation. They will help you to understand the text.

legislative calendar – список законопроектов в порядке их постановки на обсуждение

warfare – военное оружие

to outlaw – запрещать

to ban – запрещать

urge – настаивать, убедительно просить

a foe – враг

in favour of – в пользу ч-л

womb – чрево, утроба

I. What do you know about stem cells and cloning? What is the difference between therapeutic and reproductive cloning?

II. Find synonyms to the following words and word combinations.

to limit, not to be able to do sth., to come to, to breed, to supply, to heal, urgent problem, aim, not to allow sth.

III. Make up two sentences using the following words and word-combinations.

1. They also say; especially; if; therapeutic cloning; permitted; US biotechnology companies; that; exploit women; were; especially; for their eggs; in poor countries; would

2. They fear; it; be policed; to prevent; to create; cloned; a person; from; could not; sufficiently; being used

After listening tasks

I. Listen to the part of the text up to the words “After many conversations……” and note down these synonyms. Insert them into the gaps in the following sentences.

1. As with biological warfare, the capacity of science to be used for both good and ill is at the heart of another _________ _________ here in the United States.

2. … there is renewed debate over whether or not to _________ human embryo cloning .

3. The Congress _________ last year to _________ a consensus on this difficult issue.

4. … but measures to prevent it have been locked up in the debate over whether to allow early-stage embryo cloning for another _________ to _________ a supply of fetal stem cells for therapy.

5. It is still legal in the United States to _________ a human being by cloning.

6. Such stem cells can develop into any tissue and are widely believed to have the potential to _________ many diseases.

7. Several lawmakers have said the Senate may still not have enough votes this session to _________ cloning for biomedical purposes.

II. Listen to the whole text and check your answers to task III in the Pre-listening section and to task I in the After listening section

III. Listen again and decide if the following statements are true or false. Correct the false ones.

1. Some lawmakers in the USA have reintroduced measures that would ban all human cloning.

2. President Bush doesn’t see any difference between therapeutic and reproductive cloning.

3. Orrin Hatch is sure that human life can start in the Petri dish.

4. Some senators fear that cloned embryos can be used to create a human.

5. In Sweden embryos are being cloned for medical purposes.

IV. Discuss the problems of human cloning in class.

Unit 23 Animal Cloning

Pre-listening tasks

Before listening pay attention to the following words and collocations and their translation. They will help you to understand the text.

calico – трехцветная кошка

spay – стерилизовать

neuter – кастрировать

spark ethical debate – вызывать этические споры

reject – отвергать

inhumane – негуманный

shortage – нехватка

highway – шоссе

usable – годный к употреблению

I. Answer the following questions.

1. What do you know about animal cloning?

2. What problems can arise from this method?

II. Translate the following sentences into Russian paying attention to the modal constructions.

1. The benefits must be weighed against the potential risks.

2. All of these questions must be considered.

3. Viral infections could be transmitted from animals to humans.

4. Cloning house pets cannot be justified.

III. Think of the words corresponding to the following definitions.

being under the threat of extinction, a baby pig, absence or a small quantity of sth.,

approximately, to spread (infection) from one person to another, to heal a disease,

to give medical attention, to think over (a question)

IV. Make a list of all human organs you know.

After listening tasks

I. Listen to the interview and note down the words which correspond to the definitions in task II in pre-listening section.

II. Continue the following sentences. You may not use the exact words from the text.

1. Just this week scientists in Texas announced…

2. Xenotransplantation is the theory that…

3. In its current project P-P-L still needs to “knock out” a second gene before moving on to the next stage:…

4. Dr.Zallen says xenotransplantation can be dangerous and…

5. And one of the very serious potential risks is…

II. Listen again and check your answers.

III. Answer the following questions.

1. What are the two problems arising from the idea of cloning animals?

2. What does the so-called “knockout technology” mean?

3. Which diseases can this technology help to treat?

4. Which organs can be taken from genetically modified pigs and why?

5. Why us this theory not necessary according to Prof. Harlan Miller?

6. What is one of the potential risks of xenotransplantation?

7. What is your opinion on this subject?

Unit 24 Bee colony deaths continue to baffle researchers

Pre-listening tasks

Learn the following words and collocations.

crop – урожай

honeybee – пчела медоносная

pollination – опыление

beehive – улей

to be baffled – быть сбитым с толку, озадаченным

valuable – ценный

to be worth – стоить

apiarist – пасечник, пчеловод

to track – следить, прослеживать

to bloom – цвести

to drop – ронять, снижаться

mite – клещ

in a row – подряд

to collapse – коллапс, крушение, крах, распад

to meet demand – удовлетворять требованиям

I. Match the words in the left column, with their synonyms in the right column.

baffle	beekeeper
collapse	blossom
apiarist	breakdown
track	prick
bloom	puzzle
pierce	saliva
spit	trail
entire	whole

After listening tasks

I. Answer the following questions.

1. Why are honeybees so valuable for agriculture?

2. Why do beekeepers move beehives around the country?

3. Explain the way the varroa mite feeds on honeybees.

4. What is CCD?

II. Listen to the interview again and supply the words in the list with prepositions listed below, then listen again and repeat the sentences in which they occur in the interview.

down / on / on / on / out / up

to depend

to break

to feed

to pick

to rely

to wipe

III. Match the words in the left column with the words in the right column to make up collocations used in the interview, then translate them into Russian.

dinner	a role
flowering	bee colony
immune	plant
insect	plate
managed	pollination
to play	system
to transmit	viruses

IV. Fill in the gaps with the correct forms of words from the list below; in both sentences of a set or an abstract you should use the same word

apiarist / beehive / exoskeleton / mite / mouthparts / pesticide / pierce / pollination / spit

1a. Cross-__________ occurs when pollen is moved from the flowers on one apple tree to the flowers on another.

1b. Carpenter bees can be a problem during __________ as they pierce holes in flowers during nectar collection.

2a. __________ are almost always moved at night when bees are not flying and temperatures are cooler.

2b. Natural __________ (typically referred to simply as "nests") are naturally-occurring structures occupied by honey bee colonies.

3a. __________ poisonings occur when chemicals intended to control a pest affect non-target organisms such as humans, wildlife, or bees.

3b. A __________ is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest.

4a., 4b. If upon examination the __________ finds bees to be diseased or infested with parasites, the __________ shall furnish the owner or person in charge of the apiary with full written instructions as to the nature of the disease or infestation and the best methods of treatment, which information shall be furnished without cost to the owner.

5a. Varroa __________ are external honeybee parasites that attack both the adults and the brood, with a distinct preference for drone brood.

5b. Eggs are laid and __________ feed and develop on the maturing bee larva.

6a. In general, arthropods have __________ for cutting and chewing, piercing and sucking, siphoning, and filtering.

6b. Most insect __________ are composed of five basic parts: the labrum, mandibles, maxillae, labium, and hypopharynx.

7a. They have mouthparts that __________ the plant and then suck the fluids from inside.

7b. These insects are immune to poison dusts or sprays because they __________ through the poisoned layer to draw their nutrients from the plant.

8a. An insect's __________ serves not only as a protective covering over the body, but also as a surface for muscle attachment, a water-tight barrier against desiccation, and a sensory interface with the environment.

8b. Insect __________ are highly effective as a body framework, but they have two drawbacks: they cannot grow once they have formed, and like a suit of armour, they become too heavy to move when they reach a certain size.

9a. After getting home the bee __________ the nectar into a special place in the beehive.

9b. The bee __________ eventually turns into honey.

V. Make your own sentences with these words combinations.

to be worth

to be baffled

to meet demand

to get stung

in a row

to be responsible

VI. Listen to the broadcast again and act it out in groups of three on the part of Véronique LaCapra, Dennis VanEnglesdorp and Jeff Pettis.

Unit 25 Hummingbirds

Pre-listening tasks

Before listening pay attention to the following words and collocations and their translation. They will help you to understand the text.

Hummingbird – колибри

Ruby-throated hummingbird – краснозобый колибри

Swordbill hummingbird – мечеклюв

Datura – дурман

hose – шланг

revenue – доход

praying mantis – богомол

I. Answer the following questions.

1. What do you know about hummingbirds?

2. What do you know about plant Datura?

II. Translate the following sentences containing the infinitive constructions into Russian.

1. He is known to be one of the most famous scientists in the country.

2. She was expected to arrive earlier.

3. This plant is considered to withstand very severe weather conditions.

III. Translate the following words and word combinations into Russian, using a dictionary if necessary.

hardest-working; rainbow; awe; helicopter; to pollinate; a spray; oil pipeline

After listening tasks

I. Listen to the text. While listening find and note down the sentences containing the same grammar structure as in task II in the Pre-listening section.

II. Listen again and

a) decide which facts the following numbers refer to.

13

7-8

140

14,000

328

30

millions

b) answer the question: Which predators hunt on the hummingbird?

III. Complete the following sentences with the correct continuations.

1. The most important role of the hummingbird is

a) to pollinate many flowers

b) to pollinate flowers in Ecuador

c) to pollinate the plant Datura

2. The best environment for Hummingbirds is

a) the USA

b) Ecuador

c) Mexico

3. The greatest threat for hummingbirds is

a) predators

b) the impact of people on their habitat

c) the impact of climate on their habitat

4. The worst situation for hummingbirds is caused by

a) Ecuador

b) The USA

c) the whole South

IV. Discuss the problem of people’s impact on animal world.