Unit 20 Biotechnological ethics

What do youknow about ethical issues?

Why are somepeople againstbiotechnological

research?

1. Readthetextabout ethical issuesin

biotechnology and translate it.

Ethical issues in biotech

From the time when the earliest pioneers ofmedicine took the Hippocratic Oath, the importanceof ethical considerations about actions affecting liv-ing entities has been recognizedbyprofessionals.The general principles are still offundamental im-portance: respect for life and the need fora balanceof benefit over harm resulting from any intervention.There are three particularcontemporary fea-tures that account for the public concern on thethreshold of the 21st century. First, much of the cur-rent development in biotechnology results from anadvanced understanding of the nature of genetics andthe 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 complexquestions.

There is also much suspicion of transnational corporations, which want to maximize their profits by making users dependent on their products and thencontrollingavailability.Buttheethicaluseof

2. Give Russian equivalents forthefollowingwords.Usesomeoftheminthesentencesofyourown.earliest pioneers, ethical considerations, inrela-

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, adequateba-

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

3. Translate the sentences into English using thewords youlearned.

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

2. Геном– это совокупность хромосомных наследственныхфакторов.

3. Испытание нанадёжностьпрошло ус- пешно.

4. Пациенту была назначена операция попе-ресадкеоргана.

5. Мир живыхсуществнасчитывает не- сколько миллионоввидов.

6. Больному был назначен долгосрочный

уход.

7. Феномен генетическойрестрикциилежит также в основе развития рядаиммунопатологий.

8. Исследователь получилположительныеотзывыколлег о своихдостижениях.

4. Put the words in the right order and writedown thesentences:

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 thetext.

1. When did ethical considerations start to be recognized?

2. What are the general ethicsprinciples?

3. What do some people think about interference in life in its basicway?

4. What anxiety appears in connection with the rapid development of genetic-basedbiotechnology?

5. What example does the moratorium on human germ-line therapyshows?

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 mainideas of each logical part of thetext.

7. Write a summary of the text in your ownwords making use of plan and the sentences you’ve writtenout.

8. Orally enlarge this summary and retellthe

text.

9. Phrasal verbs.Translate sentences and pay at-tention to theunderlinedadverbs in thesesentences.

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

1. We finished all the foodup.

2. I`m writing in pencil so I can ruboutmymis-

take.

3. Martin didn`t answer. He just wentonread-

movingupagain.

10. Phrasal verbs.Put in the correctadverb.

1. Everything is so expensive. Prices seem to goupall the time. – Yes, and the government is supposed to bebringinginflation .

2. You shouldn`t leave the televi- sion all night. – Sorry, I forgot. Iusually turnit .

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

4. They`re goingtopull thisbeautifulold building. – I know. There are some protestots handing leaflets aboutit.

5. Hold a minute. I thoughtIheardsomecall . – You imagined it.Come

, or we`ll belate.

ing.

6. Why don`t youread

the letter so

out.

4. A woman in the audience shoutedsomething

4. I`ll just readoverwhat I`vewritten.

5. The water wasofffor an hourtoday.

6. Ellie has an aggressive manner whichfright-

that we all know what`s in it? – Yes, and could you speak so that everyone can hearyou.

11. Read the text and translateit.

ens peopleoff.

4. The company is trying to get its costsdown.

5. The embassy was burntdownbyterrorists.

6. I`ve got this form that I have to fillout.

7. Social workers were givingoutsoup to the hungry.

8. The boss is optimistic. The sales figuresare