7. Speak about vivisection as a method of medical research. (tape)

Frankly speaking, I am in two minds about whether I approve of vivisection or not. I can't but agree that there are many positive sides of it. To begin with, people are able to make advances in medicine, so they say they can't do without carrying out experiments on animals, they also say that without them there will be no progress. Doctors would be unable to observe human beings in scientifically controlled conditions, that's why they have to rely on animals. For ex. the knowledge of the nervous system is largely due to it. Vivisection has also allowed people to find cures for many illnesses such as diphtheria, smallpox and t.b. Later if someone was bitten by a dog with rabies they had a very little chance of surviving. Now there is an antidote! what's more, cancer recovery rates have greatly improved due to the work done on animals. Unfortunately, drugs also have to be tested on animals prior to their release on the market, as they have to be sure the drugs don't have any side-effects.

Well, it is all very well, but I'd give my right arm to prevent all these poor animals from suffering. And as for the drug tests it's very difficult to predict its effect on human beings, because experiments are carried out on animals. As for the understanding of the nervous system many experts would agree that it can be done equally well just by careful observation. And it's common knowledge that many drugs such as penicillin and aspirin were found by accident.

And we should forget about the animals themselves. Some experiments are really cruel and inhumane: dogs are made to smoke cigarettes; mice have shampoo and cosmetics to be put on their eyes to see what happen. In the end many of these animals have to be put down.

So, I think we should do our best to take care of animals not just take advantage of them!

8.Compare the different attitudes to women’s employment in medicine in the 19^th century and today. (A letter).

Honestly, before reading this story it had never occurred to me that in the 19^th century women’s employment in medicine was considered to be impossible as men thought that women can't become equally educated physicians. In other words, the idea of a woman doctor was felt to be immoral and shocking at that time.

That’s why I can't help admiring the main heroine (Elizabeth), who managed to become the first woman to gain the degree in modern medicine in the USA.

Her life story is really exciting. The reason why she decided to apply for a medical course was a very painful disease requiring surgical invention of a very good friend of her family. Although the thought of following medical career was so utterly repugnant to her, Elizabeth couldn’t refuse her friend's request.

At that time when medical care was suggested to her she was experiencing an unusually strong struggle between attraction towards a highly educated man with whom she had been very intimately thrown, but his views were too narrow and rigid, I guess he couldn’t accept her choice. That’s why she had to sacrifice her love. She even saved a bunch of flowers that reminded her of him...

The centuries passed. Women’s employment in medicine is no longer considered to be immoral and, what is more, it has become a women dominated profession. So, women have proved that they deserve much more rights in our modern society.