10 клас письмо

Writing Comprehension Test for 10^th Form Students

Weird Science or a Wave of the Future?

Three years after scientists in a Texas laboratory successfully cloned the first house cat, a company in California is now selling the same technology to pet owners who want a carbon copy of their cat or dog.

 For &50,000 Genetic Savings & Clone can take a cat’s DNA and create an exact genetic duplicate. They hope to do the same with a dog next year. So far they have five clients who soon will be among the first owners of the newest type of kitten: a clone.

GSC, the first company to offer pet cloning commercially, has already successfully cloned three cats of its own. Kittens named Tabouli and Baba Ganoush made their debut last month at a Manhattan cat show. Its third clone, Peaches, appeared recently at the Cat Fanciers’ Association Cat Show in Houston.

While delighting some of the feline fanciers, the introduction of cloned pets has raised the hacles of some animal welfare groups. Many wonder: Is it just weird science for the rich or a glimpse into the future of America’s pet industry?

But what it means for the moment is that a few pet owners will be able to transfer the genetic characteristics of their pet into a new cat or dog. They aren’t guaranteed an exact copy but something almost indistinguishable from the original pet with the same traits as their sell donors. That promise has led many people to have tissue samples of their pets sent to GSC to be frozen in its liquid nitrogen “gene banks”.

“People are attracted to their particular animal and this is a way for their pet to keep on living after its death; it’s a false promise,” says Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States.

“We do not need a new production scheme when there are plenty of healthy and adoptable pets,” he says. –“We’ve gotten along fine for thousands of years without tinkering with creating life”.

You are to write an essay about science progress. The following questions can help to guide your thought.

Science, technology and medicine are progressing very quickly. Everything from new medicines, solar powered cars and video games to cloning techniques has been invented. Some people argue that the steady progression in technology is unnatural, leads to laziness and negative influences.

-         In which ways does the steady progression of technology influence our world?

-         What do you feel are the negative and positive effects of technology?

-         Do you think that we should control this progression? If so, how and why? If not, why and what will you say to those who argue the other side?