Legal and Moral Implications of CloningBy Yan Shaolan

Ⅰ. Background InformationAcquaint yourself with some relevant information.

Cloning: The process of making a genetically identical organism through nonsexual means.

Bill Clinton: the 42nd President of the United States (1993-2001).

DNA: (deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸 ) the chemical at the center of the cells of living things which controls the structure and purpose of each cell and carries genetic information during reproduction. 

Ⅱ. Warm-up ActivitiesDebate: Should Cloning Human Beings be Legalized?

III. III. Text Analysis: Main Idea and Devices for Text Analysis: Main Idea and Devices for Developing ItDeveloping ItMain idea of the text ?When a world with human clones was suddenly within reach, people’s reactions to it were strong and varied. They puzzled over a number of questions about the legal and moral implications that had arisen from cloning.

讨论法讨论法Devices for developing it?

列举法列举法

1. Listing ( 列举法 )

1) Why would anyone want to clone a human being in the first place? (Para. 4)

2) Will it be possible to clone the dead? (Para. 6)

In the main part ( the third part) of the passage, the author lists as many as 6 puzzles on the issue of cloning.The list of 6 puzzles:

3) Would a cloned human be identical to the original? (Para. 8)4) What if parents decided to clone a child in order to harvest organs?(Para. 11)5) How would a human clone refer to the donor of its DNA? (Para. 14)6) What are the other implications of cloning for society? (Para. 17)

1. Listing ( 列举法 )

2. Discussion ( 讨论法 ) The author deals with the 6 common puzzles by offering different opinions from different experts through the device of discussion.Puzzles & Discussions:Puzzle 1: Why would anyone want to clone a

human being in the first place? (Para. 4)Discussion: Most experts consider the human

cloning falls into two broad categories: 1) parents clone a child to provide transplants for a dying child or to replace that child, and 2) adults might want to clone themselves. (Para. 5) >>>more

Puzzle 2: Will it be possible to clone the dead? (Para. 6)

Discussion: Perhaps, if the body is fresh, says one expert. The cloning method used by Wilmut’s lab requires combining an egg cell with the nucleus of a cell containing the DNA of the person to be cloned. And that means that the nucleus must be intact. Cells die and the cell nucleus begins to break apart after death. But, yes, in theory at least it might be possible. (Para. 7)

2. Discussion ( 讨论法 )

Puzzle 3: Would a cloned human be identical to the original? (Para. 8)

Discussion: Most of the physical differences between originals and copies are so minor that detection of them would require a sophisticated laboratory. The only possible exception is bearing children. Wilmut and his coworkers are not sure that Dolly will be able to have lambs.They will try to find out once she’s old enough to breed. (Para. 10) >>>more

2. Discussion ( 讨论法 )

Puzzle 4a: What if parents decided to clone a child in order to harvest organs? (Para. 11)

Discussion: Most experts agree that it would be psychologically harmful if a child sensed he had been brought into the world simply as an organ donor. But some parents already produce second children with nonfatal transplants in mind, and many experts do not oppose this. Cloning would increase the chances for a tissue match from 25 percent to nearly 100 percent. (Para. 12) >>>more

2. Discussion ( 讨论法 )

>>>more

Puzzle 4b: What if cloned animals could be used as organ donors? (Para. 13)

Discussion: …But the human body attacks and destroys tissue from other species. To get around that, one company is trying to alter the pig’s genetic code to prevent pig organs from being attacked. If the company’s technicians succeed, it may be more efficient to produce such pigs by cloning than by current methods. (Para. 13)

2. Discussion ( 讨论法 )

Puzzle 5: How would a human clone refer to the donor of its DNA? (Para. 14)

Discussion: …Judith Martin, in her writings under the name of “Miss Manners”, suggests the phrase, “Most honored sir or madam”. Why? “One should always respect one’s ancestors,” she says, “regardless of what they did to bring one into the world.”…The editorial director of one dictionary says that the noun “clonee” may sound like a good term, but it’s not clear enough. Instead, he prefers “original” and “copy”. (Paras. 15-16)>>>more

2. Discussion ( 讨论法 )

Puzzle 6: What are the other implications of cloning for society? (Para. 17)

Discussion: …Specifically, some experts are concerned about the creation of a new (and disrespected) social class: “the clones”. One expert believes the situation could be comparable to what occurred in the 16th century, when Europeans puzzled over how to classify the unfamiliar inhabitants of the Americas, and endlessly debated whether or not they were humans. (Para. 18)

2. Discussion ( 讨论法 )

With the success of cloning an adult mammal, the world was suddenly brought into the reality of human cloning.

Main idea ?

Devices for developing it ?

Part I (Para. 1)

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Induction ( 归纳法 ) (Para. 1)

Specific statements: S.1-5 of Para. 1

Conclusion: S. 6 of Para. 1

This part is about the world’s strong and immediate responses in the wake of Wilmut’s announcement.

Main idea ?

Devices for developing it ?

Part II (Paras. 2-3)

Part I

Part III

Part IV

For detailsFor details

Exemplification ( 举例法 ) Para. 2

Comparison ( 比较法 ) Para. 3For detailsFor details

This part offers complete or partial answers, from the up-to-date knowledge, to the six questions on the legal and moral implications of cloning.

Main idea ？

Devices for developing it ? Part III (Paras. 4-18)

Part I

Part II

Part IV

Classification ( 分类法 ):Comparison ( 比较法 ): Argumentation ( 议论法 ):

For detailsFor details

For detailsFor details

For detailsFor details

Classification ( 分类法 )

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The human cloning situations that experts consider most frequently fall into two broad categories: 1) parents who want to clone a child, either to provide transplants for a dying child or to replace that child, and 2) adults who for a variety of reasons might want to clone themselves. (Para. 5) 专家们考虑得最多的克隆人类的情形可以分为两大类： 1）父母想要克隆孩子，要么是想为垂危的孩子提供移植器官，要么是想代替原来的孩子； 2）成年人出于各种各样的原因想要克隆自己。

Comparison ( 比较法 )

(1) Identical genes don’t produce identical people, as anyone who knows a set of identical twins can tell you. (2) In fact, twins are more alike than clones would be, since they have at least shared the same environment within the mother, are usually raised in the same family, and so forth. (3) Parents could clone a second child who resembled their first in appearance, but all the evidence suggests the two would have very different personalities… (Para. 9)

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相同的基因不会复制出相同的人。这一点，任何认识一些双胞胎的人都可以告诉你。

Argumentation ( 议论法 )

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(1)The gravest concern isn’t really cloning itself, but genetic engineering–the deliberate altering of genes to create human beings according to certain requirements. (2) Specifically, some experts are concerned about the creation of a new (and disrespected) social class: “the clones”. (3) One expert believes the situation could be comparable to what occurred in the 16th century, when Europeans puzzled over how to classify the unfamiliar inhabitants of the Americas, and endlessly debated whether or not they were humans. (Para. 18)

最让人担心的不是克隆本身，而是基因工程——即根据特定的要求故意改变基因以创造人类。

有位专家认为，这一情形类似于 16 世纪时的 一种情况，当时的欧洲人对如何对美洲的陌生居民进行归类感到困惑，并无休止地争论他们究竟是不是人类。

This part is intended to reaffirm the author’s opinion that, although the list of questions could go on, people are just beginning to wonder about the future of the world after cloning.

Main idea ？

Devices for developing it ?Part IV (Para. 19)

Part I

Part II

Part III

Reiteration （重申法）

Ⅳ.Words and Expressions

活学活用

1. 关于 ······ 的消息 word that…/of… (L. 1)

关于他性丑闻的消息在街上传得很快。Word of his sexual scandal has been spread fast on the streets.

2. Succeed in doing sth. (L.2) 她成功地完成了老师交给她的任务。 She succeeded in finishing the task the te

acher assigned to her.其他一些要求动名词做宾语的动词词组：aim at, depend on, devote to, engage in, feel like, can’t help, insist on, keep… from,look forward to, persist in, prevent…from,put off, set about, thank for, be busy…,have trouble/difficulty/ problem doing sth.

3. within reach (L.5) (1) inside the distance that a hand, etc. can touch (2) inside the distance that can be (easily) travelled I see that you live within reach of Seattle. 我知道你住得离西雅图很近。 反义词： beyond/out of one’s reach An expensive trip like that would be completely beyond/out of my reach. = I can’t afford

活学活用这几位青年人把那个乏味的戏着实演得生动活泼。The dull play really came to life through the performance of these young people.

4. 活跃起来，表现生动 to come to life (L. 5)

她正忙着为下月的演讲比赛起草演讲稿。活学活用

She was busy drafting her speech for next month’s speech contest.

5. 为 ······ 起草指导方针 to draft guidelines for… (L. 6)

一见倾心是不明智的。其一，你们彼此不甚了解；其二，这样的爱情很难长久。活学活用

It is unwise to love at first sight. In the first place you know little about each other and in the second it is hard for such love to last long.

6. 首先；起初；其一 in the first place (L. 15)

物以类聚，人以群分。活学活用

Things of a kind come together; people of a mind fall into a group.

7. 可分成；属于 to fall into (L. 17)

8. 与 ······ 一模一样；就等于 to be identical to / with (L. 28) The tests are identical to those carried out

last year. His behavior is identical to betraying us.

他考虑任何事情都从金钱的角度出发。

活学活用

He thinks of everything in terms of money.

9. 从 ······ 方面（来说）； 根据；按照 in terms of (L. 36)

不要过早地介入爱情游戏。要是你失恋了怎么办？活学活用

Don’t get involved in love games too early. What if you suffer from failure in love?

10. 要是 ······ 怎么办 / 怎么样？ What if…? (L. 43)

失败是成功之母。考虑到这一点，他开始重新审视这次试验的失败。活学活用

Failure is the mother of success. With this in mind, he began to take a new look at the failure in this experiment.

11. 出于 ······目的 ; 考虑到某事 with sth. in mind (L. 46)

活学活用在一些人眼里，爱情就像是个迷宫，充满了诱惑和陷阱。In the eyes of some people, love is comparable to a maze, full of lures and traps.

12. 可与 ······ 相比；类似于 to be comparable / similar to (L. 68)

活学活用他就这个问题苦苦思考了好几个钟头，但还是摸不着头脑。He puzzled over the problem for hours, without making head or tail of it.

13. 努力思考 to puzzle over (L. 69)

活学活用我一直搞不懂为什么一些人可以不劳而获。

I keep wondering about why some people can reap without sowing.

14. 对 ······好奇；想知道；对 ······疑惑 to wonder about (L. 71)

ⅤⅤ. Writing. Writing

（各抒己见类）写作模式参考范文

Views on Something1. 有人认为该事物······ 理由是······ 2. 也有人认为该事物······3. 我的看法

（划线部分可替换）

写作模式（各抒己见类） 1) Almost everyone would agree that the birth / appearance / arrival / development of sth.… 2) But this agreement ceases to exist just when it comes to…(议论的主题 ) (Para. I)

（划线部分可替换）

3) Many / Some people contend / believe / argue that… ( 一方观点 ) 4) They base their contention / belief / argument on the grounds that… (理由 I) 5 ） Besides, as they often point out, ... (理由 II) 6 ） Yet others react to the issue / matter the other way around and hold / assert that the opposite is just reasonable / more acceptable. (另一方观点 ) 7) From their angle of view, … (理由 I) 8) And even worse, as they claim, … (理由 II) (Para. II)

（划线部分可替换）

9) I am of / adhere to / stick to the opinion / view / truth that anything new, including…, can bring human society fortunes / merits / advantages or misfortunes / demerits / disadvantages, all depending on ... (我的看法 ) 10) On the one hand, … (理由 I) 11) But on the other, ... (理由 II) 12) In short, the key / solution to the problem is always controlled in … ( 结论句 )

HOMEWORK Views on Cloning

1. 有人认为克隆技术的应用利大于弊， 理由是 ······ 2. 也有人认为弊大于利， ······ 3. 我的看法。