UNIT FOUR
I, Clone
Sometime, somewhere, someone will generate a cloned human being.
What will happen then?
Ronald M. Green
Within the first five years of the next century, a team of scientists somewhere in
the world will probably announce the birth of the first cloned human baby. Like Louise
Brown, the first child born as the result of in vitro fertilization 21 years ago, the cloned
infant will be showered with media attention. But within a few years it will be just one
of hundreds or thousands of such children around the world.
It has been possible to envision such a scenario realistically only since Ian Wilmut
and his colleagues at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, Scotland, announced in
February 1997 that they had cloned a sheep named Dolly from the udder cells of a ewe.
The technique used by Wilmut and his co-workers, called somatic-cell nuclear transfer,
will probably be the way in which the first human clone will be created.
Such research on the basic processes of cell differentiation holds out the promise
of dramatic new medical interventions and cures. Burn victims or those with spinal
cord injuries might be provided with replacement skin or nerve tissue grown from their
own body cells. The damage done by degenerative disorders such as diabetes,
Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease might be reversed. In the more distant future,
scientists might be able to grow whole replacement organs that our bodies will not
reject.
These important medical uses of cloning technology urge us to be careful in our
efforts to restrict cloning research. In the immediate wake of Dolly, politicians around
the world proposed or implemented bans on human cloning. In the U.S., President Bill
Clinton instituted a moratorium on federal funding for human cloning experiments, and
the National Bioethics Advisory Commission urged that the ban be extended to
private-sector research as well. Congress continues to study various proposals for
enacting such a total ban.
In view of the still unknown physical risks that cloning might impose on the
unborn child, caution is appropriate. Of the 29 early embryos created by somatic-cell
nuclear transfer and implanted into various ewes by Roslin researchers, only one, Dolly,
survived, suggesting that the technique currently has a high rate of embryonic and fetal
loss. Dolly herself appears to be a normal three-year-old sheep----she recently gave
birth to triplets following her second pregnancy. But a recent report that her telomeres
are shorter than normal for her age suggests that her life span might be reduced. This
and other matters must be sorted out and substantial further animal research will need
to be completed before cloning can be applied safely to humans.
Eventually animal research may indicate that human cloning can be done at no
greater physical risk to the child than IVF posed when it was first introduced. One
would hope that such research will be done openly in the U.S., Canada, Europe or
Japan, where established government agencies exist to provide careful oversight of the
implications of the studies for human subjects. Less desirably, but more Probably, it
might happen in clandestine fashion in some offshore laboratory where a couple
desperate for a child has put their hopes in the hands of a researcher seeking instant
renown.
Given the pace of events, it is possible that this researcher is already at work. For
now, the technical limiting factor is the availability of a sufficient number of ripe
human eggs. If Dolly is an indication, hundreds might be needed to produce only a few
viable cloned embryos. Current assisted-reproduction regimens that use hormone
injections to induce egg maturation produce at best only a few eggs during each female
menstrual cycle. But scientists might soon resolve this problem by improving ways to
store frozen eggs and by developing methods for inducing the maturation of eggs in
egg follicles maintained in laboratory culture dishes.
Once human cloning is possible, why would anyone want to have a child that way?
As we consider this question, we should put aside the nightmare scenarios much talked
about in the press. These include dictators using cloning to amass an army of "perfect
soldiers" or wealthy egotists seeking to produce hundreds or thousands of copies of
themselves. Popular films feed these nightmares by obscuring the fact that cloning
cannot instantaneously yield a copy of an existing adult human being. What
somatic-cell nuclear transfer technology produces are cloned human embryos. These
require the labor- and time-intensive processes of gestation and child rearing to reach
adulthood. Saddam Hussein would have to wait 20 years to realize his dream of a
perfect army. And the Donald Trumps of the world would also have to enlist thousands
of women to be the mothers of their clones.
For all their efforts, those seeking to mass-produce children in this way, as well as
others who seek an exact copy of someone else, would almost certainly be
disappointed in the end. Although genes contribute to the array of abilities and limits
each of us possesses, from conception forward their expression is constantly shaped by
environmental factors, by the unique experiences of each individual and by purely
chance factors in biological and social development. Even identical twins (natural
human clones) show different physical and mental characteristics to some degree. How
much more will this be true of cloned children raised at different times and in different
environments from their nucleus-donor "parent"? Someone trying to clone a future
Adolf Hitler might instead produce a modestly talented painter.
So who is most likely to want or use human cloning? First are those individuals or
couples who lack the gametes needed for sexual reproduction. Women who lack
ovaries altogether and men whose testicles have failed to develop or have been
removed must still use donor gametes if they wish to have a child, which means that
the child will not carry any of their genes. Some of these individuals might prefer to
use cloning technology to have a genetically related child.
One very large category of such users of cloning might be lesbian couples.
Currently if two lesbians wish to have a child, they must use donor sperm. In an era of
changing laws about the rights of gamete donors, this opens their relationship to
possible intervention by the sperm donor if he decides he wants to play a role in raising
the child. Cloning technology avoids this problem by permitting each member of the
pair to bear a child whose genes are provided by her partner.
A second broad class of possible users includes individuals or couples whose
genes carry mutations that might cause serious genetic disease in their offspring. Some
couples with genetic disease in their families will choose cloning as a way of avoiding
what they regard as "reproductive roulette." Although the cloned child will carry the
same problem genes as the parent who donates the nucleus, he or she will in all
likelihood enjoy the parent's state of health and will be free of the additional risks
caused by mixing both parents' genes during sexual reproduction. It is true, of course,
that sex is nature's way of developing new combinations of genes that are able to resist
unknown health threats in the future. Therefore, cloning should never be allowed to
become so common that it reduces the overall diversity in the human gene pool. Only a
relatively few couples are likely to use cloning in this way, however, and these couples
will reasonably forgo the general advantages conveyed by sexual reproduction to
reduce the immediate risks of passing on a genetic disease to their child.
Cloning also brings hope to families with inherited genetic diseases by opening the
way to gene therapy. Such therapy----the actual correction or replacement of defective
gene sequences in the embryo or the adult----is the holy grail of genetic medicine.
Cloning promises an end run around this problem. With a large population of cells
from one parent or from an embryo created from both parents' gametes, vectors could
be created to convey the desired gene sequence. The nucleus of one of these cells
taking up the correct sequence could then be inserted into an egg whose own nucleus
has been removed, and the "cloned" embryo could be transferred to the mother's womb.
The resulting child and its descendants would thereafter carry the corrected gene in
every cell of their bodies. In this way, age-old genetic maladies such as Tay-Sachs
disease, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy or Huntington's disease could be
eliminated completely from family trees.
Merely mentioning these beneficial uses of cloning raises difficult ethical
questions. The bright hope of gene therapy is dimmed somewhat by the reawakening
of eugenic fears. If we can manipulate embryos to prevent disease, why not go further
and seek "enhancements" of human abilities? Greater disease resistance, strength and
intelligence all beckon alluringly, but questions abound. Will we be tampering with the
diversity that has been the mainstay of human survival in the past? Who will choose
the alleged enhancements, and what will prevent a repetition of the terrible racist and
coercive eugenic programs of the past?
Even if it proves physically safe for the resulting children, human cloning raises
its own share of ethics dilemmas. Many wonder, for example, about the psychological
well-being of a cloned child. What does it mean in terms of intrafamily relations for
someone to be born the identical twin of his or her parent? What pressures will a
cloned child experience if, from his or her birth onward, he or she is constantly being
compared to an esteemed or beloved person who has already lived? The problem may
be more acute if parents seek to replace a deceased child with a cloned replica. Is there,
as some ethicists have argued, a "right to one's unique genotype," or genetic code----a
right that cloning violates? Will cloning lead to even more serious violations of human
dignity? Some fear that people may use cloning to produce a subordinate class of
humans created as tissue or organ donors.
Some of these fears are less substantial than others. Existing laws and institutions
should protect people produced by cloning from exploitation. Cloned humans could no
more be "harvested" for their organs than people can be today. The more subtle
psychological and familial harms are a worry, but they are not unique to cloning.
Parents have always imposed unrealistic expectations on their children, and in the
wake of widespread divorce and remarriage we have grown familiar with unusual
family structures and relationships. Clearly, the initial efforts at human cloning will
require good counseling for the parents and careful follow-up of the children. What is
needed is caution, not necessarily prohibition.
As we think about these concerns, it is useful to keep a few things in mind. First,
cloning will probably not be a widely employed reproductive technology. For many
reasons, the vast majority of heterosexuals will still prefer the "old-fashioned," sexual
way of producing children. No other method better expresses the loving union of a man
and a woman seeking to make a baby.
Second, as we think about those who would use cloning, we would do well to
remember that the single most important factor affecting the quality of a child's life is
the love and devotion he or she receives from parents, not the methods or
circumstances of the person's birth. Because children produced by cloning will
probably be extremely wanted children, there is no reason to think that with good
counseling support for their parents they will not experience the love and care they
deserve.
What will life be like for the first generation of cloned children? Being at the
center of scientific and popular attention will not be easy for them. They and their
parents will also have to negotiate the worrisome problems created by genetic identity
and unavoidable expectations. But with all these difficulties, there may also be some
novel satisfactions. As cross-generational twins, a cloned child and his or her parent
may experience some of the unique intimacy now shared by sibling twins. Indeed, it
would not be surprising if, in the more distant future, some cloned individuals chose to
perpetuate a family "tradition" by having a cloned child themselves when they decide
to reproduce.
NEW WORDS & EXPRESSIONS
1.
in vitro
/ in`vi:tru /
2.
3.
envision
scenario
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
udder / `d /
ewe / ju: /
somatic / su`mtik/
somatic-cell nuclear transfer
cell defferentiation
hold out
spinal / `spainl /
cord / k:d /
spinal cord
degenerative / di`denrtiv /
/ in`vin /
/ si`n:riu /
14. diabetes
/ di`bi:ti:z /
15. Parkinson's disease
16. Alzheimer's disease
vt.
n.
n.
n.
adj.
adj.
n.
adj.
n.
/ `p:kinsn/
/ `ltshaimz/
17. in the wake of
18. implement
19. moratorium
20. enact
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
/ `implimnt /
v.
/ mr`t:rim /
/ i`nkt /
embryo / `embrieu /
embryonic / embri`nik /
implant / im`pl:nt /
fetal / `fi:tl /
triplet / `triplit /
telomere / `telmi /
sort out
vt.
n.
adj.
v.
adj.
n.
n.
(of the fertilization of an egg) by artificial means
outside the body of the mother (指卵子受精)在
母体外（人工受精）; e.g. in vitro fertilization
(IVF) 体外受精
picture in the mind, foresee
an outline of a hypothesized chain of events 设
想，方案；事态，局面； an outline of the plot of
a dramatic or literary work 剧本提纲，情节梗
概；电影脚本
（母牛、母山羊等的）乳房，乳腺
a female sheep, especially when full-grown
细胞体的；体浆的，躯体的
体细胞核移植
细胞分化
offer, present
脊的，脊柱的；脊髓的
索，带（亦作 chord）
脊髓
having lost qualities (physical, moral or mental)
that are considered normal and desirable 衰退的，
退化的；变性的 e.g. degenerative disease 变性
疾病（伴随年老或器官衰退而发生的疾病，如
动脉硬化）
a disease in which the body cannot control the
level of sugar in the blood 糖尿病
n.
帕金森氏病，震颤（性）麻痹
n.
阿耳茨海默氏病，早老性痴呆病[据德国
医生 Alois Alzheimer 姓命名]
following directly upon; in the aftermath of; as a
consequence of
carry an undertaking, agreement, promise into
effect
n.
([pl.] ~ums or ~toria) a deferment or delay
of any action 暂停，中止；禁止
make (a bill) into an act ； pass ； decree by
legislative process
胚胎；（尤指受孕后 8 周内的）胎儿
胚胎的
insert or embed surgically, as in grafting 植入
胎的，胎儿的
三胞胎中的一个；triplets 三（胞）胎
端粒（在染色体端位上的着丝点）
remove problems or difficulties before doing sth;
deal with
28. oversight / `uvsait /
29. clandestine / kln`destin /
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
n.
adj.
supervision; watchful care or management
concealed, usually for some secret or illicit
purpose
offshore / `:f `: /
adj. 国外的，外国的
renown / ri`naun /
n.
the quality of being widely honored and
acclaimed; celebrity 名望，声誉
viable / `vaibl /
adj. capable of living, developing, or germinating
under favorable conditions as seeds, spores, or
eggs
regimen / `redimen /
n.
a system of therapy 疗程；养生法
hormone / `h:mun /
n.
激素，荷尔蒙
menstrual / `menstrul/
adj. 月经的
follicle / `flikl /
adj. 小囊，囊状卵泡
amass / `ms/
v.
gather or collect in great amounts
egotist / `i:gutist, `egutist/ n.
a conceited, boastful person; a person who acts
selfishly; an egoist
instantaneous / instn`teinjs / adj. happening at once
gestation / de`stein /
n.
carrying or being carried in the womb between
conception and birth 怀孕（期）
，妊娠（期）
rear / ri /
vt.
bring up
enlist / in`list /
vt.
obtain (help etc.); get the support of
an array of / `rei /
n.
a large and impressive grouping or organization
显眼的一系列；整齐的一批；大量
conception / kn`sepn /
n.
becoming pregnant
gamete / `gmi:t, g`mi:t /
n.
配子
ovary / `uvri /
n.
卵巢
testicle / `testikl /
n.
睾丸
mutation / mju:`tein /
n.
any heritable alteration of the genes or
chromosomes of an organism 突变，突变体；突
变形
roulette / ru:`let /
n.
轮盘赌
forgo /f:`gu /
vt.
give up; (be willing) not to have (esp. sth.
pleasant)
Holy Grail
（传说耶稣在最后晚餐时用的）圣杯，圣盘
end run
迂回战术；规避伎俩
vector / `vekt /
n.
an organism that carries pathogens from one host
to another 传病媒介
malady / `mldi /
n.
illness 病，疾病（尤指慢性病或瘤疾）
Tay-Sachs disease / `tei`sks /
n.
泰萨二氏病，家族性黑蒙性白痴，脑类脂质沉
着症
Cystic fibrosis / `sistik fai`brusis / n. 囊性纤维变性，囊肿性纤维化（一种遗传性胰
腺炎）
muscular dystrophy /`mskjul`distrfi/ n. 肌营养不良
Huntington's disease / `hntitn /
n.
=Huntington's chorea 杭廷顿氏舞蹈病，
遗 传 性 慢 性 舞 蹈 病 （ George Huntington ，
1851-1916，最先诊断此病的美国医生）
59. eliminate / i`limineit /
60. eugenic / ju:`denik /
v.
adj.
61. manipulate
vt.
/ m`nipjuleit /
62. enhancement
/ in`h:nsmnt / n.
63. beckon / `bekn /
64. alluring / `ljuri /
65. tamper with / `tmp /
v.
adv.
vi.
66. mainstay / `meinstei /
67. alleged / `ledd/
n.
adj.
68. coercive
adj.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
/ku`:siv /
intra- / `intr /
deceased / di`si:st /
replica / `replik /
genotype / `dentaip /
genetic code
subordinate / s`b:dinit /
familial / f`miljl /
follow-up
77. heterosexual
pref.
adj.
n.
n.
adj.
adj.
n.
/ hetru`seksjul /
78. sibling / `sibli /
79. perpetuate / p(:)`petjueit /
n.
vt.
remove or get rid of
of or bringing about improvement in the type of
offspring produced 优生的；人种改良的；优生
学的
handle or control, usu. skillfully（熟练）操作，
使用；巧妙地处理
increase of (good things such as value, power, or
beauty)
attract as if with gestures
tempting
meddle or interfere with; make unauthorized
changes in
chief support
represented as existing or as being such as
described but not so proved
serving or intending to compel by force,
intimidation, etc. esp. without regard for
individual desire or volition 强制的；抑制的
表示“在内”，
“内部”
no longer living; dead
copy
基因型，遗传型
遗传密码
of a lower rank or position
of, concerning, or typical of a family
the means, as a letter, procedure, or visit, used to
increase or reinforce the effectiveness of previous
action （对病人的）随访；后续措施
n.
a person characterized by attraction to the
opposite sex 异性恋者
a brother or sister
preserve from being forgotten or from going out
of use
PROPER NAMES
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
Ian Widlmut / `in `wilmt /
Roslin Institute / `rslin /
Edinburgh / `edinbr /
n.
Dolly / `dli /
n.
National Bioethics Advisory Commission
NOTES TO THE TEXT
伊恩 · 维尔穆特
罗斯林研究所
爱丁堡[英国城市]
多莉
国家生物伦理咨询委员会
1. Ronald M. Green: Ronald M. Green is the Eunice and Julian Cohen Professor for the Study of
Ethics and Human Values and the Director of Dartmouth's Institute for the Study of Applied and
Professional Ethics. He is the author of over eighty articles and five books in the fields of ethical
theory, religious ethics, and applied ethics, including medical ethics and business ethics. During
1994 he served as a member of the National Institutes of Health Human Embryo Research Panel.
In 1995 he was elected to a three year term as Secretary of the American Academy of Religion.
From February 1996 through June of 1997, he served as a consultant to the NIH's National
Institute for Human Genome Research. Professor Green has been Vice President of the Society
of Christian Ethics and assumed the presidency of the Society since 1998. The father of two
children, he has no intention of cloning himself in the near future.
2. somatic-cell nuclear transfer: In somatic-cell nuclear transfer, researchers take the
nucleus----which contains the DNA that comprises an individual's genes----of one cell and inject
it into an egg, or ovum, whose own nucleus has been removed. The resulting embryo, which will
carry the nucleus donor's DNA in every one of its cells, is then implanted into the womb of a
female and carried to term.
3. …politicians around the world proposed or implemented bans on human cloning: On
March 4, 1997, President Clinton declared a moratorium on any federal funding for human
cloning research due to the uncertainties related to cloning. Clinton said he would act
appropriately after the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) completed a thorough
investigation on the issue. Clinton then proposed the Cloning Prohibition Act of 1997 in August.
The bill would ban any type of implantation of cloned cells into the female womb for the next
five years. Nineteen European nations followed a similar path as the United States by signing a
ban on human cloning on January 12, 1998. Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland,
Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moldova, Norway, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Macedonia and Turkey all signed the agreement.
4. telomeres: the tips of chromosomes, which tend to shrink as cells grow older
5. …those individuals or couples who lack the gametes (eggs or sperm) needed for sexual
reproduction: Since the birth of Louise Brown, assisted-reproduction technologies have made
remarkable progress in helping infertile women and men become parents. Women with blocked
or missing fallopian tubes, which carry the eggs from the ovaries to the womb, can now use in
vitro fertilization to overcome the problem, and those without a functional uterus can seek the
aid of a surrogate mother. A male who produces too few viable sperm cells can become a father
using the new technique of intracytoplasmic sperm injection(胞质内精子注射法), which
involves inserting a single sperm or the progenitor of a sperm cell into a recipient egg.
6. Some of these individuals might prefer to use cloning technology to have a genetically
related child: If a male totally lacks sperm or the testicular cells that make it, a nucleus from one
of his body cells could be inserted into an egg from his mate that had had its nucleus removed.
The child she would bear would be an identical twin of its father. For the couple's second child,
the mother's nucleus could be used in the same procedure.
7. …individuals or couples whose genes carry mutations that might cause serious genetic
disease in their offspring: At present, if such people want a child with some genetic relationship
to themselves, they can substitute donated sperm or eggs for one parent's or have each embryo
analyzed genetically using preimplantation genetic diagnosis so that only those embryos shown
to be free of the disease-causing gene are transferred to the mother's womb. The large number of
genetic mutations contributing to some disorders and the uncertainty about which gene
mutations cause some conditions limit this approach, however.
8. Such therapy----the actual correction or replacement of defective gene sequences...: To date,
however, this research has been slowed by the inefficiency of the viruses that are now used as
vectors to carry new genes into cells. By whatever means they are infused into the body, such
vectors seem to reach and alter the DNA in only a frustratingly small number of cells.
9. Holy Grail = Grail [宗]圣杯，圣盘: the cup or chalice in medieval legend used by Christ at the
Last Supper and subsequently the object of many chivalrous quests. It is also indicated
figuratively as the object of a prolonged endeavor.
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What molecular magic makes cloning possible?
What do you know about Dolly?
What contributions have Ian Wilmut and his colleagues at the Roslin Institute made to the world?
What kind of beneficial therapeutic potential do cloning technologies offer?
Which of the following is not indicated according to Dolly's legacy?
A. The technique currently has a high rate of embryonic and fetal loss.
B. Cloned animals can give birth just as natural ones.
C. Dolly the clone may be in fact chromosomally older than she is chronologically.
D. The shrinking telomeres will not be problematic in extending life span.
6. What are the setbacks in the process of cloning according to the passage? And how can they be
solved?
7. Could some lunatic clone Hitler if human cloning were perfected?
8. Why would some people want to use human cloning?
9. Could clones be “farmed” to provide spare body parts for their “parents” without problems of
tissue rejection?
10. What are the author's viewpoints to ethical concerns of human cloning?
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Share your knowledge of the latest development in cloning technology.
What would it be like to be an exact copy of one's parent?
What do you think the government should do about human cloning?
Could cloning be the end of humanity, and the start of something quite different?
Why don't we, instead of cloning humans, clone endangered species which are near total
extinction?
6. Debate on “Should human cloning be restricted?”
PARAPHRASE
State the meaning of each of the following sentences in your own words.
1. Like Louise Brown, the first child born as the result of in vitro fertilization 21 years ago, the
cloned infant will be showered with media attention.
2. The damage done by degenerative disorders such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's
disease might be reversed.
3. In the immediate wake of Dolly, politicians around the world proposed or implemented bans on
human cloning.
4. Eventually animal research may indicate that human cloning can be done at no greater physical
risk to the child than IVF posed when it was first introduced.
5. Given the pace of events, it is possible that this researcher is already at work.
6. Popular films feed these nightmares by obscuring the fact that cloning cannot instantaneously
yield a copy of an existing adult human being.
7. Although genes contribute to the array of abilities and limits each of us possesses, from
conception forward their expression is constantly shaped by environmental factors, by the unique
experiences of each individual and by purely chance factors in biological and social
development.
8. Such therapy----the actual correction or replacement of defective gene sequences in the embryo
or the adult----is the holy grail of genetic medicine.
9. The bright hope of gene therapy is dimmed somewhat by the reawakening of eugenic fears.
10. Clearly, the initial efforts at human cloning will require good counseling for the parents and
careful follow-up of the children.
VOCABULARY
I. Fill in the blanks with suitable words or expressions from the following list. Change the forms
where necessary.
hold out
genotype
identical
moratorium
impose on
an array of
mainstay
replica
viable
in the wake of
eliminate
envision
dim
manipulate
diversity
1. Despite what may seem like great
in our species, studies from the past decade show
that the human species is more homogeneous than many others, and as a group, we display less
variation than chimps do.
2. The author of the new book Hillary's Choice suggests an answer to a question often asked
__________ her husband's past behavior: Why does she stick with him.
3. They hope the legislation would allow for cloning experiments which create specific tissue, like
muscle, nerve, or skin. Such research of specific tissue is crucial for the study of treatments of
__________ diseases.
4. The Korean researchers said they stopped their experiment after the embryo had developed into
only four cells, meaning that it is still unknown whether the cloned embryo could have
developed into a
or full-term and healthy birth.
5. There is some evidence that cells from such early embryos – perhaps cloned from the patients
themselves ---- could be
and then injected into the brain of Parkinson's patients to
replace damaged brain cells.
6. In the US, an ethics commission in 1997 recommended a five-year
on human
cloning research and President Clinton has banned the use of federal funds to conduct human
cloning experiments.
7. Previously scientists had believed that it was impossible to create a genetic
of an
adult mammal by using genetic material from a cell of an adult.
8. Alan Colman and others at the Roslin Institute
cloning as an opportunity to
improve and produce medicine.
9.
twins are in fact natural clones, formed from the same egg and sharing the
same
.
10. The company
many fine promises to the young man in order to get him to work
for it.
11. Libyan officials are against what they see as the
of American influence
__________ their country's affairs.
12. Once you have
the obvious causes of death from your list you must, I am afraid,
consider the possibility of foul play.
13. He certainly knows better than to take that lesser post, because his image as peacemaker would
be
.
14. Restaurants, gyms and bars function as living rooms, as do pubs ---- a trend that's made young
urban women singles a
for the British drinking industry over the past five years.
II. Rewrite the following sentences by using the words or expressions provided in brackets.
1. There's been a serious misunderstanding; I'll try to deal with it and then I'll phone you back.
(sort)
2. As the consequence of mass immigration, grave problems of public health and poor relief sprang
up. (wake)
3. Considering the numbers expected to attend, special parking facilities have been arranged.
(view)
4. As for Latin America generally, there is no reason why, with regard to available resources, it
cannot become a highly industrialized area. (term)
5. Parents should try to avoid forcing their children to accept their own beliefs and moral values.
(impose)
6. While cloning makes it easier to meddle with human and animal genes, even before recent
discoveries a considerable amount of genetic improvement of animals was already taking place.
(tamper)
7. He acknowledged that the acquirement of financial support in the election took long hours of
persuasion. (enlist)
8. Once the genes responsible for aging can be managed skillfully, anything, conceivably, is
possible. (manipulate)
9. The schoolmaster was not enthusiastic about the paintings in the show, and no more were the
children. (no more … than)
10. Once you figured out how to transfer the genetic schematics from an adult cell into a living
ovum and keep the fragile embryo alive between conception and birth, most of your basic
biological work was finished. (gestation)
III. Match each word in Column A with its definition in Column B. Then fill in the blanks in the
following sentences with these words. Change the word form where necessary.
A
1. inherit
2. coercive
3. enact
4. survive
5. implement
6. obscure
7. scenario
8. induce
9. diverse
10. perpetuate
B
a. perform
b. of various kinds or forms
c. an outline of a natural or expected course of events
d. receive genetically from an ancestor
e. influence or persuade, as to some action, state of mind
f. using force to make sb. obedient
g. preserve from extinction
h. remain alive in spite of a mortally dangerous occurrence
i. make into an act or statute
j. make confusing or oblique
1. The Washington Monument was built to
the memory of a great man.
2. We need to
legal constrains for cloning practices before it is too late. It is a duty,
at least with regards to human beings.
3. Whether investing in the stock market or real-estate,
is a wise long-term strategy
in an uncertain world.
4. Political opponents were put into camps during the war and
into forced labor.
5. The young ladies and gentlemen were
to learn a new dance for the program.
6. I'm thirty-two years old and have cystic fibrosis, an
genetic disease that prohibits
those who suffer from it from conceiving children.
7. The policemen were busy accumulating more evidences, while the suspect was trying to
__________ the case against him.
8. The newspaper article “Polling Report: White House 2000” features candidate vs.
candidate
, and poll results from a variety of sources.
9. Typically, only one out of three businesses is successfully transferred to the second
generation._______________ of a family business into the third generation is a rare occurrence.
10. They are working to have an international team set up to
recent UN
recommendations.
CLOZE
Fill in the missing words or expressions in the following passage.
The "father" of Dolly the sheep, Scottish scientist Ian Wilmut, counters that a more legitimate
concern is that governments will put shortsighted
(1)
on research that could ease
the
(2)
of millions of people. Wilmut says cloning technology could offer the first real
remedies for
(3)
that have been almost untouchable so far, such as Parkinson's and
Alzheimer's. Geron Corp. executives also scoff
(4)
"alarmists," saying they have no
__(5)__ of creating "baby farms" and affirming that they
(6)
human cloning immoral.
Rather than implanting cloned embryonic cells
(7)
wombs to become babies, they say
they will prod immature cells to grow into one particular kind of the body's 200 types of specialized
(8)
, like blood, liver, or brain cells. By taking a cell from an Alzheimer's patient, for example,
fusing it (9)
an embryonic cell, and tinkering with it, scientists might be able to create
healthy brain cells from the patient's own
(10)
material.
Then there is the matter of money: With billions of dollars to be made in the
(11)
of
growing new hearts and lungs, if giants
(12)
Geron can monopolize the market, a whole
range of medical advances might be reserved only for the
(13)
, warn ethicists. Geron
executives respond that research will advance
(14)
quickly with a profit motive and that
in a free market, other firms are likely to develop other cloning methods.
At the same time, just as scientific advances can raise ethical issues, further advances might
___(15)____ them. Researchers are working on a way to
(16)
a few skin cells from a
patient with kidney failure and coax those cells into changing their
(17)
, becoming
kidney cells, without using the controversial embryonic cells. "The bottom line is that you can't
avoid the brave new world," says a scientist, who
(18)
the "responsible" use of the new
techniques. "Perhaps we wouldn't be so concerned about some potential abuse of the new
technology if we were on intimate
(19)
with even one of the 4,000 people who will die
___(20)____ for an organ this year, whose lives the new technology could save."
TRANSLATION
I. Put the underlined sentences in the following passage into Chinese.
(1)It now turns out that Dolly the clone may not have been the product of an adult sheep after
all, rendering more remote the plans of those like Chicago physicist Richard Seed who want to
clone humans. Let us hope so. For the prospect of human cloning has left our opinion makers in a
moral muddle: While many condemned the idea, few were able to posit even simple ethical
arguments against it. The reason is no mystery. (2)Some of the strongest moral arguments rely on
Western values many of our elites have spent their careers deriding.
The standard objection to Mr. Seed's plans, for example, is a pragmatic one. (3)The mad
doctor should be stopped, the reasoning goes, because the process is not yet perfected. A New York
Times editorial is typical, pointing out that Dolly was the 277th try by Scottish scientists and that
any attempts on humans would likely create deformed beings.
(4)A related argument ---- which also focuses on consequences and not on whether the act
itself is virtuous or not ---- marches a parade of horribles past the reader. Armies of clones invading
America and farms harvesting organs from headless humans are supposed to convince us that
something so horrific must be wrong.
These arguments are meant to stop human cloning, but they come with an expiration date. One
day the process will presumably be perfected and the horrors will fade or be outlawed. Scientists
will continue to refine the practice; regulators, ethicists and lawyers are already crafting laws to
help ensure we don't live in an Aldous Huxley-esque "Brave New World." (5)Mr. Seed himself
crystallized these thoughts in what we might call Seed's axiom: "New things of any kind,
mechanical, biological, intellectual, always tend to create fear," he said. But over time they become
tolerated or ignored, and finally endorsed.
(6 )This endorsement process can be slowed if there is a sense that the "new thing" somehow
violates moral norms. Morality enforces standards of behavior and expectations that, when not
immutable, can take generations to change. In other words, moral arguments, though susceptible to
change as well, are more enduringly resonant than pragmatic ones.
II.
Put the following passage into English.
试管婴儿是独特的个人, 而用体细胞移植法诞生的克隆婴儿则可能是活着的人的复制
品。对于很多人来说，这令人不安。一些人担心独裁者会胁迫数以千计的妇女当替代母亲，
并利用希望一举成名的研究人员通过克隆技术创建一支精锐的部队。一些人害怕寻求优等种
族的人种改良计划的复苏，害怕造出作为组织和器官捐赠者的从属奴隶阶层。另一些人怕技
术上的不确定因素会给克隆的孩子带来生理上的潜在的危害，他们还怕克隆的孩子经历的压
力会影响他们的心理健康。还有人担心人类基因的多样性会减少，人类进化会停止。总而言
之，人们认为人类克隆应属非法。
ETYMOLOGY
vid/vis (L.) (see)
evident: (e-, ex-, out) obvious, easy to see (evidence)
improvise: (im-, in-, not; pro-, pre-, before) do without preparation —— create without prior
notice
invisible: (in-, not) not able to be seen (invisibility)
providence: (pro-, before) foresight —— the foresight of God —— God
revise: (re-, again) see again and change if need be —— study again lessons already learnt (British
usage) (revision)
supervision: (super-, above, over) overseeing
vision: the sense of sight or something which can be seen, perhaps in the imagination (visionary)
envision: (en-, used as an intensive) see as if in a vision —— picture in the mind
visual: describing that which can be seen (visualize, visualization)
Fill in each of the following blanks with an appropriate word from the vid/vis family.
1. All the witnesses at the scene of the accident had to give ____________ of what they had seen.
2. The mark of excellence of a comedian is being able to ___________ without prior notice,
without seeing a script beforehand.
3. Any group of small children must have ___________ by an adult.
4. The ____________ arts are those which can be seen, such as painting and sculpture.
5. He made ____________ decisions which he felt would improve the lives and welfare of all the
people.
6. Did you ever wish that you could have a coat of ___________ so that you could go places
without being seen?
7. Most parents ____________ a better life for their children than they themselves had.
8. The dancer was so embarrassed that she wished she could be ___________ to the audience after
she fell on the stage.
9. Some people believe in a divine ___________, or power, which looks after the created world.
10. About six weeks before the O-level examination, the teacher began to ___________ the year's
work for the students.
11. Mother often like to ____________ their young daughters as they will look when they are
grown.
12. Nicki's surprise and delight were ___________ when we showed up for her birthday
celebration.
13. The finished book went through several ___________ before it was acceptable to the
publisher.
14. ____________ is one of the five senses in human being; it is the ability to see.
15. The citizens considered their leader to be a ____________ who looked to the future good of
the country.
16. The teacher often asked the students to do _____________ exercises wherein they could
imagine what they wanted to write about.
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
ENGENEERING THE FUTURE1
Biotech revolution spawns2 vocal opposition, as science enters brave new world
---- with ethical debate trailing far behind.
Jane Lampman3
Dateline: BOSTON
Young people in monarch-butterfly4 costumes darted about the crowd, and white-coated
"scientists" gave suspicious injections to giant vegetables. The street theater at the rally 5 in
Boston's Copley Square last week was full of pointed good humor, but the speeches against
biotechnology were deadly serious.
Just down the street, the BIO 2000 Conference welcomed more than 10,000 scientists and
businessmen to what one termed "not Beantown but Genetown."
The industry is grabbing the global spotlight, raising a stunning $8 billion on the stock market
this year, but taking some blows from growing public resistance to genetically modified crops.
Most people agree on the potential of the biotechnology revolution to radically transform
society. But views vary widely on how much it will be for good or for ill6, and who should have a
say in influencing the directions it takes.
The industry tends to see public concerns as resulting primarily from lack of information.
"Less than half of Americans over 18 know anything about biotechnology," Dan Eramian, vice
president of communications for Biotechnology Industry Organization, told one session. "We just
haven't communicated." BIO has initiated an ad campaign with the theme: "Biotechnology, a big
word that means hope."
Indeed, insiders ---- exulting7 in the dazzling breakthroughs and in what they see as "the
biotechnology century" ---- feel they are on the cusp8 of a new world with untold benefits for
everyone. As one company president enthused, "If we are successful, everything will change - our
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
The text is taken from Christian Science Monitor, June 4, 2000.
spawn / sp:n / v. 引起, 造成
Jane Lampman is the staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.
monarch-butterfly / `mnk / 黑脉金斑蝶
rally / `rli / n. 群众集会, 群众大会
for good or for ill 不论好歹
exult / ig`zlt / v. 狂喜, 欢欣鼓舞
cusp / ksp / n. 尖端, 顶点
health, our food, ourselves."
The 1,500 protesters who showed up in Boston for a "counter-conference" to the industry
meeting, called Biodevastation 2000, held sessions on dangers posed by various biotechnologies
and efforts of nongovernmental groups to counter them. They see an industry driven by visions of
tremendous profits, rushing into a brave new world with huge risks to health and the environment
and insufficient government oversight. Some feel decisions are being made without the public
involvement demanded by a democratic society.
"The biotechnology industry is making decisions that affect all life on Earth, and they're doing
it behind closed doors," says Brian Tokar of the Institute for Social Ecology. "They have no right to
control our seeds, our genes, and our future." Activists working to build a grassroots9 movement
included farmers, consumers, geneticists, public-interest lawyers, and disabled and indigenous10
people from several states and countries.
Theirs, however, are not the only voices seeking to be heard. Ever since the cloning of the
sheep Dolly, with its implications for human cloning, public interest groups, and particularly
religious communities, have expressed deep concerns about the unprecedented ethical and social
issues that biotechnology raises.
And recently, even a star member of the gung-ho11 technology world has added his voice to
the chorus. In the current issue of Wired magazine, Bill Joy, computer wizard12 and chief scientist
of Sun Microsystems ---- deeply troubled by the unique ways in which genetics, robotics, and
nanotechnology13 could get out of control and pose a threat to the human species ---- urges
scientists to relinquish14 the right to push forward in certain areas even though they know how.
While nuclear power could be carefully controlled by the military and required
difficult-to-obtain resources, he says, these technologies are commercially driven and require only
knowledge that is broadly available. "The new Pandora's boxes ... are almost open," he adds. "Yet
we seem hardly to have noticed."
Indeed, the breakthroughs come at such a pace from various parts of the world that even
scientists are taken by surprise. And it seems problematic that the ethical debate will ever fully
catch up.
Both the president's National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) and BIO have publicly
called for broad public discussion of the issues. But it's far from clear in what venues15 the
discussions will flourish. NBAC has held hearings on cloning and the ethics related to research on
human stem cells and human biological materials. Bioethics conferences are held at some
universities. Carl Feldbaum, president of BIO, the industry trade association, says he and his staff
meet regularly with all sorts of organizations.
Religious and industry leaders have engaged in meetings set up by groups such as the Hastings
Center and the Templeton Foundation. Mark Hanson, who led such sessions at the Hastings Center
to discuss patenting and cloning, says they reflected "a great deal of misunderstanding between the
secular16 and religious worlds."
Both have work to do for dialogue to be fruitful, says Dr. Hanson, now at the Center for
grassroots / `gr:s `ru:ts / adj. 群众的, 基层的
indigenous / in`didins / adj. 当地的, 土著的
11 gung-ho / `g`hu / [美俚] 协力的, 狂热的, 起劲的
12 wizard / `wizd / n. 奇才, 行家
13 nanotechnology / nein- / n. 钠米技术
14 relinquish / re`likwi / v. 放弃
15 venue / `venju: / n. (争论中所持的)立场
16 secular / `sekjul / adj. 世俗的, 尘世的
9
10
Practical Ethics at the University of Montana at Missoula. Religious communities need to "identify
and research the theological17 dimensions of genetic technologies," and industry leaders "should
educate themselves about the range of values questions" raised by their technologies and "resist the
temptation ... to approach moral and religious issues merely as marketing or communication
problems."
Some industry voices are encouraging "ever-greater engagement with the public." Eric Lander,
director of the Whithead Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, told
his colleagues, "There has been an explosion of issues in the past year, and we don't have the trust
of the public." Ticking off18 issues such as gene patenting, diagnostic testing, and therapies that
could produce "designer children," Dr. Lander emphasized the need to engage in thoughtful
discussion, and to be seen to have that discussion "in good faith19."
Biotech agriculture has become a lesson in how not to do this. The intense public backlash20
in Europe and Japan ---- and some in the US ---- against genetically modified (GM) crops and foods
has had such impact that farmers are expected to reduce their plantings by as much as 25 percent
this year. Worldwatch Institute says: "Stock prices for companies are falling, exports ... are tumbling,
and questions are mounting about the liability for what is turning into a major debacle21 for
farmers."
A class-action 22 suit on the part of farmers has been filed against Monsanto, charging
inadequate testing and an attempt to monopolize the seed industry. Another suit has been filed
against the Food and Drug Administration by the Iowa-based Alliance for Bio-Integrity, charging
misrepresentation of risks and a violation of federal law that requires demonstrated safety before
marketing.
Industry representatives throw up their hands in disbelief, saying they've tested their products
for years. Mr. Feldbaum says, "They're trying to make a case based on people's fears, not on a shred
of evidence. Can people point to a single instance of even an allergic reaction" to such foods, he
asks. One illustration to the contrary, he adds, is that 90 percent of today's cheeses are actually made
purer by using a GM enzyme23 rather than the scrapings from calves' stomachs.
Still, the extent of testing has become an issue. Studies showing potential dangers to monarch
butterflies and to soil organisms from transgenic corn have led the Environmental Protection
Agency to consider broader testing. The FDA held a set of public meetings at the end of 1999 on
whether its policy for ensuring safety of bioengineered foods should be modified. A bill introduced
in the House of Representatives would put foods through a premarket approval process. And bills to
mandate labeling have been proposed in Congress and 14 state legislatures.
Mr. Eramian acknowledges that in terms of public perception, the industry's "most important
challenge is the development of trust." The question of trust is most challenging when it comes to
human genetics, where the use of fetal tissue in research and the patenting of life forms have
already outraged many.
The death last year of Jesse Gelsinger, a young participant in a gene-therapy experiment,
revealed lax procedures on the part of researchers. Soon after, it was learned that more than 650
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
theological / i`ldikl / adj. 神学的
tick off 列举(项目), 快速报出
in good faith 真诚地, 善意地
backlash / `bkl / n. 强烈反对, 强烈抵制
debacle / dei`b:kl / n. 大灾难
class-action 共同起诉(由一原告或数原告代表多数有共同利害关系的人提起的诉讼)
enzyme / `enzaim / n. 酶
"serious adverse events" had occurred in other experiments which had not been reported as
required.
Some critics say gene therapy is being hyped24 for commercial reasons, that the relation
between DNA and observable traits is much more complex. Ruth Hubbard, of the Council on
Responsible Genetics, in Cambridge, Mass., speaks of the "fallacies of genetic determinism - that
genes are causes and their malfunction the basis of disease. Nothing depends on the function of a
single gene," she says. "Genes are not autonomous."
Most troubling to many, along with cloning, is the capability that now exists for "germ-line
interventions," in which genetic modifications would be passed on to children. It is now being done
with animals, but a voluntary moratorium exists on human germ-line research. "While I'm not
willing to rule it out forever," Lander says, "I'd like to ban it now. I wouldn't want some cowboy to
do it in the next five to 10 years." Others, however, have begun to describe future scenarios that
include it, along with clear societal divisions between the "GenRich" and the "Naturals."
Using genetics for human enhancement rather than therapeutics poses huge ethical dilemmas.
Eric Parens, an associate at the Hastings Center in Garrison, N.Y., says no institution in the US
today is constituted as a forum for discussing such big-picture issues. The center hopes to begin a
project that would help fill that vacuum.
"The risks are huge," Dr. Parens says. "I'm surprised by how little attention these
developments have received.... Nobody is educating people, and it's crucially important that we
have a public conversation."
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. The purpose of the humorous performance of the street theater was ________.
A. to welcome more than 10,000 scientists and businessmen to the BIO 2000 Conference
B. to show the protesters' view of counter-biotechnology
C. to present the dazzling breakthroughs in biotechnology
D. an opening ceremony of the BIO 2000 Conference
2. What is the response of the industry to the public concerns over the ethical and social issues
raised by biotechnology?
A. They have decided to make decisions behind the closed door.
B. They will not have the trust of the public.
C. They will engage in communication with the public.
D. They will raise more fund on the stock markets.
3. Which of the following is not included in the protesters' schedule?
A. They hold Biodevastation 2000.
B. They hold sessions concerning risks from biotechnology.
C. They are working to start a mass protest movement.
D. They initiate a campaign with the theme “Biotechnology, a big word that means hope”.
4. Bill Joy, chief scientist of Sun Microsystem, urges ________.
A. that scientists give up the right to make greater achievements in certain areas
B. that scientists take every opportunity to advance in certain areas
C. that scientists share their finding and make a leap in certain areas
24
hype / haip / v. 人为地刺激, 大肆宣传
D. that scientists hold their rights and go ahead in certain areas
5. What does the author want to express while mentioning nuclear power in this article?
A. Biotechnology can also be carefully controlled.
B. The resources of biotechnology are difficult to obtain.
C. Biotechnology can be easily obtained.
D. Nuclear resources are difficult to obtain.
6. The meetings involving religious and industry leaders shows _______.
A. they should show respect to each other
B. the two worlds share viewpoints in many aspects
C. there is a gap in understanding between the two worlds
D. the religious communities preach their value resolutely
7. Farmers in the US are confronted with the following setbacks except ________.
A. that people in Europe and Japan strongly resist GM crops
B. that farms are expected to reduce their production by about 25%
C. that some companies attempt to monopolize the seed industry
D. that biotech agriculture has evidently huge risks to health and environment
8. The greatest problem facing the industry is ______.
A. to gain the trust of the public
B. to modify FDA's policy for ensuring safety of bioengineered foods
C. to extend testing against potential dangers
D. to put foods through a premarket approval process.
9. After the death of Jesse Gelsinger in a gene-therapy experiment, people got to know _______.
A. gene therapy is much more complex
B. there were some other serious mishaps in other experiments
C. the malfunction of genes is the basis of disease
D. researchers were not responsible for the death
10. When talking about “germ-line interventions”, ________.
A. most people are bothered about the influence on offspring
B. some people hope to use genetics for human enhancement
C. some people could hardly imagine how to conduct it and produce a class of cloned people
D. Eric Parens of the Hastings Center believes using genetics for human enhancement is more
important than therapeutics
TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION
What does the term “not Beantown but Genetown” mean?
Why have farmers filed suits against Monsanto and FDA?
Why has little attention been paid to the use of genetics for human enhancement?
Do you think the public in China are aware of the benefits and risks brought by biotech
agriculture?
5. Debate on “Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Food”.
1.
2.
3.
4.
PRACTICAL WRITING
I. Invitations
1. The invitation cards are often used in social life and business affairs. A formal invitation is
usually printed on “the invitation card”, and written in the third person, while an informal one can
be a handwritten note.
(1) Things to Keep in Mind for the invitation card:
a. Names: The host's and the guest's names are written in full and preceded by the tittles.
b. Time: The time should be written beginning with the day of the week, followed by the date,
the month, the year and the hour. Months are spelled out.
c. If the answer of acceptance or regret is required, the mark as “R.S.V.P.”, “Please reply” or
“Regrets only” is printed in the lower right or left hand corner of the card with the inviter's
telephone number or address.
d. Occasionally one is advised to wear certain dresses by such words in the lower part of the
card as “Dress optional”, “Lounge suit”, “Day dress”, “Black tie” (formal) or “White tie”
(very formal).
e. The invitation cards are printed or typed, but those for friends and relatives are sometimes
written by hand.
(2) Wording of the invitation card
a. X invites you to a party (reception, etc.) at (place) on (date) at (time).
b. You are warmly invited to attend a party (dinner, etc.) at (place) on (date) at (time).
c. X requests the pleasure (honor) of your company (the company of Mr. Y.) at a reception
(banquet) at (place) on (date) at (time).
(3) The reply is usually written in the same wording
(4) Informal invitations can simply be the normal handwritten letters or notes, sometimes with a
bit detailed explanation of the social affairs. (Personal calls can certainly be used for such
occasions.)
(5) Sample:
a. The Invitation card (formal)
Mr. and Mrs. William Lewis Baker
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Barbara Ann
To
Richard Dean Smith
on Saturday, the fifteenth of June
Two thousand and two
at three o'clock in the afternoon
First Presbyterian Church
101 Main Street
Edina, Minnesota
R.S.V.P. by the second of June
Tel: (918)592 6000
b. The reply:
Acceptance:
Miss Pamela A. Smith has the honor to accept with pleasure Dr. and Mrs. Donald
Hayden's kind invitation for a cocktail party in celebration of the twenty-seventh anniversary
of their marriage, next Saturday, the tenth of October, at 7:30 p.m. at Holiday Inn.
Regret:
Miss Pamela A. Smith thanks Dr. and Mrs. Donald for their kind invitation for a cocktail
party in celebration of the twenty-seventh anniversary of their marriage on the tenth of
October, but regrets that she is unable to accept owing to a prior engagement.
2. The invitation letters are also used for formal affairs and in the business world, they are
written as formal letters. Brief and friendly, an invitation letter should also be clear about the
reason, time, and place.
Sample:
UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------International Education Office
Director Dr Maurits van Rooijen
16 Little Titchfield Street, London W1P 7FH
Telephone +44 (0)171 911 5769, Fax +44 (0) 171 911 5132
Email international-office@wmin.ac.uk
26 July, 1999
Professor Wang Minjun
Department of English
Xiamen University
Xiamen, PR China
Dear Professor Wang Minjun:
I am pleased to extend an invitation to you to visit the University of Westminster during the month
of October, 1999 in order to develop our existing links and collaborations with Xiamen University.
The University of Westminster will host you during your stay and be responsible for all
accommodation arrangements.
I look forward to meeting you in London.
Yours sincerely,
(Signature)
Dr Maurits van Rooijen
Director, International Education
University of Westminster, London
II. Notes
Notes are simply short letters for various specific purposes. The format can be more flexible.
For instance, at the beginning of a note, the writer's and receiver's addresses can be omitted;
meanwhile, the words “dear” and “yours sincerely” can also be left out. Furthermore, the language
used is colloquial and the messages are brief.
Notes are not sent by post but left on sb's table or stuck on the door.
Sample:
April 15
John —
Can you give me two photos? We need them for the files. Cheers.
Sophie
III. Notices
Notices are usually short statements posted for people concerned to see. A notice should
include the time, place, the subject, and the organizer as well.
While writing, the word “Notice” can be put in the center of the top part, but in order to attract
the attention of the public, the activity (sometimes the organizer) is often put in the first place, such
as “Volleyball Match”, “Book Sale” and “Lecture”. The date can be abbreviated. Here is the
sample:
Xiamen University
College English Department
Presents
Susan Jason
Professor of Linguistics, Harvard University
Professor Jason is a world authority on SLA; she will speak on
ENGLISH LEARNING STRATEGIES
Wednesday, October 24, 2001
7:30 p.m.
Meeting Hall, Language Building
ADMISSION FREE
IV. Writing assignments
1. Write an invitation card in English to invite your teacher to the banquet to celebrate the
National Day.
2. Write a formal invitation letter.
邀请某博士在某时某地出席某大会并提交学术论文。说明大会由谁主办。被邀请者可用
该邀请信办理必要的旅行证件和签证。主办者将提供旅行经费及会议期间的住宿费。要
求被邀请者回复出发及到达时间。
3. Write a notice.
北京大学语言文学系副主任熊执诚教授将于 6 月 15 日（星期五）下午 3 时在图书馆会议
厅作学术讲座。题目是：
“英国文学评论的新趋势”。欢迎大家踊跃参加。
4. Write a note.
告诉 Patricia 学校从下周起改了作息时间，上午 8 时上第一节课，下午 3 时开始上课。
RIDDLES & PUZZLES
What are these in the following?
1. I never was, am always to be,
No one ever saw me, nor ever will
And yet I am the confidence of all
To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball.
2. Runs over fields and woods all day
Under the bed at night sits not alone,
With long tongue hanging out,
A-waiting for a bone.
3. The beginning of eternity
The end of time and space,
The beginning of every end,
And the end of every place.
4. There was a green house.
Inside the green house there was a white house.
Inside the white house there was a red house.
Inside the red house there were lots of babies.