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Nowadays in the news you can read a lot about biotechnology and the controversies about it and perhaps you ask yourself what it is exactly. Well, this article is going to give you a brief history of the field of biotechnology and show you that, although the word “biotechnology” was first used in 1919, we have been using biotechnology for many thousands of years in ways that are completely uncontroversial. It will also look at the more modern developments which have started intense debate. When you are drinking a cold beer on a hot day, or eating a delicious cheese sandwich, you can thank biotechnology for the pleasure you are experiencing. That’s right! Beer, bread and cheese are all produced using biotechnology. Perhaps a definition will be useful to understand how. A standard definition is that biotechnology (or biotech for short) is the application of science and engineering to the direct or indirect use of living organisms. And as you know, the food and drink above are all produced by the fermentation of micro-organisms. In beer, the yeast multiplies as it eats the sugars in the mixture and turns them into alcohol and CO2. This ancient technique was first used in Egypt to make bread and wine around 4000BC! Antibiotics are used to prevent and treat diseases, especially those caused by bacteria. They are natural substances that are created by bacteria and fungi. The first antibiotic was made in China in about 500BC – to cure boils. In 1928 Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin and it was considered a medical miracle. Modern research is looking at the creation of super-antibodies which can kill bacteria and viruses inside the cells that house them. Our modern consumer society produces a lot of waste which needs to be disposed of safely and without harmful end products. Environmental biotechnology can help. Indeed, the use of bacteria to treat sewage was first practiced in 1914 in Manchester, England. Vermiculture or using worms to treat waste is another environmentally-friendly practice and the end product is a natural fertiliser. Bacteria have even been developed to help with problems such as oil spills. They convert crude oil and gasoline into non-toxic substances such as carbon dioxide, water and oxygen and help create a cleaner, healthier environment. These examples of biotechnology are accepted by most people. However, the discovery of the DNA structure by Watson and Crick in 1953 was the beginning of the modern era of genetics and the following areas of biotech are very controversial. Read on… The genetic modification of plants and crops has been in practice for many years. This involves changing the genetic code of these plants so that they are more resistant to bad conditions like drought, floods and frost. Supporters of GM food say that it can offer the consumer better quality, safety and taste and for over a decade Americans have been eating GM food. However, things are very different in Europe where genetically modified food is very strictly regulated and regarded with deep suspicion by the public. GM food has even been called “Frankenfood” in the press, a term inspired by the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. There is a great cultural divide between America and Europe over whether such food is safe to eat and will not harm the environment and the discussion is still in progress. 1997 saw the birth of Dolly the sheep, the first animal cloned from an adult cell. This was a remarkable achievement which created world-wide debate on the ethical issues surrounding cloning. International organisations such as the European parliament, UNESCO and WHO all declared that human cloning is both morally and legally wrong. However, we need to make a distinction between reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning. Nowadays the idea of reproductive cloning – creating a copy of another person - is no longer interesting for researchers. Instead therapeutic cloning is creating excitement in the biotech world. Key to this technique is stem cells, which are master cells that have the potential to become any other kind of cell in the body e.g. nerve cells, blood, heart muscle or even brain cells. Stem cells themselves have generated a lot of controversy as it was believed that only human embryos could provide them. However, it now appears that adult stem cells offer the same possibility. This would mean that a patient who suffered a heart attack could provide doctors with his adult stem cells which could then be implanted back into his heart and used to create heart muscle, replacing the muscle that was damaged. As the genetic code is identical, there would be no problem of the body rejecting the implant as, unfortunately, happens with organ transplants. In the future, biotechnologists hope that stem cells could be used to grow entire organs. In this way biotechnology offers the hope of revolutionising medical treatment. In this brief overview of the history of biotechnology we have jumped from making bread to making human organs - an enormous leap- and it is clear that these modern practices raise many controversial issues. However, despite the debate, we can imagine that as biotechnology has been around for many years, it will still be around for some time to come - but who knows where it will take us?
Questions:
After reading, choose the best answer for the following questions
1. What is the main topic of the article?
Brief history and modern developments of biotechnology
Benefit of biotechnology
Modern research in biotechnology
2. What does the pronoun "IT" in the first paragraph refer to?
Biotechnology
The article
The word "Biotechnology"
3. Which products were first made with fermentation of micro-organisms?
Beer, bread and cheese
Bread and wine
Beer and cheese
Decide whether the statement below is True or False.
4. Alexander Fleming discovered super-antibodies which can kill bacteria and viruses inside the cells that house them.
TrueFalse
5. GM food is easily available in the U.S. and Europe.
TrueFalse
6.Researchers believe that adult stem cells could be used to create body parts.
TrueFalse
III. Chose the word to fill in the gaps among A,B, C or D:
Two of the most important holidays in the United state are Independence day and Thanksgiving Day. The fourth of July marks the American declaration of independence from Britain. Most towns, big or small, celebrate the fourth of July with parades and fireworks. Families(1)....................with barbecues or picnics. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in Fall, on the fourth Thursday in November. It is a day (2)...........people give thanks to the harvest. Most families (3)...........a large dinner with roast turkey. (4).....................Independence Day and Thanksgiving are national (5)...........................
1. A. celebrating B. celebration C. celebrate D. celebrated
2. A. where B. when C. which D. in which
3. A. have B. buy C. help D. take
4. A. Besides B. Both C. Either D. Nor
5. A.chances B. months C. holidays D. times
1. Gong culture can be found in ___________. A. Kon Tum B. Kon Tum and Gia Lai C. Central Highlands D. highlands in Viet Nam
2. It is though that the gong sounds can help us _____________. A. have a relation with the gods B. enjoy ourselves C. communicate with nature D. harvest crops
3. All of the following statements are true except that ___________.
A. the matter whether males or females play gongs depends on the ethnic groups B. the diameter of gongs can be varied C. a set of gongs is not more than 10 units D. the gongs are made of bronze
4. Gongs are believed to have a sacred power because ___________. A. the gong is older than a god B. a god will make gongs more powerful C. the statement was made D. they are associated to all events in one’s life
5. The word “inauguration” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _______. A. building B. finding C. sale D. opening
The space of gong culture in Central Highlands of Viet Nam covers 5 provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong. The masters of gong culture are the ethnic groups of Ba Na, Xo Dang, M’Nong, Co Ho, Ro Mam, E De, Giarai… The gong performances are always closely tied to community cultural rituals and ceremonies of
the ethnic groups in Central Highlands. Many researchers have classified gongs as ceremonial musical instrument and the gong sounds as a means to communicate with deities and gods.
The gongs are made of bronze. Their diameter is from 20 cm to 60cm or from 90cm to 120cm. A set of gongs consists of 2 to 12 or 13 units and even to 18 or 20 units in some places.
In most of the ethnic groups, namely Giarai, Ede Kpah, Ba Na, Xo Dang, Brau, Co Ho, etc., only males are allowed to play gongs. However, in others such as Ma and M’Nong groups, both males and females can play gongs. Few ethnic groups (for example, E de Bih), gongs are performed by women only.
As for the majority of ethnic groups in Central Highlands, gongs are musical instruments of sacred power. It is believed that every gong is the settlement of a god who gets more powerful as the gong is older. Therefore, gongs are associated to all events in one’s life, such as the inauguration of new houses, funerals, buffalo sacrifice, new harvest, ceremony to pray for people’s and cattle’s health, ceremony to see off soldiers to the front, and the victory celebration.
1. The main point of the first paragraph is ...
A. The wave created by ocean currents are very large
B. Despite the strength of the wind, it only moves surface water
C. Deep ocean water is seldom affected by forces that move water
D. The tides are the most powerful force to affect the movement of ocean water
2. The word "In reality" in the third sentence of the second paragraph is closest in meaning to
A. Surprisingly
B. Actually
C. Characteristically
D. Similarly
3. According to the passage, the most vital factor in recognizing how much gravitational effect one object in space has on the tides is
A. Size
B. Distance
C. Temperature
D. Density
4. In the ninth sentence of the second paragraph, the word "configuration" is closest in meaning to
A. Unit
B. Center
C. Surface
D. Arrangement
5. Neap tides occur when
A. The sun counteracts the moon's gravitational attraction
B. The moon is full
C. The moon is farthest from the sun
D. Waves created by the wind combine with the moon's gravitational attraction
1 A
2 B
3 A
4 B
5 A
6 B
7 A
8 B
9 A
10 B