Common Lit: Scientists Clone Human Embryos To Make Stem Cells

PART A: Which of the following best summarizes this article?

• A group of scientists recently generated embryonic stem cells through cloning, which may help cure many diseases, though the process raises serious ethnical concerns.

• Stem cell research has long been hindered by controversy and repeated attempts to publish falsified data and experiments.

• The most powerful criticism of stem cell research revolves around the fact that it necessarily and universally involves destroying human embryos.

• Several scientists have already begun attempting to generate living human clones, and the generation of embryonic stem cells provides a vital steppingstone to their efforts.

PART B: Which TWO phrases from the text best support the answer to Part A?

• "But every previous attempt ended in failure or fraud, leading many scientists to wonder if the goal might be impossible to reach." (Paragraph 8)

• "The researchers showed that the resulting embryos could develop to a stage where they could produce healthy stem cells containing the genes from the skin cells" (Paragraph 16)

• "The work drew immediate criticism because of ethical concerns." (Paragraph 17)

• "But beyond that, the creation and destruction of a human embryo is morally repugnant to people who believe an embryo has the same moral standing as a human being." (Paragraph 19)

• "This raises serious problems because it is the first actual human cloning', Sulmasy says." (Paragraph 22)

How does Paragraph 25 contribute to the development of the ideas presented in the article?

• It demonstrates that the use of human embryos represents a very small subsection of stem cell research.

• It proves that stem cell therapies are not worth objecting to since we are still so far from being able to use them in human patients.

• It shows that many researchers are unfairly dismissive of legitimate ethical concerns.

• It advances the idea that the potential pros of stem cell research outweigh the cons.

Which statement from the text best illustrates the relationship between scientific advancement and corresponding public controversies?

• "The accomplishment is a long-sought step toward harnessing the potential power of embryonic stem cells" (Paragraph 2)

• "This is a huge scientific advance," said Dr. George Daley, a Harvard stem cell scientist who wasn't involved in the work. "But it's going to, I think, raise the specter of controversy again." (Paragraph 3)

• "But every previous attempt ended in failure or fraud, leading many scientists to wonder if the goal might be impossible to reach." (Paragraph 8)

• "First of all, the Oregon researchers compensated women financially to donate eggs for the experiments - something many in the field have considered ethically questionable." (Paragraph 18)