新视野大学英语视听说教程 4 Unit 8-13

Task 2: Is it moral to clone humans?
Script
Laura: Did you hear about that peculiar¹ cult² that claimed to have created the world’s first human clone?
Ian:   Yeah, I did! They also said that it was aliens that created life on earth over 25,000 years ago. What are they on?
Laura: I know! It was so obviously just part of an elaborate hoax³ to bring publicity⁴ to their crazy movement. But I don’t think the truth can be far off. Scientists have been working on it for years.
Ian:   Sure, but most scientists are working on cloning human cells or body parts that can be used to repair or replace damaged organs. Not complete human beings! That’s just science fiction!
Laura: Well, the science may seem to be very advanced, but the idea is not a new one. In A Journey to the West, Sun Wu-kung, the Monkey King, can clone himself from the hairs on his head. He just plucks a few hairs, chews them a bit, and when he spits them out, they change into replicas⁵ of him!
Ian:   Really? Now that would be cool! You could send your clone to school while you went to the cinema, and then it could do your homework! Wow! Now that I think of it, it would be kind of fun to have a clone!
Laura: You would say that! Don’t you think it’s slightly immoral⁶? I mean, it’s just like having a slave. Doesn’t the clone deserve a life of his own?
Ian:   Sure, but human beings must learn to strike a balance between the welfare of a patient and of a clone.
Keys:  1.T  2.T  3.F  4.F  5.T
 

1 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

2 cult   

n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜

参考例句：

• Her books aren't bestsellers,but they have a certain cult following.她的书算不上畅销书，但有一定的崇拜者。
• The cult of sun worship is probably the most primitive one.太阳崇拜仪式或许是最为原始的一种。

3 hoax   

v.欺骗，哄骗，愚弄；n.愚弄人，恶作剧

参考例句：

• They were the victims of a cruel hoax.他们是一个残忍恶作剧的受害者。
• They hoax him out of his money.他们骗去他的钱。

4 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

5 replicas   

n.复制品( replica的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His hobby is building replicas of cars. 他的爱好是制作汽车的复制品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The replicas are made by using a thin film of fusible alloy on a stiffening platen. 复制是用附着在加强托板上的可熔合金薄膜实现的。 来自辞典例句

6 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。