Reading for the real world 2

Để lại tin nhắn giúp mình nếu bạn cần file nghe cùa sách. Sách được chia theo 12 dơn vị bài đọc. Các chủ đề gần với đời sống được thiết kế khoa học giúp người đọc dễ nắm được bài. Ngoài ra phần từ vựng khó được chú thích và in đậm rõ ràng, các dạng bài đọc hiểu, phần từ vựng mở rộng cũng như phần tóm tắt ở cuối mỗi bài sẽ giúp bạn cải thiện được trình độ đọc của mình.

© 2009 Compass Publishing

All rights reserved No part of this book

may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted in any form or by any means,

electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,

or otherwise, without prior permission

in writing from the publisher.

Acquisitions Editor: Jordan Candlewyck

Content Editor: Adam Worcester

Copy Editor: Joanna Weinhardt

Cover/Interior Design: Design Plus

email: info@compasspub.com

http://www.compasspub.com

The authors of this book would like to acknowledge the following writers for contributing materials to this series: Michael Souza, Michael Pederson, Paul Edmunds, Paula Bramante, Kandice MacDonald, Barbara Graeber, Tonia Peters and Moraig Macgillivray.

Computers & Technology

Reading 1 : Fighting Spam / 17

Reading 2 : Using the Body for Identification / 23

Reading 1 : Campaigning for the Earth / 53

Reading 2 : Glacier Retreat / 59

Unit 6

Law & Crime

Reading 1 : The Reliability of Eyewitnesses / 65

Reading 2 : The Assumption of Innocence / 71

C o n t e n t s

Reading 1 : Cupid and Psyche / 77

Reading 2 : The Truth About Memoirs / 83

Unit 8

Space & Exploration

Reading 1 : The Origin of the Universe / 89

Reading 2 : Space Tourism / 95

Unit 9

Sports & Fitness

Reading 1 : Extreme Sports / 101

Reading 2 : Personal Trainers: The Fitness Wave of the Future / 107

Unit 10

People & Opinions

Reading 1 : A Superlative Book / 113

Reading 2 : Mandela’s Fight Against Apartheid / 119

Unit 11

Cross-Cultural Viewpoints

Reading 1 : Differing Conceptions of Time / 125

Reading 2 : Investigating Stereotypes of Men and Women / 131

Unit 12

Business & Economics

Reading 1 : An Office Away from the Office / 137

Reading 2 : A Need for Censorship in Advertising? / 143

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word with the correct definition.

1 extraordinary a to examine carefully

2 mysterious b a person who sees something happen

3 investigate c inexplicable; suspicious

4 lunatic d to keep secret

5 witness e unusual

6 suppress f a mentally unstable person

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.

1 Do you know of any famous UFO sightings in your country? What

happened?

2 What do you think are some natural explanations for UFOs?

3 Is it possible there is intelligent life elsewhere in our universe

besides Earth? Why do you think so?

UFOs

Strange & Unusual 1

U N I T 1

U FO stands for Unidentified Flying Object Although many people

associate this term with aliens or spaceships, it can pertain to any

unknown object seen in the atmosphere.

It is commonly believed that UFO sightings began in modern times, but sightings of extraordinary lights and mysterious objects in the sky have been documented for thousands of years One of the earliest sightings was in the fifteenth century BCE, in Egypt, where “foul smelling circles of fire and discs in the sky” were observed Centuries later, in 1516 CE in Nuremberg, Germany, more than

200 UFOs of differing shapes, including cylinders, spheres, and spinning discs, were observed These examples typify the thousands of sightings that have been recorded over the ages in many different cultures on various continents

The most interesting part of UFO history has been the latter half of the 20th

century During World War II, fighter pilots reported many luminescent and

cylindrical UFOs Sightings of these objects were described by both pilots and

high-ranking intelligence officials Interestingly enough, both the Allies and the

Germans recounted this At first, they both thought that these UFOs were really just new weapons made by their enemies However, when they realized that the other side was seeing them, too, they concluded that these sightings were UFOs

Both the British and Germans created committees to investigate Ultimately, it

was determined that these UFOs, nicknamed “Foo Fighters,” were not manmade;

no alternative explanations were offered

In the late 1940s, following WWII, the “flying saucer”

era began In 1947, a man named Kenneth Arnold

recounted seeing “nine silvery circular objects” in the

sky He told his story to many people, including the

press He eventually wrote a book, titled The Coming

UFOs

in World War II)

Track 1

of the Saucers In it, he described the UFOs as flying

saucers because they were shaped like large dishes

After the book’s release, more and more people reported

UFO sightings Previously, anyone who reported a UFO

was considered a liar or a lunatic However, because

authorities were receiving countless reports, they decided to set up a committee,

called Project Blue Book, to investigate these sightings

In the 1940s, the most famous UFO case in US history, the Roswell Crash, occurred In early July of 1947, an object crashed onto a sheep ranch near

Roswell, New Mexico All the pieces of the fallen object were collected by members

of the US Air Force, stationed at Roswell Army Air Field Later in the day, the commander of the base informed the press that the remains of a “flying disc”

had been recovered This news spread worldwide in a matter of hours Strangely,

a few hours after the press release, the commanding general of the Eighth Air

Force issued a counter press release asserting that the remains were from a common

weather balloon This retraction caused a lot of controversy There were reputable

eye witnesses—including the sheep rancher and an Air Force major—who saw many items of unknown origin made of strange material They even claimed to

have caught sight of bodies of non-humanoid beings

Despite this incident and continued UFO sightings, the government disbanded

the Project Blue Book committee in 1969, due to lack of concrete evidence To this day, many people think the government is suppressing the truth of what

they collected from the Roswell Crash and of other unexplained sightings and

incidences Over the years, UFO sightings have continued to be reported by

people all over the world, including former US president Jimmy Carter, NASA engineers, and Japanese businessmen In fact, it is estimated that every three

minutes, there is a UFO sighting somewhere on the planet Though most certainly there are a number of explanations for these UFO sightings, natural or otherwise,

more research into this phenomenon is definitely needed.

Reading Time _ minutes _ seconds 629 words

R eading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the reading.

1 The term UFO applies only to spaceships and aliens.

2 UFOs did not appear until the latter half of the 20th century

3 Another term for UFO is “flying saucer.”

4 Project Blue Book investigates all UFO sightings.

B Choose the best answer according to the reading.

1 What did fighter pilots report seeing in World War II?

a Foul smelling circles of fire and discs in the sky

b Hovering, glowing shields

c Luminescent and cylindrical UFOs

d Silvery, circular objects

2 Why was the Roswell crash controversial?

a Because a flying disc crashed into a sheep ranch

b Because the Air Force issued two conflicting statements

c Because several eyewitnesses changed their stories

d Because people mistook a weather balloon for a UFO

3 Which of the following is NOT true?

a UFO sightings have declined in recent years

b A former US president claims to have seen a UFO

c Many UFO sightings can be explained by natural causes

d The government has disbanded Project Blue Book

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the book and write them on the lines provided.

1 What happened in 1516 CE in Nuremberg, Germany?

2 Why did Kenneth Arnold call UFOs “flying saucers”?

1 Aliens are sometimes referred to as people from _.

2 Science fiction movies and books portray a wide variety of _ life

forms

3 Some people claim to have been _ by alien visitors and taken

aboard a UFO

4 _ were some of the earliest science-fiction aliens imagined by

artists and writers

5 UFOs and ghosts are examples of _ activities.

6 Many UFO enthusiasts accuse the government of a(n) _ to cover up

UFO information

abducted paranormal extraterrestrial outer space martians conspiracy

extraordinary mysterious investigate lunatics witnesses suppressing

Fill in the blanks with words from the list Use each word only once.

For centuries, 1 _ all over the world have reported seeing

2 _ objects flying in the sky Many of these UFOs have

3 _ lights and strange shapes At first, others thought people who saw

UFOs were 4 _, but the US government received so many UFO reports that it set up a special committee to 5 _ them Since then, many people have accused the government of 6 _ information about UFOs.

A s of 2002, 72 percent of Americans believe the US

government is not telling the public everything it knows about UFOs In addition, 68 percent think the government has knowledge of extraterrestrial life (life

from other planets) and is hiding it from the public It’s not surprising there has been more and more pressure on the government to declassify its UFO records

A variety of different groups have been involved in these efforts

One of the most recent groups to become involved is CFI the Coalition for Freedom of Information John Podesta, former Chief of Staff to President

Clinton, is one of the many important people in this group The group’s aim is not

to prove the existence of extraterrestrial life, but to make it easier for scientists

in general to study unexplained aerial phenomena Podesta and his group have asked the Pentagon to declassify its UFO records and provide scientists with data that will help in the study of UFOs

CFI has requested the release of information on several UFO cases, starting with the Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, incident In 1965, a large acorn-shaped

object, about the size of a small car, crashed in a wooded area of Pennsylvania Witnesses contacted police and firefighters, but even they were not allowed to come close to the scene The United States Army was already on site and in the process of removing the object Even though several witnesses could clearly

describe the object when it was in the air, the government claimed the object was a meteorite Suspicions of the government’s claim have been raised ever since.Many groups have been formed to convince the US Government to open cases such as the Kecksburg event, yet it remains tight-lipped It has not allowed these classified records to be made public

The Truth About UFOs

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.

1 Why should citizens have access to classified government records when it

comes to possible UFO incidents?

2 Should the government have the right to protect its citizens by withholding certain

information that could be unnecessary or dangerous for the general public to know? Why or why not?

Track 2

4 glimpse d to advance in rank

5 financial e a brief look

6 uncertain f a forecast

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.

1 If someone knew the exact date that you would die, would you want them

to tell you? Why or why not?

2 Do you believe the future can be predicted? If so, how?

3 How would knowing what’s going to happen in the future make you feel

more secure today?

An Insight into the Future

Strange & Unusual 2

U N I T 1

10

15

20

D ivination, also called fortune-telling, is the attempt

to discover future events through unconventional methods One popular method of divination, found in both Eastern and Western culture, is palm reading Through

palm reading, a person hopes to find out his or her fate, or

future circumstances By looking at the lines on the palm of the

hand, a palm reader claims to be able to foretell a person’s life

span, financial success, or marital bliss, among other things

Although there is no proven connection between the lines on the palm of a hand and a person’s future, palm reading remains popular, along with other divination practices Some of these other practices include predicting the future through astrology (analyzing the stars and planets), tasseography (reading tea leaves) or numerology (analyzing numbers)

Fortune-telling has a long history Its earliest examples go back to 4000 BCE The divination practiced at that time, and for thousands of years after, was often engaged by kings and other rulers Both the ancient Roman and Chinese

emperors routinely consulted astrologers and other fortune-tellers on important

matters Chinese court astrologers constantly looked for signs that foretold the future, since their predictions could influence the royal court in many ways and

give them job security Divination was used to diagnose illnesses, predict what

would happen in battle, interpret dreams, and promote soldiers

One of the main reasons why divination was so important to people in the ancient world is that probably at that time humans had very little control over the

world Even those in the highest positions were still subject to natural disasters

An Insight into the Future

Track 3

The causes of such events as plagues or storms were not clearly understood

Divination provided a sort of control over life If a person could get a glimpse of the future, that person could escape at least a little of the uncertainty that would have worried him or her constantly A farmer could plan for his future crops,

and an emperor could plan for a war with some amount of certainty that a

particular outcome was likely Since divination could not be disproved and any failure in the prediction could be blamed on the person making the prediction, believing in divination was not difficult for the people in the ancient world

Although unfounded, it is easy to understand that the practice of divination gave people in the ancient world a sense of control over their environment

However, it is a bit less evident why divination practices should still be so

popular today Humans have achieved a great amount of mastery over, if not

understanding of, the environment They are no longer at the total mercy of the natural world There does not seem to be any need for the practice of divination

to give the world a sense of order Even so, human life is still fragile People still get sick, hurt themselves, and die They still suffer from financial and emotional problems, and worry about what the future will bring them

One thing that has not changed since ancient times is that the future

remains uncertain Compared to previous ages, humans have a great amount of control over the present period With all the new technology and advances in

science, humans can predict natural disasters, giving some certainty to the

future Nonetheless, the simple fact that we do not know precisely what will

happen in the next week, month, or year lends uncertainty to our lives Since the great majority of modern people desire certainty and

security, they may try to find ways to achieve these

feelings even when there is no way to reasonably

obtain them Divination then, in all its forms,

fulfills a basic human need; the need to feel secure

Reading Time _ minutes _ seconds 621 words

R eading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the reading.

1 There is a proven connection between the lines on the palm of a hand

and a person’s future

2 Fortune-telling has been used by kings and emperors.

3 In ancient times, divination was likely driven by environmental

uncertainty

4 Divination is unpopular today.

B Choose the best answer according to the reading.

1 All of the following are mentioned as methods of divination EXCEPT

a Tasseography

b Crystal balls

c Palm reading

d Numerology

2 What was divination used for in ancient China?

a To promote emperors and kings

b To cast spells on enemies

c To prevent natural disasters

d To predict the outcome of battles

3 Why does the author say divination is important?

a It creates high-paying jobs for many people

b It helps us change the course of history

c It provides a sense of certainty and security

d It is a great form of family entertainment

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the book and write them on the lines provided.

1 What is the purpose of palm reading?

2 Why was it easy for people in the ancient world to believe in divination?

S ummary

15

Here are six words or phrases that are related to the topic but are not in

the reading Fill in each blank with the best word or phrase from the list Use each word or phrase only once.

1 In the Bible, a person who foretold the future was called a _.

2 A _ is a Biblical word for a future prediction.

3 Many people think fortune-telling is just a _.

4 Today, many fortune-tellers make predictions using a pack of _.

5 Other fortune-tellers like to glimpse the future using a magical _.

6 _ is a Frenchman famous for making several predictions in the 16th

century about future events

tarot cards crystal ball superstition prophecy prophet Nostradamus

Fill in the blanks with phrases from the list Use each phrase only once.

Since ancient times, fortune-tellers have 1 _ using a variety of

divination methods Rulers hoped to 2 _ of the future, so they could

plan for battles, diagnose illnesses, 3 _ plagues, and promote soldiers Common ancient peoples wanted 4 _, marital bliss, and the ability

5 _ some part of their future Despite technological advances, modern

people want many of these same things Above all, they want to 6 _.

fend off get a glimpse financial gain

to control quell uncertainty made predictions

Discuss the following questions.

1 With access to modern technology, is the practice of divination really

necessary today?

2 If you had the ability to alter your children’s genes, would you do so? Why or

why not?

G enerations past have used divination as a means of gaining answers to

the unknown This is especially true when it was used to predict the future Modern technology is so advanced that it can now trace patterns

of history and predict certain outcomes Scientific data that has been collected is used to make these predictions

We can look at a few areas where technology has advanced Many different types of divination have been used in the past to predict future health Today’s technology can track a patient’s medical history, and it can predict and diagnose patterns of health and diseases Technology can even make predictions based on children’s genes For instance, a Colorado company is selling a kit that helps parents forecast their child’s athletic ability, by testing for a gene associated with strong athletic performance

The use of weather forecasting tools is another way modern technology is replacing the practice of divination Computers have the ability to predict the types and amounts of precipitation, storms, temperatures, and pressure systems IBM is developing a service that can predict weather conditions down to a one-kilometer resolution In time, company researchers hope to be able to predict the weather on individual streets within a city

Technology continues to advance and increase as computer programs become more complex Scientists are using technology

in more specific ways to gain more knowledge about

the way nature works As for divination, what was

once considered to be supernatural is now seen more

as a form of entertainment

Track 4

Think about the following questions.

1 Do you have an email account? What do you use it for?

2 Have you ever received unwanted or unsolicited emails? How do you

A nyone who has ever had an email account has received spam Spam is

unsolicited email that is sent as part of a larger group of messages,

all having substantively identical content Spam has existed for a long time, but in recent years, the increasing amount of spam has become a much bigger problem than before Although there are ways to decrease spam, currently the

only way to eliminate spam is by not having an email address.

There are several types of spam: junk mail, non-commercial, offensive and pornographic, and scams, just to name a few The most common type is junk

email—mass email from legitimate businesses advertising their products

Although the emails may be legitimate, they are still unsolicited Non-commercial spam consists of messages without commercial motive, such as chain letters, urban legends, and jokes The emails require the recipient to forward the message

to friends in order to receive good fortune Offensive and pornographic spam

direct the recipient to an adult website, while spam scams are fraudulent messages designed to swindle people out of personal information for the

purposes of identity theft or criminal activities

The most obvious negative effect of spam is irritation It is very annoying to get unsolicited email However, if the only effect of spam were irritation, it would not be such a problem There are other effects of spamming Since anyone’s email can be used by spammers, it is very possible that a child may receive either

pornographic images or links to such sites on the Internet Seniors

may be cheated out of their life savings by schemes spread by spam In addition, spam may also increase the cost of Internet service Many ISPs (Internet Service Providers) have to increase their

bandwidth and server capacity to handle all

the spam This costs more money and may result in higher fees for customers.

There are various ways for people to fight spam One way is to complain

directly to the ISP used by the spammer Most ISPs will cancel the spammer’s

account if they receive complaints However, this option is becoming less and

less practical because spammers quickly change ISPs and email addresses By

the time an ISP gets complaints about spam, the spammer has already moved on

to another one Another way is to file a complaint with the appropriate

government agency enforcing spam laws In the United States, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) investigates all fraudulent spam email The most obvious

way to fight spam is to make sure that personal email addresses do not become publicly available Email addresses should never be placed on public websites

and should only be given out to trusted people and organizations

Spammers usually get email addresses from newsgroup postings or web-based discussion boards, so if a person wants to use either of these services, it is a good

idea to open up a free disposable email account If the account is bombarded

by spam, it can be closed and another one opened Another way is to “munge” one’s email address “Munging” is altering the email address so that it can be

read by people but cannot be collected automatically by spammers For example, catjam@home.net can be written as catjamathomedotnet or c@tj@m at home_net Although a person reading the email address can guess the right address, a

computer program will not be able to authenticate the email address Since

spammers often use software that “guesses” common email addresses, coming

up with a unique email address is another way of circumventing spammers

Finally, software that filters spam can also be used Some ISPs use filtering

methods as well However, with filtering, there is always the possibility that valid email may be removed by mistake Whatever method is used, the fact remains that until there are stronger laws against spamming and more effective ways to punish spammers, spam will continue to annoy, irritate, and

disturb

Reading Time _ minutes _ seconds 651 words

19

R eading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the reading.

1 Not having an email address is the only way to eliminate spam.

2 Junk email is the most common type of spam.

3 The best way to fight spam is to complain to the spammer’s ISP.

4 “Munging” an email address can help reduce spam.

B Choose the best answer according to the reading.

1 Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a type of spam?

a Ponzi schemes

b Scams

c Non-commercial

d Offensive and pornographic

2 What is the most obvious way to fight spam?

a Complain to the FTC

b Keep your email address private

c Munge your email address

d Buy a special spam filter

3 Why is spam dangerous for children?

a They could be cheated out of life savings

b It could bring them bad luck

c They could receive pornographic images

d It could steal their identity

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the book and write them on the lines provided.

1 What is non-commercial spam?

2 Why is a disposable email account a good idea?

S ummary

21

Here are six words or phrases that are related to the topic but are not in

the reading Fill in each blank with the best word or phrase from the list Use each word or phrase only once.

1 People who want to avoid spam can _ of receiving certain types of

email

2 Spam email might contain a(n) _ that could disable your computer.

3 _ is a type of spam scam that directs recipients to a fake homepage

of a real organization, such as a bank

4 Most spam is sent to thousands of users at once as electronic _.

5 It’s often easy to identify spam email by looking at the tag in the _.

6 Many email programs come with a provision that allows the user to

_ spam emails

virus subject line phishing block bulk mail opt out

A Dear recipient: Forward this email to ten friends, and something good will

happen to you today

B Is your job irritating you? Relax! Marissa’s Massage Parlor is now open! Come in

for a discounted massage

C Congratulations! You’ve just won $100,000 in the British lottery!

D Please send us your bank account and credit card numbers.

E Try Wong’s famous Won Ton today

F You must send this identical message to three friends, or the chain will be broken,

and you will be cheated out of your chance to have good luck

Fill in the blanks in the table with the sentences below according to the

category they belong to Use each sentence only once.

Types of SpamJunk Mail Non-commercial Scam

T he reason for spamming is to make money, but ironically,

most people seem to hate spam and usually delete it without reading it Thus, it is hard to see how spamming could prove profitable There is a difference, however, between

the companies who advertise with spam and the people who do

the actual spamming; the company is less likely to make money

than the spammer

For example, a business that wants to advertise its products

or services with spam might be inexperienced, so it will typically contract with a

“professional” spammer to do the work for them Spammers usually charge a lot

of money for their services, perhaps $375 to spam 500,000 addresses Because spammers do not need much money to work—only a dialup Internet account, a program to send spam, and a list of email addresses—they will almost always make a profit, whether the company that hired them does or not

The people who write spam-sending software may not be spammers themselves, but their software makes it very easy to send spam The software is simple and easy to write, and it sells for exorbitant fees One well-known

spam-sending program costs almost $300, which is much more than the time and effort spent designing such a program would usually merit

Spammers can also make money individually by defrauding the people who receive their spam A common ruse is to promise some product or service for a very low price, but then refuse to deliver it after the customer has paid for it Clearly, such types of spammers are not good citizens, and honest companies should not become involved with them If they do, they can lose not only money but also loyal customers In cases like these, only the spammers profit

The Problem with Spammers

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.

1 In your view, is spamming an effective way for businesses to advertise?

Why or why not?

2 What role, if any, do you think the government should take to protect

people against illegal spammers?

Track 6

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word with the correct definition.

1 advocacy a to examine with a critical eye

2 scanner b a slight, difficult-to-notice feature

3 scrutinize c danger; risk

4 mimic d a device used to examine minute details

5 subtlety e to imitate

6 jeopardy f the act of supporting a cause

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.

1 Do you know of anyone who has been a victim of identity theft?

2 How safe do you feel when you shop online or travel on an airplane?

3 What are some pros and cons of using parts of the body as identification?

Using the Body for Identification

Computers & Technology 2

U N I T 2

T echnological advances have undoubtedly changed the

way we engage in commerce and travel, as well as the way we live our lives The Internet allows us to shop from locations all over the globe without ever showing our faces

or even talking to another person We can buy and sell stocks

online and move enormous amounts of money from one bank

account to another at the touch of a button Worldwide travel is

commonplace with people crossing borders on a regular basis

In short, the world is more accessible than it has ever been, but at a cost How secure are our online transactions? With so many people crossing borders every day, how do we know we’re not letting dangerous people into our country? Improving security is a top issue for many governments and consumer advocacy

groups around the world Biometric identification technology is being

developed to recognize individuals, both to protect their own interests and to identify criminals

Biometric identification is not a new phenomenon Fingerprints are the

classic biometric identifier Police dust a crime scene for fingerprints and then compare their findings to a database of fingerprints of known criminals or to fingerprints of a known suspect But fingerprints can also be used for security

A fingerprint scanner can be used to grant personnel access to certain areas

Physiological biometrics, such as fingerprints, utilize people’s physical

characteristics to identify or recognize them Other examples include face, palm,

and iris identification Scanning these physical features ensures that the person

being scanned is who he or she claims to be Unlike a personal identification number, which is used to access bank accounts, biometric identifiers cannot be stolen and then used by a thief

Behavioral biometrics can also be used to identify people Certain behaviors

Using the Body for Identification

a living thing

as something real

are unique to individuals, such as their voices or the way they type The classic

behavioral biometric is the signature Signatures are used as a guarantee, but

with obvious problems Signatures can be copied, for one thing Also, people

don’t usually scrutinize a signature until a problem is apparent A person’s voice might be more difficult to mimic In fact, voice recognition systems do more

than just recognize the voice; they recognize the way a person talks There are

subtleties in the way a person speaks that would be very difficult to imitate

Typing patterns, likewise, would be very difficult to observe to the point of

mimicking them

Biometric identification has two potential uses—identification and identity

verification Identification occurs when biometric information is used to

discover the identity of the person it belongs to Again,

fingerprints at a crime scene would be an example

Identity verification is the process of making sure a

person is who he or she claims to be Today, we use

passports to verify our identity when crossing borders

However, passports can be stolen or forged, while an effective biometric

identification system would be difficult to fool It would be much more difficult

to forge a fingerprint or an iris than it would be to forge a passport

There are also ethical considerations in developing biometric identification

technology It has the potential to protect consumers when engaging in trade as well

as to identify would-be criminals before they can do any harm However, some

worry that individuals’ privacy would be in jeopardy if personal information

were to get into the wrong hands Another danger is that personal information could be abused by authorities When governments have access to people’s

personal information, they can use it to control the population It goes without saying that people’s freedom and right to privacy will have to be protected as

technology advances

Reading Time _ minutes _ seconds 607 words

R eading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the reading.

1 Biometric identification is brand new.

2 Physiological biometrics can identify people by the way they type.

3 It is difficult to mimic the way a person speaks.

4 Biometric identification can be used to verify identity.

B Choose the best answer according to the reading.

1 All of the following are examples of physiological biometrics EXCEPT

c To attack other countries

d To buy and sell stocks

3 What is identity verification?

a Using a signature as a guarantee

b Discovering who a fingerprint belongs to

c Watching how a person behaves

d Making sure people are who they claim to be

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the book and write them on the lines provided.

1 Why are biometric identifiers better than personal identification numbers?

2 What are two potential uses of biometric identification?

S ummary

27

Here are six words or phrases that are related to the topic but are not in

the reading Fill in each blank with the best word or phrase from the list Use each word or phrase only once.

1 Young people often use a _, such as a driver’s license, which makes

them appear older

2 One day, people might be identified by a computer _ implanted

in their skin

3 Identity theft helps a thief _ someone else.

4 Most countries use a(n) _ to ensure that identity cards and money

are genuine

5 Biometric identification can help guard countries against _.

6 Criminals can pass through airports using _ identification.

terrorism impersonate chip fake ID holograph counterfeit

First Sentence: Biometric identification technology is being developed to recognize

individuals

A Biometric identification, such as fingerprint scanners, can help protect citizens

and capture criminals

B Police have used fingerprints as a basic technique to identify criminals for hundreds

of years

C Voice recognition systems scrutinize a person’s voice and speech patterns, which

contain subtleties that are difficult to mimic

D Biometric identification includes both physiological identifiers, like fingerprints,

and behavioral identifier like signatures

E Governments frequently abuse this type of identification to control their citizenry

and to deny rights to foreigners

F Advocacy groups are concerned that biometric identification will put individual

privacy rights in jeopardy

Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided

below Select THREE answer choices to complete the summary

Discuss the following questions.

1 When should a government’s right to protect its citizens take priority

over a citizen’s right to privacy?

2 Do you think people have a right to privacy when they are in public

places, such as parks and sporting events?

W e generally recognize people by their faces, or

photos, which are typically unique to individuals

However, this type of identification can be faulty

People’s appearance changes, and we do not tend to scrutinize

photos very closely Today, biometric technology is being

developed to perfect the process of facial identification Face recognition technology can scan the face for certain features and measure the distances between different parts of the face These things do not change, so growing a beard or wearing glasses will not fool the scanner Since it is very difficult to mimic another person’s face, this type of identification is quite reliable

Facial recognition presents a risk of invasion of people’s privacy Face scanners can be placed in public places, and people’s images can be scanned without their knowledge This allows their movements to be tracked and can also give criminals information that will help them victimize people

On the other hand, security can be improved by using face scanners in public places For example, at a large sporting event, cameras can be used to monitor the crowds, secretly capturing images of individuals These images can then be compared to photos of known terrorists If a match comes up, the terrorist can

be located and removed from the premises before he or she can do any harm One problem with this idea is that the accuracy of face scanners diminishes when they are tracking people in large crowds Because the people aren’t posing, the angle may be off This increases the chances of false positives, putting people’s rights in jeopardy

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Vocabulary Preview

Match each word with the correct definition.

1 sophisticated a highly specialized

2 fatal b a particular way of accomplishing something

3 susceptible c deadly

4 procedure d to kill

5 replicate e to copy or duplicate

6 slaughter f vulnerable; capable of being affected

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.

1 Have you ever heard of anyone whose life has been saved by an organ

transplant?

2 How would you feel if a friend or family member received an animal’s

organ to help them live?

3 Is it right to raise animals to kill so that humans can live?

Xenotransplantation

Health & Medicine 1

U N I T 3

O rgan transplants have saved millions of lives around the world

Over the years, transplants have become much more sophisticated and now have a very high success rate The problem is that it is difficult to find organs People can be on waiting lists for years before receiving their much-needed organ, and many die while waiting

The problem is getting worse, as the demand is increasing while supply is decreasing The reason for this trend is that the population is getting bigger while accidental deaths are decreasing Most organ donors are victims of car crashes; they were healthy people with healthy organs who were unfortunately

killed As safety standards improve and as law enforcement more effectively

deters dangerous driving, fewer people are dying in car crashes This is, of course, a positive development, except that it decreases the number of healthy organs available to those who need them So the medical community is now looking to the animal kingdom for organs that can be used in humans

No doctor to date has successfully performed an animal-to-human organ

transplant, known as xenotransplantation The first major concern is the possibility that the human’s immune system will reject the organ The human

immune system is programmed to reject and attack foreign bodies in order to keep the body healthy Rejection was a problem in the early days of human-to-human organ transplants as well But over the years anti-rejection medicines have been developed with tremendous success These drugs probably will not work by themselves when the organ of a different

species is introduced, so further measures need to

be taken Genetic Modification of the organ

seems to be one way to reduce the risk of organ

rejection For example, pigs, which are the ideal

Xenotransplantation

species than the recipient

Track 9

molecules to enter

candidate for xenotransplantation, have a gene called alpha-gal,

which can be modified to trick the human immune system into

recognizing it as human The procedure has shown success in

pig-to-monkey transplants, which makes it promising for humans

After having altered the gene, scientists could then clone the pigs

with the altered gene and eventually breed them conventionally

Pigs breed quickly and have large litters, so a large supply of organs

ready for transplants could be produced this way

A second concern is the possibility that the donor organ could contain viruses that would infect the human body Anti-rejection drugs, which would have to be used post-operation to ensure that the body continues to accept the new organ, suppress the immune system This makes the person more susceptible to infection Pigs’ DNA contains a virus that is harmless to pigs but could prove fatal to humans Fortunately, scientists have identified a type of pig that does not carry this virus

as part of its DNA Scientists are also working on ways to prevent the virus from

replicating by identifying the receptors that allow the virus to enter a cell

Another animal that seems likely to be a candidate for xenotransplantation

is the baboon because it is genetically very similar to humans This decreases the likelihood of rejection In fact, baboon-to-human transplants have been attempted, without success The patients died of virus infections, however, and not because the

body rejected the foreign tissue The main problem with baboon organs is that

they carry many viruses Furthermore, unlike pigs, baboons reproduce slowly, like humans They do not have large litters, so it would be difficult to breed the numbers of baboons that would be necessary to meet the demand for organ

transplants Another advantage of using pigs is that they do not pose the moral dilemma that baboons do Of course, some animal activists will argue that it is always wrong to kill an animal for the benefit of humans But given that pigs are already raised for slaughter, the idea of using them to save human lives will not present a new ethical issue

Reading Time _ minutes _ seconds 653 words

R eading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the reading.

1 It is often difficult to find organs for transplants.

2 Most organ donors die from heart attacks.

3 There have been several successful animal-to-human organ

transplants

4 Baboons are genetically similar to humans.

B Choose the best answer according to the reading.

1 Which of the following is true of organ transplants?

a They are not very sophisticated

b They do not help save lives

c They are usually successful

d They are very common

2 What is the first major concern about xenotransplantation?

a Virus infection

b Organ rejection

c Gene alteration

d Moral dilemma

3 What is the main problem with baboon organs?

a They reproduce slowly

b Human bodies reject them

c They have lots of viruses

d Activists object to using them

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the book and write them on the lines provided.

1 What makes pigs the ideal candidates for xenotransplantation?

2 Why is it an advantage that baboons and humans are genetically similar?

S ummary

33

Here are six words or phrases that are related to the topic but are not in

the reading Fill in each blank with the best words or phrases from the

list Use each word or phrase only once.

1 People who advocate for _ believe that animals should not be killed

for human research

2 Organ transplants require a(n) _.

3 Someone who has had a heart attack might need open-heart _.

4 One organ for which there is a great need for donors is the _.

5 A(n) _ is a specialized doctor who performs operations.

6 People waiting for organ transplants put their names on a national list, called

a(n) _

operation surgery surgeon animal rights kidney registry

sophisticated fatal susceptible procedure replicating slaughter

Fill in the blanks with words from the list Use each word only once.

Organ transplants have become more 1 _ as technology has

improved Today, scientists are on the verge of successful xenotransplantation—the

transplant of animal organs into human bodies Pigs are good candidates for this

2 _ because some of them do not have a common virus that usually

proves 3 _ to humans Also, since pigs are typically raised for

4 _ , most people do not mind killing them to save human lives Still,

xenotransplantation is tricky because of viruses and because animal organs are

5 _ to rejection by human bodies Scientists continue to work on ways

to keep harmful viruses from 6 _ after transplants

Discuss the following questions.

1 What do you think of destroying embryos for use in stem-cell research?

2 What types of diseases would you like to see a cure developed for? Why?

S tem cells are cells that can replicate themselves In

newly fertilized eggs, they create the different tissues that make up the human body, including the organs, bones, muscles, and skin Embryonic stems cells, derived from

embryos, develop into various tissues, while adult stem cells help repair tissues once the body has been formed

Stem cell research promises hope to thousands of people in failing health because stem cells could be used to create therapies for people with serious diseases and debilitating injuries But despite the potential health benefits, stem cell research is a hotly debated topic

Embryonic stem cells seem to hold the most potential for therapy, but to use embryonic stem cells, the embryo has to be destroyed Some believe that it is wrong to intentionally destroy a human embryo, because it is a human being Proponents of stem cell research, however, say that these embryos are being destroyed anyway Most embryos for research come from those used in in-vitro fertilization, wherein there are often extra embryos that are destroyed or frozen indefinitely, but never used

The main argument in favor of stem cell research is its potential value If it saves thousands of people, it is worth the cost of the embryos, proponents claim But opponents counter that adult stem cells can be just as effective in creating therapies Perhaps the answer lies in obtaining stem cells from embryos without destroying the embryo, a technique that is being studied However, the use of embryos for research is currently banned in many countries, making progress difficult

Track 10

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word with its correct definition.

1 temporarily a able to buy

2 participant b a ten-year period

3 competitive c approval

4 affordable d a person who takes part in something

5 decade e trying hard to be more successful than others

6 acceptance f for a limited time

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.

1 Do you know of anyone who has ever had surgery to alter their

appearance? How well did it work?

2 Should people have surgery simply to improve their looks? Why or why not?

3 If you could change one thing about your body, what would it be and

A Surge in Cosmetic Surgery

A ccording to statistics gathered by the American Society for Aesthetic

Plastic Surgery, 11.7 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2007 Americans spent just over $13 billion on cosmetic procedures—$8.3 billion for surgical procedures and $4.7 billion for nonsurgical procedures Since 1997, the overall number of cosmetic procedures has increased 457 percent The top three surgical procedures

for women were breast enlargement, liposuction, and eyelid surgery, while

the top three surgical procedures for men were liposuction, eyelid surgery, and rhinoplasty (nose surgery)

Liposuction is the removal of excess fat deposits from beneath the skin The

doctor inserts a cannula (a small tube) into the skin, and a vacuum-like machine removes the fat People are usually given general anesthesia for liposuction or

local anesthesia if they’re only having one area done Many doctors insist that liposuction is not a cure for obesity It should be used when diet and exercise do not reduce fat in certain “trouble spots” of the body That is why the ideal candidate is physically fit, exercises regularly, and is not more than twenty pounds overweight Liposuction can cost from $2,000 to more than $10,000, depending on the number of areas treated, the type of area treated (body site), and the amount of fat to be removed from those areas The procedure may be performed on the

abdomen, hips, thighs, calves, arms, buttocks, back, neck,

or face

In addition to the three most popular surgical procedures, the number-one nonsurgical procedure favored by both women and men is Botox injections Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the same bacteria that causes botulism (food poisoning) The Botox injections

temporarily freeze the muscles that cause wrinkles, giving the

skin a smoother look for about four months The injections

are becoming increasingly popular, and some people even

throw “Botox parties.” The party is a social gathering at

which a doctor injects the participants with Botox These

injections can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000 per shot

In 2007, 2,445,656 women and 329,519 men had Botox

injections

There are many reasons why the number of cosmetic surgeries is increasing

As the Baby Boomer generation ages, its desire to look younger is increasing

the demand for all cosmetic surgeries Baby Boomers think that looking younger will keep them more competitive in the workplace, too With improvements in

medicine and technology, surgeons can perform procedures with less scarring

in a shorter amount of time, which makes these operations more appealing

Many customers are also becoming better informed about the procedures

and precautions they must take before having cosmetic surgery, which leads to

better and safer results for cosmetic surgeries These precautions include making

sure that their doctor is a board-certified surgeon There are many websites

where the public can get information about plastic surgery, including risks, lists

of board-certified surgeons, as well as before-and-after photos of people who

have had surgery, which increases people’s confidence in the procedures

Another reason for the increase in cosmetic surgeries is that they are

becoming more affordable Costs have decreased somewhat over the past

decade Doctors have also become smarter with their business Many now offer financing for people who want surgeries but cannot afford to pay all of the

money up front

Finally, social acceptance of cosmetic surgery is also growing In a recent

survey, approximately 55 percent of Americans said that they approve of the

procedure About 79 percent of U.S men and women would not feel embarrassed if their friends and family knew that they had cosmetic surgery

Reading Time _ minutes _ seconds 610 words

R eading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the reading.

1 Since 1997, the number of cosmetic procedures has increased 47 percent.

2 Liposuction was the most popular cosmetic surgery for both men and

women

3 Botox injections cost $2,000 to $10,000 per shot.

4 Costs for cosmetic surgeries have increased somewhat over the past ten

years

B Choose the best answer according to the reading.

1 What do doctors say about liposuction?

a It is not a cure for obesity

b It should be the first option to reduce fat

c It removes excess fat beneath the skin

d It is only for those more than 20 pounds overweight

2 How long do the effects of Botox injections last?

a For a lifetime

b For forty days

c For four months

d For fourteen years

3 What is one reason for the increase in cosmetic surgeries?

a They are free for those who can’t afford them

b Doctors recommend them for nearly all patients

c Scars are now considered a type of fashion

d They have become more socially acceptable

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the book and write them on the lines provided.

1 When should liposuction be used?

2 What is making cosmetic surgeries more appealing?

S ummary

39

Here are six words or phrases that are related to the topic but are not in

the reading Fill in each blank with the best word or phrase from the list Use each word or phrase only once.

1 A recent _ showed that 89 percent of the respondents wish they

made more money

2 Many accuse people who have cosmetic surgery of being _.

3 Some say cosmetic surgery should be used only for people who are

_

4 A _ is used to administer an injection.

5 “Your face would look better if you had a _,” he told her.

6 “Physical beauty is only _,” she said.

nose job vain disfigured superficial syringe poll

First Sentence: The number of cosmetic surgeries in the United States has

increased by more than 400 percent in the past decade

A Liposuction and Botox injections are two of the most popular kinds of cosmetic

procedures for both women and men

B Baby Boomers, who want to look younger and be more competitive at work, are

increasing the number of participants for all types of cosmetic surgeries

C The cost of liposuction ranges from $2,000 to more than $10,000, depending on

the number and types of areas treated

D Cosmetic surgery has become more affordable and safer over the past decade,

causing much less scarring than when it first began

E In 2007, almost 2.5 million women and nearly 330,000 men had Botox

injections, which temporarily smooth wrinkles, often at special parties

F Social acceptance has also risen, with nearly 55 percent of Americans saying they

approve of plastic surgery

Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided

below Select THREE answer choices to complete the summary

Discuss the following questions.

1 Why do you think people choose to volunteer time, sacrifice money, and

travel thousands of miles to help others?

2 What’s a fair way to decide who qualifies for free medical treatment and

who doesn’t?

P lastic surgery can be helpful for correcting birth defects in children An

organization called Operation Smile provides reconstructive plastic surgery to poor children all over the world Reconstructive surgery is performed on abnormal parts of the body caused by birth defects, developmental abnormalities, injury, infection, tumors, or disease The surgery is generally performed to improve function but may also be done to give a child a normal appearance

Operation Smile provides children born with cleft lips, cleft palates, and other facial deformities with free reconstructive surgeries Doctors and nurses from around the world volunteer their time for two weeks on a medical mission During a typical international medical mission, 300-500 children receive full medical assessments, and 100-150 children are surgically treated

This organization was founded in 1982 by Dr William Magee Jr., an American plastic surgeon, and his wife, Kathleen Magee, a nurse and clinical social worker The couple traveled to the Philippines with a group of medical volunteers to repair children’s cleft lips and cleft palates The Magees saw the need, and Operation Smile was born The goal of the charity is to improve the lives of children by improving their appearance, building up their self-esteem, and restoring their dignity

Since 1982, more than 120,000 children and young adults with facial deformities have been treated by thousands of volunteers

worldwide In addition, thousands of medical professionals

have been trained globally Operation Smile currently has a

presence in fifty countries and has nearly 4,000 credentialed

medical volunteers ready to donate their time and talent

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