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The never-ceasing pace of scientific accomplishment often surpasses the progress of moral thought, leaving people struggling to make sense, initially at least, of whether heart transplants are ethical or test-tube babies desirable. Over the past three decades scientists have begun to investigate a branch of medicine that offers astonishing promise—the ability to repair the human body and even grow new organs—but which destroys early-stage embryos to do so. In "The Stem Cell Hope" Alice Park, a science writer at Time magazine, chronicles the scientific, political, ethical and personal struggles of those involved in the work. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent (多能性的): they have the ability to change into any one of the 200- odd types of cell that compose the human body; but they can do so only at a very early stage. Once the bundle has reached more than about 150 cells, they start to specialize. Research into repairing severed spinal cords or growing new hearts has thus needed a supply of stem cells that come from entities that, given a more favorable environment, could instead grow into a baby. Immediately after the announcement of the birth of Dolly the sheep—the clone of an adult ewe whose mammary (乳腺的) cells Ian Wilmut had tricked into behaving like a developing embryo—American scientists were hauled before the nation’s politicians who were uneasy at the implication that people might also be cloned. Concern at the speed of scientific progress had previously stalled publicly funded research into controversial topics, for example, into in vitro fertilization. But it did not stop the work from taking place: instead the IVF industry blossomed in the private sector, funded by couples desperate for a baby and investors who had spotted a profitable new market. That is also what happened with human stem cells. After a prolonged struggle over whether to ban research outright—which pitted Nancy Reagan, whose husband suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, against a father who asked George Bush’s advisers, "Which one of my children would you kill"—Mr. Bush blocked the use of government money to fund research on any new human embryonic stem-cell cultures. But research did not halt completely: Geron, a biopharmaceutical (生物制的) company based in Menlo Park, California, had started "to mop up this orphaned innovation", as Ms Park puts it, by recruiting researchers whose work brought them into conflict with the funding restrictions. Meanwhile, in South Korea a scientist claimed not only to have cloned human embryos but also to have created patient-specific cultures that could, in theory, be used to patch up brain damage or grow a kidney. Alas, he was wrong. But a Japanese scientist did manage to persuade adult skin cells to act like stem cells. If it proves possible to scale up his techniques, that would remove the source of the controversy over stem-cell research. Three months after he took office, Barack Obama lifted restrictions on federal funding for research on new stem-cell cultures, saying that he thought sound science and moral values were consistent with one another. But progress has been slow: the first human trials in America, involving two people with spinal-cord injuries who have been injected with stem cells developed by Geron, are only just under way. The sick children who first inspired scientists to conduct research into stem cells in order to develop treatments that might help them are now young adults. As Ms Park notes, the fight over stem-cell research is not over, and those who might benefit from stem-cell medicine remain in need. What does the author mean by saying Geron "had started to ’mop up this orphaned innovation’" (Paragraph 4)
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Despite what you might think from its name, the Museum of Afghan Civilization will be the very model of a modern major museum when it opens in January. It will be housed in an angular, postmodern building, designed by France’s Yona Friedman. It will display the art of Afghanistan from prehistory to today, with works collected from all over the world. And it will have a nifty website, complete with high-definition reproductions and interactive information guides. What the museum won’t have is a front door, a parking lot, or a cafeteria. That’s because the museum is the first designed as a virtual building only. Why put the objects in an imaginary building, instead of just creating a website full of pictures Pascale Bastide, President of the Paris-based association Afghanculture, says she hopes that hiring an architect will imbue her project (afghanculturemuseum.org) with the gravitas of a traditional museum, as well as make viewers feel as though they are actively traveling to a museum rather than passively seeing reproductions of its artwork. Bastide is quick to admit that "nothing replaces real contact with an objet d’art (小艺术品，古玩), but the site’s interactive approach comes close. Visitors will encounter a digital image of Friedman’s design, set against its imagined location: the Bamiyan caves, where two monumental Buddha statues had stood since the fourth century A. D. before being destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Viewers can spin the building to view it from all sides, then click to enter multimedia " pavilions," which can be organized chronologically, geographically, or thematically. Friedman’s design will serve as the shell. The interior will change just like in a real-world museum, where curators (馆长) erect temporary walls according to an exhibition’s needs. Bricks and mortar (传统实体企业) aside, the Museum of Afghan Civilization will operate like a typical art institution. The website will have a director (Bastide) and a team of curators (a Princeton professor, a French museum conservator, an Afghan archeologist, and an Afghan linguist). Oh, and there’s also a designer with a background in videogames. Afghanculturemuseum.org obviously isn’t the only museum with a website, but its purely virtual form could affect the traditional museum world. For one thing, it all but eliminates the debate over whether a museum’s priority should be to display artworks or preserve them. Today’s digital reproduction technologies are generally harmless to the art (unlike the light and air in a museum), so they allow the public to see works otherwise accessible only to those with white gloves and doctorates. Virtual museums still take money to launch; Bastide is looking for $10 million in private and government funding. They won’t make the traditional museums obsolete, either. But their lower maintenance costs and sustainable approach to exhibitions might mean fewer traditional museums created in the future. That said, Bastide hopes that one day, in a stable, democratic Afghanistan, a physical Museum of Afghan Civilization might be built. But for now, the virtual approach will allow the museum to live—without having to exist. The second paragraph doesn’t claim that the Museum of Afghan Civilization ______.
With the breakneck speed at which today’s businesses move, there’s one mantra we’d all do well to remember: Change is constant. Even so, few businesses equip their employees with strategies for dealing with change. It’s often up to savvy employees to negotiate changes on their own. Few companies can guarantee they won’t need to redeploy workers or have them work a different shift. In fact, a quick search of the jobs on Yahoo! HotJobs found that 977 contained the words "subject to change. " When approached with changing roles and responsibilities, resist the urge to protest by pointing to your original job description. Employers expect their employees—unless they are under an employment contract—to be flexible, tackling whatever task they’re given with zeal. It’s OK to be concerned that you may lack some of the key skills and experiences required for the new position. If so, consider asking for additional training at a local college or other professional development organization. If classes are not in the budget, ask if you can expense instructional books related to the new job or visit your local library. Part of the fun of writing this newsletter is hearing all your stories. One came across my desk recently that I think gets to the heart of today’s tip. An employee was told that her company was adding a new managerial position that she would report into. Initially undaunted, she decided to interview for the managerial job (good for her), but when notified that she didn’t get the job, she shut down (bad for her). When I say "shut down", I’m being literal. She no longer speaks to co-workers. She does what her job description says—but nothing else. Having been a manager for more than a decade, I can tell you that this employee has forced herself into a dead end. It’s not enough to do your job while sending the message that you’d rather be "anywhere but here". Companies don’t stop and tend to bruised egos. The only way to win in this employee’s situation is to come to terms with the circumstances and adopt a professional demeanor, or move on. In fact, change can happen because you’re the best. Companies often redeploy star performers in an attempt to turn around problem areas. Management may also hope that a star employee’s good habits will rub off on others. Companies sometimes impose change on a strong performer expressly for that employee’s benefit. Smart executives move star employers to give them broader experience of operations and departments and to help groom them for senior management roles. Try not to focus on why you were tapped to change, but how you will turn it to your advantage. Don’t dwell too long on the topic or complain. The key is to be curious without appearing to be resistant. Convey that you’re eager to learn new skills and take on new challenges—and that more information will help you be more effective. Embrace your new role with enthusiasm and optimism. Remember that change is ultimately what you make of it. According to the passage, who should face and response to the changes
Bonfires can cause localized air pollution and annoy neighbours. Follow the bonfire guidelines to reduce nuisance to others. There are no specific laws governing the use of bonfires although under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990, a statutory nuisance includes "smoke, fumes or gases emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance". If bothered by smoke, approach your neighbour and explain the problem. You might feel awkward, but they may not be aware of the distress they are causing and it will hopefully make them more considerate in the future. If this fails, contact your local council’s environmental health department. The National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection (NSCA) factsheet "Pollution, Nuisance and the Law" explains the situation in more detail. If the fire is only occasional it is unlikely to be considered a nuisance in law. Under the Highways Act 1980, anyone lighting a fire and allowing smoke to drift across a road faces a fine if it endangers traffic. Contact the police in this case. What’s wrong with bonfires Burning garden waste produces smoke, especially if it is damp and smouldering. Burning plastic, rubber or painted materials not only creates an unpleasant smell but also produces a range of poisonous compounds. Your bonfire will also add to the general background level of air pollution. Bonfire smoke may cause problems for asthmatics, bronchitis sufferers, people with heart conditions and children. The smoke, smuts, and smell from bonfires are the subject of many complaints to local councils. Smoke prevents your neighbours from enjoying their gardens, opening windows or hanging washing out, and reduces visibility in the neighbourhood and on roads, Allotments near homes can cause particular problems if plot holders persistently burn waste. Fire can spread to fences or buildings and cans are a hazard when rubbish is burned. Piles of garden waste are often used as a refuge by animals, so look out for hibernating wildlife and sleeping pets. If a bonfire is the best practicable option for disposing of garden waste, follow these guidelines from the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection (NCSA) to avoid serious nuisance: 1) only burn dry material; 2) never burn household rubbish, rubber tyres, or anything containing plastic, foam or paint; 3) never use old engine oil, meths or petrol to light the fire or encourage it; 4) avoid lighting a fire in unsuitable weather conditions—smoke hangs in the air on damp, still days and in the evening; 5) if it is windy, smoke may be blown into neighbours, gardens and across roads; 6) avoid burning when air pollution in your area is high or very high—check the weather forecast, or the air quality website. Which of the following topics is NOT discussed in the passage
Ruth Handler invented something in 1959 which became so quintessentially American as to be included in the official " America’s Time Capsule" buried at the celebration of the Bicentennial in 1976: the Barbie doll. In the early 1950s, Handler saw that her young daughter, Barbara, and her girlfriends enjoyed playing with adult female dolls as much or more than with baby dolls. Handler sensed that it was just as important for girls to imagine what they themselves might grow up to become as it was for them to focus on what caring for children might be like. Inspired by her daughter’s fascination with adult paper dolls, Ruth Handier suggested making a three-dimensional doll through which little girls could act out their dreams. In 1959, Mattel introduced the Barbie doll (named after the Handlers’ daughter), a pint-sized model of the "girl next door. " Soon enough Barbie sprouted a coterie of friends and family. Ken (named for the Handlers’ son) , Barbie’s boyfriend, appeared in 1961. Meanwhile, the longtime Southern California resident defied prevailing trends in the toy industry of the late 1950s when she proposed an alternative to the flat-chest baby dolls then marketed to girls. "I believed it was important to a little girl’s self-esteem," Handler has said, "to play with a doll that has breasts. " Barbie, a teenage doll with a tiny waist, slender hips and impressive bust, became not only a best-selling toy with more than 1 billion sold in 150 countries, but a cultural icon analyzed by scholars, attacked by feminists and showcased in the Smithsonian Institution. "My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be," Handler wrote in her 1994 autobiography. "Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices. " Ruth Handier undeniably invented an American icon that functions as both a steady cynosure for girls’ dreams and an ever-changing reflection of American society. By 1966, Handler was 50 and Mattel ruled the highly competitive toy world: It controlled 12% of the $2-billion toy market in the United States. By 1970, however, her world began to unravel. Handler was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy. New corporate managers began to diversify Mattel away from toys, and their machinations ultimately resulted in the Handlers’ ouster from the company they had founded. Although best known for her pivotal role as Barbie’s inventor, Handler devoted her later years to a second, trailblazing career: manufacturing and marketing artificial breasts for women who had undergone mastectomies. Herself a breast cancer survivor, she personally sold and fitted the prosthesis and crisscrossed the country as a spokeswoman for early detection of the disease in the 1970s, when it was still a taboo subject. The Nearly Me prosthetic breast was made of liquid silicone enclosed in polyurethane and had a rigid foam backing. Her goal was to make an artificial breast so real that "a woman could wear a regular brassiere (=bra) and blouse, stick her chest out and be proud." she said of" the prosthetics business. "It sure rebuilt my self-esteem, and I think I rebuilt the self-esteem of others." By 1980, sales of the Nearly Me artificial breast had surpassed $1 million. In 1991, Handler sold the company to a division of Kimberly-Clark. She died on April 27th, 2002. The family has asked that any memorial donations be made to the Stop Cancer Organization. Why is Barbie doll so attractive to girls
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