LR Drill Set 1, Question 1
Simone: Technology is now available that, through precise(89 more words not shown)
Simone's and Juana's statements most(7 more words not shown)
- Amedical science should(9 more words not shown)
- Bgenetic diseases represent(7 more words not shown)
- Caltering human genes(20 more words not shown)
- Daltering human genetic(8 more words not shown)
- Ethe risks involved(11 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Preventing a serious disease sounds like a good use of medicine. But what are the risks of the technology that prevents it?
Simone thinks we should use genetic technology to stop diseases before they cause serious problems. I can see the benefit.
Where I hesitate is the instruction not to let fear of abuse stand in the way. What kind of abuse? Imagine a technology that could prevent one disease but could also be misused to cause a much more dangerous one. That is a hypothetical concern, not something the passage establishes about this technology. It shows why the size of the benefit alone doesn't settle the decision.
Juana raises that concern. She thinks Simone is trading the existing problem for something considerably more dangerous. We don't have to decide who is right. We need to hear the disagreement: Simone is willing to proceed despite possible abuse; Juana thinks the potential consequences make that a bad trade.
What we’re looking for
For a disagreement question, an answer must give us opposing positions from the two speakers. I'd look for whether using the technology is worth the danger. Merely mentioning a risk won't be enough, because two people can recognize a risk and disagree about whether to take it.
Working the answers
- A
Juana objects to using this technology to alter human genes. That doesn't tell us she opposes all genetic research involving people. She could support research into genetic diseases while opposing this particular use. We can't turn her narrower objection into a position on every kind of research.
- B
Juana doesn't deny that genetic diseases are serious. In fact, calling the alternative problems “considerably more dangerous” is compatible with thinking the existing diseases are very dangerous. Both speakers could agree that these diseases are a serious health problem.
- C
Juana warns of possible tragedies. She doesn't say the technology will only replace the old genetic diseases with new genetic diseases. The harms she fears could take other forms, and “will only” adds a certainty and restriction that she never gives us.
- D
Be careful with “will.” Juana describes tragedies that could occur, which is different from committing to the claim that harmful effects will occur. And Simone doesn't promise there will be no harmful effects. She could acknowledge some harm and still believe the benefits justify proceeding. We can't assign them clear opposite answers to D.
- ECorrect
Simone says medical science should use the technology and should not let possible abuse block progress. She treats the risk as worth taking. Juana says that this would exchange one problem for considerably more dangerous problems, so she rejects that trade. This captures the decision they disagree about without claiming that either speaker has proved exactly what will happen.
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