CURREN ISSUES
FINAL FILE
CLONING
1.A clonagem humana está sendo desenvolvida para salvar vidas,
entretanto, suas repercussoes longo prazo podem ser muito
sérias. Human cloning is being developed to save lives, yet its
long-term repercussions can be quite serious.
2. Clonagem humana massiva pode eventualmente reduzir
variabilidade genética. Massive human cloning can eventually
reduce genetic variability.
3. Devido ao progresso científico no campo de clonagem humana, é
altamente possível criar um superhumano em um futuro próximo.
Due to scientific progress in the field of human cloning, it is highly
possible to create a superhuman in the near future.
4. Criticos da clonagem humana acreditam que isso é uma forma de
“brincar de Deus”. Critics of human cloning believe that this is a
form of "playing God".
DRUGS
1. A legalizacao de drogas ilegais aumentaria sua disponibilidade, reduziria seu
preco, e colocar um risco significante na saude e seguranca de todos,
especialmente jovens. Legalization of illegal drugs would increase their
availability, reduce their price, and pose a significant health and safety risk to
all, especially our youth.
2. Os lucros do comércio ilegal de drogas sao tao altos porque diferentemente de
diamantes e armas de fogo, o suprimento de drogas é consumido cada ano e em
necessidade de renovacao contínua The profits from trading illegal drugs are so
high because unlike diamonds or firearms, the drug supply is consumed each
year and in need of continuous renewal.
3. Muito esforco vai para lidar com drogas ilegais, mas ha algumas drogas legais que
afetam muito mais pessoas no mundo todo: fumo e álcool. A lot of effort goes
into dealing with illegal drugs, but there are some legal drugs that affect far
more people worldwide: tobacco and alcohol.
4. Na Holanda, muitos legisladores acreditam que se um problema, tal como o vício
em drogas, foram provados serem difíceis de serem resolvidos, é melhor tentar
controla-lo e reduzir o mal ao inves de continuar a impor leis com resultados
variados. In the Netherlands, most policymakers believe that if a problem, such
as drug addiction, has proved to be difficult to solve, it is better to try controlling
it and reducing harm instead of continuing to enforce laws with varied results.
RACISM
1. O Racismo tem sido grandemente reduzido no século passado, refletido
em muitos eventos históricos no mundo todo. Racism has been greatly
reduced in the past century, reflected in many historic events
worldwide.
2. O progresso de um pais é julgado por como ele lida com o assunto do
racismo. A country's progress is judged by how it deals with the issue
of racism.
3.De acordo com Oprah Winfrey, a melhor barreira contra o racismo ou
sexismo é a excelencia. According to Oprah Winfrey, the best deterrent
to racism or sexism is excellence.
4. A Africa do Sul pode experimentar racismo nos Estados Unidos. É também
possível para um cidadao dos EUA experimentarem racismo na
América do Sul. A South American may experience racism in the U.S.; it
is also possible for a U.S. citizen to experience racism in South America.
EUTHANASIA
1. A morte misericordiosa é a pratica de intencionalmente facilitar até a morte alguém que está
sofrendo de uma incapcidade dolorosa ou doenca. Mercy killing is the practice of
intentionally easing into death someone who is suffering from an incurable and painful
handicap or illness.
2. Algumas pessoas acham hipócrita que a maior parte dos paises nao permitam a eutanasia
para seres humanos, entretanto permitem a eutanasia animal. Some people find it
hypocritical that most countries that do not allow euthanasia for human beings, yet allow
animal euthanasia.
3. Para Cristaos, a vida é um dom de Deus, e entao a cessacao da vida deve ser uma decisao
própria de Deus; entretanto, alguns argumentam que desde que é um dom, nós temos o
direito de prover a nos mesmos com uma “boa morte”. For Christians, life is a gift from
God, and so the cessation of life must also be God's own decision; however, some argue
that since it is a gift, we have the right to provide ourselves with a "good death".
4. Um tipo de euthanasia conhecida como Suicidio Assistido por um Médico envolve um
médico providenciado os meios para uma pessoa terminar sua própria vida, como tal tudo
o que levaria é para um paciente virar uma vávula ou apertar um botao. A type of
euthanasia known as Physician Assisted Suicide entails a doctor providing the means for a
person to end his or her own life, such that all it would take is for the patient to turn a
valve or push a button.
DEATH PENALTY
1. De acordo com a Anistia Internacional, tem paises que nao dao informacoes sobre o uso da
pena de morte, mais significativamente a China, onde centenas de pessoas acredita-se
serem executadas todo ano. According to Amnesty International, there are countries
which do not give out information on the use of the death penalty, most significantly
China, where hundreds of people are believed to be executed each year.
2. Japao, Singapura, Coréia do Sul, Taiwan e os Estados Unidos sao os unicos países
desenvolvidos que tiveram retida a pena de morte. Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan,
and the United States are the only developed countries that have retained the death
penalty.
3. Defensores da pena de morte acreditam que prisao perpétua nao é um impedidor efetivo
para crimes hediondos. Supporters of the death penalty believe that life imprisonment is
not an effective deterrent to heinous crimes.
4. Enquanto oponentes da pena de morte afirmam que ela viola os direitos do criminoso a vida,
defensores rebatem que ela afirma o direito a vida por punir aqueles que a violaram.
While death penalty opponents state that it violates the criminal’s right to life, supporters
rebut that it affirms the right to life by punishing those who violate it.
GLOBAL WARMING
1. Nos sabemos que emissoes de dióxido de carbono sao os maiores
contribuintes para o aquecimento global; assim, mudando
habitos de transportes ajudará a aliviar o problema. We know
that carbon dioxide emissions are the largest contributor to
global warming; thus, changing one’s transportation habits will
help alleviate the problem.
2. Energia alternativa pode ser inicialmente cara mas após vários
anos pode pagar-se a si mesma através da economia com energia.
Alternative energy can be initially costly but after several years
can pay for itself through energy savings.
3. Cada indivíduo deveria ajudar a reduzir seu própria emissao de gas
carbonico. Each individual should help reduce his or her own
carbon footprint.
CHILD LABOR
1. The practice of child labor is considered exploitative by human rights
organizations and is prohibited in many countries.
2. During the Era of the Industrial Revolution, children as young as 4 years old
were made to work in factories often under dangerous conditions.
3. Despite the stipulation in Article 32 of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child that children should be protected from performing work that is likely to
be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, there is still an
estimated 250 million children working worldwide.
4. Working conditions generally considered to be safe for adults may not
necessarily be safe for children because they are physically different.
5. Low-income youth are more likely to work in occupations that are high-risk, such as
in the mining, agriculture, and construction industries.
6. Some of the worst forms of child labor are soldiering, slavery, prostitution, and drug
trafficking.
ABORTION
1. The practice of infanticide in the olden days as a form of family planning has
largely died out, but today’s issue of abortion is still debated.
2. The issue of abortion in the view of many pro-lifers is that it is morally wrong,
based on the simple fact that a life is a life.
3. At the core of the abortion debate is a woman’s right to privacy – that is, the
ability of a woman to “decide what happens to her own body”.
4. In Canada, abortion is legal and is even supported with public funding, while in
Brazil, abortion can only be performed if the pregnancy puts a woman’s life in
danger or if it is the result of a rape.
5. Since the Supreme Court handed down the decision in Roe vs. Wade in 1973, some
40 million abortions have been committed in the United States.
6. In a pro-lifer’s opinion, women who feel they should have a choice fail to see that if
a choice needs to be made, it should be made before the conception of a child.
TERRORISM
1. Various freedoms were taken away from us after the September 11,
2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
2. Media provides terrorists with platforms to make their grievances and
programs known, thus allowing them to have a greater psychological impact
on the public.
3. After the September 11 attacks, extremist tendencies in the West resulted
in prejudice to Muslims and even non-Muslims who merely happened to have
long beards or resembled stereotypes.
4. It was expected that the U.S. would retaliate for the 9/11 attacks, although
the fear was how this revenge would be executed.
5. Ransom is the oxygen of terrorist activity.
6. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Returning violence for violence
multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of
stars. “
STREET GANGS
1. As the U.S. government focused on problems in the Middle East, the problem
of ultraviolent street gangs has largely been ignored, causing it to grow its
networks across the country.
2. Providing opportunities such as after-school clubs may prevent gang
membership.
3. The average U.S. street gang is composed 12- to 21-year-old males who live in
poor, central areas of cities with population sizes of above 200,000.
4. More recently, the street gang demographic has changed: About two-thirds of
members are adults, and female membership is increasing.
5. Children from poor neighborhoods turn to street gangs for protection and to
find belongingness and understanding.
6. Some street gangs honor a code based on the getting and giving of respect,
and those who do not follow the code, intentionally or otherwise, are often
executed.
EATING DISORDER
1. One danger associated with eating disorders is malnutrition, which
may lead to health risks such as kidney failure, respiratory infections,
heart attack, and even death.
2. People with anorexia are obsessed with being thin and fear weight
gain so much that they refuse to eat.
3. Many people with eating disorders refuse to admit to having them.
4. True recovery from an eating disorder involves accepting and trusting
oneself.
5. It is essential for family members of a patient of any eating disorder to
be supportive.
6. Eating disorders are often triggered by the way body image and beauty
are portrayed by the media.
CLONING
1.Human cloning is being developed to save lives, yet its long-term
repercussions can be quite serious.
2. Massive human cloning can eventually reduce genetic variability.
3. Due to scientific progress in the field of human cloning, it is highly
possible to create a superhuman in the near future.
4. Critics of human cloning believe that this is a form of "playing God".
5. It is said that cloning would enable scientists to revive animals that have
become extinct, and just like in the movie, "Jurassic Park," these animals
would be reintroduced into the ecology.
6. If you had a child with a disability, would you pay to have a body part
cloned to save his or her life?
DRUGS
1. Legalization of illegal drugs would increase their availability, reduce their price,
and pose a significant health and safety risk to all, especially our youth.
2. The profits from trading illegal drugs are so high because unlike diamonds or
firearms, the drug supply is consumed each year and in need of continuous renewal.
3. A lot of effort goes into dealing with illegal drugs, but there are some legal drugs
that affect far more people worldwide: tobacco and alcohol.
4. In the Netherlands, most policymakers believe that if a problem, such as drug
addiction, has proved to be difficult to solve, it is better to try controlling it and
reducing harm instead of continuing to enforce laws with varied results.
5. Research shows that some compounds in marijuana could be used to treat certain
types of medical conditions, such as cancer.
6. Betty Ford, a former U.S. First Lady and Founder of The Betty Ford Center where
chemical dependents undergo rehabilitation, was herself once an alcoholic.
RACISM
1. Racism has been greatly reduced in the past century, reflected in
many historic events worldwide.
2. A country's progress is judged by how it deals with the issue of
racism.
3. According to Oprah Winfrey, the best deterrent to racism or sexism
is excellence.
4. A South American may experience racism in the U.S.; it is also
possible for a U.S. citizen to experience racism in South America.
5. On racism, Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: "Lukewarm acceptance
is more bewildering than outright rejection."
6. Which race can actually lay claim to the United States of America?
EUTHANASIA
1. Mercy killing is the practice of intentionally easing into death someone who is
suffering from an incurable and painful handicap or illness.
2. Some people find it hypocritical that most countries that do not allow
euthanasia for human beings, yet allow animal euthanasia.
3. For Christians, life is a gift from God, and so the cessation of life must also be
God's own decision; however, some argue that since it is a gift, we have the
right to provide ourselves with a "good death".
4. A type of euthanasia known as Physician Assisted Suicide entails a doctor providing
the means for a person to end his or her own life, such that all it would take is for the
patient to turn a valve or push a button.
5. Proponents of euthanasia feel that hospital beds as well as the energy of doctors
could be better used for people whose lives could be saved instead of continuing the
lives of those who want to die.
6. If a close relative begs you to turn off a life-support machine to end his suffering,
would you do it?
DEATH PENALTY
1. According to Amnesty International, there are countries which do not
give out information on the use of the death penalty, most significantly China,
where hundreds of people are believed to be executed each year.
2. Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States are the only
developed countries that have retained the death penalty.
3. Supporters of the death penalty believe that life imprisonment is not an
effective deterrent to heinous crimes.
4. While death penalty opponents state that it violates the criminal’s right to
life, supporters rebut that it affirms the right to life by punishing those who
violate it.
5. One great disadvantage of the death penalty is wrongful execution.
6. Should the death penalty apply to persons who commit grave crimes but
are mentally ill?
GLOBAL WARMING
1. We know that carbon dioxide emissions are the largestcontributor
to global warming; thus, changing one’s transportation habits will help
alleviate the problem.
2. Alternative energy can be initially costly but after several years can
pay for itself through energy savings.
3. Each individual should help reduce his or her own carbon footprint.
4. According to a watchdog organization, warming by the year 2100 for
a certain scenario is 3.4 degrees Centigrade or 6.1 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Temperature increases in the Arctic Circle will endanger several
animal species, as only the most adaptable ones will survive.
6. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, if all the glaciers
melted today, the seas would rise about 230 feet – that’s enough to cover
two-story homes and bungalows.
GUN CONTROL
1. One major issue in gun ownership in the U.S. is that there aren’t enough
background checks on private-transaction gun purchase.
2. Opponents of gun control say that gun owners often use their weapons to
deter crime.
3. Gun control proponents believe that the right to bear arms does not
extend to ownership of military-style firearms, also known as assault
weapons.
4. Effective screening of gun-license applicants should be used to keep guns
out of the hands of people who are a risk to themselves and/or others.
5. Gun purchasers should take lessons in gun safety to prevent accidents.
6. Although self-defense is commonly cited as a reason to own a gun, a study
showed that “a gun kept in the home is 43 times more likely to kill a member
of the household, or a friend, than an intruder”.