Column Discussion (Expert)｜コラムディスカッション（上級）Lesson16 : US Scientists Announce First Successful Clone of Endangered Animal

PART A_1

Let’s learn vocabulary. Listen and repeat the words and the sentences with your tutor.

PART A_2

1.　endangered	/en-DEYN-jerd/
	-generally perceived as threatened with extinction
	Young scientists are encouraged to help conserve endangered animals.
2.　remains	/ruh-MEINZ/
	-the body of a dead person or animal
	Ancient animal remains were found in a desert.
3.　initiate	/ih-NISH-ee-eyt/
	-to begin, set going, or originate:
	A group of high school students initiated a tree-planting program.
4.　roughly	/RUH-flee/
	-approximately
	Roughly 100 guests attended the networking event.
5.　extensive	/ik-STEN-siv/
	-of great extent; wide, broad
	The researchers conducted an extensive survey.

PART B_1

Let’s read the article. Please read it aloud, and I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

PART B_2

American Scientists announce successful cloning of ferrets

U.S. scientists announced the first successful cloning of an endangered animal native to the country. The animal, a black-footed ferret, was cloned with the cells of the same species that died over 30 years earlier, as the remains of the dead animal were frozen when it died in 1981. The product of genetic reproduction was born on December 10 and named Elizabeth Ann.

Prior to the cloning project, conserving the number of black-footed ferrets had been a success. The team in charge of the project did it by initiating a captive mating program for the remaining creatures after they found a surviving animal of the same species in 1981. Roughly ten years later, thousands of black-footed ferrets were released in the Western U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

The purpose of the cloning process is to revive animal species that have gone extinct. Elizabeth Ann’s cloning was part of an extensive effort to boost the population of the endangered animal.

PART C_1

Let’s answer comprehension questions. Please answer them based on the article.

PART C_2

1.	What did the researchers name the newly cloned ferret?
2.	How did the scientists carry out the cloning process?
3.	How did the experts conserve the ferret population in the earlier years?

PART D_1

Let’s discuss the article. Please answer the questions below and express your opinions.

PART D_2

1.	What can you say about the cloning project?
2.	Do you think it is acceptable to clone animals?
3.	When is cloning unacceptable?
4.	Have you ever heard of any other cloning stories?
5.	What are some of the endangered species in your area?

REVIEW AND FEEDBACK

Now, let us review the things that you learned in this lesson.

ではこのレッスンで学んだことを振り返りましょう。

(Please give a short feedback on how your student did on your class.)

	Grammar 文法	Pronunciation 発音	Vocabulary 単語	Comprehension 理解
GOOD	文法の誤りはほとんどなく、完全な文章で話すことができる	ほとんどの単語をはっきりと正しく発音することができる	習った表現を適切に使うことができる	文章を理解し、質問に正しく答えることができる
FAIR	文法の誤りはあるが、完全な文章で話すことができる	発音の練習が必要な言葉がいくつかある	たまにミスはあるが、習った表現を適切に使うことができる	文章を完全に理解するのは難しく、質問に正しく答えられないときもある
POOR	文章で話すのは難しく、単語だけで話すことができる	発音の練習が必要である	習った単語と表現を少しだけ使うことができる	文章を理解するのは難しく、質問に答えるのは難しい

TUTOR FEEDBACK

GRAMMAR
Good:	Was able to speak in complete sentences with minimal grammatical errors.
Fair:	Was able to speak in complete sentences with evident grammatical errors.
Poor:	Was able to speak using words only.
PRONUNCIATION
Good:	Was able to pronounce most of the words clearly and correctly.
Fair:	Mispronounced a few words.
Poor:	Mispronounced most of the words.
VOCABULARY
Good:	Used appropriate expressions learned in class.
Fair:	Used appropriate expressions learned in class and made a few errors in word choice.
Poor:	Used only a few words and expressions.
COMPREHENSION
Good:	Was able to understand the passages and answer the questions correctly.
Fair:	Had a little difficulty in understanding passages and answering questions.
Poor:	Had a hard time understanding passages and answering questions.

Parts of this lesson material are based on:
An article by Voice of America