Μάθημα : ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ α' τάξη 2ου ΓΕΛ Άργους

In this chapter we talked about the waste of animal lives in experiments and scientific laboratories, the scientists' concerns, the issue of the animals in Factory farms, the endangered animals and of course the debate on animal-testing experiments and animal rights. I would like you to consider the following questions and if possible, to make your own statements.

What do we mean by animal rights?

Animal rights means that animals deserve certain kinds of consideration—consideration of what is in their best interests, regardless of whether they are “cute,” useful to humans, or an endangered species and regardless of whether any human cares about them at all. It means recognizing that animals are not ours to use—for food, clothing, entertainment, or experimentation.

Animal rights

• There is much disagreement as to whether non-human animals have rights, and what is meant by animal rights. Read more Animal rights.

• Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. Many of us bought our beloved “pets” at pet shops and kept beautiful birds in cages. We wore wool and silk, ate McDonald’s burgers, and fished. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?  Read more: Why should animals have rights? 

PETA 

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 6.5 million members and supporters. PETA opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: in laboratories, in the food industry, in the clothing trade, and in the entertainment industry.  Read more PETA organization.

"Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment or abuse in any other way"

1. Which arguments against animal-testing experiments do you find more convincing? (50-60 words)

2. What do societies need to do to protect animal rights? (50-60 words)

Key words:poorly designed projects, over-use of animals, no sufficiently robust data, ethically questionable, animal welfare, focus on profit, hyperdroduction, factory farms, genetic manipulation, captivity, abuse and cruelty, endangered animals, species under extinction, animal rights.

Exercise 10, page 57. BBC radio talk.

Answer: They discuss the place of animals in our society and examines whether their role in our search for knowledge is morally unacceptable in the light of new research into animal consciousness.

Title: Animal experiments and rights

Exercise11, page 57. TED talk.

Answer:

1.abudant bird

2. slaughter

3. hunted to death

4. grasslands

5. biotech business

6. speciments

7. you can reassemble

8. evolution

9. genes

10. with another variation

• Use the links above to hear a BBC radio talk and watch aTED talk. Try to complete exercise 10 and 11, page 57 of your coursebook.