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Reading Unit 2 Part 2 Study Guide
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Chinese company edits pig DNA, develops piglets that will stay pet-sized
BEIJING, China — Have you been longing for a “teacup” pig but worried that your pet might grow as big as
your bathtub?
A Chinese company says it now has the answer: a swine that would weigh no more than about 33 pounds fully
grown. The company, called BGI, created the pigs by changing their DNA, which contains the instructions for
how each cell in the body works. DNA is passed on from parents to children.
Pint-Sized Porkers
BGI recently announced that it intends to start selling the miniature pigs for $1,600. The company originally
created them to study human diseases.
The pigs made a splash late last month when BGI showed them at the Shenzhen International Biotech Leaders
Summit in China. The pint-size porkers were created through a process known as gene editing. Scientists
“edited,” or changed, the swine’s DNA, turning off a gene so that cells do not get a signal to grow.
Several celebrities have become known for their pet pigs. Miley Cyrus’ Bubba Sue and Paris Hilton’s Princess
Piglette became so big they are hard to hold. George Clooney’s 18-year companion, Max, grew to 250 pounds
before he died in 2006.
Pets, Not Pork
However, many people abandon pet pigs that grow too large. Animal breeders and experts say that a 33-pound
pig could reduce this problem. Curt Mills works with the Southern California Association for Miniature PotBellied Pigs. He says four shelters for the animals in California are full, with about 150 pigs looking for homes.
“Pigs are good pets, but a lot of issue is the size,” said Patty Morrisroe, a pig breeder in Dallas, Oregon. She
says she has produced pigs that can be around 39 pounds fully grown. But only about 20 piglets are born each
year, and she charges $2,500 to $5,500 for each one.
“If you could immediately make a small pig, it would be very cool, but there are still a lot of questions,” she
said.
Staying In China, For Now
It is not known whether BGI intends to offer its pigs for sale outside China. If Americans wanted them, the
United States government would have to decide whether they could be imported.
Alison Van Eenennaam visited BGI about three months ago and saw the micro pigs. She is a biotechnology
expert at the University of California, Davis. Van Eenennaam said the fact that the company is advertising them
as pets, not pork, reflects another problem. Many people around the world are opposed to using gene-edited, or
bioengeneered, animals for food and other more serious purposes.
Gene editing is a powerful technology, she said. It can produce animals that can resist disease. But worldwide,
she said, no genetically changed animal has been approved to eat. Only a few medical products from genetically
altered animals have even been allowed to be used to help humans. That, she believes, is making companies
wary of spending money to develop the technology.
GloFish Are Friends, Not Food
People accept bioengineered pets, though, much more easily. A florescent fish, called GloFish, has been popular
for a number of years in the United States. The fish were created by Singaporean researchers who inserted
jellyfish and sea anemone genes into zebrafish eggs.
“People are happy to have them in their aquarium," Van Eenennaam said.
"But it’s when it’s on their dinner plate that they have a different attitude."
A company called AquaBounty has been seeking for more than 20 years to win FDA approval to bring a
genetically modified fast-growing salmon to supermarkets. The FDA stands for the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration and is the government agency in charge of making rules for food and medicines in the United
States.
What Happened To Their DNA?
However, the technique used by BGI to create its micro pigs is different than the one used for the GloFish. And
it could be a new problem if BGI wanted to bring the pigs to the United States.
Instead of adding DNA, the micro pig was made by removing a piece of its DNA, said Max Rothschild. He is
an agriculture professor at Iowa State University.
Another question is how far gene editing should go.
Controversial Gene Editing
For several years, scientists have changed genes in adult human cells to make them resist disease. But this
spring, a team of Chinese researchers announced that they had used gene editing to alter DNA in human
embryos. They were trying to repair a defect that causes a blood condition that can sometimes be fatal.
Yong Li works for BGI. He said that any profits from BGI’s pet micro pigs would be put into medical research.
BGI believes it can use gene-editing not just to control the size of pet pigs but also to give consumers a choice
of pet-pig colors.
“We plan to take orders from customers now,” he said, “and see what the scale of the demand is.”
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
I can summarize a literary text based on facts, free from personal opinions and judgments.
1. Which statement would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article?
(A) However, the technique used by BGI to create its micro pigs is different than the one used for the
GloFish.
(B) Instead of adding DNA, the micro pig was made by removing a piece of its DNA, said Max
Rothschild.
(C) The pint-size porkers were created through a process known as gene editing.
(D) Many people around the world are opposed to using gene-edited, or bioengeneered, animals for food
and other more serious purposes.
I can identify central idea of a text.
I can identify details in the text that support the central idea.
2. Which of the following answer choices describes two central ideas in the article?
(A) BGI created a miniature pig by breeding two small pigs.
(B) BGI created a miniature pig by removing a piece of pig DNA.
(C) BGI created a miniature pig to help celebrities have pigs as pets.
(D) BGI created a miniature pig to lower the number of pigs found in animal shelters.
I can determine how an author’s use of details conveys (makes known) two or more central ideas over the
course of a text.
I can analyze how central ideas are developed over the course of a text.
3. Extended Response: Explain how the author develops two central ideas in this passage. Include two pieces
of textual evidence to support EACH central idea.
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I can analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning (why did the author choose to use that word
or phrase).
4. Review the first paragraph of the section "Staying In China, For Now."
It is not known whether BGI intends to offer its pigs for sale outside China. If Americans wanted them, the
United States government would have to decide whether they could be imported.
Which selection from the paragraph helps explain the meaning of "imported"?
(A) not known whether
(B) sale outside China
(C) intend to offer
(D) would have to decide
5. Review the second paragraph of the section "Pint-Sized Porkers."
The pigs made a splash late last month when BGI showed them at the Shenzhen International Biotech Leaders
Summit in China. The pint- size porkers were created through a process known as gene editing. Scientists
“edited,” or changed, the swine’s DNA, turning off a gene so that cells do not get a signal to grow.
Based on the section, what is another way of saying "gene editing"?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
make a splash
changing DNA
studying diseases
signal to grow
NFL suspends Patriots star Tom Brady over deflated footballs in playoff
With movie-star good looks and four
Super Bowl championships, Tom Brady
has been an NFL golden boy,
But even a golden boy has to play by the
rules.
The NFL delivered that message loud and
clear Monday. It suspended the New
England Patriots star quarterback without
pay for the first four games of next
season.
"The Integrity Of the Game"
The punishment comes days after the football league announced results of an investigation. It found Brady was
“likely generally aware” that team workers had conspired to let the air out of the Patriots’ footballs for last
season’s American Football Conference (AFC) championship game.
Deflating the balls made them easier to throw and catch.
The Patriots were fined $1 million. They also were stripped of their first-round draft pick next year and a fourthround selection in 2017. Equipment workers John Jastremski and Jim McNally were suspended indefinitely.
McNally had referred to himself as “the deflator” in text messages, according to investigators.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said it was critical to protect "the integrity of the game.”
Setting Up An October Showdown
Unless Brady’s suspension is reduced, he will not be able to play until an October game against the Indianapolis
Colts.
During the Jan. 18 championship game, the Colts told the NFL that the footballs were suspicious, and they were
tested at halftime. Most of them were under the minimum of 12.5 pounds per square inch.
The Patriots won that game, 45-7, and two weeks later defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
Brady’s agent, Don Yee, called the NFL report “an incredibly frail exercise in fact-finding and logic." He said
Brady would appeal the suspension.
Team owner Robert Kraft released a statement saying that the decision against the Patriots was not based on
good evidence. He also said the punishment was too severe.
Is The Penalty Fair?
Kraft called the investigation “one-sided.” He complained that he had scientific evidence that cold weather
caused the problem, but it had been ignored. “Tom Brady has our unconditional support. Our belief in him has
not wavered,” Kraft added.
Brady’s suspension is twice as long as what was originally imposed last year on Baltimore Ravens running back
Ray Rice. The Baltimore player struck the woman who was then his fiance and knocked her unconscious in an
elevator. When video of the attack came out, Rice was suspended.
In Brady's case, reaction to the penalties for what has been dubbed “Deflategate” was mixed.
Former NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman was in favor of the suspension. “It’s a good thing the @nfl
suspended Tom Brady now everyone knows that NOBODY is above the system,” he wrote on Twitter.
"More Probable Than Not"
Former NFL tight end Jake Ballard thought differently. “4 games?? What a joke!” he wrote. He said that the
crime did not match the punishment, and the suspension was too severe. He ended his tweet with
#lostmorerespectfortheNFL.”
The 243-page report released by the NFL concluded it was “more probable than not” that a Patriots employee
deflated the team’s footballs. The report stated that Brady was at least generally aware that the footballs
deflated.
The Patriots have been accused of cheating in the past.
However, not all NFL rule breaking results in a strong penalty. Last season, during a 12-degree game in
Minneapolis, Vikings workers were captured on camera using heaters to warm the footballs, which is against
the rules. The league gave the Vikings a warning. In 2012, the San Diego Chargers were fined $20,000 for
failing to immediately surrender illegal “Stickum” towels when officials asked for them. The towels improve
the grip on the ball.
"Accountable For His Actions"
Brady refused to give investigators access to his email and text messages. His unwillingness to fully cooperate
— along with the team’s past history of cheating — likely led to a heavier penalty.
“Each player, no matter how accomplished and otherwise respected, has an obligation to comply with the
rules," said NFL Executive Vice President Troy Vincent. A player "must be held accountable for his actions
when those rules are violated and the public’s confidence in the game is called into question.”
Love Him Or Hate Him?
By every indication, Brady is still as popular as ever among Patriots’ fans. He was cheered enthusiastically last
week, one day after the NFL report was released, at an event at Salem State University in Massachusetts. And
there were loud boos when journalist Jim Gray asked him whether the controversy diminished New England’s
Super Bowl championship.
Brady smiled broadly before answering, “Absolutely not,” to more cheers.
To some, that showed the arrogance of the Patriots, while others argued both sides.
“If you hate the Patriots you’re going to say those guys always cheat,” said Rich Gannon, a former NFL
quarterback and league's Most Valued Player. “But if Tom Brady had 12.5 pounds of pressure in those footballs
or 11, what difference does it make? He’s still one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. But the bottom line is, the
rules were violated and there’s a price to pay.”
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
I can summarize a literary text based on facts, free from personal opinions and judgments.
6. Short Answer: Provide a summary of the article that is based on facts.
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I can evaluate a claim or argument based on its support (e.g. is the evidence necessary; irrelevant).
7. Each sentence provides evidence the Patriots may have deliberately cheated EXCEPT:
(A) It found Brady was “likely generally aware” that team workers had conspired to let the air out of the
Patriots’ footballs for last season’s American Football Conference (AFC) championship game.
(B) McNally had referred to himself as “the deflator” in text messages, according to investigators.
(C) Equipment workers John Jastremski and Jim McNally were suspended indefinitely.
(D) Most of them were under the minimum of 12.5 pounds per square inch.
I can classify evidence that supports an argument or specific claim and evidence that does not support an
argument or specific claim.
8. Based on the section "Love Him Or Hate Him?" how do many people form their opinion about the patriots
cheating scandal?
(A) based on the league's evidence
(B) based on the Patriot's argument
(C) based on their personal feelings for the Patriots
(D) based on their personal feelings about the rules
9. Extended Response: Using the following claim, Tom Brady was aware of the deflated footballs the entire
time, in the article “NFL suspends Patriots star Tom Brady over deflated footballs in playoff” to classify ONE
piece of evidence that supports the claim and explain why. Then classify ONE piece of evidence that does not
support the claim and explain why.
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