Science, éthique et progrès

1. a)The Institute announced that it had cured a rare form of inherited blindness in three children by rewriting a faulty gene in the retina with a single injection. Ten children had been approved for the trial, but only three were actually treated. (1)
2. b)Their parents refused to sign the consent form. The document was forty-two pages long and written in legal English, so the families could not genuinely understand what they were agreeing to, and they preferred to withdraw. (1)
3. c)She means that the consent procedure was purely formal : the Institute wanted a signature, not real understanding. Consent was treated as an administrative step rather than as an informed decision, which empties the notion of informed consent of its meaning. (1)
4. d)A guinea pig is an animal used for experiments. The phrase suggests that without genuine informed consent, a patient becomes a mere test subject. The author is not against research, but insists that understanding — not paperwork — is what separates ethical medicine from experimentation. (1)

Repère — Le texte oppose deux mots que l'axe travaille en permanence : une percée scientifique (a breakthrough) et la capacité du public à en juger (accountability).

1. a)No treatment may be tested on a patient without informed consent. (1)
2. b)The paper was rejected after peer review. (1)
3. c)Critics fear that the first authorisation will be the beginning of a slippery slope. (1)
4. d)The company claims to have reached net zero three years early. (1)

Le point clé — Quatre expressions figées — informed consent, peer review, a slippery slope, net zero — couvrent à elles seules la moitié du lexique de l'axe.

1. a)Admittedly, gene editing could eliminate several inherited diseases. (on accepte aussi Granted ou True) (1)
2. b)The real issue is whether such research should be funded by private companies. (whether, et non if, après the issue is) (1)
3. c)Evidence suggests that the effects will last for several generations. (verbe au singulier : evidence est indénombrable) (1)
4. d)On balance, a public moratorium seems the wisest option. (on accepte aussi All things considered ou Ultimately) (1)

Erreur fréquente — Après the issue is, the question is ou to decide, on écrit whether et non if : l'alternative est implicite dans whether.

1. a)Currently, very few countries allow this research. (currently, pas « actually » ; research sans -es) (1)
2. b)Research shows that it would be sensible to wait. (research shows, verbe au singulier ; sensible = raisonnable) (1)
3. c)The committee eventually checked all the data. (eventually = finalement ; to check, pas « to control ») (1)
4. d)We have too little information and not enough evidence. (little information, enough evidence : deux indénombrables) (1)

Attention — Research, evidence, progress et information ne prennent jamais de -s et n'admettent jamais l'article a.

1. a)Attendus : la problématique est posée en anglais, sans reprendre l'énoncé mot pour mot, avec l'un des deux ouvreurs imposés. Exemple : 'The issue at stake is whether a society can set limits on knowledge without losing the benefits that knowledge brings. Few debates divide scientists and citizens so sharply.' (1)
2. b)Attendus : une concession réelle, pas un homme de paille. Exemple : 'Admittedly, research has never advanced by asking permission. Every major breakthrough, from vaccines to renewable energy, began as a question nobody had the right to ask.' (1)
3. c)Attendus : une objection argumentée, appuyée sur un repère daté et relié au propos. Exemple : 'However, Mary Shelley had already understood in 1818 that the danger lies not in the creature but in the creator who refuses to be accountable for it. The Tuskegee scandal, which lasted forty years, showed what happens when consent becomes optional.' (1)
4. d)Attendus : une position nuancée, l'un des connecteurs de conclusion et un modal de recommandation. Exemple : 'On balance, research should not be forbidden, but it ought to remain public, reviewed and reversible. Limits are not the enemy of progress : they are what allows a society to accept it.' (Total ≈ 170 mots) (1)

À retenir — Une copie notée au maximum concède avant d'objecter et cite un repère daté : l'opinion seule, sans référence, plafonne toujours.