Inanidealworld,peoplewouldnottestmedicinesonanimals.Suchexperimentsarestressfulandsometimespainfulforanimals,andexpensiveandtime–consumingforpeople.Yetanimalexperimentationisstillneededtohelpbridgevastgapsinmedicalknowledge.Thatiswhytherearesome50to100millionanimalsusedinresearcharoundtheworldeachyear. Europe,onthewhole,hastheworld’smostrestrictivelawsonanimalexperiments.Evenso,itsscientistsusesome12millionanimalsayear,mostofthemmiceandrats,formedicalresearch.Officialstatisticsshowthatjust1.1millionanimalsareusedinresearchinAmericaeachyear.Butthatismisleading.TheAmericanauthoritiesdonotthinkmiceandratsareworthcountingand,asthesearethemostcommonlaboratoryanimals,thetruefigureismuchhigher.JapanandChinahaveevenlesscomprehensivedatathanAmerica. NowEuropeisreformingtherulesgoverninganimalexperimentsbyrestrictingthenumberofanimalsusedinlabs.Alternativestoanimaltesting,suchasusinghumantissueorcomputermodels,arenowstronglyrecommended.Inaddition,sharingallresearchresultsfreelyshouldhelptoreducethenumberofanimalsforscientificuse.Atpresent,scientistsoftenshareonlytheresultsofsuccessfulexperiments.Iftheirfindingsdonotfitthehypothesisbeingtested,theworkneverseesthelightofday.Thispracticemeanswastingtime,money,andanimals’livesinendlesslyrepeatingthefailedexperiments. Animalexperimentationhastaughthumanityagreatdealandsavedcountlesslives.Itneedstocontinue,evenifthatmeansanimalssometimessuffer.Europe’snewmeasuresshouldeventuallybothreducethenumberofanimalsusedinexperimentsandimprovethewayinwhichscientificresearchisconducted. 小题1:Whatisthemainideaofthispassage? |