Girl or Boy? Denise Grady

1. Background (1)Sex selection in the USA and UK: accepted practice; usually 50 to 50 in sex selection; mostly for family balance. (2)Sex selection in China and India: illegal practice but uncontrolleble in rural or underdeveloped areas; overwhelming preference for boys.

2. Sex slection methods (1)Pre-implantation methods: Sperm sorting, artificial inseminaion, in- vitro fertilization, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. (2) Post-implantation methods: Ultrasound, abortion. (3) Post birth methods: infanticide, abandonment, adoption.

3. Main idea and structure Introduction (Para. 1-2): the issue of sex selection. Context (Para. 3-7): methods of sex selection. Comments (Para. 8-11) : sex selection—an ethical issue? Comments (Para ) : sex selection— parents’ choice. Conclusions (Para. 20): sex selection—not a big deal.

4. Argumentation strategies (1)Comparison and contrast: different methods of sex selection, different views on sex selection. (2)Quotations and statistics: expert opinions and statistics in support of the arguments. (3)Inductive method: providing the general information and opinions first, and drawing conclusion later. (4)Indirect and implied conclusion: providing more persuasive opinions for one side, using experts’ opinion as the writer’s onw conclusion.

5. Questions for Education Reform (1)Why does education-tourism become so popular today? (2)What is the major reason for Finland’s success in education reform? (3)How does the writer think of learning the experience of ther countries? (4)What are the structure and main idea of the article? (5)How does the writer present his arguments? What strategies does he apply?