PSAT Reading Practice Question 223

Question: 223

When Dr. Kingston Hussein saw an 
announcement for a conference titled 
Ethics of Human Embryonic Research, 
he booked his tickets six months in
05advance.
"We need to stop and reflect on 
the ramifications of every new development 
in our research," said Dr. Hussein, 
the lead researcher in embryology at the
10Dampson Crockett Institute in Lewiston, 
Maine. "Every researcher in our 
field feels the weight of responsibility 
here. It's what we talk about when we 
go out for drinks after work."
15Attitudes like Dr. Hussein's stand in 
stark contrast to common public perceptions 
of embryonic research. "These guys think 
they're gods," said Liz Goode, 
chairwoman of The Center for Ethical
20and Dignified Humanity, an organization 
that opposes all research on human 
embryos. "They want to get rich selling 
designer babies to billionaires. 
It's a nightmare."
25An outside observer might expect 
a researcher like Dr. Hussein to avoid 
all contact with an activist like Goode. 
On the contrary, Dr. Hussein wrote 
to the organizers of the conference and
30requested that they invite Goode to 
host a panel. "We need dialogue," he 
said. "We need to hear what makes the 
public uncomfortable." He chuckled. "We 
also need to inform them about what we're
35actually doing."
And what are embryonic researchers 
doing? "Not building designer babies," 
he said. Dr. Hussein uses words like 
"run-of-the-mill medical" to describe his
40research goals. For instance, he is 
seeking causes and treatments for 
a variety of neurological disorders.

What information would Dr. Hussein likely present to Liz Goode to support his stance on embryonic research?

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