Mini-Debates

Euthanasia
Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

1. Can you think of a situation where

a person would want an assisted suicide?

2. Have you heard of any cases of

euthanasia in your state/country/province?

3. Do you approve of assisted suicide?

4. Does your country have any

laws about assisted suicide?

5. Would you want to be “helped to die” if you were terminally ill?

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match up as many words and meanings as you can.

Check this exercise again after seeing the words in context on page 2.

1. euthanasia a)  willingly do something

2. assisted b)  bad treatment or behavior

3. credible c)  controlled by laws or rules

4. expert d)  helped, made easier

5. terminal e)  going to die

6. suicide f)  a person who has special knowledge

7. conscious g)  helping to end the life of a terminally ill person

8. regulated h)  believable, reliable

9. voluntary i)  to agree or give permission to do something

10. consent j)  the act of killing oneself

11. abuse k)  aware of what’s happening

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 Euthanasia
Mini-Debates

Reading
1. The number of assisted deaths continues to increase in Britain. “I have accepted that
While many other countries and states have legalized euthanasia, my illness will rob
it is still illegal in the UK. Currently, in Britain, the maximum sentence
for helping someone commit suicide is 14 years.
me of my life, but
how it ends should
2. Dr. Hazel Biggs, a credible expert in healthcare ethics, thinks doctors
should be allowed to help terminal patients die. Dr. Biggs is trying to
be up to me.”
have a new law created that allows medical staff to help conscious, —Noel Conway,
terminally ill patients end their lives. She claims that doctors in many euthanasia advocate
countries already help patients to die, even in places where it is not
legal or regulated. Dr. Biggs wants a law created in the UK so that
patients can give voluntary consent to die and so that the practice
will be more closely controlled.

3. As the population ages, more doctors are secretly making private

decisions to aid the early death of patients by increasing drug doses.
Sometimes the patient does not give their consent, and the doctor
secretly makes the decision. So, a law is needed to decrease the
risk of abuse.

4. Although many people support a new law, the ProLife party and other
religious groups are against it. The Church of England and Roman
Catholic bishops said, “It is deeply misguided to propose a law by
which it would be legal for terminally ill people to be killed or assisted
in suicide by those caring for them, even if there are safeguards to
ensure that only the terminally ill would qualify.”

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 Euthanasia
Mini-Debates

Comprehension
Discuss these questions in pairs and write the answers in your notebook.

1. In Britain, what is the maximum punishment for assisting a suicide?

2. What kind of law is Dr. Biggs trying to create?

3. Why does Dr. Biggs want to have the law created in the UK?

4. How are the doctors secretly causing the death of the terminally ill patients?

5. Do the patients always agree to having an assisted early death? Explain.

Vocabulary Review
Complete the sentences using a word from the vocabulary list on page 1.
You may need to change the word form.

1. Hitting children is often considered a form of                 .

Many people think it is wrong to hit children.

2. Paying taxes is not                 . People have no choice, they must pay taxes.

3. Cancer is not always                 . Often people continue to live after having cancer.

4. Most of the time when you have an operation, you are not                 .
You are usually given medication that will cause you to sleep.

5. Unfortunately, that man committed                 . He decided to kill himself.

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 Euthanasia
Mini-Debates

Discuss
Work with a partner or in small groups. Discuss the following questions.

1. Do you think that doctors should help terminally ill patients die?

2. Should doctors be able to decide when to increase

a patient’s drug dosage so that the patient will die?

3. Do you think a law should be passed so that a terminally ill

patient can sign a consent form requesting assisted suicide?

4. What kind of abuse can happen if a law isn’t

created to regulate and control assisted suicide?

5. Do you think that people should go to jail

for assisting in a terminally ill patient’s death?

Debate
Below are two topics to debate in small groups or pairs.
Your teacher will tell you if you will be debating for or against the idea.
You will have ten minutes to prepare your arguments.

Topic #1 Topic #2

Doctors should be able to help People should die naturally without

terminally ill patients in assisted suicide. any interference or assistance.

Write
Choose one of the questions from the Discuss section above.
Then write a paragraph in your notebook stating your own opinion.

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 Euthanasia
Mini-Debates

Useful Expressions & Transitions for Debating

Agreeing and Disagreeing Expressing an Opinion

• That doesn’t take away from the fact that... • In my honest opinion...
• That’s beside the point. • It is my belief that...
• With all due respect... • From my experience...
• I agree with you there. • From where I look at it...
• I agree with ---- (name). • From my point of view...
• I see your point, but...
• That may be true, but...
Clarifying / Rephrasing
• We’re going to have to agree to disagree.
• I get/see where you’re coming from, but... • Let’s be clear here...
• I’m afraid I disagree entirely. • I think you misunderstood what I said.
• I’m afraid I’d have to disagree. • What I said was... (repeat a point
• I agree to some extent, but... that was misunderstood or confused)
• I disagree with you there. • What I meant to say was...
• Pardon me for disagreeing, but... (rephrase something in a way that is clearer)
• In other words...
• What I was trying to say
Interrupting / Asking to Contribute
before I was interrupted is that...
• I hate to interrupt, but...
• If I may come in here...
Summarizing / Concluding
• I’d like to add something.
• Would you like to contribute something? • So let me get this straight. You think...
• I’d like to raise a point. • To conclude...
• If I could speak for a moment... • I’d just like to summarize by saying...
• I’d like to cut in here. • Finally, I’d like to reiterate that...
• You haven’t answered my question. • It’s time to take stock of what we’ve heard today.
• Both sides have some valid points.
• The stronger argument/team today is...
Persuading

• Can you see where I’m coming from?

• I challenge you to give this a try/chance.
• I want you to see it my way.
• Put yourself in my shoes.
• Am I getting through to you?

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