Exercise 1 – Vocabulary

1. transplant (noun) – the act of replacing an organ in someone’s body with a new one.
   Example: The hospital performed its first heart transplant last year.

2. outpace (verb) – to move or develop faster than something else.
   Example: Advances in genetics often outpace changes in law.

3. dialysis (noun) – a medical procedure that cleans the blood when kidneys cannot.
   Example: After years on dialysis, the patient finally received a donor kidney.

4. antibody (noun) – a protein made by the body to fight bacteria, viruses, or foreign objects.
   Example: High levels of antibodies prevented her from receiving a human donor organ.

5. donor (noun) – a person or source that gives something, especially an organ or blood.
   Example: Many patients survive only because of organ donors.

6. hurdle (noun) – a problem or difficulty that must be overcome.
   Example: Funding is the final hurdle before the research trial begins.

Exercise 2 – Article

In January 2025, American patient Towana Looney became the longest-living person to survive with a transplanted pig kidney. At 61 days post-surgery, her organ continues to function normally, giving scientists new hope for solving the global shortage of human organs.

Looney jokes that she feels like “Superwoman,” outpacing family members on long walks as she recovers in New York. Her case is remarkable: only four other Americans had previously received gene-edited pig organs, and none lived beyond two months.

Doctors at NYU Langone Health report that Looney’s kidney works “absolutely normally.” They hope she can return home to Alabama within weeks. Researchers believe this breakthrough may signal a paradigm shift in transplant medicine.

Currently, more than 100,000 Americans are on the national transplant list, most waiting for kidneys. Thousands die each year before an organ becomes available. Scientists are genetically modifying pigs to make their organs less likely to be rejected by the human immune system.

Looney’s case is especially unusual. She had donated a kidney to her mother in 1999, but later pregnancy complications damaged her own remaining kidney. After eight years on dialysis, doctors told her she was unlikely to receive a human organ because her body had developed extremely high levels of antibodies. This made her an ideal candidate for the experimental pig transplant.

Looney left the hospital just 11 days after her operation. Although her progress is encouraging, doctors warn that many hurdles remain. No one knows how long the kidney will function, and rejection could still occur at any time. Still, for the first time in history, a patient with such a transplant is thriving months after surgery.

Exercise 3 – Discussion Questions

1. What do you think about Towana Looney’s story?

2. Would you personally consider receiving an animal organ if it could save your life? Why or why not?

3. Do you believe gene-editing technology should be widely used in medicine?

4. In your opinion, what are the biggest ethical concerns about animal-to-human transplants?

5. Do you think transplants like this could ever outpace traditional human organ donation?

Exercise 4 – Further Discussion

1. What other recent medical breakthroughs do you find exciting or surprising?

2. Do you believe organ donation should be automatic unless someone opts out? Why or why not?

3. How do you expect healthcare to change in the next 20–50 years?

4. Should governments fund experimental treatments like pig organ transplants?

5. Do you think public opinion will support or resist this kind of procedure in the future?

Exercise 5 – Writing Task (TOEFL-style)

Write a short essay (150–200 words):

Some people argue that using gene-edited animal organs to save human lives is the future of medicine. Others say it is unsafe, unethical, and unsustainable.
State your opinion. Use examples from the article and your own reasoning to support your answer.

Exercise 6 – Self-Study

1. Vocabulary practice: Write one sentence for each new word (transplant, outpace, dialysis, antibody, donor, hurdle).

2. Summary practice: Write a short summary of the article in your own words (4–5 sentences).

Sample Model Essay (TOEFL-style)

I believe that gene-edited animal organs will become an important part of medicine in the future, even though the idea still feels controversial. The story of Towana Looney shows that such transplants are not only possible but also potentially life-saving.

First, the demand for organs far outpaces supply. More than 100,000 people in the United States alone are on the transplant list, and many die every year while waiting. Traditional donation systems cannot meet this need. Using animal organs could solve this crisis by creating an unlimited supply.

Second, the risks, while real, can be managed through strict regulation and scientific monitoring. Looney herself had extremely high levels of antibodies and was not a candidate for human donation, yet her pig kidney is functioning normally. This demonstrates that what once seemed impossible may actually become routine.

In conclusion, although ethical and medical hurdles remain, I believe gene-edited animal organs will be one of the most significant medical advances of the 21st century. They may not replace human donation entirely, but they will save thousands of lives that would otherwise be lost.