A Matter of Supply and Demand.
Across the world, thousands of people die every year waiting for an organ transplant. At the same time, millions of people live in extreme poverty, desperate for cash. In almost every country, paying a living donor for their kidney is strictly illegal. But does prohibition actually protect the vulnerable, or does it simply force the trade into the dangerous shadows of the black market?
- Transplant (noun/verb): A medical operation in which an organ or tissue is transplanted from one person to another.
- Donor (noun): A person who provides blood, an organ, or tissue for transplantation.
- Black market (noun): An illegal traffic or trade in officially controlled or scarce commodities.
1. Raw Vocabulary: The Body Trade
Practice: drag a word, or select it and choose a gap.
1. With over 100,000 people on the national , patients are getting desperate.
2. The illegal found a match, charging the buyer $150,000 but only paying the donor $3,000.
3. Many economists argue that governments should legalise and strictly the trade to make it safe.
4. Criminal syndicates often target refugees and the deeply poor.
5. In shady, back-alley clinics, corrupt doctors kidneys using unsanitary equipment.
6. Opponents argue that if you are starving, you cannot give genuine, uncoerced to sell your body parts.
Choose a word, then choose a gap.
2. Idioms and Expressions
When discussing desperation and the extreme lengths people will go to survive, these phrases are common.
- "A matter of life and death." A situation of extreme urgency where someone's survival depends on the outcome.
- "To make a killing." To make a massive amount of money very quickly (a dark pun when used in this context).
- "To prey on someone." To exploit or take advantage of someone who is weak or vulnerable.
- "To cross a moral line." To do something that violates basic ethical standards or human decency.
3. Reading: The Two Desperate Men
Read this ethical dilemma regarding the reality of the illegal organ trade.
Arthur is a wealthy businessman in London. His kidneys are failing, and he has been told he will die before he reaches the top of the official waitlist. Desperate, Arthur pays an illegal broker $200,000 to find him an organ.
Halfway across the world, Mateo is living in extreme poverty. He cannot feed his children and is facing eviction. He voluntarily contacts the same broker and gives his consent to sell one of his kidneys for $5,000. He flies to a secret clinic, the doctors harvest the organ, and Arthur gets his transplant.
Arthur survives, and Mateo uses the money to pay off his debts. Advocates for legalisation argue that this transaction saved both men's lives. They argue that provided that the surgery is safe, people own their bodies and should be allowed to sell them. Critics, however, argue that this is pure exploitation. They claim that the broker preyed on Mateo's desperation, and that unless we maintain a strict ban, the rich will continually cannibalize the global poor.
4. Grammar Focus: Conditionals (Unless / Provided that)
When debating laws and strict regulations, we often use alternatives to "if." Unless means "if not." Provided that (or "as long as") means "only if."
| Conjunction | Meaning / Usage | Debate Example |
|---|---|---|
| Unless | "Except if" / "If we don't". Used to show a negative condition that will result in a consequence. | "Unless we legalise the trade, people will keep dying in secret." (If we don't legalise it, people will die.) |
| Provided that (As long as) |
"Only if". Used to set a strict, mandatory condition for something to be acceptable. | "They should be allowed to sell it, provided that the surgery is safe." (Only if the surgery is safe.) |
Pro Tip: Never use "will" immediately after 'Unless' or 'Provided that'. Use the Present Simple. (e.g., "Unless he pays..." NOT "Unless he will pay...").
Exercise A: Choose the Correct Conjunction
1. ____________ the donor is fully aware of the medical risks, the government should not interfere with the sale.
2. ____________ we increase the number of legal, voluntary donors, the black market will continue to thrive.
Exercise B: Complete the Expressions
Type the missing words to complete these heavy idioms.
1. The patient doesn't care about the law; finding a kidney is a matter of life and .
2. The illegal brokers aren't helping people; they are just preying the desperate.
5. The Hot Seat: Debate Practice 🎙️
- If a person is facing starvation, can they truly give free and fair consent to have an organ harvested?
- Do you agree with the argument that legalising and regulating the organ trade would eliminate the dangerous black market?
- Use Unless: "Unless we change the current laws regarding organ donation..." (Complete the sentence).
- Use Provided that: "I believe people should be allowed to sell their kidneys, provided that..." (Complete the condition).
- Why do governments allow people to sell their blood plasma or hair, but consider selling a kidney to be crossing a moral line?