TPO 13 q1

In this set of materials, the reading passage claims that the trade of fossils should be forbidden for three main reasons. While, in the listening, the professor casts doubt on what is presented in the text and rejects each of the author's reasons.

First of all, it is clearly stated in text that the public lose their access to fossils when they are being sold to the private collectors. However, the professor believes that this view is problematic. She points out that trading provide more benefits than disadvantages for the public access since some low level academic school can buy them and display for the public. Therefore, a more wide range of people can be familiar with the fossils.

In addition, the professor oppose this point of the author that scientists miss the access to fossils which lead to decrease the level of discoveries about extinct life forms. She explains that the fossils can not be sold to the public before being identified by researchers. The fossils are passed through the hand of researcher at the first and after doing a large number of testing in detail, they may be sold to the collectors. Therefore, the scientist do not miss anything important.

Finally, although in the text it is mentioned that the private collectors are not educated and may destroy the fossils, the professor presents some explanation to contradict this view. She says that it is better for the researchers to find new fossils rather that to focus only on the available ones. There are a lot number of fossils which are not discovered yet and it is clearly better to put time toward exploring and investigating some recent fossils.