Air Pollution: Key Content
Air Pollution: Key Content
Air Pollution: Key Content
Scientists have revealed that air pollution may be responsible for a significant reduction in intelligence. Research
conducted for the World Health Organization (WHO) in China showed that air pollution was responsible for
notable falls in student test scores for languages and arithmetic. The Chinese study is called, "The impact of
exposure to air pollution on cognitive performance". It was published in a journal called, "Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences". The study took place over a period of four years. Researchers analyzed verbal and
arithmetic tests taken by 20,000 people of all ages. They said: "Polluted air may impede cognitive ability as people
become older."
Researchers say their study is a warning to the rest of the world, especially to those who live in cities. The WHO
says over 91 per cent of the world population live in areas with toxic air. Air pollution is currently the fourth
highest cause of deaths worldwide. The researchers discovered that the longer people were exposed to polluted
air, the greater was the damage to their intelligence. They equated the impact of air pollution to losing a year's
worth of education. For those aged over 60, this could be the equivalent of several years of lost education.
Researcher Dr. Xi Chen warned: "There is no shortcut to solve this issue. Governments really need to take concrete
measures to reduce air pollution."
Key Content
1. Revealed a. The action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another.
2. Significant b. Delay or prevent someone or something by obstructing them.
3. Arithmetic c. Made previously unknown or secret information known to others.
4. Impact d. The area of mathematics dealing with adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying numbers.
5. Exposure e. Great or important enough to be worthy of attention.
6. Cognitive f. The state of having contact with something.
7. Impede g. About the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
8. Toxic h. At the present time.
9. Currently i. Caused someone to experience or be at risk of.
10.Exposed j. An accelerated or quickened way of doing or achieving something.
11.Equated k. Poisonous.
12.Equivalent l. Specific; definite.
13.Shortcut m. Equal in value, amount, function, meaning, etc.
14.Concrete n. Considered or thought one thing to be the same as or similar to another thing.
1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).
1. Scientists say air pollution leads to big reductions in intelligence. T / F
2. Scientists said pollution reduced language and arithmetic test scores. T / F
3. Scientists conducted the research over a four-year period. T / F
4. Around 20,000 teenagers took a test in the research. T / F
5. About 91% of people live in areas with very polluted air. T / F
6. Air pollution is the biggest cause of death worldwide. T / F
7. Scientists said air pollution caused a loss of 10 years' education. T / F
8. A researcher said there were plenty of shortcuts to solve this problem. T / F
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COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
DISCUSSION
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