首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
About two-thirds of the world’s population is expected to live in cities by the year 2020 and, according to the United Nations,
About two-thirds of the world’s population is expected to live in cities by the year 2020 and, according to the United Nations,
admin
2016-08-19
102
问题
About two-thirds of the world’s population is expected to live in cities by the year 2020 and, according to the United Nations, approximately 3. 7 billion people will inhabit urban areas some ten years later. As cities grow, so do the number of buildings that characterize them: office towers, factories, shopping malls and high-rise apartment buildings. These structures depend on artificial ventilation systems to keep clean and cool air flowing to the people inside. We know these systems by the term" air-conditioning".
Although many of us may feel air-conditioners bring relief from hot, humid or polluted outside air, they pose many potential health hazards. Much research has looked at how the circulation of air inside a closed environment— such as an office building—can spread disease or expose occupants to harmful chemicals.
One of the more widely publicised dangers is that of Legionnaire’s disease, which was first recognised in the 1970s. This was found to have affected people in buildings with air-conditioning systems in which warm air pumped out of the system’s cooling towers was somehow sucked back into the air intake, in most cases due to poor design. This warm air was, needless to say, the perfect environment for the rapid growth of disease-carrying bacteria originating from outside the building, where it existed in harmless quantities. The warm, bacteria-laden air was combined with cooled, conditioned air and was then circulated around various parts of the building. Studies showed that even people outside such buildings were at risk if they walked past air exhaust ducts. Cases of Legionnaire’s disease are becoming fewer with newer system designs and modifications to older systems, but many older buildings, particularly in developing countries, require constant monitoring.
The ways in which air-conditioners work to"clean"the air can inadvertently cause health problems, too. One such way is with the use of an electrostatic precipitator, which removes dust and smote particles from the air. What precipitators also do, however, is to emit large quantities of positive air ions into the ventilation system. A growing number of studies show that overexposure to positive air ions can result in headaches, fatigue and feelings of irritation.
Large air-conditioning systems add water to the air they circulate by means of humidifiers. In older systems, the water used for this process is kept in special reservoirs, the bottoms of which provide breeding grounds for bacteria and fungi which can find their way into the ventilation system. The risk to human health from this situation has been highlighted by the fact that the immune systems of approximately half of workers in air-conditioned office buildings have developed antibodies to fight off the organisms found at the bottom of system reservoirs. Chemical disinfectants, called"biocides",that are added to reservoirs to make them germ-free, are dangerous in their own right in sufficient quantities, as they often contain compounds such as pentachlorophenol, which is strongly linked to abdominal cancers.
Finally, it should be pointed out that the artificial climatic environment created by air-conditioners can also adversely affect us. In a natural environment, whether indoor or outdoor, there are small variations in temperature and humidity. Indeed, the human body has long been accustomed to these normal changes. In an air-conditioned living or work environment, however, body temperatures remain well under 37℃, our normal temperature. This leads to a weakened immune system and thus greater susceptibility to diseases such as colds and flu.
The word "inadvertently" in the fourth paragraph probably means______.
选项
A、intentionally
B、indeliberately
C、definitely
D、imminently
答案
B
解析
语义题。第三段最后两句指出,研究表明在这种楼房外面的人如果从空调排气管旁走过也会有风险。由于设计了新的通风系统,对旧系统进行了改造,军团病的病例减少了,但是许多旧楼房,特别是发展中国家的旧楼房,需要一直进行监控。第四段首句指出,空调系统清洁空气的各种方式也会“inadvertently”带来健康问题。从前面的论述可知,空调系统致病是因其设计不完善而产生的问题,不是故意所为,故[B]为答案,同时排除[A];第三段一直提到这种设计缺陷会给人们带来风险,但是不一定绝对会致病,因此排除[C];空调系统致病已经发生,不是即将发生,故排除[D]。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/9x7O777K
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
AndrewCarnegie,knownastheKingofSteel,builtthesteelindustryintheUnitedStates,and,intheprocess,becameoneof
Manypeopledreamofhavingasmarterbrain.PrincetonneurobiologistJosephZ.Tsienfoundthekey.InSeptemberheannounced
Thestyleof"Visitorsshouldgoupthestairsatonce."is______.
TheriseofBritishnovelwasinthe______.
破碎的事物就这样印满了重重叠叠的生命的影迹,那么沉厚,那么绰约,却那么美丽。同样,很残忍的,我相信破碎的灵魂才最美丽。我喜欢看人痛哭失声,喜欢听人狂声怒吼,喜欢人酒后失态吐出一些埋在心底发酵的,住事。我喜欢素日沉静安然的人喋喋不休地诉说苦难,一向
Theutterance"Sheisthecreaminmycoffee"obviouslyviolatesthemaximof
当他们活着一天,总要尽量多工作、多学习,不肯虚度年华,不让时间白白地浪费掉。(2005年真题)
A、Indifferent.B、Critical.C、Supportive.D、Oppositive.C本题设题点在观点态度处。根据句(8)可知,大卫的朋友提到去自己不想去的地方,即便是坐飞机的头等舱也不愿意去,大卫对此表示赞同,因此[C]为正确答
我跟所有其余的人一样,生活在这世界上,是为着来征服生活。我也曾参加在这个“搏斗”里面。我有我的爱,有我的恨,有我的欢乐,也有我的痛苦。但是我并没有失去我的信仰:对于生活的信仰。我的生活还不会结束,我也不知道在前面还有什么东西等着我。然而我对于将来却也有一点
随机试题
Addingasuitabletag:Hehadtostayathome.
飞沫传播
拔毒去腐作用最强的药物是
机电工程施工进度计划安排中的协调制约因素有()。
甲公司于2017年1月1日动工兴建一座厂房,工程采用出包方式。工程于2018年6月30日完工,达到预定可使用状态。(1)甲公司建造工程资产支出如下:2017年1月1日,支出3000万元;2017年7月1日,支出5000万元;2018年1月1日,支出300
某税务师事务所2016年3月对某企业2015年度纳税情况审查中发现企业管理部门多提折旧100000元,财务报表已经报出,则应进行的调账分录有()。
从投资的成本一收益角度分析,只能在()情况下,培训与开发才会提高组织的利润(注:B——培训可带来的增值,C——培训的支出,S一员工受训后要求的加薪)。
19世纪末,首先沦为帝国主义“势力范围”的地区是我国的东北。()
基于经济利己主义的环保制度不可取——2010年英译汉及详解Onebasicweaknessinaconservationsystembasedwhollyoneconomicmotivesisthatmostmembers
Pleasecallusformoreinformationasourwebsiteiscurrently_____construction.
最新回复
(
0
)