研究生科技英语阅读答案(8)

IV. Cloze

1. Watched 2. via 3. which 4. across 5. list 6. position 7. engine 8. with 9. substantially 10.on

Unit 6

Are Cell Phones Safe?

I. comprehension and Appreciation

1. Are you a cell phone user? How long do you talk on it per day?

2. Why is there a controversy as to the safety of using cell phones? What should we do according to the experts?

Some studies have suggested that frequent use of cell phones causes increased risk of brain and mouth cancers, others have found no such links. But since cell phones are relatively new and brain cancers grow slowly, many experts are now recommending taking steps to reduce exposure.

3. Why are cell phone users able to choose and interpret the results of using cell phones they prefer and ignore the ones they don’t?

With some 4 to 5 billion cell phones now in use worldwide and hundreds of studies seeking evidence of their health effects published in peer-reviewed journals over the last 10 years, there’s precious little scientific certainty over whether cell phones pose any danger to those using them. For nearly every study that reports an effect, another, just as carefully conducted, finds none.

4. Why is it difficult to assess the effects of cell phones?

The effects of cell phones have proven difficult to assess because they are relatively new, the way and the amount they’re used continues to evolve, and the problems that cell phones might cause are hard to detect.

5. What kind of radiation do cell phones produce? Is there any potential damage to DNA?

Cell phones produce ―non-ionizing‖ radiation, which, unlike X- or gamma rays, doesn’t damage DNA by stripping away electrons from molecules in cell tissue. Radiofrequency energy does, however, produce heat and, at high enough levels, can damage cell tissue.

6. Both the U.S. FCC and the ICNIRP in Europe set some limits on cell phones’ SAR, is there still some question remained?

It is true that the U.S. FCC and the ICNIRP in Europe set some limits on cell phones’ SAR — the measure of the amount of radiofrequency energy a cell phone user absorbs — at, respectively, 1.6 and 2.0 watts per kilogram. However, there still remains the question whether these standards are sufficient to protect against long-term exposures and whether the buildup of heat in cell tissues is more damaging where there’s less blood flow to dissipate it, such as the outer ear, brain, skin, or testes.

7. What is the subject of Congressional hearings? And what kind of warning do the consumer groups have got?

The exposure standard has been the subject of Congressional hearings.

Consumer groups have warned that children may be more susceptible to radiofrequency heating effects than adults. U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced a bill for a federal research program on the effects of cell phone radiation that also calls for a label warning users about potential links between long-term use and cancer.

8. How did CTIA-The Wireless Association respond to the ―Cell Phone Right-to-Know‖ law passed in San Francisco?

In response, CTIA-The Wireless Association, which represents the wireless communications industry, filed suit July 23 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco to block enforcement of the new law by way of citing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) statement that ―the weight of scientific evidence has not linked cell phones with any health problems.‖

9. Can you say something more of the study released in May of INTERPHONE? It is the largest and longest study ever conducted on whether — and by how much — cell phone use increases the odds of developing brain cancer, carried out by the International Agency for Research on Cancer — at a cost of some $25 million and

nearly 10 years in the making — the study involved roughly two dozen scientists and research teams from around the world and some 10,000 patients and cell phone users from 13 countries. The study’s epic scope, however, only made its meager conclusions seem all the more unsatisfying. The final result runs as follows: ―Overall, no increase in risk of glioma [a cancer of the cells that protects the brain’s neurons] or meningioma [tumors that develop in the tissue that surrounds the brain] was observed with use of mobile phones,‖ the study concluded. ―The possible effects of long-term heavy use of mobile phones require further investigation.‖

10. How may the odds of developing glioma increase according to the raw data of the study?

According to the raw data of the study, long-term heavy use — that is, talking on a cell phone for 30 minutes a day for 10 years may increase the odds of developing glioma by 40 percent.

II. Vocabulary

1. pose… to 2. parse 3. strip away 4. dissipate 5. susceptible to 6. meager 7. contentious 8. bias 9. havoc we wreak 10. irrefutable 11. enforce 12. modest 13. viable 14. confounded 15. incidence

III. Translation 1.

(1) taking steps to reduce exposure减少使用手机 cell phone safety standards手机安全标准 pose any danger to损害健康

consumer advocates消费者保护团体 regulatory agencies管理机构

frequent cell phone users常用手机的人

prenatal exposure to cell phone radiation胎儿受到手机辐射 ―non-ionizing‖ radiation―非电离‖辐射 cell tissue细胞组织

the subject of Congressional hearings议会听证会的议题

(2) 费雪，通过手机告诉Web MD，说他有很好的理由限制孩子使用手机，而不是出于对癌症的恐惧。 他说：“我限制自己的孩子使用手机。我们不会在夜晚坐在床上用手机交谈，当我们还很小，我们不使用它们。比起那些科学的论断，我们应更多考虑的是给予孩子较好的养育和父母的选择。”

他说：“常识为准”，并指出手机会使孩子分心。”我认为孩子不应该无限制访问手机24 - 7。其使用应该是有限制的。但该限制不应出于人们偏执的想法 …… 此处隐藏：3463字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……