英语听力精选进阶版 13697

Colourful but dangerous

Summary

9 March 2012

Doctors in the Indian city of Mumbai say 163 people have been admitted to hospital following celebrations for the Hindu festival of colours, Holi. The doctors suspect the coloured powders used by the patients in the festival contained harmful chemicals.

Reporter

Rajini Vaidyanathan

Report

Doctors at Mumbai's Sion hospital say dozens of patients arrived at the casualty ward¹ complaining of giddiness, vomiting² and headaches. The vast majority were children from one of Mumbai's largest slums, Dharavi. Most are in a stable condition. It's believed they developed a reaction to coloured powders they were throwing.

Across the country, millions of people from all walks of life smear³ and cover themselves from head to toe in bright paints and powders as is custom for Holi. But there has been concern for some time that some of the artificially-produced dyes, which are cheap to buy, contain harmful toxic⁴ chemicals which can lead to serious skin and breathing problems.

There has been a push in recent years to encourage more revellers to use organic and environmentally-friendly dyes to avoid health risks.

1 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

2 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”

3 smear   

v.涂抹；诽谤，玷污；n.污点；诽谤，污蔑

参考例句：

• He has been spreading false stories in an attempt to smear us.他一直在散布谎言企图诽谤我们。
• There's a smear on your shirt.你衬衫上有个污点。

4 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。