VOA慢速英语-SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - Pollution in China’s Air Creat

Also: A study finds that people who stop smoking often influence other smokers² to quit. Transcript³ of radio broadcast:
24 June 2008

VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember. On our program this week, we will tell how pollution in China’s air is creating concerns about the Beijing Olympic Games. We also will tell how people who stop smoking may help others who want to stop. And, we tell about a United Nations report on treatment of AIDS and the virus that causes the disease.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:
　

In Beijing, a woman crosses a street under polluted skies on June 13

Chinese officials are making final preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games. The games will officially open on August eighth. Recently, news agencies reported about air quality problems in China's capital. Air pollution levels rose sharply⁴ in Beijing late last month. The pollution was so bad that the city's environmental protection agency warned people with breathing problems to avoid outdoor activities. Officials blamed a sandstorm for the poor air quality.

VOICE TWO:

Air pollution can be a serious issue for people who compete in athletic⁵ events. Some doctors have urged Olympic athletes not to train in China because it could be harmful to their health. For example, Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie has the breathing disorder⁶ asthma⁷. He has chosen not to take part in the marathon at the Beijing Olympics for health reasons.

The International Olympic Committee has said it will cancel or postpone⁸ Olympic events, such as the marathon, if the air quality is too dangerous for athletes.

VOICE ONE:

Some international organizations have said the air in Beijing is among the most polluted in the world. The air pollution has many causes, including automobiles⁹ and burning of coal as a fuel. Chinese officials are attempting to solve these problems by decreasing the amount of traffic and ordering the use of natural gas instead of coal. Beijing officials have also ordered surrounding areas to decrease their levels of pollution.

China is also using weather satellites to help predict weather conditions. The weather can influence air pollution levels because of the effects of wind and rain.

VOICE TWO:

But one weather expert says pollution might not be the biggest problem facing the Olympic athletes. Doug Charko measures weather conditions for the Canadian Olympic team. He studied weather conditions in Beijing last summer to predict what Canadian athletes could expect at the games. His study found that heat and humidity¹⁰ could be more of a problem than air quality. Humidity levels measure wetness, especially in the air.

Mister Charko also says efforts to reduce pollution levels in China have only resulted in small changes. He noted¹¹ that Beijing has a population of eighteen million people. With so many people, he said, it is very difficult to limit the large amounts of pollution being released.

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VOICE ONE:

You are listening to SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. With Steve Ember, I'm Faith Lapidus in Washington.

(MUSIC):

Would you like to stop smoking? Knowing other people who are stopping may help. A recent study shows that people who stop smoking often have an influence on others around them, making them more likely to quit. The study was published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine.

VOICE TWO:

Two American researchers led the study on smoking. They are Nicholas Christakis of Harvard University and James Fowler of the University of California at San Diego. They examined the smoking and social customs of twelve thousand people over a thirty-two year period. The information used in the study was collected between nineteen seventy-one and two thousand three. The twelve thousand individuals were part of a larger research project known as the Framingham Heart Study.

VOICE ONE:

The researchers found that people often quit smoking in groups. Married people had strong effects on their partners. Smokers who had a husband or wife who quit were sixty-seven percent less likely to continue smoking. Those who had a friend who quit were thirty-six percent less likely to keep smoking. And those with a brother or sister who quit were twenty-five percent less likely to remain a smoker¹. Even people who did not know each other but had connections to the same people were affected¹² by one another.

The study also found that individuals with higher levels of education had more influence on other people than those with less education.

VOICE TWO:

The United States has an estimated forty-four million smokers. But the number of Americans who smoke has decreased during the past thirty years. Researchers found that smokers and non-smokers began forming separate social groups during the period. Cigarette or tobacco use has become less socially acceptable¹³ because of increased understanding of the health risks linked to smoking.

The finding could help public health campaigns to be more successful by directing information to social groups of people instead of individuals.

VOICE ONE:

The researchers say smokers who do not quit could find themselves with fewer friends and social connections. Because it is becoming less socially acceptable to smoke, people who do will feel increasing pressure to stop smoking.

Steven Schroeder is a professor of medicine at the University of California in San Francisco. He says the study is good news because it shows that more smokers are giving in to pressure from those around them to quit. But he says smokers should not be condemned¹⁴ because they have trouble giving up cigarettes.

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VOICE TWO:

Finally, the United Nations says almost three million people in developing countries are receiving drugs for HIV -- the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This is an increase of almost one million people from two years ago. Still, the hope was to reach three million by two thousand five.

The World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund and UNAIDS reported the numbers earlier this month. W.H.O. Director-General Margaret Chan welcomed the progress. But she noted that antiretroviral therapy, or ART, alone will not solve the problem.
　

Margaret Chan

MARGARET CHAN: "For every two persons we manage, to provide them with ART, another five persons get infected. So again, we cannot underestimate¹⁵ the power of prevention."

VOICE ONE:

The new U.N. report says almost seventy-five percent of people receiving H.I.V. drugs are in Africa. Sixty percent of those with H.I.V. in Africa are women.

Antiretroviral therapy suppresses¹⁶ the virus. The drugs help patients live longer without developing AIDS. The disease robs the body of its natural defenses against infections.

An estimated nine million seven hundred thousand people were in need of H.I.V. treatment last year in areas with low and medium-wages. The report says that by the end of the year, just over thirty percent of them were getting it.

VOICE TWO:

The U.N. report says price reductions are a main reason why more people with H.I.V., including more pregnant¹⁷ women, are receiving the drugs. Also, supply systems have been redesigned to better serve individual countries and smaller health centers. And treatments are simpler than in the past.

But the report notes that huge barriers remain in dealing¹⁸ with the AIDS problem. Getting patients to continue with their treatment is difficult. There are still large numbers of people who do not get tested for H.I.V. And, there are many others who get tested too late and die within months.

VOICE ONE:

The U.N. report also says there is not enough joint¹⁹ treatment of H.I.V. and the related infections that most often kill AIDS patients. Tuberculosis²⁰, for example, is the leading cause of death among AIDS patients in Africa.

Yet another problem is the lack of trained health care workers in the developing world. Many move to wealthy nations for better pay and living conditions.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Brianna Blake, Elizabeth Stern²¹ and Caty Weaver²². Our producer was Brianna Blake. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. We would like to hear from you. Write to us at Special English, Voice of America, Washington, D-C, two-zero-two-three-seven, U-S-A. Or send electronic messages to [email protected]. Join us again at this time next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

1 smoker   

n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室

参考例句：

• His wife dislikes him to be a smoker.他妻子不喜欢他当烟民。
• He is a moderate smoker.他是一个有节制的烟民。

2 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

5 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

6 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

7 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

8 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

9 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 humidity   

n.湿度，潮湿，湿气

参考例句：

• The house is not comfortable tonight ,because of the high humidity.由于湿度高，今晚屋子里不舒服。
• It's difficult to work because of the humidity.由于空气潮湿，工作很困难。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

13 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。

14 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

15 underestimate   

vt.对...估价过低，低估

参考例句：

• Don't underestimate the role of theory.不要轻视理论的作用。
• I think a lot of people still underestimate him.我觉得很多人仍然低估了他。

16 suppresses   

抑制（感情等）( suppress的第三人称单数 )； 压制； 禁止发表； 阻止…的生长（或发展）

参考例句：

• The regime ruthlessly suppresses all dissent. 这个政权残酷压制所有不同意见。
• Hemingway suppresses emtion, Wolfe engulfs the reader in feeling. 海明威感情压抑，沃尔夫却把读者卷进感情的漩涡。

17 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。

18 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

19 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

20 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

21 stern   

adj.严厉的，严格的，严峻的；n.船尾

参考例句：

• The ship was in a blaze from stem to stern.整艘船从头到尾都着火了。
• The headmaster ruled the school with a stern discipline.校长治校严谨。

22 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。