Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. emit (v.) – to produce and release force or energy
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. emit (v.) – to produce and release force or energy
Example: X-ray machines emit radiation but only in low amounts.
2. negligible (adj.) – very
small that can be considered unimportant
Example: The economic crisis produced a negligible effect on the company’s sales
which continue to rise.
3. anxiety (n.) – fear
or worry, or a state of uneasiness caused by possible danger or misfortune
Example: Anxiety
took over his mother when he did not come home for two days.
4. agency (n.) – a
division of government that provides specific service
Example: The Food and Drug Administration is an agency under the Department of Health.
5. inevitable (adj.) – impossible
to avoid or prevent
Example: Serious illness may be inevitable in the future if pollution
continues to increase.
Article
Read the text below.
In response to health concerns of US travelers, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has decided to
conduct tests to measure the amount of radiation emitted by full-body scanners at airports.
However, the TSA plans to test the effect
of exposure only to scanner operators who work with the machine every day.
Supposedly, full-body scanners
produce only negligible amounts of
radiation. But this information does not reduce passengers’ anxiety over the possible effects of
radiation exposure from the machines.
According to the US National Library
of Medicine’s website, long-term and repeated exposure to small amounts of
radiation can increase a person’s risks of developing cancer. At even higher doses,
radiation can lead to gene abnormalities, burns, dizziness, weakness, hair
loss and reduced organ function.
Even though exposure to radiation is inevitable, with everyday devices
like televisions and computers emitting some, many people do not enjoy the
idea of receiving additional radiation through airport security.
Such health risks have led European
countries to use less harmful machines and prohibit the use of full-body
scanners. The TSA, FDA and other US agencies,
on the other hand, still insist that the full-body scanners are safe, unless
a government-led study can prove that radiation from the machines is really
causing health problems.
So far, the TSA has asked government
sellers of full-body scanners to give dosimeters— devices that measure
radiation exposure—to employees who operate the scanners.
Meanwhile, some people are not
satisfied with TSA’s actions, as the machines continue to be used in airports
to check travelers, and may also still be causing them harm. However, TSA
says passengers who do not want to go through the full-body scanners can
choose to be patted down by security.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
What
do you think are the benefits of using full-body scanners at airports?
·
Would
you prefer to go through a full-body scanner or be checked by security guards?
Why?
Discussion B
·
If
radiation is present almost everywhere, can you think of ways of at least
lessening your exposure to it?
·
Do
you think the benefits of radiation—as seen in X-rays, scanners, computers—is
greater than its dangers?