Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. emission (n.) [ih-mish-uhn] – the act of producing or releasing a substance
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. emission (n.) [ih-mish-uhn] – the act of producing or releasing a substance
Example: Smoke emissions from cars pollute the air.
2. mortality rate (n.) [mawr-tal-i-tee][reyt] – the number of deaths in the population within a given time and place
Example: The mortality rate is increasing every year
because of the people’s unhealthy lifestyle.
3. conform (v.) [kuhn-fawrm] – to be similar in some way
Example: Data from the research
conformed to the government’s
expectation.
4. pollutant (n.) [puh-loot-nt] – a substance that causes something to be polluted
Example: Pollutants in the air usually come from smoke produced by vehicles.
5. sector (n.) [sek-ter] – a part or
division
Example: Transportation is one sector of national development.
Article
Read the text below.
A new study in UK reveals
that road pollution causes about 5,000 early deaths every year.
Steve Yim and
Steven Barrett, pollution researchers in the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), claim that this number of deaths is a result of vehicle emissions.
The new study conforms to a previous report by the
UK government’s Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP). Using different study methods, COMEAP estimated
that 29,000 deaths in 2008 were due to air pollution in general. However, the
MIT researchers gave a lesser figure of 19,000 deaths annually.
Yim and Barrett
arrived at more specific data by identifying the mortality rates attributed to three different sectors: transport, energy, and
industry. The mortality rates were then compared with atmospheric data and
medical reports.
The analysis
revealed that out of the three, the transport sector has the most impact on people’s
health.
Although factories
in the industry sector and power stations in the energy sector add to air
pollution, cars and other vehicles release dangerous gases in places where more
people work and stay. Thus leading to more deaths.
Yim and Barrett’s research
also proposes different ways to help improve public health. These include
reducing the use of older vehicles, which do not fully burn fuel and release unburned
gas to the air.
Other experts
recommend setting up a good public transport system to eventually remove cars
from the road and lessen pollution.
But whether the UK spends
money on less polluting systems or not, Barrett believes the deaths due to
air pollution are already costing the
UK between £6 billion to £60 billion.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
What are the short-term and long-term effects
of pollution?
·
What can you do to help lessen pollution in the
environment?
Discussion B
·
What are the good and bad things about living
in a modern city?
·
How can a modern city be a clean city?