Dangerous Sunshine to Children

　　 Two United Nations1 agencies warned on Tuesday that children are most at risk of developing skin cancers as a result of the long-term decline in the earth’s protective ozone layer. The agencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) 2,issued the warning as they launched a global programme aimed at alerting schools to the dangers of exposure to the sun.

　　 “As ozone depletion becomes more marked, and as people around the world engage more in sun seeking behaviour, the risk of health complications from over-exposure to ultra-violet radiation is becoming a substantial public health concern,” said WHO Director-genera3 Lee Jong-wook. By reducing the time children and adolescents are exposed to direct sunlight, he said: “We can substantially reduce the risk of contracting skin cancers, cataracts and other conditions4 which might only appear much later in life.”

　　 In its 2002 World Health Report, the WHO said around the world an average of 66,000 people died every year from melanoma or other types of skin cancer. Independent scientific research shows that every year there are between two to three million new cases of non- malignant melanoma and around 130,000 malignant―and normally fatal―new full blown skin cancer cases.

　　 Although most known skin cancers seemed to occur in the industrialized world, WHO radiation and environmental health specialist Mike Repacholi told a news conference5, there were many cases believed to be unreported in poorer countries. Although people with darker skins were less susceptible to6; skin cancers, they were just as likely to contract eye cataracts as fairer-skinned populations, and people living close to the equator were even more likely to develop them.

　　 As for the protection method, the WHO said that under the school plan, dubbed the Inter sun Project7, the two agencies will distribute packages showing teachers how to develop their own sun education programrnes, the WHO said. In a joint statement from the two agencies which also marked the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, UNEP Executive Director8 Klaus Toepfer said latest studies showed the protective shield was on the road to9 recovery. This was the result of international agreements over the past two decades to phase out10 use of various chemicals―like those used in some pesticides, refrigerators and aerosols.

　　 “But we must remain vigilant and more needs to be done before we can say that the problem is solved for goodH ,” said Toepfer. This included stopping illegal trade in banned chemicals and enforcing the agreements in developing countries.“Only then can we say that the sky above our heads will be safe for our children and their children to come,” the former German environment minister said.

　　詞匯：

　　 protecnve/pro'tektlved/adj．保護的，防護的
　　 ozone/5EuzEun, Eu5z-/n．臭氧
　　 alert/E5lE:t/向…發出警報；使警覺
　　 depletion/di5pli:FEn/n．耗盡(精力或資源等)
　　 complication/7kCmpli5keiF(E)n/ n．并發癥，并發病
　　 ultra-violet/5QltrE5vaiElit/adj．紫外(線)的n．紫外線
　　 radiation/7reidi5eiFEn/n.放射，輻射
　　 substantial/sEb5stAnFEl/adj.重大的
　　 contract/5kCntrAkt/vt．患(病)；感染(惡習等)
　　 cataract/5kAtErAkt/n.白內障
　　 melanoma/7melE5nEumE/n.黑素瘤
　　 non-malignant/nJNmalignant/adj惡性的
　　 malignant/mE5li^nEnt/adj．惡性的
　　 full-blown/adj．成熟的
　　 fairer-skinned/fZE5skind]/adj．膚色較淺的
　　 equator/i5kweitE/n.赤道
　　 dub/dQb/(dubbed；dubbing)vt．給……起外號
　　 preservation/7prezE(:)5veiFEn/n.保護
　　 shield/Fi:ld/n．屏，障；防護物，護罩
　　 pesticide/5pestisaid/n．殺蟲劑，農藥
　　 aerosol/5ZErEsCl/a．煙，霧；煙霧劑
　　 vigilant/5vidVilEnt/adj．警惕的，警醒的
　　 enforce/in5fC:s/實施，執行

　　注釋：

　　 1．United Nations(UN)；聯合國

　　 2.World Health Organization(WHO)：世界衛生組織 UN Environmental Programme(UNEP)：聯合國環境規劃署

　　 3．WHO Director-general：世界衛生組織總干事

　　 4．condition在醫學文獻中常常用來指“疾病”。

　　 5．anews/press conference：記者招待會

　　 6．susceptible to：對……易感的，容易受到……的

　　 7．the Inter sun Project：(世界衛生組織)保護兒童免受紫外線輻射的規劃

　　 8．UNEP Executive Director：聯合國環境規劃署執行主任

　　 9．on the road to：在去……的旅途中

　　 10．Phase out：分階段(逐步)結束

　　 11．for good(and all)：永久地；決定性地

　　練習:

　　 1. Why does the risk of developing skin cancers in children become greater and greater?
　　 A Because they pay little attention to their skin health.
　　 B Because they are short of physical training.
　　 C Because the earth’s protective ozone layer declines year after year.
　　 D Because the earth is getting warmer and warmer.

　　 2. How many people die from skin cancers including melanoma all over the world every year?
　　 A An average of 66,000.
　　 B Approximately 130,000.
　　 C About 196,000.
　　 D Between 2,000,000 to 3,000,000.

　　 3. What people are more likely to develop eye cataracts?
　　 A Fairer-skinned people.
　　 B Darker-skinned people.
　　 C People living near the equator.
　　 D People living near the poles.

　　 4. All of the following articles may use some chemicals unfavorable for the preservation of the ozone layer EXCEPT______.
　　 A aerosols
　　 B refrigerators
　　 C pesticides
　　 D medicines

　　 5. The phrase “for good” in the last paragraph can be best replaced by______.
　　 A permanently
　　 B correctly
　　 C largely
　　 D well

　　答案與題解：

　　 1．C 文章第一句就說到，由于地球起保護作用的臭氧層一直縮小，因此兒童發生皮膚癌的危險性增大，故C項應是最佳答案。

　　 2．A 第三段第一句說，WHO在2002年的世界健康狀況報告中提到，全世界每年平均有S6， 000人死于黑素瘤及其他類型的皮膚癌，故A項是正確答案。

　　 3．C 第四段最后一句說到，住在赤道附近的人更容易患白內障，并沒有提到南極、北極。至于膚色，該句說到，白人、黑人患白內障的可能性是相等的。

　　 4．D 第五段最后一句舉例說明某些殺蟲劑、電冰箱及煙霧劑可能使用一些對臭氧層有害的化學物質，并沒有提到供內服的藥品，而且根據推理，也應將其排除在外。

　　 5．A 短語for good或for good and all的意思是“永久地”、“決定性地”；英英詞典的釋義為“permanently”、“finally”、“forever”，故其他選項均不確切。

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