Electronic Pollution. The Hidden Dangers

IV. Cars are very important.

III. The car of the future may be electric.

II. Cars have brought us some problems.

Disadvantages of the Car

1. Lots of traffic and _________________

2. Cars use more fuel than _____________

3. Beautiful land is replaced with ________

4. Gasoline may no longer be _____________

d) The outline below shows how the information in the reading is organized. Cross out one detail that is not included in the reading.

I. There are many cars in the world today.

a. Cars were first produced in large numbers by Ford Motors.

b. There are more cars than people in the world today.

c. Many people have jobs that are related to cars.

d. Two and a half million cars pass through New York City each day.

a. In some areas, the air is no longer clean.

b. Travel is sometimes slow because of traffic.

c. Cars have made changes in the environment.

d. Studies show that gasoline prices are increasing.

a. The first electric cars were faster than gasoline-powered cars.

b. The first electric cars produced less pollution.

c. Electric cars can be used when oil is not available.

d. Car companies are planning to develop the electric car.

a. Many people need them in their lives.

b. New technology is being developed because of the car.

c. Many famous people own valuable cars.

d. Cars bring us passion and excitement.

5.15. a) What kinds of pollution do you know?What do you think about the impact of using electronic gadgets on your health? Have you ever heard about noise pollution and electronic pollution. Discuss these questions with a partner.

From television and radio waves to mobile phone emissions and a thousand and one other sources we are being bombarded by a constant stream of electronic pollution. But is this pollution harmful? Issues surrounding the phones (transceivers) themselves, including the regulation of radio-frequency (RF) energy emissions from the phones, are discussed only indirectly

Although environmental pollution is largely thought of in terms of toxic gases and dangerous substances, we believe there is now another more insidious source of pollution which can be added to this list. Yet unlike pollution created by exhaust fumes or factory waste, this pollution can neither be seen nor smelt. As such, its effects are hard to determine, yet logic alone should be enough to assess its potential hazards.

1. We are talking here of the threats to health posed by the burgeoning number of radio signals and electronic emissions, particularly from the incredible rise in mobile phone usage. The reality is that the atmosphere around us is swamped by hundreds of thousands of these emissions. We are being bombarded by them every moment of our lives, and it seems the height of naivety to imagine this electronic chatter is having no effect on us.

2. A look at the wide range of such emissions gives a sobering insight into the problems we are creating. As well as millions of new mobile phone subscribers, the air is also saturated with radio, television, and satellite broadcasts. The number of stations and channels is growing by the day. Then add to this signals from TV remote controls, microwave ovens, as well as computer games, faxes, photo copiers, scanners, and printers, and you have an environment that is already overloaded with electronic emissions.

3. The bewildering thing is there are no plans to curb this pollution; just a chillingly complacent attitude that what cannot be seen cannot do damage. This, it must be recalled, was the attitude to nuclear energy. Initially it was looked upon as clean and safe, and when voices of protest were raised, these were dismissed as extremist. Yet the trouble with electronic pollution is that so far, apart from us, no one has yet appreciated the future hazards. Even worse is that by the time this problem is identified it will be difficult if not impossible to tackle.

4. We believe the effect of electronic pollution will be apparent in a large number of ways. Predominantly these will be manifested in a growing list of psychological complaints including confusion, panic, paranoia, strong mood swings and violent and aggressive behaviour. Complaints of this nature have already seen a marked rise in incidence, and we believe that in the coming years this trend will escalate quite dramatically. Electronic pollution may also cause benign and malignant tumours as well as a wide number of physiological complaints that will be hard to account for.

5. The fact is that this is a situation we should have never been faced with. Proper research should have eliminated the possibility of harmful electronic effects. But then with so much money involved, it was always inevitable that such concerns would be carelessly brushed aside.

b) Chose a suitable title for each paragraph (1-5).

a. Swamped by emissions

b. Carelessly ignored

c. Growing problem

d. Inevitable symptoms

e. Future hazards

5.16. a) What do you think about 'genetic engineering'? Can we speak about ‘genetic pollution’? b) Read the passage, then supply the missing words by writing one word in spaces 1-16.

b).

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