Comprehension .- Intermediate [ 30 ]

[ 30 ] Comprehension . 

[  30  ] Intermediate 

Read the following , then answer the questions below :

                 Discovered in the early 1800s and named nicotianine , the oily essence now called nicotine is the main active ingredient of tobacco . Nicotine , however , is only a small component of cigarette smoke , which contains more than 4.700 chemical compounds , including 43 cancer-causing substances . In recent times , scientific research has been providing evidence that years of cigarette smoking vastly increases the risk of developing fatal medical conditions .

             In addition to being responsible for more than 85% of lung cancers , smoking is associated with cancers of , amongst others , the mouth , stomach and kidneys , and is thought to cause about 14% of leukemia and cervical cancers . In 1990 , smoking caused more than 84.000 deaths , mainly resulting from such problems as pneumonia , bronchitis and influenza . Smoking , it is believed is responsible for 30% of all deaths from cancer and clearly represents the most important preventable cause of cancer in countries like the United States today .

             Passive smoking , the breathing in of the side-stream from the burning of tobacco between puffs or of the smoke exhaled by a smoker , also causes a serious health risk . A report published  in 1992 by the US Environment Protection Agency [ EPA ] emphasized the health dangers , especially from side-stream smoke . This type of smoke contains more smaller particles and is therefore more likely to be deposited deep in the lungs . On the basis of this report , the EPA has classified environmental tobacco smoke in the highest risk category for causing cancer .

           A report of the researchers at University of California emphasizes that cancer is not caused by a single element in cigarette smoke , harmful effects to health are caused by many components . Carbon monoxide , for example , competes with oxygen in red blood cells and interferes with the blood’s ability to deliver life-giving oxygen to the heart .Nicotine and other toxins in cigarette smoke activate small blood cells called platelets , which increases the likelihood of blood clots , thereby affecting blood circulation .

A-] Answer the following questions :

1-] What ae the dangers of smoking ?

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2-] What is meant by passive smoking ?

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3-] How does carbon monoxide cause cancer ?

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4-] How many harmful substances does cigarette smoke contain ?

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B-] Choose the correct answer :

1-] Leukemia and pneumonia

A-] are responsible for 84.000 deaths each year .

B-] are strongly linked to cigarette smoke .

C-] are strongly linked to, lung cancer .

D-] result in 30% of deaths per year .

2-] Intake of carbon monoxide

A-] inhibits the flow of oxygen .

B-] increases absorption pf other smoke particles .

C-] inhibits re blood cell formation .

D-] promotes nicotine absorption .

3-] Intake of nicotine encourages

A-] blood circulation through the body.

B-] activity of other toxins in the blood .

C-] formation of blood clots .

D-] an increase of platelets in the blood .