About two-thirds of the world's population is expected to live in cities by the
来源 :焚题库 2021-06-30
中Although many of us may feel air-conditioners bring relief from hot, humid or polluted outside air, they pose many potential health hazards.Much research has looked at how the circulation of air inside a closed environment such as an office building can spread disease or expose occupants to harmful chemicals.
One of the more widely publicized dangers is that of Legionnaire's disease, which was first recognized in the 1970s.This was found to have affected people in buildings with air-conditioning systems in which warm air pumped out of the system^ cooling towers was somehow sucked back into the air intake, in most cases due to poor design.This warm air was, needless to say, the perfect environment for the rapid growth of disease-carrying bacteria originating from outside the building, where it existed in harmless quantities.The warm, bacteria-laden air was combined with cooled, conditioned air and was then circulated around various parts of the building.Studies showed that even people outside such buildings were at risk if they walked past air exhaust ducts.Cases of Legionnaire's disease are becoming fewer with newer system designs and modifications to older systems, but many older buildings, particularly in developing countries, require constant monitoring.
The ways in which air-conditioners work to “clean” the air can inadvertently cause health problems, too.One such way is with the use of an electrostatic precipitator, which removes dust and smoke particles from the air.What precipitators also do, however, is to emit large quantities of positive air ions into the ventilation system.A growing number of studies show that overexposure to positive air ions can result in headaches, fatigue and feelings of irritation.
Large air-conditioning systems add water to the air they circulate by means of humidifiers.In older systems, the water used for this process is kept in special reservoirs, the bottoms of which provide breeding grounds for bacteria and fungi which can find their way into the ventilation system.The risk to human health from this situation has been highlighted by the fact that the immune systems of approximately half of workers in air-conditioned office buildings have developed antibodies to fight off the organisms found at the bottom of system reservoirs.Chemical disinfectants，called “biocides”，that are added to reservoirs to make them germ-free, are dangerous in their own right in sufficient quantities, as they often contain compounds such as pentachlorophenol, which is strongly linked to abdominal cancers.
Finally, it should be pointed out that the artificial climatic environment created by air-conditioners can also adversely affect us.In a natural environment, whether indoor or outdoor, there are small variations in temperature and humidity.Indeed, the human body has long been accustomed to these normal changes.In an air-conditioned living or work environment, however, body temperatures remain well under 37°C, our normal temperature.This leads to a weakened immune system and thus greater susceptibility to diseases such as colds and flu.
单选题第1题________are NOT the feature of urbanization, according to the passage.
A.Artificial systems
B.High buildings
C.More city dwellers
D.Big shopping centers
参考答案：A
答案解析：错误排除。第一段历数了都市化（urbanization）的特征，但在段末提到了另一个话题 “These structures depend on artificial ventilation systems”，即都市化后的城市依赖人工通风系统，因此选项A不属于同一类事物。
单选题第2题The word “hazards” underlined in Paragraph 2 means________.
A.cases
B.incidents
C.diseases
D.risks
参考答案：D
答案解析：词义界定。hazards出现在第二段段首“Although many of us may feel air-conditioners bring relief from hot， humid or polluted outside air, they pose many potential health hazards”，句内为转折关系，大意是尽管我们许多人觉得空调可以缓解室外湿热或被污染的空气，但它们也对健康构成了许多潜在的……，前面指的是空调的好处，根据逻辑，后面的转折必 然是坏处，因此选择D。hazard本义为“危险，风险”。
单选题第3题Bacteria came into a ventilation system when________.
A.cool air was sucked into it
B.warm air was sucked back
C.cool air was sucked back
D.warm air was sucked into it
参考答案：B
答案解析：细节识别。第三段 “warm air pumped out of the system's cooling towers was somehow sucked back into the air intake”提到了空调通风时携带细菌的过程，而根据其中的 “warm air was the perfect environment for the rapid growth of disease-carrying bacteria”可知，排出空调冷却塔的热风有时会被吸回进气口，而吸进来的热空气是致病细菌完美的温床。
单选题第4题The word “ducts” underlined in Paragraph 3 means________.
A.channels
B.buildings
C.rooms
D.structures
参考答案：A
答案解析：词义界定。ducts 出现于第三段 “Studies showed that even people outside such buildings were at risk if they walked past air exhaust ducts”。前一句讲的是排出的热风与外界致病菌结合后被回吸进室内，在室内循环。这一句接着说有研究表明，甚至人路过这种排气……时也处于威胁之中。因为两句话都涉及空调的进气和排气装置，因此选项A符合句意，即排气管道。
单选题第5题The word “inadvertently” underlined in Paragraph 4 means________.
A.intentionally
B.accidentally
C.definitely
D.deliberately
参考答案：B
答案解析：词义界定。第四段第一句 “The ways in which air-conditioners work to 'clean' the air can inadvertently cause health problems, too” 的大意是空调“清洁”空气的工作方式……也会导致健康问题。从句意看，空调的目的与结果矛盾，初衷是好的，结果却相反，因而画线的副词应该表示“非故意地，意外地”，即选项B。A和D都表示“有意地，故意地”，C表示“确定地”，均可排除。
单选题第6题Which of the following substances CANNOT be found directly from an old ventilation
system?
A.Chemical disinfectants.
B.Bacteria.
C.Fungi.
D.Pentachlorophenol.
参考答案：D
答案解析：错误排除。第五段第二句开始提到老式空调排出的有害物质，有储罐里滋生的（breeding grounds） for bacteria and fungi （即选项B、C），和加入储罐的 Chemical disinfectants（选项A），因此，可以确定选项D是需要的答案。
单选题第7题The word “adversely” underlined in Paragraph 6 means________.
A.contradictorily
B.negatively
C.eventually
D.audaciously
参考答案：B
答案解析：词义界定。根据语境，adversely在句中的意义应该是负面的，因为前一句指出了不好的影响，本句 it should be pointed out that the artificial climatic environment created by air-conditioners can also adversely affect us”用了also，大意是必须指出，空调创造的人为气候环境同样会给我们带来……影响。“同样”一词显然指向不好的影
响，因此选项B符合句意。
单选题第8题Which of the following is NOT true of the ill effect of air conditioning on the human body?
A.Much exposure may make people annoyed.
B.Harmful chemicals in the ventilation system may cause cancer.
C.Much exposure to low temperature may cause immune diseases.
D.People may suffer from headaches in an air-conditioned office.
参考答案：C
答案解析：错误排除。原文第六段最后提到人体长期处于低温环境会引起免疫系统弱化（leads to a weakened immune system），因此选项C属于错误，即本题答案。再逐项比对，选项 A 和 D 出现在第四段末 “ overexposure to positive air ions can result in headaches,fatigue and feelings of irritation”。选项 B 出现在第五段末 “as they often contain compounds such as pentachlorophenol，which is strongly linked to abdominal cancers”。
单选题第9题Flu and colds are caused mainly due to________.
A.bacteria
B.temperatures
C.chemicals
D.biocides
参考答案：B
答案解析：细节识别。Flu and colds出现在第六段最后body temperatures remain well under 37°C, our normal temperature. This leads to a weakened immune system and thus greater susceptibility to diseases such as colds and flu”，即人体温度长时间处在远低于人体正常温度37°C的水平，导致免疫力下降，更易感染普通感冒和流感这样的疾病。既然感冒类疾病多因低温引起，那么选项B为正确答案。
单选题第10题The passage intends to________.
A.inform people of air-conditioning dangers
B.explain old air-conditioning defects
C.show the air-conditioning influence on peopled health
D.tell people the need to abandon old air-conditioning
参考答案：A
答案解析：作者意图。回顾全文结构发现：第一段有城镇化引出城市人口激增，导致对通风系统的依赖；第二段马上点明通风系统的危害；其余各段分别指出具体的危害兵团病、正离子带来的疾病、免疫抗体紊乱及癌症、免疫力下降及感冒等。总之，本文重心是告知读者空调带来的危害，即选项A。
涉及考点
2020翻译三级综合能力考试大纲
二、阅读理解
