Carpets: a danger to children

1. Carpets: a danger to children • Not many people in HK have carpets. Why not? • How could carpets be dangerous? • Why would carpets be more dangerous to children than to adults?

2. Carpets: A danger to children

3. Some experts believe that dirty carpets may be one of the reasons behind what they see as an (48) increase in (49) in developed countries.

4. Paragraph 9. “Many experts note with alarm that in the US, … the incidence of children’s diseases … continue to rise.” How do the experts feel about the increase? Adjective (48) alarming What are we seeing an increase in? (49) children’s diseases Some experts believe that dirty carpets may be one of the reasons behind what they see as an (48) increase in (49) in developed countries.

5. These collect easily in carpets: studies have shown that a fully-carpeted home typically has about (50) much dust compared to one with (51).

6. Paragraph 4. “A house with bare floors usually has approximately one-tenth of the dust found in a house with wall-to-wall carpets” If a home with floors has one-tenth of the dust, we can say that a house with carpet has … (50) ten times as We are comparing homes with carpets to homes with … (51) uncarpeted/bare floors. These collect easily in carpets: studies have shown that a fully-carpeted home typically has about (50) much dust compared to one with (51).

7. Unacceptably high levels of contaminants, including dangerous heavy (52) and other chemicals, are commonly found in carpet (53).

8. Paragraph 2 “A typical sample of household carpet dust … would raise a serious alarm for the high concentrations of harmful heavy metals it contains.” What heavy substances do you find in carpets? (52) metals Where exactly are these metals found? In carpet … (53) dust Unacceptably high levels of contaminants, including dangerous heavy (52) and other chemicals, are commonly found in carpet (53).

9. Unfortunately, normal vacuuming will not solve the problem, as more dust (54) than a vacuum cleaner (55)

10. Paragraph 4. “Normal vacuuming leaves in more dust than it picks up so that, over time, dust accumulates in carpets.” Despite vacuuming, what happens to dust? It … (54) accumulates in carpets What does a vacuum cleaner try to do with dust? (55) picks up Unfortunately, normal vacuuming will not solve the problem, as more dust (54) than a vacuum cleaner (55)

11. Because small children are still growing, and proportionately they (56) in far more air than adults, they have a greater risk of damage to their health.

12. Paragraph 3. “Kg for kg, for example, small children inhale 23 times as much air as their parents.” What do children do proportionately more of than their parents? What verb(s) means ‘inhale’ and can be followed by “in”? (56) breathe/take Because small children are still growing, and proportionately they (56) in far more air than adults, they have a greater risk of damage to their health.

13. Exposure to dangerous chemicals may slow down (57), keep them from developing normal (58) and even result in diseases such as cancer.

14. Paragraph 3. “… poisons in the house can irritate their lungs, damage their developing nervous systems, retard their growth, disturb their hearing development, or even lead to cancer.” What do the poisons slow down? (57) their growth The concept of “nervous systems” cannot be expressed in one word. (58) hearing Exposure to dangerous chemicals may slow down (57), keep them from developing normal (58) and even result in diseases such as cancer.

15. Common pollutants which collect indoors typically come from dry-cleaned clothes, (59) hair, tobacco (60) and chemical cleaners.

16. Paragraph 5. “Cigarette smoke, cat or dog hair, dust mites and mould add to the load of indoor pollutants.” There is only one blank for (59), so how can we express this idea? (59) cat’s/dog’s/pet/ animal/etc. (60) smoke Common pollutants which collect indoors typically come from dry-cleaned clothes, (59) hair, tobacco (60) and chemical cleaners.

17. Even cooking may (61) containing damaging chemicals which can accumulate in carpets.

18. Paragraph 5. “Even cooking fumes are loaded with toxins. If a parent cooks deep-fried fish, for example, some of the chemicals in the smoke find their way into the carpet.” What contains damaging chemicals (toxins)? Fumes/smoke A verb is needed to connect ‘cooking’ and ‘fumes’. (61) produce fumes/ emit smoke Even cooking may (61) containing damaging chemicals which can accumulate in carpets.

19. Another source of toxic chemicals is the (62) that are used regularly by many households, both (63), to get rid of insects.

20. Paragraph 6. “In the US, 80 to 90% of households use three or four different pesticide products each year, either inside the house or in the garden.” What do we use to get rid of insects? (62) pesticides Where are the pesticides used? (63) inside and outside/ indoors and outdoors Another source of toxic chemicals is the (62) that are used regularly by many households, both (63), to get rid of insects.

21. These can be carried into the house on (64) or by (65). (“These” = “pesticides”)

22. Paragraph 6. “Pesticides that cling to shoes and pets’ paws get rubbed off on carpeting inside and can raise indoor pesticide levels.” Which of “on” or “by” will refer to something that can move of its own free will? (64) shoes (65) pets These can be carried into the house on (64) or by (65). (“These” = “pesticides”)

23. Children whose parents use these chemicals inside may (66) to high levels of contamination.

24. Though you might first look in paragraph 6, it’s actually paragraph 7. This means that people who use pesticides indoors may expose small children to significant contamination, …” What may happen to these children? Active or passive voice? (66) be exposed Children whose parents use these chemicals inside may (66) to high levels of contamination.

25. A recent study suggested that even if a room (67) after such chemicals are applied, they may collect on toys or capets, and stay around for days.

26. Paragraph 7. “This was shown in a 1998 experiment in which researchers treated two apartments with a pesticide widely used for flea control, and then opened the windows to ventilate the rooms …” The following sentences describe how the chemicals accumulated on toys, carpets, etc. This word means to allow fresh air to circulate. Voice? (67) is ventilated A recent study suggested that even if a room (67) after such chemicals are applied, they may collect on toys or carpets, and stay around for days.