The problem of smoking

1. Smoking is the shortest way to bad health. Today half of the men and a quarter of the women in the world smoke. Some people think that there is not much sense in refraining from smoking¹, since the inhabitants of many cities and even villages breathe air contaminated with industrial and automobile wastes. They are very wrong. Vehicle exhaust gases are harmful in themselves, but a smoking driver is subject to something far more dangerous.

2. Tobacco may be smoked in several forms, the most common being the cigarette. People start smoking for different reasons. Some say they smoke in order to relax, rest and distract from their daily stress. Most people smoke in order to be like everybody else, to be cool and become a grown up. In the case of cigarette smoking, smoke is inhaled into the lungs. Tobacco smoke contains the nicotine, which forms a strong physical and psychological addiction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, claim that nicotine is a “very addictive drug” that can be “as addictive as heroin or cocaine”.

3. The harm of tobacco smoke for women should be especially emphasized. In particular, smoking may affect the course of pregnancy.

4. The evidence that exposure to other people's smoke is dangerous to health is now incontrovertible². The exposure to passive smoking is a serious health risk to non-smokers. The degree of risk depends on the extent and duration of exposure. Passive smoking occurs when the exhaled smoke from one person's cigarette is inhaled by other people. Involuntary smoking involves inhaling toxic components. Numerous studies have suggested that passive smoking can be harmful to human health. Passive smoking is one of the key issues in leading to smoking bans, particularly in workplaces.

5. In the past few years some measures have been taken to reduce smoking. There has been a growing awareness of the dangers of smoking throughout the world. The anti-smoking campaigns launched in a number of countries have brought about extensive public censure of this harmful habit and a decrease in the number of smokers among some groups of the population.

6. In our country the campaign to beat the cigarette habit has acquired a purposeful nature. Special legislative, medical and educational measures are being worked out. Instructions forbid smoking among schoolchildren. Lessons on the harm of smoking have been included in courses of the anatomy, physiology and hygiene, the sale of cigarettes to minors is prohibited.

Warnings against the harm of smoking are printed on packets of cigarette brands.

Пояснения к тексту

1. refraining from smoking – отказ от курения

2. incontrovertible – неопровержимый

Задание 1. Определите основную идею текста

The main idea of the text deals with ….

Варианты ответов:

a) the information about the healthy way of life.

b) different reasons of smoking.

c) the problem of smoking.

d) the ways of refraining from smoking.

Задание 2. Ответьте на вопросы в соответствии с содержанием текста:

a) What do some people think about sense in refraining from smoking?

b) Why do people start smoking?

c) What measures have been taken to reduce smoking?

d) Why is the effect of tobacco smoke for women dangerous?

e) Where are warnings against the harm of smoking printed?

Задание 3. Переведите 4-ый абзац текста, определяя в каждом предложении подлежащее и сказуемое.

TEXT 6.

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