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The International Agency for Research on Cancer(IRIC)，part of the United Nations’ World Health Organization(WHO), claims that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields(RF/EMF)（射频电磁场）is possibly carcinogenic(致癌的) to humans. The main sources of RF/EMF are radios, televisions, microwave ovens, cellphones, and Wi-Fi devices.
Even if we want to, we can’t eliminate（消除） our exposure or our children’s, to RF/EMF. But, we many need to limit that exposure, when possible. That was among the conclusions of a controversial survey article published in the Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure entitled “Why children absorb more microwave radiation than adults: The consequences.” From an analysis of relevant studies, the authors argue that children and adolescents are at considerable risk from devices that radiate microwaves. The following points were offered for consideration:
● Fetuses(胎儿) are even more vulnerable than children. Therefore pregnant women should not expose their fetus to microwave radiation.
● Adolescent girls and women should not place cellphones in their bras or in hijabs (headscarf)
● Cellphone manual warnings make clear an overexposure problem exists.
● Government warnings have been issued but most of the public are unaware of such warnings.
● Wireless devices are radio transmitters, not toys. Selling toys that use them should be monitored more closely.
Children and fetuses absorb more microwave radiation, according to the authors, because their bodies are relatively smaller, their skulls are thinner, and their brain tissue is weaker.
This is not a call to throw out all electronic devices. However, at the very least, it should open up the discussion about different safety levels for adults versus children. Hopefully more studies will be done to check or contradict the assumptions so far. In the meantime, are the government’s current regulations adequate? The exposure levels they warn against haven’t seemed to have been updated for more than 19 years.
In a Network World opinion article ominously titled “Is Wi-Fi killing us … slowly?” columnist Mark Gibbs makes the point that “…laws and warnings are all very well but it’s pretty much certain that all restrictions on products that use microwave technology will error(犯错) on the safe side; that is, the side that’s safe for industry, not the side of what’s safe for society.” Gibbs then added this ominous closing question, “Will we look back (sadly) in fifty or a hundred years and marvel at how Wi-Fi and cellphones were responsible for the biggest health crisis in human history?”
Passage outline |
Supporting details |
Assumptions of a survey article |
◆RF/EMF is ( 81)_______ to bring about cancer to human beings. ◆We may as well avoid (82)_________ ourselves less to modern communication systems. |
（83) ________ taken to avoid microwave radiation |
◆ Pregnant women should stay away from microwave radiation. ◆ Adolescent girls and women should place cellphones on a (84) _________ part of their bodies. ◆ Cellphone manual should clearly (85)_________ people of danger of overexposure. ◆ The government should raise public (86) __________ of such warnings and revise current exposure limits. ◆ Toys with radio transmitters should be monitored more closely. |
Reasons for more harm to children and fetuses |
Their bodies have not (87) ________ matured. |
(88)__________ to the problem |
◆ Different safety levels for adults versus should be discussed in public. ◆ More studies will be done to check or contradict the assumptions. ◆ We should try to (89)__________ that Wi-Fi and cellphones will not be responsible for health crisis in the future. |
Conclusion |
Studies suggest that Wi-Fi exposure is more (90)________ to kids than previously thought. |
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