呼吸难题的根源？

Is pollution causing your COPD?

常速 | 六级（CET-6）较易 | 923词 | 5min14s

刘立军供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

Listen to the conversation and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. What is the primary function of the air sacs mentioned in the context of emphysema?

A. To filter out pollutants from the air.

B. To provide a site for gas exchange.

C. To regulate the moisture in the airways.

D. To store excess air and prevent overinflation.

Q2. In what way does indoor air pollution contribute to the risk of COPD?

A. By causing direct damage to the air sacs.

B. By reducing the availability of oxygen.

C. Through exposure to biomass fuels during cooking.

D. By increasing the levels of humidity in enclosed spaces.

Q3. According to Doctor Sarah Rylan, what is the impact of lung growth and development on the risk of COPD?

A. Early exposure to pollutants can permanently stunt lung growth.

B. Lungs reach full potential by the age of 30.

C. Proper lung development guarantees no risk of COPD.

D. The risk of COPD is highest in those who have never had respiratory infections.

Q4. How does the conversation suggest that COPD can be prevented or its progression slowed?

A. By avoiding all risk factors.

B. By ensuring that all children are born at a normal weight and without premature birth.

C. By completely eliminating indoor and outdoor air pollution.

D. By treating asthma effectively in childhood.

Q5. What is the primary message of the conversation regarding COPD?

A. COPD is a preventable condition if proper measures are taken.

B. COPD is incurable, but manageable with the right treatment.

C. COPD is a disease that primarily affects children and teenagers.

D. The symptoms of COPD are immediate and severe from the outset.

Q6. What is the implication of the statement “it’s not normal to be breathless” in the context of COPD?

A. All cases of breathlessness should be medically evaluated.

B. Breathlessness is a symptom that requires immediate hospitalization.

C. Breathlessness is an expected part of aging and should be ignored.

D. COPD patients should not accept breathlessness as a normal state.

Q7. What is the first step in managing COPD according to the conversation?

A. Seeking pulmonary rehabilitation.

B. Stopping smoking if applicable.

C. Starting inhaled treatments.

D. Taking regular exercise.

Q8. What is the significance of pulmonary rehabilitation in the management of COPD?

A. It helps patients to strengthen their lung capacity through exercise.

B. It provides a cure for COPD.

C. It is a surgical procedure to remove damaged lung tissue.

D. It involves the use of advanced respiratory equipment at home.

Q9. What is the role of vaccination in the treatment plan for COPD as mentioned by Doctor Sarah Rylan?

A. To prevent the common cold.

B. To alleviate the symptoms of COPD.

C. To protect against flu and other respiratory infections.

D. To improve the effectiveness of inhaled treatments.

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

Is pollution causing your COPD?

VGS: We’re standing next to this big no smoking sign in the W.H.O. headquarters. And also we’re standing next to a very busy street. Air pollution and tobacco smoking. Two of the biggest risk factors for disease we are going to talk about today — chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Sarah, a lot of people may not know what chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is, even if they may have the disease and may not know how to recognize it. Talk to us about what it is.

pulmonary adj. 肺的，与肺有关的

SR: So COPD is a group of conditions which affect the lungs of adults and cause obstruction of the airways, chronic bronchitis or emphysema or other terms that you might have heard to talk about this. In COPD, we have damage and we have inflammation to different parts of the airways. Depending on which parts are affected, it can affect people differently, and this can lead to different symptoms.

bronchitis n. 支气管炎

emphysema n. 肺气肿

VGS: So, Sarah, if people have COPD, how would they know what is actually happening inside us?

SR: So the symptoms of COPD come on slowly and often become worse gradually. Someone might notice, for example, that they are having difficulty going about their normal daily life. Sometimes people notice first that they’re having difficulty in walking, particularly going up a hill. Or if they have to take the stairs, they may become breathless. As things progress, it might become that they then start to find it difficult to get dressed in the morning, for example, or to do normal daily household chores. In severe cases, it can become so bad that people are breathless even when they are talking or eating. Sometimes symptoms can become suddenly worse as well. This is called a flare-up or an exacerbation. At that time, people would need to get additional medical treatment. Sometimes they even needed to be admitted to hospital for that. The exact symptoms depend on what is happening inside of the lungs. So if I have chronic bronchitis, then my airways are inflamed. They’re swollen, there’s mucus. And so if I have that, then I will be coughing or I’ll be coughing up phlegm or mucus. And I might also be breathless. In emphysema, (Q1) we find that at the end of the airways there are little air sacs, and these can become damaged. And then air collects in these air sacs, and it means that people can’t breathe out fully, so their lungs are overinflated. They have this feeling of their lungs being full all of the time, and it creates a feeling of breathlessness.

exacerbation n. 加重，恶化

inflame v. 使发炎，激怒

mucus n. 粘液，痰

phlegm n. 痰，黏液

sac n. 囊，气囊

VGS: Other than smoking and air pollution, what are the causes of COPD?

SR: There are lots of different things that can cause COPD. In the past, people really attributed COPD to smoking, and your risk of COPD increases with the more cigarettes that you smoke every day or the longer that you’ve smoked for. But we now know there are other things too. Air pollution is one that you’ve mentioned. (Q2) This could be indoor air pollution. So exposure through when people are cooking on biomass fuels, for example, like wood or charcoal inside an enclosed space, or outdoor air pollution from traffic or from industry factories, these kinds of things.

biomass n. 生物质燃料（如木材、木炭等）

charcoal n. 木炭，炭

VGS : Sarah, are some people more susceptible to COPD?

SR: So actually, yes, our lungs start growing and developing even before we are born, and they continue to grow and develop throughout childhood, throughout teenage years until they reach their maximum potential in your early 20s. (Q3) If you’re exposed to things during that period of lung growth and development that stop your lungs from growing and developing in this way, then this means that you never reach that full potential and you’re at increased risk of COPD. If your mother smokes, or is exposed to air pollution or tobacco smoke during pregnancy. If you’re born very small or born early, if you have severe respiratory infections during childhood, all of these things impact your lung growth and development. That means you reach adulthood without having grown your lungs to their full size, if you like. So you’re at more risk of developing COPD. (Q4) Asthma is another risk factor. If people have asthma in childhood, particularly if it’s poorly treated, then that can be a risk factor. There are also some genetic conditions that can predispose to COPD.

respiratory adj. 呼吸的，呼吸系统的

asthma n. 哮喘

genetic adj. 遗传的，基因的

predispose v. 使倾向于，预先安排

VGS: So that’s actually alarming, that if a mother is breathing air pollution and is a smoker, then the chances of the child developing COPD increases, especially alarming because nine out of ten people are breathing air that’s unhealthy for them. Is there a treatment for COPD?

SR: (Q5) If COPD is diagnosed early and appropriate treatment is started promptly, then people with COPD can live as full of a life as possible. (Q6) Remember, it’s not normal to be breathless, and it’s not just people who smoke that get COPD. (Q7) The important things are firstly, to stop smoking if people smoke. (Q8) Secondly, to take regular exercise, and there are special programs called pulmonary rehabilitation for people with COPD to help strengthen their lungs. Thirdly, there are various inhaled treatments that are available which work in different ways inside the lungs that can be helpful. Lastly, (Q9-1) it’s very important to protect from infection. So if someone has COPD, (Q9-2) it’s really important that they get vaccinated against flu and Covid, for example, other respiratory infections.

inhale v. 吸入，吸气

vaccinate v. 给…接种疫苗

VGS: Thank you, Sarah. That was science and five today. Until next time then, stay safe, stay healthy, and stick with science.

Part III. KEY

Q1. B.【解析】细节题。根据“at the end of the airways there are little air sacs, and these can become damaged. And then air collects in these air sacs, and it means that people can’t breathe out fully, so their lungs are overinflated.”，可知在气道的末端有小气囊，这些可能会受损。然后空气会积聚在这些气囊中，导致患者无法完全呼出气体，肺部过度膨胀，由此可以推断气囊的主要功能是气体交换。因此答案为B。

Q2. C.【解析】细节题。根据“This could be indoor air pollution. So exposure through when people are cooking on biomass fuels, for example, like wood or charcoal inside an enclosed space...”，可知室内空气污染，比如人们在封闭空间内使用使用木材、木炭等生物质燃料做饭时接触到的污染物而增加COPD的风险。因此答案为C。

Q3. A.【解析】细节题。根据“If you’re exposed to things during that period of lung growth and development that stop your lungs from growing and developing in this way, then this means that you never reach that full potential and you’re at increased risk of COPD.”，可知如果在肺生长发育期间接触到阻止肺其正常发育的物质，那么肺部就无法达到应有的发育水平，你患COPD的风险就会增加。由此可知，早期接触污染物可能会永久阻碍肺的生长。因此答案为A。

Q4. D.【解析】推理题。根据“Asthma is another risk factor. If people have asthma in childhood, particularly if it’s poorly treated, then that can be a risk factor.”，可知哮喘是另一个风险因素。如果人们在儿童时期患有哮喘，特别是如果治疗不当，那么这可能是一个风险因素。由此推理，通过在儿童时期有效治疗哮喘可以预防或减缓COPD的发展。因此答案为D。

Q5. B.【解析】主旨题。整个对话都在讨论COPD的症状、原因和治疗方法，特别是在“if COPD is diagnosed early and appropriate treatment is started promptly, then people with COPD can live as full of a life as possible.”这句话中强调了尽管COPD是是不可治愈的，但若早期诊断并及时治疗，是可以控制的。因此答案为B。

Q6. D.【解析】推理题。根据“Remember, it’s not normal to be breathless, and it’s not just people who smoke that get COPD.”，可知气喘不是正常现象，而且不仅仅是吸烟的人会得COPD。这句话是在提醒COPD患者不应该将气喘视为一种正常状态，而应该及时寻求诊断和治疗。因此答案为D。

Q7. B.【解析】细节题。根据“The important things are firstly, to stop smoking if people smoke.”，可知管理COPD的第一步就是戒烟。因此答案为B。

Q8. A.【解析】细节题。根据“Secondly, to take regular exercise, and there are special programs called pulmonary rehabilitation for people with COPD to help strengthen their lungs.”，可知，肺康复对于COPD患者来说，是通过定期锻炼来帮助加强肺部功能。因此答案为A。

Q9. C.【解析】细节题。根据“it’s very important to protect from infection”以及“it’s really important that they get vaccinated against flu and Covid, for example, other respiratory infections.”，可知接种流感和Covid疫苗非常重要，可以保护患者免受流感和其他呼吸道感染。因此答案为C。

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