Read the passage given below:
1. Call it a blessing or a curse of Mother Nature, we have to breathe in over 10,000 litres of air in a day (more than four million litres in a year) to remain alive. By making it essential for life, God has wished that we try to keep the air we breathe clean. Everyone can see the food that is not clean and perhaps refrain from eating it, but one cannot stop breathing even if one can feel the air to be polluted. Several harmful and noxious substances can contaminate the air we breathe. Generally, much is said and written about outdoor air pollution, most of which is due to vehicular and industrial exhausts.
2. Given the fact that most of us spend over 90% of our time indoors, it is most important to recognise that the air we breathe in at home or in offices can be polluted. It can be a cause of ill-health. Air pollutants that are generally present in very low concentrations can assume significance in closed ill-ventilated places. The indoor air pollution can lead to allergic reactions and cause irritation to the skin, the eyes and the nose. But as is logical to assume, the brunt of insult by pollutants is borne by the lungs. It can lead to the development of fresh breathing problems, especially in those who have allergic tendencies, or it can worsen the existing respiratory illnesses like asthma and bronchitis.
3. There can be several sources of indoor air pollution. Tobacco smoke is one of the most important air pollutants in closed places. “Passive smoking” or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) pollution can lead to all the harmful effects of tobacco smoking seen in the smokers in their non-smoking companions. ETS as a health hazard has been unequivocally proven and is also getting social recognition now. One can occasionally see signs displaying the all-important message: “Your smoking is injurious to my health” in offices and homes. The children of smoking parents are among the worst affected persons. The exposure of young children to ETS leads to increased respiratory problems and hospital admissions as compared to non-exposed children. Several studies, including those done at the PGI, have shown an increased risk of lung cancer among women exposed to passive smoking. ETS also worsens the existing lung diseases like asthma and bronchitis. It may be responsible for the development of asthma in children. The next most important source of indoor air pollution is the allergens. House dust mites (HDM) are very small insects not visible to the naked eye and are the commonest source of allergy in the house. They are ubiquitous and thrive in a warm and moist atmosphere. They breed very fast and are very difficult to eradicate. Modern houses present ample breeding spaces for them in the form of carpets, curtains, mattresses, pillows, etc.
4. Exposure to HDM can be prevented by the frequent washing of linen and by encasing the mattresses and pillows in a non-permeable cover. Pets form an important part of life for some of us. But they can add plenty of allergens to our indoor atmosphere. Cats are notorious for doing this. Fine particles from feline fur can remain stuck to the upholstery and carpets for a long time even after the removal of the animal and lead to the worsening of asthma and skin allergies. Fortunately, owing to religious and social customs cats are not very popular pets in India. Dogs, however, are quite popular and can be as troublesome. Pets should be kept out of the bedrooms and washed frequently. To remove the fur particles one has to use vacuum cleaners as the ordinary broom and mop are not effective.
5. Moulds, fungi and several other micro organisms thrive in damp conditions and can lead to allergies as well as infections. Humidifiers in the air-conditioning plants provide an ideal environment for certain types of bacteria and have led to major outbreaks of pneumonia. It is important to clean regularly the coolers, air-conditioners and damp areas of the house such as cupboards, lofts, etc to minimise this risk. Toxic gases can also pollute the indoor environment. Biomass fuels (wood, cowdung, dried plants) and coal, if burned inside, can lead to severe contamination by carbon monoxide (CO). The poor quality of stoves and other cooking or heating appliances that cause incomplete combustion of LPG can also lead to the emission of CO or nitrogen dioxide. Formaldehyde (a gas) can be released from adhesives that are used for fixing carpets, upholstery and also in making plywood and particle board.
6. The gases are very toxic in high concentrations as may be encountered during industrial accidents, but even in very minimal amounts, as may be prevalent in homes and offices, they can cause irritation to the skin or the eyes, rashes, headache, dizziness and nausea. Improving the ventilation is an important preventive measure, besides trying to eliminate the source that may not be always feasible. Other indoor pollutants are toxic chemicals like cleansing agents, pesticides, paints, solvents and inferior-quality personal-care products, especially aerosols. Very old crumbling pipes, boilers, insulation or false roofing can also be important sources. Asbestos is a hazardous product that can cause cancer in humans. It is important to realise that the air we breathe at home may not be clean always and we must try to eliminate the source of pollution. We should give due consideration to ventilation.
On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN of the questions given below:
Question. The Almighty wants that human beings ....................
(a) should try to breathe clean air
(b) should not pay attention to pollutants
(c) must ignore ETS
(d) should become passive smokers
Answer: A
Question. The toxic gases cause ....................
(a) rashes
(b) headache
(c) dizziness
(d) all of the options
Answer: D
Question. Air conditioning plants have become the cause of ....................
(a) allergies
(b) pneumonia
(c) heart attack
(d) infection
Answer: B
Question. Asbestos is a hazardous product because it can ....................
(a) cause cancer in humans
(b) cause respiratory problems
(c) prove fatal to the children
(d) none of the options
Answer: A
Question. Which word is correct with reference to the meaning of ‘unequivocally’ as used in para 3?
(a) Ambiguously
(b) Candidly
(c) Clearly
(d) Explicitly
Answer: A
Question. What is essential for our life? How?
Answer: Air is essential for our life. We have to breathe in over 10,000 litres of air in a day to keep ourselves alive.
Question. Why should we pay attention to the quality of air we breathe indoor?
Answer: Most of us spend ninety per cent of our time indoors—in homes or offices. The air we breathe indoors may also be polluted and can cause breathing problems. So, we should pay attention to the quality of air we breathe indoors.
Question. Human beings are the victims of indoor air pollution because a major part of our life is spent ....................
Answer: inside our homes
Question. What are the main sources of indoor air pollution?
Answer: The main sources of indoor air pollution are:
(a) tobacco smoke (e) house dust mites
(b) animal dusts (f) cooking and heating
(c) air conditioners (g) toxic chemicals
(d) moulds or fungi (h) asbestos
Question. What do you understand by ETS? How is it harmful? Give two instances.
Answer: ETS stands for Environmental Tobacco Smoke or “passive smoking”. It causes all the harms of tobacco smoking to non-smokers, for example, the children of smoking parents suffer from respiratory problems. There is an increased risk of lung cancer among women exposed to passive smoking.
Question. How can the risk of allergies be minimised?
Answer: We must first identify the allergies and then prevent exposure to them. Use of vacuum cleaners, exposure to sun, washing linen in warm water and cleaning coolers, air conditioners, etc are some of the important steps to minimise allergies.
Question. Which word in para 6 means ‘sore feeling’?
Answer: irritation
| CBSE Class 12 English Note Making Passage |