BEWARE OF THE SUN

It's becoming very dangerous to sit in the sun. If you have a *fashionable sun tan, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have lots of outdoor activities - but it does mean that you re in greater danger of getting skin cancer and cataracts.
The *ozone layer, which protects us from the sun's dangerous ultra-violet *rays, is progressively deteriorating. In February 1992 a scientific report said that people in Canada, Northern Europe and Russia were in serious danger.
In 1985, the news of destruction of the ozone layer in the South Pole alarmed people in the Southern Hemisphere. In Australia, there are now three times more cases of skin cancer than in the past. In New Zealand, teachers tell schoolchildren to wear hats and not to sit in the sun.
What causes the destruction of the ozone layer? Mostly chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Aerosol sprays, refrigerators, air conditioners, as well as industrial *chemicals, send chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere.
Governments are now trying very hard to forbid CFCs, but it will be expensive and difficult to do so. After the first ozone alarm in the Southern Hemisphere, ecologists all over the world asked governments to take strict measures immediately. Some governments did, but not soon enough. Other countries believe that they have other problems which are more important. Now stricter measures are going to be taken, but already a lot of damage has been done.

VOCABULARY
fashionable = à la mode
rays = rayons
ozone layer = couche d'ozone
chemical = produit chimique

QUESTIONS

1) What is dangerous to the skin?
A) the ozone layer
B) the atmosphere
C) ultra-violet rays

2) CFCs are caused by…
A) governments
B) ecologists
C) aerosol sprays and industries

3) Australia …
A) is taking measures
B) refuses to sell aerosol sprays
C) is not concerned by this problem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS

1C | 2C | 3A