Lesson13 The Dangers of Secondhand Smoke

Most people know that cigarette smoking is harmful to their health.Scientific research shows that it causes many kinds of diseases.In fact,many people who smoke get lung cancer.
However,Edward Gilson has lung cancer,and he has never smoked cigarettes.He lives with his wife,Evelyn,who has smoked about a pack of cigarettes a day throughout their marriage.The Gilsons have been married for 35 years.No one knows for sure why Mr.Gilson has lung cancer.
Nevertheless,doctors believe that secondhand smoke may cause ung cancer in people who do not smoke because nonsmokers often breathe in the smoke from other people's cigarettes.This smoke is called secondhand smoke.Edward Gilson has been breathing this type of smoke for 35 years.Now he is dying of lung cancer.
However,he is not alone.The U.S.Environmental Protection Agency reports that about 53,000 people die in the United States each year as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke.We call this passive smoking.

nevertheless ? 然而
Environmental Protection Agency 环境保护署
exposure ? 暴露
passive 被动的

二手烟的危害

大多数人都知道吸烟有害健康。科学研究表明，吸烟能够诱发多种疾病。事实上，许多吸烟的人得了肺癌。
然而爱德华吉尔松从不抽烟却得了肺癌。他和他的妻子伊芙琳生活在一起，婚后他的妻子每天要抽一包烟。吉尔松夫妇已经结婚三十五年了。没有人确切地知道为什么吉尔松会得肺癌。
然而，医生相信二手烟可能会使不抽烟的人患上肺癌，因为不抽烟的人经常吸入别人吸烟时产生的烟。这种烟叫做二手烟。爱德华吉尔松吸这种烟吸了三十五年。现在他即将死于肺癌。
然而，他的情况可不是唯一的。美国环境保护署报道，每年在美国大约有五万三千人因吸入二手烟死亡。我们把这种情况叫做被动吸烟。