Questões de Inglês - Reading/Writing

CAN A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE WEATHER AFFECT YOUR HEALTH?

Can a sudden shift in the weather trigger certain illnesses? Absolutely, says Vikash Modi, M.D., a Piedmont
family medicine physician. In fact, climate change is one of the environmental risk factors most doctors
consider when assessing their patients for certain conditions. “Changes in weather are basically challenges
to our immune system and to our musculoskeletal system,” Dr. Modi says. “Our bodies get used to a certain
[5] climate, and when those things change suddenly, our body has to try to adapt. Unfortunately, sometimes
our bodies have a difficult time adjusting, which can trigger an illness.” Here are six health conditions that
can be triggered by a sudden change in the weather:

“Often we’ll discover that patients are dressing inappropriately,” Dr. Modi says. “They’re not wearing
enough layers or they’re wearing too many layers, and so their bodies get overheated or too cold. That
[10] can affect their immune response and can trigger upper respiratory infections.” When temperatures are
fluctuating, Dr. Modi recommends dressing in light layers. “Dressing in light layers is incredibly important
to protect from cold temperatures in the morning and at night, and you’re still able to shed those layers in
the warm mid-days or indoor settings,” Dr. Modi says.

Heating and air systems struggle to keep up with fluctuating temperatures, and rapidly alternating heating
[15] and cooling systems can dehumidify air. Dehumidified air filled with pollen, dust, mold and mildew is a
perfect storm for severe and chronic sinus and throat issues. So, it’s important to change heating and
air filters every six months. “If your filters haven’t been changed in more than six months, they are likely
blowing dust, mold and mildew-ridden air on you and your family while you are at home or work,” Dr.
Modi says. Dr. Modi also recommends purchasing a humidifier to add moisture to the air.

[20] Cold air can trigger seasonal asthma or bronchitis. People who have these conditions should be prepared
to use an inhaler seasonally to avoid severe and chronic coughing episodes. “There is a physiological
response to cold air that causes your airways to close down and tighten up,” Dr. Modi says. “If you have
asthma, that response can be dangerous. You’ll see a lot of people who have bronchitis, coughing, wheezing
and shortness of breath throughout cold temperatures. So, we need to be a little more aggressive with
[25] the control of their lung health.”

“Plants get just as confused as people do with the changing weather patterns,” Dr. Modi says. “This means
flowers bloom early and release pollen, which can aggravate people with seasonal allergies.”

As the weather temporarily improves, it is common for families, co-workers, and school children to gather
for group activities. If one person is sick with a cold or the flu, you may see a minor “outbreak” of illness
[30] following those gatherings. “When large groups gather together, we all need to be a little more careful
about hand hygiene and covering our mouths and noses with coughing and sneezing,” Dr. Modi says. “It’s
also important to frequently clean shared spaces to control the spread of infections.”

When the weather warms up, people are eager to head outdoors. But being extremely active on muscles
and joints that have been hibernating during the cold winter months can lead to injuries. “A good rule to
[35] remember before jumping into those fun physical activities is to start low and go slow, at least initially,” Dr.
Modi says. “It might take a few weeks to shake the rust off. But it will be worth the wait.”

piedmont.org, acesso em 20/09/2019.

TEXT

    These days, when our slow recovery from recession seems like a full-employment program for pessimistic pundits, it’s great to have a new book from Chris Anderson, an indefatigable cheerleader for the unlimited potential of the digital economy. Anderson, the departing editor in chief of Wired magazine, has already written two important books exploring the impact of the Web on commerce. In “The Long Tail,” he argued that companies like Amazon that faced distribution challenges arising from having large quantities of the same kind of product would thrive by “selling less of more.” Corporations didn’t have to chase blockbusters if they had a mass of small sales. In “Free: The Future of a Radical Price,” he argued that giving stuff away to attract a multitude of users might be the best way eventually to make money from loyal customers. Anderson has also helped found a Web site, Geekdad, and an aerial robotics company. From his vantage point, in the future more and more people can get involved in making things they really enjoy and can connect with others who share their passions and their products. These connections, he claims, are creating a new Industrial Revolution.

    In a 2010 Wired article entitled “In the Next Industrial Revolution, Atoms Are the New Bits,” Anderson described how the massive changes in our relations with information have altered how we relate to things. Now that the power of information-sharing has been unleashed through technology and social networks, makers are able to collaborate on design and production in ways that facilitate the connection of producers to markets. By sharing information “bits” in a creative commons, entrepreneurs are making new things (reshaping “atoms”) more cheaply and quickly. The new manufacturing is a powerful economic force not because any one business becomes gigantic, but because technology makes it possible for tens of thousands of businesses to find their customers, to form their communities.

    Anderson begins his new book, “Makers,” with the story of his grandfather Fred Hauser, who invented a sprinkler system. He licensed his invention to a company that turned ideas into things that could be built and sold. Although Hauser loved translating ideas into things, he needed a company with resources to make enough of his sprinklers to turn a profit. Inventing and making were separate. With the advent of the personal computer and of sophisticated but user-friendly design tools, that separation has become increasingly irrelevant. As a child, Anderson loved making things with his grandfather, and he still loves creating new stuff and getting it into the marketplace. “Makers” describes how today technology has liberated the inventor from a dependence on the big manufacturer. “The beauty of the Web is that it democratized the tools both of invention and production,” Anderson writes. “We are all designers now. It’s time to get good at it.”

(Fragment from “Makers: The New Industrial Revolution by Chris Anderson”, by Michael S. Roth. Online since 24 November 2012. URL:https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/makers-thenew-industrial-revolution)

INSTRUCTION: Answer question in relation to text.

TEXT

Eight rules for walks in the country Posted by Tom Cox

  “It’s quite an up and down kind of walk,” said my friend
Emma. “Oh,” added Emma, “and it gets a bit blowy up there,
so I’d leave your credit card back here if I were you.” I gave
her a searching look, wondering how a credit card might
[5] relate to a strong wind. “I took mine up there the other week
and it blew out of my hand into the sea,” she clarified. “I had
to order a new one.”
  I fell in love with walking because it lifted my spirit
and took me to parts of my local area that I would never
[10] have _________ otherwise, but also because there was
something brilliantly ridiculous about the idea of _________
yourself, on a whim, alone, in a bit of countryside you’d never
_________ before, with no real goal apart from putting one
foot in front of the other.
[15]   I’ve never really dressed in any walking-specific clothing
or taken any special supplies out with me, but I do think
there are a few things I’ve learned about “how to walk” in
gentle terrain that might help others. I have compiled some
of the main ones: always be assertive in saying “Hello!”
[20] to fellow walkers, unless in a built-up area; learn to
fold your map properly; show strange dogs and cows
who is boss; don’t be afraid of dictaphones*; try not to
have a beard, but if you do have a beard, have a dog as
well; try to avoid headwear, unless strictly necessary;
[25] choose an apt soundtrack for your walk; watch out for
fookwits and loonies!
  This last one doesn’t apply specifically to country walks.
It’s just something that my dad tells me every time I see him,
and it’s worked fairly well as a general rule for life over the
[30] years, so it probably works for walking as well.
*voice recorders

Adapted from http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ 2013/sep/11/eight-rules-country-walks