[00:00.00] CHAPTER FIVE Reading

[00:-1.00]pages 82 and 83

[00:-2.00]SICK BUILDINGS

[00:-3.00]A wealthy American businessman

[00:-4.00]has just bought a small insurance company in South east Asia.

[00:-5.00]He has not visited it yet.

[00:-6.00]After he bought it,he heard that the staff were often sick.

[00:-7.00]He then sent Kate Ford,his personal assistant,

[00:-8.00]to inspect the office and give him a brief report on the possible health hazards

[00:-9.00]To:Mr P Thompson, Chairman,Mwgabux industries From:Kate Ford

[00:10.00]Health Hazards at Solid Insurance Ltd.

[00:11.00]I have investigated the possible health hazards

[00:12.00]in the office of Solid insurance Ltd,

[00:13.00]and I have also discussed the subject with the present manager of the company

[00:14.00]Mr C K Li,and most members of staff.

[00:15.00]General situation

[00:16.00]The office is situated on the fifth floor of a building which was completed in 1975

[00:17.00]Access is via elevator only.

[00:18.00]The office is rented from Profitable Properties Limited(PPL).

[00:19.00]Ventilation

[00:20.00]they complained of headaches,tiredness and respiratory problems.

[00:21.00]The poor ventilation is probably responsible.

[00:22.00]All windows in the office are sealed.

[00:23.00]We should consider replacing some of these with windows which can be opened

[00:24.00]All ventilation is provided by the building's central air conditioning system

[00:25.00]At present this provides a mixture of 20% fresh air and 80% recycled air.

[00:26.00]A higher percentage of fresh air is desirable.

[00:27.00]In addition,the main air intake is at ground level,facing a busy main road.

[00:28.00]This should be re-sited to the roof.

[00:29.00]There is no regular cleaning programme for the system,

[00:30.00]although this ought to be done at least once a year

[00:31.00]to ensure that dirt and dangerous bacteria do not pollute the system.

[00:32.00]We will need to raise these points with PPL,

[00:33.00]who may object because of the expense of making changes.

[00:34.00]Smoking

[00:35.00]Seven of the forty staff,including Mr C K Li,are regular smokers.

[00:36.00]The previous management did not have a non-smoking policy.

[00:37.00]We should consider introducing one immediately.

[00:38.00]This is the easiest problem to solve.

[00:39.00]Equipment

[00:40.00]The photocopying machines,which are frequently in use,

[00:41.00]are situated in a small room with poor ventilation.

[00:42.00]I believe these machines can produce ozone,a toxic chemical.

[00:43.00]We need to take expert advice on this problem.

[00:44.00]Most of the staff sit in front of desk-top computers all day,

[00:45.00]and have a break only at lunch-time.

[00:46.00]They have old chairs which are uncomfortable and too low.

[00:47.00]Many complain of eye strain and back problems.

[00:48.00]We need to purchase modern,adjustable chairs

[00:49.00]and introduce a system of regular breaks.

[00:50.00]Water system

[00:51.00]The men's and women's wash rooms are maintained in a hygienic state.

[00:52.00]However,several staff have been absent recently with stomach illnesses.

[00:53.00]A possible reason for this may be the drinking water from the pantry,

[00:54.00]which does not seem to be pure.

[00:55.00]The main water tanks on the roof have never been cleaned,according to Mr C K Li

[00:56.00]We should get an expert to test the water quality.

[00:57.00]We should get an expert to test the water quality.

[00:58.00]Noise

[00:59.00]The office has a high noise level.

[-1:00.00]This results in an increase in stress.

[-1:-1.00]However,the situation here could be improved

[-1:-2.00]by fitting sound proof tiles to the ceiling,

[-1:-3.00]since much of the noise comes from a plastics factory on the floor above

[-1:-4.00]Lighting

[-1:-5.00]There are old lights on the ceiling.

[-1:-6.00]Wherever you sit, they reflect on the computer screens.

[-1:-7.00]If we are changing the ceiling tiles,

[-1:-8.00]it would be a good chance to install a better lighting system.

[-1:-9.00]Conclusion

[-1:10.00]The workers'illnesses are genuine and staff morale is low.

[-1:11.00]Mr C K Li's failure to deal with any of these problems is very regrettable

[-1:12.00]Listening Skills

[-1:13.00]pages 86 and 87

[-1:14.00]Filling in forms

[-1:15.00]In these exercise,you will hear a conversation between Kate Ford

[-1:16.00]and one of the staff at Solid Insurance Ltd.

[-1:17.00]Listen and complete the form,as if you were Kate Ford.

[-1:18.00]A:Do come in,please sit down.Now,as you probably know

[-1:19.00]I'm doing a survey of all the staff here

[-1:20.00]because we want to improve the working conditions.

[-1:21.00]So I hope you tell me honestly about any problems,so that we can deal with them

[-1:22.00]B:Yes,of course.I think it's a very good idea.

[-1:23.00]A:Good!Now,you are Mr Parkinson,aren't you?What is your first name?

[-1:24.00]B:It's Ian.

[-1:25.00]A:How do you spell that?

[-1:26.00]B:I-A-N.

[-1:27.00]A:I-A-N,right,and your surname?

[-1:28.00]B:P-A-R-K-I-N-S-O-N Parkinson.

[-1:29.00]A:Thank you.And what is your job title,Mr Parkinson?

[-1:30.00]B:I'm an accountant.

[-1:31.00]A:Accountant.And how long have you been with the company?

[-1:32.00]B:Two and a half years altogether.

[-1:33.00]A:Two and a half years.

[-1:34.00]Now,Mr Parkinson,looking back over the last year

[-1:35.00]how many days were you absent from work due to ill health?

[-1:36.00]B:Let's see,about ten days,I think.

[-1:37.00]A:And what was the treatment did you require?

[-1:38.00]B:I've been to the doctors several times about my back.

[-1:39.00]and just resting at home is usually enough.

[-1:40.00]I haven't had to stay in hospital.

[-1:41.00]A:I see.What sort of health problems have you had?

[-1:42.00]Any respiratory problems,you mentioned the cough.

[-1:43.00]B:Yes,I've had a cough for a long time,

[-1:44.00]and I often get a headache after a day at work.

[-1:45.00]A:Any trouble with your eyes or back pain?

[-1:46.00]B:My eyes are fine, but I have had a lot of back trouble.

[-1:47.00]A:Anything else?

[-1:48.00]B:Yes,I had a broken wrist last summer.

[-1:49.00]A:A broken wrist?

[-1:50.00]B:Yes,but that was nothing to do with the office

[-1:51.00]I just fell over while I was playing tennis,that's all.

[-1:52.00]A:Aha,oh I see,anyway I'll make a brief note of it.

[-1:53.00]Oh,by the way,I forgot to enter your age.

[-1:54.00]B:I'm thirty-two.

[-1:55.00]A:Thirty-two,thank you.Now,I believe you're a smoker,Mr Parkinson.

[-1:56.00]B:Yes,I'm afraid so.

[-1:57.00]A:So,how would you feel if we introduced a non-smoking policy?

[-1:58.00]I suppose you would object of that.

[-1:59.00]B:No,I think it would be desirable to have one.

[-2:00.00]My wife keeps telling me to stop smoking,

[-2:-1.00]if we had a non-smoking policy in the office,

[-2:-2.00]it would help me to give up smoking,

[-2:-3.00]and it would be better for the nonsmokers,too.

[-2:-4.00]So I would be in favour of that.

[-2:-5.00]A:Right,that's very good.

[-2:-6.00]Now,do you have any problems with your equipment or furniture in the office

[-2:-7.00]B:Yes,my chair is terrible,it's too low,and the lighting is very poor.

[-2:-8.00]It's difficult to see the computer's screen clearly.

[-2:-9.00]A:So that's the chair,too low, and poor lighting.

[-2:10.00]Right,so which of these five things worry you the most?

[-2:11.00]I'd like you to choose three things and rank them in order from 1 to 3.

[-2:12.00]B:Let me see...well,No.1 is the furniture,

[-2:13.00]the lighting was probably be No.2 and I guess,air quality is No.3

[-2:14.00]A:You do use a desktop computer in your work, don't you?

[-2:15.00]B:Yes.A:How often do you take a break?

[-2:16.00]You ought to take a break about every hour.

[-2:17.00]B:No,we can't do that.

[-2:18.00]The manager complains if we not touch desks all the time.

[-2:19.00]We can only take a break at lunch time

[-2:20.00]A:So how many hours a day are you using the computer?

[-2:21.00]B:Not all the time I would say I use it about four hours a day.

[-2:22.00]B:Well,I don't think they are very good at all.

[-2:23.00]I would say that I'm quite dissatisfied.

[-2:24.00]They need to be improved.

[-2:25.00]A:And do you have any other commends

[-2:26.00]or things you like to mention about the office conditions?

[-2:27.00]B:Well,yes.I'm rather worried about what would happen if there was a fire.

[-2:28.00]The door to the stairs is usually locked

[-2:29.00]and stairs are often blocked with rubbish

[-2:30.00]A:I'll make notes of that.Door to stairs locked,

[-2:31.00]stairs blocked with rubbish I'll look into that.

[-2:32.00]Right,thank you for your help,Mr Parkinson

[-2:33.00]B:Thank you.

[-2:34.00]SPEAKING Page 93

[-2:35.00]A Final e on short words

[-2:36.00]The pronunciation of short words

[-2:37.00]with a short vowel sound changes when a final e is added.

[-2:38.00]Then the vowel is pronounced in the same way as the name of those letters

[-2:39.00](a,e,i,o,u) in the alphabet.

[-2:40.00]a mad made

[-2:41.00]e pet Pete

[-2:42.00]i hid hide

[-2:43.00]o not note

[-2:44.00]u us use

[-2:45.00]Exercise A1

[-2:46.00]1.This is a cube.

[-2:47.00]2.Turn off the tap.

[-2:48.00]3.Is this the site?

[-2:49.00]4.Can you hop on one leg?

[-2:50.00]5.Take the dog to the vet.

[-2:51.00]6.This is a steep slope!

[-2:52.00]7.Cane furniture is popular.

[-2:53.00]8.Look at that tiger cub!

[-2:54.00]9.What a lovely scene!

[-2:55.00]10.I hit my shin on a rock.

[-2:56.00]11.The hose was very long.

[-2:57.00]12.Clothes fade in the sun.

[-2:58.00]Exercise A2

[-2:59.00]1.You can make an excellent kite from a kit.

[-3:00.00]2.Hello,pal.You look pale.Do you feel all right?

[-3:-1.00]3.After a long, hot walk,

[-3:-2.00]we were glad to find a cool glade of trees for our picnic.

[-3:-3.00]4.I like the way your hair is cut.It makes you look very cute!

[-3:-4.00]5.The fins of the shark are used to make a fine soup.

[-3:-5.00]6.The plane went into a spin and crashed.

[-3:-6.00]The poor pilot injured his spine.

[-3:-7.00]7.If you win the competition,you will receive a bottle of wine.

[-3:-8.00]8.I'm sorry,but I hate that hat.It looks silly.

[-3:-9.00]9.I keep pins in this pine box.

[-3:10.00]MORE LANGUAGE INPUT(5)

[-3:11.00]pages 98 and 99

[-3:12.00]A Reading

[-3:13.00]Indoor Air Quality Problems

[-3:14.00]Generally speaking,

[-3:15.00]a school has far more occupants per square metre than an office building.

[-3:16.00]The fact is that with an increasing urbanization,

[-3:17.00]the student population in many schools is still growing.

[-3:18.00]Therefore,an awareness of possible indoor air quality problems

[-3:19.00]is important for teachers and students alike.

[-3:20.00]Most indoor air pollution in schools comes from sources inside the school building

[-3:21.00]For example,photocopiers,manufactured wood products like desks and chairs

[-3:22.00]and carpeting cleaning products and pesticides

[-3:23.00]may all emit harmful elements into the air.

[-3:24.00]Other pollutants may also accumulate

[-3:25.00]in specific areas such as laboratories and toilets.

[-3:26.00]Meanwhile,outdoor air that enters a school building through windows

[-3:27.00]and other openings can also bring vehicle exhausts into the classrooms.

[-3:28.00]Outdated ventilation systems in some older schools

[-3:29.00]increase the risks of indoor air quality problems.

[-3:30.00]Poor indoor air quality can cause serious respiratory problems.

[-3:31.00]Younger students in particular are affected.

[-3:32.00]Children's respiratory systems are still developing

[-3:33.00]They are more sensitive to the air pollutants.

[-3:34.00]Children also have higher respiration rates than adults.

[-3:35.00]As a result,they are likely to inhale more of the pollutants than adults do

[-3:36.00]There is a lot that we can do and should do.

[-3:37.00]For instance,increasing ventilation rates,banning smoking,

[-3:38.00]storing paints and pesticides in closed containers,

[-3:39.00]and using those pollutant sources in periods of low or no occupancy

[-3:40.00]are all easy and effective means to prevent the problems

[-3:41.00]Of course,of all the measures to take,education is on top of the list.

[-3:42.00]When everyone in the school fully understands the matter,

[-3:43.00]a safer and healthier learning environment with cleaner air can be created

[-3:44.00]B Listening

[-3:45.00]In 1950,30% of the world's population lived in urban areas

[-3:46.00]By 2000,the proportion of urban dwellers had risen to 47%

[-3:47.00]and it expected to reach 60% by 2030.

[-3:48.00]At the current rate of change,

[-3:49.00]the number of urban dwellers will equal the number of rural dwellers

[-3:50.00]in the world in 2007.

[-3:51.00]There are 2.9,000,000,000 inhabitants in urban areas today

[-3:52.00]and 4.9,000,000,000 are expected by 2030 ,

[-3:53.00]whereas the world has 6.1,000,000,000 inhabitants

[-3:54.00]and is expected to have 8.1,000,000,000 by 2030.

[-3:55.00]More than 150,000 people

[-3:56.00]are being added to the urban population in developing countries every day

[-3:57.00]Greater Tokyo,Japan,already has 26,000,000 people,

[-3:58.00]Sao Paulo,Brazil 18,000,000 and Bombay,India,18,000,000

[-3:59.00]It is predicted that by 2015,

[-4:00.00]the world will have 23'megacities'with populations over 10,000,000

[-4:-1.00]and more than 500 cities with populations of 1,000,000 or more.

[-4:-2.00]The prediction is that by 2025,2/3 of the world's people will live in cities