The World Health Organization says air pollution is now the world's single-largest environmental
health risk. A new report from the WHO says nearly eight million people died in 2012 because of air
pollution. That is more than twice as many as the number in 2008.
Air pollution is an international problem. The World Health Organization says one in eight people die
from air pollution, from both inside buildings and outside. It says new information shows air pollution is
partly to blame for people dying at an early age from h eart disease. It says other causes of death include
cancer and or long-term diseases of the lungs and breathing passages.
The WHO report says most deaths from air pollution take place in low- and middle-income countries
in Southeast Asia and the western Pacific Ocean. About half of the world's population lives in those
countries. Many people who live there use open fires or simple equipment to cook food and heat their
homes.
Health officials say 4.2 million people died at an early age in 2012 because of the burning of coal and
biomass fuels -- such as wood, crop waste and animal wastes. They say 3.7 million others died in cities and
rural areas because of outside air pollution.
Carlos Dora says countries must work together to reduce air pollution because what happens in one
country can affect lives in another country.
Dr. Dora says at one time, air pollution was worse in developed countries than in developing ones. But
he notes developed countries -- especially Britain and the United States -- have taken steps to greatly
reduce air pollution during the past 10 years.
He says measures that help cut air pollution can be costly. But he says they may save money in the
long term by lowering health care costs.
64. According to the passage, air pollution can cause the following diseases except______.
A. heart disease B. cancer C. lung disease D. memory loss
65. How many people died of air pollution in 2008?
A. about 4.2 B. about 3.7 C. about 3.9 D. about 7.9
66. To reduce air pollution, people should_____________________.
A. use more wood B. avoid using coal
C. use more animal waste D. improve the way to use fuels
67. It can be seen from the passage that______________________.
A. people worldwide should work together to reduce air pollution.
B. developing countries have done better than developed countries.
C. it is not worthwhile to make efforts to reduce air pollution.
D. more people died from air pollution in the countryside than in cities.