Choose the yum(美味的東西) and risk the yuk(討厭的東西)?
Scientists have given us a lot of health warnings. The advice from cancer experts for avoiding bowel(腸) cancer is "try to avoid processed(加工過的) meats such as bacon, ham, corned beef and some sausages", and women fearing breast cancer are told "there doesn't seem to be a starting point at which alcohol consumption is safe",
But all these health warnings tend to have little influence on behavior, So who is being unreasonable —the scientists who give us health advice, or the public that just ignores it?
The curious fact is that both might be right. The reasoning behind these health warnings seems to be this: if you do more of something pleasurable (which we shall give the name “yum”) there is a higher risk of something bad (which we shall give the name “yuk”)occurring, so you should avoid yum.
But when presented with
this argument you might ask two questions.
First, maybe the pleasure of yum makes the risk worth taking, especially if yuk might occur a long time in the future? Second, maybe there are other benefits of yum that could cancel out the risks of the particular yuk that has been identified (確認) ?
So suppose bacon sandwiches are your particular yum: research shows that 50g per day — that is a great greasy sandwich — increases your risk of bowel cancer by 20%.
But this means that out of every 100 people who stuffed down that big bacon sandwich every day of their lives, the number of bowel cancers would
rise from five to six.
In addition, if a middle
-aged woman gave up alcohol, it might reduce her risk of breast cancer, but could increase risk of some other cancers as well as heart disease.
So we need to look at the whole picture before trying to get people to change what they do, since everything has benefit and harms — just think of the joggers(慢跑者) who get knocked down by cars — and people need to be able to find their own balance.
Therefore, as you reach for your yum, perhaps sometimes pause a moment and realize that you are taking a gamble(賭博) on the yuk occurring, but that it may be a risk worth taking.
小題1:What is the advice given by scientists for avoiding breast cancer?
A.Try to avoid processed meat. | B.Try to avoid alcohol. |
C.Try to choose the yum. | D.Try to risk the yuk. |
小題2: What does “this argument” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A.If you choose the yum, you will risk the yuk. |
B.If you risk the yuk, you’ll choose the yum. |
C.The yum is worth taking, especially if yuk might occur in the future. |
D.Other benefits of yum could cancel out the risks of the yuk. |
小題3:Why do we need to look at the whole picture before trying to get people to change what they do?
A.Because giving up alcohol might reduce breast cancer. |
B.Because people are not able to find their own balance. |
C.Because all the things have both sides. |
D.Because the advice given by scientists is not true. |
小題4:According to the passage, which of the following is correct?
A.People are often influenced by the health warnings. |
B.Both the scientists and the public are not reasonable. |
C.Alcohol consumption has both benefit and harms. |
D.People should avoid yum to reduce the risk of yuk. |