The Dangers ofSecondhand Smoke

Most people knowthat cigarette smoking is harmful to their health.Scientific research showsthat it

causes many kinds ofdiseases.In fact,many people who smoke get lung cancer. However,Edward Gilson

has lung cancer,andhe has never smoked cigarettes.He lives with his wife Evelyn,who has smokedabout

a pack of cigarettesa day throughout their marriage.________(46)

No one knows forsure why Mr. Gilson has lung cancer. Nevertheless,doctors believe thatsecondhand

smoke may cause lungcancer in people who do not smoke because nonsmokers often breathe in the smoke

from other people'scigarettes.________(47)The USEnvironmental Protection Agency reports that about

53,000 people die inthe United Stateseach year as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke.

The smoke that comesfrom a lit cigarette contains many different poisonous chemicals.In the past,

scientists did notthink that these chemicals could harm a nonsmoker's health._________(48)They

discovered that evennonsmokers had unhealthy amounts of these toxic chemicals in their bodies.As amatter

of fact,almost allof us breathe tobacco smoke at times,whether we realize it or not. Forexample,we can

not avoid secondhandsmoke in restaurants,hotels and other public places.Even though many publicplaces

have nonsmokingareas,smoke flows in from the areas where smoking is permitted.

It is even harderfor children to avoid secondhand smoke._________(49)Research shows that chil-

dren who are exposedto secondhand smoke are sick more often than children who live in homes whereno one

smokes and that thechildren of smokers are more than twice as likely to develop lung cancer whenthey are

adults as arechildren of nonsmokers.The risk is even higher for children who live in homeswhere both

parents smoke.

People are becomingvery aware of the dangers of secondhand smoke._________（50)__________（47）

A.Recently,though,scientistschanged their opinion after they studied a large group of nonsmokers.

B.The Gilsons havebeen married for 35 years.

C.This smoke iscalled secondhand smoke.

D.However,secondhandsmoke is dangerous to all people,old or young.

E.As a result,theyhave passed laws which prohibit people from smoking in many public places.