Could it actually turn out that air conditioning does our brains more harm than good?

 

 

 

Read the article and replace the words in bold with their synonyms below:

 

detrimental        reigns supreme          ancestors            augmenting

notorious            rampant             refrain from          sparingly

Have you ever wondered how so many people–especially those in the United States–handled summer heat before the blessings of air conditioning? 1. Infamous for its reputation of having coolers on ice-cold blast during the summer months in homes, offices, shopping malls, movie theaters, and doctors’ offices alike, the United States 2. dominates in AC use–something many parts of Asia and Europe still use 3. occasionally.

Could it actually turn out, after all these years of keeping our houses overly cool, that  air conditioning does us more harm than good?

It happens that the answer is yes. In a recent lecture at the New York Academy of Medicine by Stan Cox, author of Losing Our Cool, Cox revealed that our past generations’ lack of synthetic cooling actually gave our predecessors and 4. forebears an advantage over us; they possess, in general, a much greater tolerance for heat than we are capable of.

Apparently, the cooling effect of AC operates on two levels. First, it actually makes the outside air appear even hotter to us when coming from a place that is air conditioned. Thus, on a psychological level, it actually reduces our mental capacity to take greater outside heat by 5. intensifying the already hot temperature in our minds.

Second, the widespread, 6. excessive use of AC is incredibly 7. harmful to the environment as a whole. Residential cooling consumes so much energy on a global level that scientists are starting to get concerned about it.

So, in order to grow a bit more comfortable in this summer’s overwhelming heat, it might be worthwhile to take a note from other parts of the world and 8. avoid turning on the air conditioning at the slightest threat of heat. (…)

Key: 1. notorious; 2. reigns supreme; 3. sparingly; 4. ancestors; 5. augmenting; 6. rampant; 7. detrimental; 8. refrain from

In order to read the whole article, go to: https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/how-all-that-air-conditioning-is-messing-with-your-mind.html

Glossary

 

• blast – a sudden strong blow of air
• endurance – the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions

 

Practice makes perfect

Watch the video and answer the questions below:

 

1. How does a heat pump differ from traditional heaters in terms of energy efficiency?

2. What are the two ways in which heat pumps reduce emissions compared to traditional heating methods?

3. How do air conditioners and heat pumps use the second law of thermodynamics to transfer heat?

4. What is one drawback of air-to-air heat pumps when it comes to efficiency in colder climates?

5. What alternative heat source have some people in Norway opted for instead of drawing heat from the air?

6. What are some factors that contribute to the cost of installing a heat pump system?

 

 

Use the words in bold to fill in the

sentence gaps.

Make sure they are grammatically correct.

 

sparingly            augment            notorious

          detrimental       refrain               supreme

1. These chemicals have had a ……………. effect on the environment.

2. She took a second job to …………. her income.

3. Terry …………. from making any comment.

4. The nutritionist has recommend eating fats ……………… .

5. Her approval was of ……………. Importance.

6. The company`s been ………….. for paying its bills late.

 

Key: 1. detrimental; 2. augment; 3. refrained; 4. sparingly; 5. supreme; 6. notorious

 

Watch and revise!

The Hidden Dangers of Air Conditioning

 

https://www.cloud.worldwideschool.pl/index.php/s/BjqyKLnXCTzKQiN

 

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