Questões de Vestibular de Inglês - Advérbios e conjunções | Adverbs and conjunctions

The Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill on the U.S.

www.freewebs.com/mathewstolte/oilspills.html. 21/06/2010

      Although the oil has been pouring into the Gulf of Mexico for months, the consequences of this larger than ever environmental disaster have yet to be fully examined and determined. Scientists and researchers have started to put together some of the puzzle pieces, and the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are likely to be big.

      North Americans will have fewer choices on the store shelves. The Gulf of Mexico is a huge shipping lane through which products of all shapes and sizes come into North America. From toys to clothes to cars to building materials, you may find that the selection at your local store begins to shrink as shipping lanes slow down as a result of the oil spill.

      Whether you’re taking a vacation or hoping to walk along the shore, you may be disappointed. Many beaches in the U.S.A. are now closing as clean-up efforts on removing oil slick from the sands. But the impact may be felt for quite some time as oil continues to wash up on shore.

      Many wildlife animals will be impacted by the oil spill. Oiled birds, otter, bald eagles, pelicans, turtles, fish, and dolphins are already washing up on shore, making the beach sights less than palatable for someone looking to see some pristine nature.

      Over time, molluscs like clams incorporate calcium into their shells throughout their lifetimes. But the heavy metals like nickel and vanadium from the petroleum industry and the resulting oil spill may be incorporated into the shells of these creatures. As other wildlife consumes these clams, they incorporate the toxins into their bodies, and on it goes as the heavy metals bio-accumulate in the food chain. This could have serious, long-term consequences for human health. 

      Environmentalists have been working on restoring the populations of oysters by reseeding certain reefs to boost their numbers. The Gulf of Mexico has been home-working on some of these projects, but with the massive oil spilling into that environment, the oysters could soon become tainted with chemicals, making them unsafe to eat.

      The Gulf of Mexico is also a nursery for species like shrimp that grow up in the estuaries. The oil that is taking over this natural environment will choke out the plants that make the estuaries so nutritious to shrimp. 

      According to the National Weather Service, a hurricane like Hurricane Katrina could have a devastating impact on New Orleans. Researchers expect 15 named storms to develop into 8 hurricanes, and with a well-placed hurricane, the oil could be pushed onto New Orleans shores, further impacting the already devastated region.

Adapted from http://www.thenewecologist.com (21/06/2010)

TEXT 1

Fruit Juice, in Moderation, Not Tied to Obesity in Children

…………………….experts believe that drinking fruit juice may lead to obesity in children, but a new review has found that juice in moderation does not cause excess weight gain in children under 18.

Researchers pooled data……………… eight prospective observational studies of the association between regular 100 percent fruit juice consumption and weight gain. The analysis, published in Pediatrics, includes 34,470 boys and girls under 18.

The studies used something called the B.M.I. z score, …………………….statistically adjusts body mass index according to age. Changes in these scores of 0.25 to 0.50 are generally considered to put the child at risk for obesity.

After controlling for total energy intake, birth weight, ethnicity and other factors, a 6- to 8-ounce daily serving of 100 percent fruit juice was associated with a 0.087 unit average increase in B.M.I. z score in children 1 to 6 — equivalent to about 0.3 pounds. In those 7 to 18, there was no link ……………….. all between drinking fruit juice and weight gain.

The lead author, Dr. Brandon J. Auerbach, an acting instructor in medicine at the University of Washington, said that based ……………………. the current evidence, “consuming one daily serving of fruit juice is not associated with weight gain in children. So fruit juice in moderation, not more than a serving a day, is safe.”

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR. Avaiable at: www.nytimes.com/section/health. (accessed on March 27th, 2017)

Answer the question, according to Text 1