Word Generation - Unit 1.14

Focus Words

STHMA: MAsthma: more than a medical problem?

intervention |phenomenon |priority | low-income |malady | trigger | pollution | wealthy | emission | widespread

Weekly PassageAsthma is a respiratory malady that

makes breathing difficult. Sometimes it is connected to plant and animal allergies. Asthma is not a contagious illness; it cannot be transmitted from person to person. Instead, asthma is a health condition that is triggered by environmental factors, such as indoor and outdoor pollutants that make the air dirty. But health experts are noticing a pattern. Asthma appears to be getting worse in low-income, urban areas, affecting more and more children who live there.

A study of rich and poor neighborhoods showed big differences in asthma rates. The low-income (poor) area of the Bronx in New York had high rates of asthma, 222 cases per 10,000 residents, while wealthier neighborhoods in Seattle had only96 cases per 10,000. Factories, power plants, and other industrial facilities are major contributors to air pollution. Many poor residential communities are located near

these industrial areas. Automobile emissions are another common cause of air pollution, and cities have more traffic than suburban areas.

Since widespread asthma is a public health phenomenon that is directly linked to pollution, many people think something should be done to fix the problem. But who should pay for expensive clean-up efforts and other interventions to improve the air quality in homes, schools, and neighborhoods? Should factories be expected to clean up after themselves? Is the government responsible for making asthma prevention a priority?Will teaching people about the asthma problem help? Should operations in power plants be suspended until they lower their pollution levels? What do you recommend?

© Strategic Education Research Partnership 2010 9

Asthma / Focus Word ChartWord Icon Meaning Connected

words Sentencesintervention (n.) – action

intended to solve a problem

To intervene (v) a. The Mexican Government had to intervene in some states to stop the corruption.

b. The American ___________ in Iraq was not successful.c.

phenomenon (n.) – event;occurrence

Phenomenal (adj) a. The phenomenon of the tides can be explained by the gravity of the moon.

b. A solar eruption is an extraordinary _______ to watch.

priority priority (n.) – main concern

Prioritize (v) a. Children should be the priority of any government.b. It is a _________ for teachers to help their students learn

the material.c.

Low-income (n) group of people with little money.

a. Some of my students live in low-income housing.b. ___________ families

malady (n) disease a. Asthma is a chronic malady.b. AIDS is a devastating ___________.c.

trigger (v) to initiate, to precipitate, to fire

a. The death of her husband triggered a lot of emotions for Jane.b. Pollen __________ allergic reactions in Mr. Estevez

pollution (n) contamination Pollutant (n)Pollute (v)

a. We have to stop the pollution of factories.b. Carbon dioxide produced by cars is a terrible ______________.

wealthy (adj) rich Wealth (n) a. Bill Gates is a very wealthy man.b. If Laura goes to college to get a Bachelor and Master’s

degree, she will be ________.c.

emission (n) discharge, emanation

To emit (v) a. Cars emissions contribute to the problem of global warming.

b. ____________ from factories produce pollution.c.

widespread (adj) extending over a large area

a. Hunger is a widespread problem in Somalia.b. Criminal gangs have become a ____________ disease in

Central America.c.

sthma: More than a em?eek

se in the asthma rate in the 1980’s and 1990’s. More recently, 14%have been diagnosed with asthma. Researchers have been working

menon. Asthma is a complicated illness. Unlike HIV or thesmitted from person to person. Rather, doctors think a

rs and environmental factors, like pollution, determine who getsbe life-threatening, and treating asthma is expensive. For thesethma should be a national priority. But how can we fightnot suspend all activities that cause pollution. To plan effective

know which groups are most affected. Here are some

Unit 1.14 - A medical probl Problem of the W

There was a dramatic increa of children in the U.S. today to understand this pheno common cold, it is not tran combination of genetic facto asthma. Asthma attacks can reasons, some say fighting as asthma? Realistically, we can interventions we need to

‣ 17% of boys have been

‣ 18% of children from p non-poor families

Option 1: According to these statistics, which of the following groups would you expect to have the highest asthma diagnosis rate?

A) girls from poor familiesB) girls from non-poor families C) boys from non-poor families D) boys from poor families

Math Discussion Question:

© Strategic Education Research Partnership 2010