Positives And Negatives Of Technology - 1037 Words

The purpose of this research is to identify the positives and negatives of technology. Those positive and negatives include healthcare, jobs, education, and the environment. The aspects of technology are rapidly changing forcing us worldwide to adapt to those changes. The study concludes that technology could harm out environment with possible pollution in the air and could potentially lead to job loss in the future. The larger technology becomes workers are increasing their productivity, but median income jobs are becoming scarce. But some of the positives include virtual classrooms that allow students to learn from home. Technology and health information are connected through patients researching information online about their health. This is crucial because there s risk that involve patient security, but health electronic records make it easier for employees to keep up with patient records. In order for us to determine how technology should be integrated in our lives, we have to a nalyze the positives and negatives that come with a technological advanced future. Technology is changing the way we live as humans and it will continue to. It changes the way we understand our surroundings and how we interact as humans with one another. It influences our modern life in many ways and as it keeps advancing many are wondering if we can keep up. These effects are positive, negative or even both. Technology impacts everything, but it has a large impact on the future of theShow MoreRelatedDisruptive Technology: Positive or Negative790 Words   |  3 PagesEvery innovation has positive and negative effects. The key consideration is whether the positives outweigh the negatives. In addition, what is positive for the innovator may be negative for the incumbent. Therefore, there is likely that no consensus can be reached on a listing of the pros and cons. 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In this essay, I will discuss the positive and the negative aspect of technology in educationRead MorePositive And Negative Effects Of Technology801 Words   |  4 Pagesplayground. With the invention of new technology we have simplified and aided processes in countless fields. While electronic technology may be beneficial; it has some detrimental effects. Technology has had a massive, negative impact on our society: our children are learning differently, our social skills and ability to communicate are becoming compromised, and the invention of social media is becoming a leading cause to numerous mental health issues. Technology is taking over, like the apocalypseRead MorePositive And Negative Effects Of Technology In Education838 Words   |  4 PagesThere are always two sides to everything in life. Technology has proven this several times. It can either be seen as beneficial or detrimental. Society seems to be fascinated by the eruption of technological advancements in the educational field. In 1981 about eighteen percent of U.S. public schools had one computer for instructional use. By 1991 that percentage increased to ninety-eight percent (Alhalabi p.22). Studies have shown that technology helps work get done in a more efficient manner. TeachersRead MorePositive And Negative Impact Of Technology Essay805 Words   |  4 PagesDoes Technology have a positive or negative effective on America’s future education system? Livening in today’s age we see the use of technology everywhere. People are constantly on their phones, looking for the newest update on life. We have heard about the positive and negative impacts of technology in our society. However, how has this affected our schools teaching environment? Studies have shown that technology advancement is the way of the future. Firstly, technology has had a high influenceRead MoreTechnology Has A Positive Or Negative Impact Essay1627 Words   |  7 PagesThe extreme advancements and the more accessible increase in technology has a choice to become a positive or negative impact nearly every day. The uninformed consumers are deceived into believing that their excessive usage is unavoidable, because without such habits electronic producers businesses’ would never prosper to their full extent. As technology becomes more accessible, the more this generation is being distracted, consumed, and physically damaged by electronics. Time Management SolutionRead MoreThe Positive and Negative Impacts of Technologies on Enterprises1712 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Technologies have the ability to revolutionize enterprises, making them more customer-centric and giving them the ability to be more resilient in the face of significant and often unforeseen change. The intent of this analysis is to evaluate and describe five specific areas where IT represents a significant risk to a companys competitive advantage. Second, this analysis concentrates on the five specific areas in an enterprise where IT can support and strengthen enterprises coreRead MoreThe Positive and Negative Impacts of Technology on Family Life1291 Words   |  6 PagesThe Positive and Negative Impacts of Technology on Family Life â€Å"Is technology tearing apart family life? Text messaging, social networking, and online video are changing the way parents and children see the world—and each other.† There are many technologies in today’s world that are widely used not just as a want, but as a necessity of life. This term paper will focus on relationship between family life and computer technologies, which have become the most widely used technology in the

The Lost Symbol Chapter 37-39 Free Essays

string(35) " her whole head under the ethanol\." CHAPTER 37 Mal’akh had seen some eerie spaces in his life, but few rivaled the unearthly world of Pod 3. Wet Pod. The massive room looked as if a mad scientist had taken over a Walmart and packed every aisle and shelf with specimen jars of all shapes and sizes. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lost Symbol Chapter 37-39 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Lit like a photographic darkroom, the space was bathed in a reddish haze of â€Å"safelight† that emanated from beneath the shelves, filtering upward and illuminating the ethanol-filled containers. The clinical smell of preservative chemicals was nauseating. â€Å"This pod houses over twenty thousand species,† the chubby girl was saying. â€Å"Fish, rodents, mammals, reptiles.† â€Å"All dead, I hope?† Mal’akh asked, making a show of sounding nervous. The girl laughed. â€Å"Yes, yes. All very much dead. I’ll admit, I didn’t dare come in for at least six months after I started work.† Mal’akh could understand why. Everywhere he looked there were specimen jars of dead life- forms–salamanders, jellyfish, rats, bugs, birds, and other things he could not begin to identify. As if this collection were not unsettling enough on its own, the hazy red safelights that protected these photosensitive specimens from long-term light exposure gave the visitor the feeling he was standing inside a giant aquarium, where lifeless creatures were somehow congregating to watch from the shadows. â€Å"That’s a coelacanth,† the girl said, pointing to a big Plexiglas container that held the ugliest fish Mal’akh had ever seen. â€Å"They were thought to be extinct with the dinosaurs, but this was caught off Africa a few years back and donated to the Smithsonian.† Lucky you, Mal’akh thought, barely listening. He was busy scanning the walls for security cameras. He saw only one–trained on the entry door–not surprising, considering that entrance was probably the only way in. â€Å"And here is what you wanted to see . . .† she said, leading him to the giant tank he had seen from the window. â€Å"Our longest specimen.† She swept her arm out over the vile creature like a game-show host displaying a new car. â€Å"Architeuthis.† The squid tank looked like a series of glass phone booths had been laid on their sides and fused end to end. Within the long, clear Plexiglas coffin hovered a sickeningly pale and amorphous shape. Mal’akh gazed down at the bulbous, saclike head and its basketball-size eyes. â€Å"Almost makes your coelacanth look handsome,† he said. â€Å"Wait till you see her lit.† Trish flipped back the long lid of the tank. Ethanol fumes wafted out as she reached down into the tank and flipped a switch just above the liquid line. A string of fluorescent lights flickered to life along the entire base of the tank. Architeuthis was now shining in all her glory–a colossal head attached to a slithery mass of decaying tentacles and razor-sharp suckers. She began talking about how Architeuthis could beat a sperm whale in a fight. Mal’akh heard only empty prattling. The time had come. Trish Dunne always felt a bit uneasy in Pod 3, but the chill that had just run through her felt different. Visceral. Primal. She tried to ignore it, but it grew quickly now, clawing deeply at her. Although Trish could not seem to place the source of her anxiety, her gut was clearly telling her it was time to leave. â€Å"Anyhow, that’s the squid,† she said, reaching into the tank and turning off the display light. â€Å"We should probably get back to Katherine’s–â€Å" A broad palm clamped hard over her mouth, yanking her head back. Instantly, a powerful arm was wrapped around her torso, pinning her against a rock-hard chest. For a split second, Trish went numb with shock. Then came the terror. The man groped across her chest, grabbing her key card and yanking down hard. The cord burned the back of her neck before snapping. The key card fell on the floor at their feet. She fought, trying to twist away, but she was no match for the man’s size and strength. She tried to scream, but his hand remained tightly across her mouth. He leaned down and placed his mouth next to her ear, whispering, â€Å"When I take my hand off your mouth, you will not scream, is that clear?† She nodded vigorously, her lungs burning for air. I can’t breathe! The man removed his hand from her mouth, and Trish gasped, inhaling deeply. â€Å"Let me go!† she demanded, breathless. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† â€Å"Tell me your PIN number,† the man said. Trish felt totally at a loss. Katherine! Help! Who is this man?! â€Å"Security can see you!† she said, knowing full well they were out of range of the cameras. And nobody is watching anyway. â€Å"Your PIN number,† the man repeated. â€Å"The one that matches your key card.† An icy fear churned in her gut, and Trish spun violently, wriggling an arm free and twisting around, clawing at the man’s eyes. Her fingers hit flesh and raked down one cheek. Four dark gashes opened on his flesh where she scratched him. Then she realized the dark stripes on his flesh were not blood. The man was wearing makeup, which she had just scratched off, revealing dark tattoos hidden underneath. Who is this monster?! With seemingly superhuman strength, the man spun her around and hoisted her up, pushing her out over the open squid tank, her face now over the ethanol. The fumes burned her nostrils. â€Å"What is your PIN number?† he repeated. Her eyes burned, and she could see the pale flesh of the squid submerged beneath her face. â€Å"Tell me,† he said, pushing her face closer to the surface. â€Å"What is it?† Her throat was burning now. â€Å"Zero-eight-zero-four!† she blurted, barely able to breathe. â€Å"Let me go! Zero-eight-zero-four!† â€Å"If you’re lying,† he said, pushing down farther, her hair in the ethanol now. â€Å"I’m not lying!† she said, coughing. â€Å"August 4! It’s my birthday!† â€Å"Thank you, Trish.† His powerful hands clasped her head tighter, and a crushing force rammed her downward, plunging her face into the tank. Searing pain burned her eyes. The man pressed down harder, driving her whole head under the ethanol. You read "The Lost Symbol Chapter 37-39" in category "Essay examples" Trish felt her face pressing into the fleshy head of the squid. Summoning all of her strength, she bucked violently, arching backward, trying to pull her head out of the tank. But the powerful hands did not budge. I have to breathe! She remained submerged, straining not to open her eyes or mouth. Her lungs burned as she fought the powerful urge to breathe in. No! Don’t! But Trish’s inhalation reflex finally took over. Her mouth flew open, and her lungs expanded violently, attempting to suck in the oxygen that her body craved. In a searing rush, a wave of ethanol poured into her mouth. As the chemicals gushed down her throat into her lungs, Trish felt a pain like nothing she had ever imagined possible. Mercifully, it lasted only a few seconds before her world went black. Mal’akh stood beside the tank, catching his breath and surveying the damage. The lifeless woman lay slumped over the rim of the tank, her face still submerged in ethanol. Seeing her there, Mal’akh flashed on the only other woman he had ever killed. Isabel Solomon. Long ago. Another life. Mal’akh gazed down now at the woman’s flaccid corpse. He grabbed her ample hips and lifted with his legs, hoisting her up, pushing forward, until she began to slide over the rim of the squid tank. Trish Dunne slithered headfirst down into the ethanol. The rest of her body followed, sloshing down. Gradually, the ripples subsided, leaving the woman hovering limp over the huge sea creature. As her clothing got heavier, she began to sink, slipping into the darkness. Bit by bit, Trish Dunne’s body settled on top of the great beast. Mal’akh wiped his hands and replaced the Plexiglas lid, sealing the tank. Wet Pod has a new specimen. He retrieved Trish’s key card from the floor and slipped it in his pocket: 0804. When Mal’akh had first seen Trish in the lobby, he’d seen a liability. Then he’d realized her key card and password were his insurance. If Katherine’s data-storage room was as secure as Peter had implied, then Mal’akh was anticipating some challenges persuading Katherine to unlock it for him. I now have my own set of keys. He was pleased to know he would no longer have to waste time bending Katherine to his will. As Mal’akh stood up straight, he saw his own reflection in the window and could tell his makeup was badly mangled. It didn’t matter anymore. By the time Katherine put it all together, it would be too late. CHAPTER 38 â€Å"This room is Masonic?† Sato demanded, turning from the skull and staring at Langdon in the darkness. Langdon nodded calmly. â€Å"It’s called a Chamber of Reflection. These rooms are designed as cold, austere places in which a Mason can reflect on his own mortality. By meditating on the inevitability of death, a Mason gains a valuable perspective on the fleeting nature of life.† Sato looked around the eerie space, apparently not convinced. â€Å"This is some kind of meditation room?† â€Å"Essentially, yes. These chambers always incorporate the same symbols–skull and crossed bones, scythe, hourglass, sulfur, salt, blank paper, a candle, et cetera. The symbols of death inspire Masons to ponder how better to lead their lives while on this earth.† â€Å"It looks like a death shrine,† Anderson said. That’s kind of the point. â€Å"Most of my symbology students have the same reaction at first.† Langdon often assigned them Symbols of Freemasonry by Beresniak, which contained beautiful photos of Chambers of Reflection. â€Å"And your students,† Sato demanded, â€Å"don’t find it unnerving that Masons meditate with skulls and scythes?† â€Å"No more unnerving than Christians praying at the feet of a man nailed to a cross, or Hindus chanting in front of a four-armed elephant named Ganesh. Misunderstanding a culture’s symbols is a common root of prejudice.† Sato turned away, apparently in no mood for a lecture. She moved toward the table of artifacts. Anderson tried to light her way with the flashlight, but the beam was beginning to dim. He tapped the heel of the light and coaxed it to burn a little brighter. As the threesome moved deeper into the narrow space, the pungent tang of sulfur filled Langdon’s nostrils. The subbasement was damp, and the humidity in the air was activating the sulfur in the bowl. Sato arrived at the table and stared down at the skull and accompanying objects. Anderson joined her, doing his best to light the desk with the weakening beam of his flashlight. Sato examined everything on the table and then placed her hands on her hips, sighing. â€Å"What is all this junk?† The artifacts in this room, Langdon knew, were carefully selected and arranged. â€Å"Symbols of transformation,† he told her, feeling confined as he inched forward and joined them at the table. â€Å"The skull, or caput mortuum, represents man’s final transformation through decay; it’s a reminder that we all shed our mortal flesh one day. The sulfur and salt are alchemical catalysts that facilitate transformation. The hourglass represents the transformational power of time.† He motioned to the unlit candle. â€Å"And this candle represents the formative primordial fire and the awakening of man from his ignorant slumber–transformation through illumination.† â€Å"And . . . that?† Sato asked, pointing into the corner. Anderson swung his dimming flashlight beam to the giant scythe that leaned against the back wall. â€Å"Not a death symbol, as most assume,† Langdon said. â€Å"The scythe is actually a symbol of the transformative nourishment of nature–the reaping of nature’s gifts.† Sato and Anderson fell silent, apparently trying to process their bizarre surroundings. Langdon wanted nothing more than to get out of the place. â€Å"I realize this room may seem unusual,† he told them, â€Å"but there’s nothing to see here; it’s really quite normal. A lot of Masonic lodges have chambers exactly like this one.† â€Å"But this is not a Masonic lodge!†Anderson declared. â€Å"It’s the U.S. Capitol, and I’d like to know what the hell this room is doing in my building.† â€Å"Sometimes Masons set aside rooms like this in their offices or private homes as meditation spaces. It is not uncommon.† Langdon knew a heart surgeon in Boston who had converted a closet in his office into a Masonic Chamber of Reflection so he could ponder mortality before going into surgery. Sato looked troubled. â€Å"You’re saying Peter Solomon comes down here to reflect on death?† â€Å"I really don’t know,† Langdon said sincerely. â€Å"Maybe he created it as a sanctuary for his Masonic brothers who work in the building, giving them a spiritual sanctuary away from the chaos of the material world . . . a place for a powerful lawmaker to reflect before making decisions that affect his fellow man.† â€Å"Lovely sentiment,† Sato said, her tone sarcastic, â€Å"but I have a feeling Americans might have a problem with their leaders praying in closets with scythes and skulls.† Well, they shouldn’t, Langdon thought, imagining how different a world it might be if more leaders took time to ponder the finality of death before racing off to war. Sato pursed her lips and carefully surveyed all four corners of the candle lit chamber. â€Å"There must be something in here besides human bones and bowls of chemicals, Professor. Someone transported you all the way from your home in Cambridge to be in this precise room.† Langdon clutched his daybag to his side, still unable to imagine how the package he carried might relate to this chamber. â€Å"Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I don’t see anything out of the ordinary here.† Langdon hoped that now at last they could get to the business of trying to find Peter. Anderson’s light flickered again, and Sato spun on him, her temper starting to show. â€Å"For Christ’s sake, is it too much to ask?† She plunged her hand into her pocket and yanked out a cigarette lighter. Striking her thumb on the flint, she held out the flame and lit the desk’s lone candle. The wick sputtered and then caught, spreading a ghostly luminescence throughout the constricted space. Long shadows raked the stone walls. As the flame grew brighter, an unexpected sight materialized before them. â€Å"Look!† Anderson said, pointing. In the candlelight, they could now see a faded patch of graffiti–seven capital letters scrawled across the rear wall. VITRIOL â€Å"An odd choice of word,† Sato said as the candlelight cast a frightening skull-shaped silhouette across the letters. â€Å"Actually, it’s an acronym,† Langdon said. â€Å"It’s written on the rear wall of most chambers like this as a shorthand for the Masonic meditative mantra: Visita interiora terrae, rectificando invenies occultum lapidem.† Sato eyed him, looking almost impressed. â€Å"Meaning?† â€Å"Visit the interior of the earth, and by rectifying, you will find the hidden stone.† Sato’s gaze sharpened. â€Å"Does the hidden stone have any connection to a hidden pyramid?† Langdon shrugged, not wanting to encourage the comparison. â€Å"Those who enjoy fantasizing about hidden pyramids in Washington would tell you that occultum lapidem refers to the stone pyramid, yes. Others will tell you it’s a reference to the Philosopher’s Stone–a substance alchemists believed could bring them everlasting life or turn lead into gold. Others claim it’s a reference to the Holy of Holies, a hidden stone chamber at the core of the Great Temple. Some say it’s a Christian reference to the hidden teachings of Saint Peter–the Rock. Every esoteric tradition interprets `the stone’ in its own way, but invariably the occultum lapidem is a source of power and enlightenment.† Anderson cleared his throat. â€Å"Is it possible Solomon lied to this guy? Maybe he told him there was something down here . . . and there really isn’t.† Langdon was having similar thoughts. Without warning, the candle flame flickered, as if caught by a draft. It dimmed for a moment and then recovered, burning brightly again. â€Å"That’s odd,† Anderson said. â€Å"I hope no one closed the door upstairs.† He strode out of the chamber into the darkness of the hallway. â€Å"Hello?† Langdon barely noticed him leave. His gaze had been drawn suddenly to the rear wall. What just happened? â€Å"Did you see that?† Sato asked, also staring with alarm at the wall. Langdon nodded, his pulse quickening. What did I just see? A moment earlier, the rear wall seemed to have shimmered, as if a ripple of energy had passed through it. Anderson now strode back into the room. â€Å"No one’s out there.† As he entered, the wall shimmered again. â€Å"Holy shit!† he exclaimed, jumping back. All three stood mute for a long moment, staring in unison at the back wall. Langdon felt another chill run through him as he realized what they were seeing. He reached out tentatively, until his fingertips touched the rear surface of the chamber. â€Å"It’s not a wall,† he said. Anderson and Sato stepped closer, peering intently. â€Å"It’s a canvas,† Langdon said. â€Å"But it billowed,† Sato said quickly. Yes, in a very strange way. Langdon examined the surface more closely. The sheen on the canvas had refracted the candlelight in a startling manner because the canvas had just billowed away from the room . . . fluttering backward through the plane of the rear wall. Langdon extended his outstretched fingers very gently, pressing the canvas backward. Startled, he yanked his hand back. There’s an opening! â€Å"Pull it aside,† Sato ordered. Langdon’s heart pounded wildly now. He reached up and clutched the edge of the canvas banner, slowly pulling the fabric to one side. He stared in disbelief at what lay hidden behind it. My God. Sato and Anderson stood in stunned silence as they looked through the opening in the rear wall. Finally, Sato spoke. â€Å"It appears we’ve just found our pyramid.† CHAPTER 39 Robert Langdon stared at the opening in the rear wall of the chamber. Hidden behind the canvas banner, a perfectly square hole had been hollowed out of the wall. The opening, about three feet across, appeared to have been created by removing a series of bricks. For a moment, in the darkness, Langdon thought the hole was a window to a room beyond. Now he saw it was not. The opening extended only a few feet into the wall before terminating. Like a rough-hewn cubbyhole, the recessed niche reminded Langdon of a museum alcove designed to hold a statuette. Fittingly, this niche displayed one small object. About nine inches tall, it was a piece of carved, solid granite. The surface was elegant and smooth with four polished sides that shone in the candlelight. Langdon could not fathom what it was doing here. A stone pyramid? â€Å"From your look of surprise,† Sato said, sounding self-satisfied, â€Å"I take it this object is not typical within a Chamber of Reflection?† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"Then perhaps you would like to reassess your previous claims regarding the legend of a Masonic Pyramid hidden in Washington?† Her tone now was almost smug. â€Å"Director,† Langdon replied instantly, â€Å"this little pyramid is not the Masonic Pyramid.† â€Å"So it is merely coincidence that we found a pyramid hidden at the heart of the U.S. Capitol in a secret chamber belonging to a Masonic leader?† Langdon rubbed his eyes and tried to think clearly. â€Å"Ma’am, this pyramid doesn’t resemble the myth in any way. The Masonic Pyramid is described as enormous, with a tip forged of solid gold.† Moreover, Langdon knew, this little pyramid–with its flat top–was not even a true pyramid. Without its tip, this was another symbol entirely. Known as an Unfinished Pyramid, it was a symbolic reminder that man’s ascent to his full human potential was always a work in progress. Though few realized it, this symbol was the most widely published symbol on earth. Over twenty billion in print. Adorning every one-dollar bill in circulation, the Unfinished Pyramid waited patiently for its shining capstone, which hovered above it as a reminder of America’s yet- unfulfilled destiny and the work yet to be done, both as a country and as individuals. â€Å"Lift it down,† Sato said to Anderson, motioning to the pyramid. â€Å"I want a closer look.† She began making room on the desk by shoving the skull and crossed bones to one side with no reverence whatsoever. Langdon was starting to feel like they were common grave robbers, desecrating a personal shrine. Anderson maneuvered past Langdon, reached into the niche, and clamped his large palms on either side of the pyramid. Then, barely able to lift at this awkward angle, he slid the pyramid toward him and lowered it with a hard thud onto the wooden desk. He stepped back to give Sato room. The director repositioned the candle close to the pyramid and studied its polished surface. Slowly, she ran her tiny fingers over it, examining every inch of the flat top, and then the sides. She wrapped her hands around to feel the back, then frowned in apparent disappointment. â€Å"Professor, earlier you said the Masonic Pyramid was constructed to protect secret information.† â€Å"That’s the legend, yes.† â€Å"So, hypothetically speaking, if Peter’s captor believed this was the Masonic Pyramid, he would believe it contained powerful information.† Langdon nodded, exasperated. â€Å"Yes, although even if he found this information, he probably would not be able to read it. According to legend, the contents of the pyramid are encoded, making them indecipherable . . . except to the most worthy.† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† Despite Langdon’s growing impatience, he replied with an even tone. â€Å"Mythological treasures are always protected by tests of worthiness. As you may recall, in the legend of the Sword in the Stone, the stone refuses to give up the sword except to Arthur, who was spiritually prepared to wield the sword’s awesome power. The Masonic Pyramid is based on the same idea. In this case, the information is the treasure, and it is said to be written in an encoded language–a mystical tongue of lost words–legible only to the worthy.† A faint smile crossed Sato’s lips. â€Å"That may explain why you were summoned here tonight.† â€Å"I’m sorry?† Calmly, Sato rotated the pyramid in place, turning it a full 180 degrees. The pyramid’s fourth side now shone in the candlelight. Robert Langdon stared at it with surprise. â€Å"It appears,† Sato said, â€Å"that someone believes you’re worthy.† How to cite The Lost Symbol Chapter 37-39, Essay examples

Comprehension Passage free essay sample

Comprehension Passage 1 No longer is asthma considered a condition with isolated, acute episodes of bronchospasm. Rather, asthma is now understood to be a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways†that is, inflammation makes the airways chronically sensitive. When these hyper-responsive airways are irritated, airflow is limited, and attacks of coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and breathing difficulty occur. Asthma involves complex interactions among inflammatory cells, mediators, and the cells and tissues in the airways. The interactions result in airflow limitation from acute roncho-constriction, swelling of the airway wall, increased mucus secretion, and airway remodeling. The inflammation also causes an increase in airway responsiveness. During an asthma attack, the patient attempts to compensate by breathing at a higher lung volume in order to keep the air flowing through the constricted airways, and the greater the airway limitation, the higher the lung volume must be to keep airways open. The morphologic changes that occur in asthma include bronchial infiltration by inflammatory cells. Key effector cells in the inflammatory response are the mast cells, T lymphocytes, and eosinophils. Mast cells and eosinophils are also significant participants in allergic responses, hence the similarities between allergic reactions and asthma attacks. Other changes include mucus plugging of the airways, interstitial edema, and microvascular leakage. Destruction of bronchial epithelium and thickening of the subbasement membrane is also characteristic. In addition, there may be hypertrophy and hyperplasia of airway smooth muscle, increase in goblet cell number, and enlargement of sub-mucous glands. Although causes of the initial tendency toward inflammation in the airways of atients with asthma are not yet certain, to date the strongest identified risk factor is atopy. This inherited familial tendency to have allergic reactions includes increased sensitivity to allergens that are risk factors for developing asthma. Some of these allergens include domestic dust mites, animals with fur, cockroaches, pollens, and molds. Additionally, asthma may be triggered by viral respiratory infections, especially in children. By avoiding these allergens and triggers, a person with asthma lowers his or her risk of irritating sensitive airways. A few avoidance techniques nclude: keeping the home clean and well ventilated, using an air conditioner in the summer months when pollen and mold counts are high, and getting an annual influenza vaccination. Of course, asthma sufferers should avoid tobacco smoke altogether. Cigar, cigarette, or pipe smoke is a trigger whether the patient smokes or inhales the smoke from others. Smoke increases the risk of allergic sensitization in children, increases the severity of symptoms, and may be fatal in children who already have asthma. Many of the risk factors for developing asthma may also rovoke asthma attacks, and people with asthma may have one or more triggers, which vary from individual to individual. The risk can be further reduced by taking medications that decrease airway inflammation. Most exacerbations can be prevented by the combination of avoiding triggers and taking anti-inflammatory medications. An exception is physical activity, which is a common trigger ot exacerbations in asthma patients However, asthma patients should not necessarily avoid all physical exertion, because some types of activity have been proven to reduce symptoms. Rather, they should work in conjunction with a doctor to design a proper training regimen, which includes the use of medication. In order to diagnose asthma, a healthcare professional must appreciate the underlying disorder that leads to asthma symptoms and understand how to recognize the condition through information gathered from the patients history, physical examination, measurements of lung function, and allergic status. Because asthma symptoms vary throughout the day, the respiratory system may appear normal during physical examination. Clinical signs are more likely to be present when a patient is xperiencing symptoms; however, the absence of symptoms upon examination does not exclude the diagnosis of asthma. 1 . According to the passage, what is the name for the familial inclination to have hypersensitivity to certain allergens? a. interstitial edema b. hyperplasia c. hypertrophy d. atopy 2. Why does a person suffering from an asthma attack attempt to inhale more air? a. to prevent the loss of consciousness b. to keep air flowing through shrunken air passageways c. to prevent hyperplasia d. to compensate for weakened mast cells, T lymphocytes, and eosinophils 3. The passage suggests that in the past, asthma was regarded as which of the following? a. a result of the overuse of tobacco products b. a hysterical condition c. mysterious, unrelated attacks affecting the lungs d. a chronic condition 4. Which of the following would be the best replacement for the underlined wordexacerbations in this passage? a. allergies b. attacks c. triggers d. allergens 5. The passage mentions all of the following bodily changes during an asthma attack except a. severe cramping in the chest. b. heavy breathing. c. airways blocked by fluids. d. constricted airways. 6. Although it is surprising, which of the following triggers is mentioned in the passage as possibly reducing the symptoms of asthma in some patients? a. using a fan instead of an air conditioner in summer months b. exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke c. the love ofa family pet d. performing physical exercise 7. Why might a patient with asthma have an apparently normal respiratory system during an examination by a doctor? a. Asthma symptoms come and go throughout the day. b. Severe asthma occurs only after strenuous physical exertion. c. Doctors offices are smoke free and very clean. d. The pollen and mold count may be low that day. 8. Who might be the most logical audience for this passage? a. researchers studying the respiratory system b. healthcare professionals c. a mother whose child has been diagnosed with asthma d. an antismoking activist 9. What is the reason given in this article for why passive smoke should be avoided by children? a. A smoke-filled room is a breeding ground for viral respiratory infections. b. Smoke can stunt an asthmatic childs growth. c. Smoke can heighten the intensity of asthma symptoms. d. Breathing smoke can lead to a fatal asthma attack.