Questi Answers Tapescripts
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21 A Ecotourism is a booming business that many
tour operators cite as being helpful to nature.
22 C Every year, millions of people descend on
protected and pristine natural areas to observe
23 D rare species. However, a new report casts doubt
on the value of this form of tourism. In fact, it
24 D suggests that ecotourism is more damaging
than helpful to nature. Details are in a report
25 C published in the journal 'Trends in Ecology and
Evolution'. Researchers believe tourists are
disrupting animals in their natural habitat. They
pointed to a recent event where sea turtles in
Costa Rica had problems laying their eggs
because of the hordes of tourists who had
congregated to watch the turtles' nesting habits.
The report says that ecotourism is making
animals bolder and that this could endanger the
animals. A regular human presence might make
animals tamer and less cautious about other
animals around them, and this could put them
at risk of being attacked by their natural threats.
"Then they will suffer higher mortality when
they encounter real predators," the report says.
It added: "When animals interact in 'benign'
ways with humans, they may let down their
guard." The report said it was essential, "to
develop a more comprehensive understanding
of how different species in different situations
respond to human visitation and under what
precise conditions human exposure might put
them at risk."
26 B An association of local governments in the UK,
called the LGA, has warned consumers about
27 D the use of some skin-lightening creams. The
LGA discovered that some of the whitening
28 C cosmetics they tested contained banned
ingredients and were thus illegal. However, they
29 C were available for purchase in UK stores. An LGA
spokesperson said these ingredients could pose
30 A a serious threat to consumers' health. He said
there has been an increase in the number of
users experiencing health problems after using
the creams. These include seizures, rashes and
scarring. The spokesperson said the creams
could increase the risk of skin cancer, and liver
and kidney damage.
The global skin-lightening industry is booming.
In 2017, it was valued at an estimated $4.8
billion and is forecast to nearly double to around
$8.9 billion in the next decade. Many people use
it to reduce the darkness of the color of their
skin. The LGA warned that "rogue retailers"
were selling illegal skin-lightening lotions on
which the label incorrectly listed the ingredients
and omitted the illegal substances. The LGA said
some illegal ingredients acted like paint stripper
and could burn off the top layer of skin. It said:
"Skin creams containing banned ingredients are
very dangerous and could seriously damage
your health, scar you for life and even kill you,
so they should be avoided at all costs."
31 D Many of us believe that having children is the
key to happiness and a perfect family life.
32 C Naturally, this idealistic image is true for some,
but researchers say that in reality, children
33 C make us happiest when they fly the nest - when
they have grown up and left home. Researchers
34 A in Germany looked at data from a survey of
55,000 over 50-year-olds living in Europe. The
35 B survey respondents were quizzed about their
emotional wellbeing. The researchers
discovered that most parents were happier with
life after their offspring had left home and
started making their own way in life.
Researchers say this could be because raising
children creates financial worry, stress, fatigue
and anxiety.
The research was led by Christoph Becker at
Heidelberg University. He concluded that a big
reason for parents being happiest when their
children leave home is that the tables are
turned and the children provide more support to
their parents. He said parents whose children no
longer live with them suffer from fewer
symptoms of depression and have a more
positive outlook on life. Regarding the role
reversal in providing support, Mr Becker said:
"Children's roles as caregivers, providers of
financial support or simply as a means of social
contact might outweigh the negative aspects of
parenthood." He added that maintaining family
relationships may stave off loneliness in ageing
parents.
