“永久化学物质”就藏在你的厨房里！

Linda Birnbaum used to have a set of nonstick pans. Not anymore. She got rid of them.

Why？ Because Birnbaum—former director of the U.S. government’s National Institute of Environmental Health Science—became increasingly uncomfortable with an essential fact about that oh-so-easy-to-clean cookware： It’s very often made with PFAS， per- and polyfluoroalkyl（多氟烷基） substances， used to treat an array of products to make them resistant to heat， oil， stains， grease and water.

That’s pretty useful. But PFAS also belong to the set of human-made compounds known as “forever chemicals” that can linger endlessly in the environment and human body， sometimes with toxic（有毒的） effects. They can be found everywhBlylJmDx/sB2oLXew+9x+ZIVqbkkzFq/vqf8BNRreGY=ere—on the receipts from your drugstore， on your stain-resistant couch， in firefighting foams， in the water supply and， yes， in your kitchen.

That’s why Birnbaum’s pans went out the door.

“This huge class of chemicals is everywhere， in everything and in all of us，” she says. “I don’t use them anymore because I don’t want to be exposed to this stuff.”

PFAS and another forever chemical， BPA， have increasingly been the focus of concern among researchers and consumers in recent years. What are they？ What are the effects？

PFAS are a “huge family of chemicals，” says Tasha Stoiber， senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group. How huge？ Nobody seems to know—estimates range as high as 15，000 different compounds or more. Each contains a fluorine-carbon bond “that gives them unique properties of being stain-resistant， grease-resistant， water-resistant，” Stoiber says.

Officially， the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the human health effects of PFAS exposure are “uncertain” and require more research. But the agency also acknowledges that existing animal studies indicate the chemicals “may affect reproduction， thyroid（甲状腺） function， the immune system and injure the liver.”

（材料来自Science网站，有删改）

1. Why does the article start with Birnbaum’s story？

A. To strike a chord with readers.

B. To lead to the topic of the article.

C. To warn readers of nonstick pans.

D. To help her gain sympathy of readers.

2. What is the main idea of the third paragraph？

A. Where PFAS hide.

B. How PFAS affect people.

C. Why PFAS function well.

D. What benefits PFAS bring to us.

3. The benefits of using nonstick pans with PFAS should exclude _______.

A. no worry about water penetration

B. anti-high temperature protection

C. strong resistence to oil stains

D. the potential of health damage

4. According to the text， it has been proved that ________.

A. human health effects of PFAS exposure are certain

B. people in the future will quit the use of nonstick pans

C. the potential benefits of nonstick pans far exceed their dangers

D. uses of non-stick pans with PFAS run the risk of poisoning

1. B。解析：推理判断题。材料第二段到最后一段反复提到PFAS——不粘锅等厨具中含有的化学物质，以及其可能造成的伤害，由此推断作者在第一段中提到关于扔掉不粘锅的故事，是为了引出材料的话题，故选B。

2. A。解析：主旨大意题。材料第三段共有三句话，其中第二句中提到“PFAS属于一组被称为‘永久化学物质’的人造化合物，它们可以在环境和人体中长期残留”，第三句中提到“它们无处不在”，由此A选项“PFAS藏在哪里”与材料内容相符，故选A。

3. D。解析：细节理解题。材料最后一段的最后一句中提到“现有的动物研究表明，这些化学物质‘可能影响生殖、甲状腺功能和免疫系统，并损害肝脏’”，由此D选项“潜在的健康损害”与材料内容相符，故选D。

4. D。解析：细节理解题。材料第三段的第二句中提到“PFAS属于一组被称为‘永久化学物质’的人造化合物，它们可以在环境和人体中长期残留，有时具有毒性作用”；材料最后一段提到“美国疾病控制和预防中心官方表示，接触PFAS对人体健康的影响是‘不确定的’，需要更多的研究。但该机构也承认，现有的动物研究表明，这些化学物质‘可能影响生殖、甲状腺功能和免疫系统，并损害肝脏’”。D选项“含有PFAS的不粘锅的使用者要承担中毒的风险”与材料内容相符，故选D。