A Deadly Gas

The silent killer and a boy's holiday mission · 无声杀手与少年的假日使命

During the New Year's holiday, Oliver and his parents travelled to his rural hometown to visit his grandparents. One day, as they were having lunch, their neighbour ran in crying and told them that Mr. Gull had been found dead in his home. He was killed by carbon monoxide, a deadly gas generated by his coal-burning stove.

Shocked and saddened by the news, Oliver wanted to learn more about carbon monoxide, and to educate the people in this rural village about how to avoid such a tragedy. "People can't afford to let this happen again," he said to his father.

His father told him that carbon monoxide is nicknamed the silent killer. It is colourless, odourless, tasteless, and invisible, yet it's highly toxic. Exposure to high concentrations can cause death in just a few minutes. Carbon monoxide results from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Sources include coal burning, motor vehicle exhaust, heaters and natural gas—anything involving fire.

"Is there any way to detect this gas?" Oliver asked.

"Yes," explained his father. "There are devices that can detect this gas. When someone inhales too much carbon monoxide (CO) gas, it blocks the absorption of oxygen into the bloodstream from the lungs, and also poisons the red blood cells so they cannot carry oxygen. If body tissues do not receive a constant supply of oxygen, they stop functioning. That's how the biological sensor was invented."

"If people don't have a detector, what should they do?"

"Prevention is the key. Wherever possible, avoid using fuel-burning devices indoors. If this is not possible, you can control or limit exposure to CO by properly maintaining your furnace."

"Okay, I know what to do," said Oliver. "I'm going to make a brochure and a poster about carbon monoxide. I'll put up the poster around the village and deliver the brochure to people's homes."

"Great idea," replied his father.

"I'll be your assistant."

Their holiday turned into a mission to educate people about carbon monoxide—the deadly gas.

A Deadly Gas — The silent killer and a boy's holiday mission

During the New Year's holiday, Oliver and his parents travelled to his r(1)__________ural hometown to visit his grandparents. One day, as they were having lunch, their neighbour ran in crying and told them that Mr. Gull had been found dead in his home. He was killed by carbon monoxide, a deadly gas g(2)__________enerated by his coal-burning stove.

Shocked and saddened by the news, Oliver wanted to learn more about carbon monoxide, and to e(3)__________ducate the people in this rural village about how to avoid such a tragedy. "People can't afford to let this happen again," he said to his father.

His father told him that carbon monoxide is nicknamed the silent killer. It is colourless, odourless, tasteless, and i(4)__________nvisible, yet it's highly t(5)__________oxic. Exposure to high concentrations can cause d(6)__________eath in just a few minutes. Carbon monoxide results from i(7)__________ncomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Sources include coal burning, motor vehicle exhaust, heaters and natural gas—anything involving fire.

"Is there any way to d(8)__________etect this gas?" Oliver asked.

"Yes," explained his father. "There are devices that can detect this gas. When someone inhales too much carbon monoxide (CO) gas, it blocks the a(9)__________bsorption of oxygen into the bloodstream from the lungs, and also poisons the red blood cells so they cannot carry oxygen. If body tissues do not receive a constant supply of oxygen, they stop functioning. That's how the biological sensor was invented."

"If people don't have a detector, what should they do?"

"Prevention is the key. Wherever possible, avoid using fuel-burning devices indoors. If this is not possible, you can control or limit exposure to CO by properly maintaining your furnace."

"Okay, I know what to do," said Oliver. "I'm going to make a brochure and a poster about carbon monoxide. I'll put up the poster around the village and deliver the brochure to people's homes."

"Great idea," replied his father.

"I'll be your assistant."

Their holiday turned into a m(10)__________ission to educate people about carbon monoxide—the deadly gas.

📌 重点单词 · Key Vocabulary

🔗 重点词组 · Key Phrases

💡 语法小贴士 · Grammar Tips

🎤 文化拓展 · 「无声杀手」的防身指南

carbon monoxide（CO）的绰号 the silent killer（无声杀手）名副其实：无色、无味、无嗅、看不见——四个「无」写尽它的可怕。科学上，它与血红蛋白的结合力是氧气的 200 多倍，抢先「占座」后血液就运不了氧（blocks the absorption of oxygen），这正是原文那段生理学解释的底细。

文中 Mr. Gull 的悲剧原型在生活里并不罕见：冬天关紧门窗烧煤炉取暖，是不够氧气「烧不透」的典型场景。我们北方冬天路边的「谨防煤气中毒」标语、洗澡时煤气热水器装在室外，都是 same lesson——Prevention is the key. 欧美国家如今强制新装住宅配 CO detector（一氧化碳报警器），很多州把它和烟雾报警器并列为「入住标配」。

这篇最值得学的其实不是 CO 本身，而是 Oliver 的处置链条：先弄懂（learn more）→ 再传播（educate / brochure / poster）→ 还拉上爸爸当助手。悲剧之后最怕的是「跟我无关」；把假期变成 mission to educate people，是从「知道」到「做到」的距离——这一步，很多人一辈子都没迈出去。