Opción B - Pregunta 3 · Inglés PAU Madrid Modelo 2019

The Dangers of Perfume

Recently, in some towns in North America, people who claim they are sensitive to scent have demanded the prohibition of toxic perfume in the workplace, hospitals, classrooms, and other public places. Amazingly, despite the protests made by perfume lovers, many of these bans have been approved.

The reason behind this is the controversial claim that many people make to having Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a disorder that gives headaches, watery eyes, nausea and breathing difficulties when sufferers are near any kind of chemical: cleaning products, air fresheners and, yes, perfumes. Doctors claim MCS isn’t a real syndrome; sufferers insist it is. There may be at least some truth to their claims – after all, we all have an “enemy” scent that makes us feel nauseous, and many people do complain of headaches after spending too long at the perfume counter in department stores.

So the question is: how can we smell delightful, whilst not making ourselves and others feel ill? A number of experts say that a good solution is to choose natural perfumes such as almond or lavender. These are far less likely to cause allergic reactions or damage your health, but are a bit more costly, since natural oils are more expensive than man-made chemicals. Still it is well worth it – you are paying for quality ingredients rather than advertising campaigns, which is the main expense behind the price of most commercial scents. Recently, the number of companies specialised in natural perfumes is increasing; with more complex scents on offer, a healthier lifestyle has never smelled so sweet.

Adapted from “This Stinks: The Dangers of Perfume”, Eluxe Magazine <https://eluxemagazine.com/beauty/a-whiff-of-controversy-toxic-perfume>

3.- Find the words in the text that mean: (Puntuación máxima: 1 punto)

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