Question: The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
Heatwaves are becoming longer, frequent and intense due to climate change. The impacts of extreme heat are unevenly experienced; with older people and young children, those with pre-existing medical conditions and on low incomes significantly more vulnerable. Adaptation to heatwaves is a significant public policy concern. Research conducted among at-risk people in the UK reveals that even vulnerable people do not perceive themselves as at risk of extreme heat; therefore, early warnings of extreme heat events do not perform as intended. This suggests that understanding how extreme heat is narrated is very important. The news media play a central role in this process and can help warn people about the potential danger, as well as about impacts on infrastructure and society
The passage discusses the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves due to climate change, particularly affecting vulnerable groups. The passage emphasizes the crucial role of the news media in warning the public about the dangers of heatwaves and their impacts on infrastructure and society.
Therefore, Option (c) accurately conveys the main points about the substantial risk posed by heatwaves and the media's critical role in public alertness.
Option (a) broadly highlights the importance of protection without specifically addressing the media's role in alerting people to heatwave risks.
Option (b) calls for more effective news stories but does not emphasize the central role of the media in warning about heatwave risks, as the passage does.
Option (d) acknowledges vulnerability to heatwaves but does not emphasize the media's role in alerting people and suggests a broader critique of protective measures.
Hence, option (c).