Most environmental pollution on Earth comes from humans and their inventions, such as cars or plastic. Today, car emissions (排放物) are a major source of air pollution leading to climate change, and plastics fill our ocean, creating a significant health issue to marine (海洋的) animals.
And what about the electric light, thought to be one of the greatest human inventions of all time? Electric light can be a beautiful thing, guiding us home when the sun goes down, keeping us safe and making our homes bright. However, like carbon dioxide emissions and plastic, too much of a good thing has started to impact the environment. Light pollution, the inappropriate use of outdoor light, is affecting human health, wildlife behavior and our ability to observe stars.
Light pollution is a global issue. This became obvious when the World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness, a computer-generated map based on thousands of satellite photos, was published in 2016. Available online for viewing, the map shows how and where our globe is lit up at night. Vast areas of North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia are glowing (发光) with light, while only the most remote regions on Earth (Greenland, Central African Republic and Niue) are in total darkness. Some of the most light-polluted countries in the world are Singapore, Qatar, and Kuwait.
Sky glow is the brightening of the night sky, mostly over cities, due to the electric lights of cars, streetlamps, offices, factories, outdoor advertising, and buildings, turning night into day for people who work and play long after sunset.
People living in cities with high levels of sky glow have a hard time seeing more than a handful of stars at night. Astronomers are particularly concerned with sky glow pollution as it reduces their ability to view stars.
More than 80 percent of the world’s population, and 99 percent of Americans and Europeans, live under sky glow.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?| A．Electric light is the greatest human invention. |
| B．The use of outdoor light must be forbidden. |
| C．Electric light is the main factor to keep us safe. |
| D．Electric light has both advantages and disadvantages. |
| A．Qatar. | B．Kuwait. | C．Niue. | D．Singapore. |
| A．Sky glow costs too much. | B．Sky glow has a bad effect on their sleep. |
| C．Sky glow wastes too much electricity. | D．Sky glow affects their viewing stars. |
| A．Different kinds of pollution | B．Plastic pollution |
| C．Air pollution | D．Light pollution |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten why you came into it in the first place? I couldn’t agree more when I read an article from Live Science that stated, “There are several types of memories, and the brain has a unique way of forgetting each kind.” Memory does some funny things. While forgetting is a normal and vital part of our brain function, we have to admit that memory can be a mysterious and naughty joker. One of the most common mysteries is a short-term memory failure where people find themselves entering a room with no memory of why they did so.
Everyone has experienced this at least once in their lives. We call it a “senior moment”, but researchers say it’s actually okay to put the blame on our doorways and not on our ageing brains. The act of walking through a doorway sends a signal to our brains that a new scene has started and that previous memories should be put away. This is what causes our memory failure and confusion. The thoughts we had before we entered that new scene have actually been sectionalized (分区). In an interview with Live Science Gabriel Radvansky, a psychologist at the University of Norte Dame said, “Entering or exiting through a doorway serves as an ‘event boundary’ in the mind.”
I find this amazing, as I watch it happen to people all around me every day. I guess I should stop telling them they’re getting old and actually explain the cause. For me it’s not doorways that cause a problem. It’s flights of stairs. Every so often I find myself going up the stairs and forgetting why I did so just as soon as I’ve reached the landing. What’s up with that? Now if I can only find out what that means, I’d be truly fascinated.
1. What contributes to our “senior moment” according to the researchers?| A．Ageing brains. | B．Doorways. | C．Different moments. | D．The same scenes. |
| A．Walking through a doorway makes us nervous in the mind. |
| B．Sectionalized thoughts disappear when we enter a new scene. |
| C．Too many events in life are harmful to our brain memory. |
| D．Exiting through doorways causes short memory failures. |
| A．Whether he should explain the cause to others. |
| B．How much he was fascinated by science. |
| C．How many people suffer from doorway problems. |
| D．Why going up the stairs makes him forgetful. |
| A．Short memory failures do have scientific reasons. |
| B．Our brain has several types of memories. |
| C．Everyone has a unique way of forgetting things. |
| D．Psychology theories can help us improve memories. |
【推荐2】Since the discovery of a well-preserved mummy, called Otzi the Iceman, in the Otztal Valley in the Alps, near the border between Austria and Italy in 1991, scientists have recovered plenty of information from his 5,300-year-old body. The brown-eyed man most likely spent his 40 years fanning and herding, and was probably suffering from a painful stomachache at the time he died.
Otzi was thought to be the body of a soldier who fought during WWI, but was found to be thousands of years older after 25 years of broad scientific research. The Iceman was recovered back in 1991 with various clothing, including a hide coat, a fur hat, and hay shoes. Due to the rotting (分解) of the leather and fur over thousands of years, however, researchers have been unable to finally prove specific animal species for some of the elements of Otzi’ clothes.
Understanding the choice of animals used in ancient clothing production—domestic or wild, local or imported—provides a unique chance to learn about the human past: Did the clothing reflect the social status of the wearer? Were animal skins selected just due to their availability, or were certain types of leathers and furs valuable for specific qualities?
Analyzing Otzi showed that the items with him were all of different ages. His arrows are 7,000 years old, the axe (斧头) belonged to a time hundreds of years later and the skin in which the man was dressed originally belonged to a goat that lived in China.
There are still many mysteries surrounding Otzi, yet the most famous and frightening one is his curse (诅咒). It is said that Otzi had mysterious powers and those who trouble his dead body will be doomed (注定) to die. Otzi has claimed seven people so far. With the death of several people who have touched the remains of the ancient man, the “Otzi curse” mystery has snowballed.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．Explaining the cause of Otzi’s death. |
| B．Stating how important Otzi the Iceman is. |
| C．Making a brief introduction to Otzi the Iceman. |
| D．Showing the lifestyle of Otzi the Iceman. |
| A．To draw inspiration for today’s clothing design. |
| B．To know the wild animals in Otzi’s time. |
| C．To learn about the social status of the wearer. |
| D．To know plenty of information about the human past. |
| A．The Clothing of Otzi | B．A Well-preserved Mummy |
| C．The Curse of the Iceman | D．A Soldier with Mysterious Powers |
| A．A science magazine. | B．An advertisement. |
| C．A doctor’s notebook. | D．A student’s textbook. |
【推荐3】It is a sad truth that any health crisis (危机) will lead to a large outbreak of misinformation.
In the 80s, 90s, and 2000s we saw the spread of dangerous lies about AIDS - from the belief that the HIV virus was created by a government laboratory to the idea that it could be treated with goat’s milk. These claims increased risky behaviour and worsened the crisis.
Now, we are surrounded with unreal news - this time around Covid-19 (新冠肺炎). The Economist in March 2020 found 13% of Americans believed Covid-19 was a trick while 49% believed the virus might be man-made. While you might hope that greater brainpower or education would help us to tell facts from lies, it is easy to find examples of many educated people falling for false information. Kelly Brogan, who has a degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has refused clear evidence of the virus’s danger in countries like China and Italy and even questioned the health officials.
Part of the problem arises from the nature of the messages themselves. As BBC Future has described in the past, suppliers of false news can make their message feel “truthy” through a few simple tricks, which discourages us from using our critical thinking skills.
For example, a simple image alongside a statement increases our trust in its accuracy (准确)---even if it is only partly related to the statement. Moreover, even the simple repetition of a statement can increase the “truthiness” by increasing feelings of familiarity.
These tricks have long been known by peddlers (传播者) of misinformation, but today’s social media make the spread more easily. Recent evidence shows that many people share information on the Internet without even thinking about its truthfulness and ignoring the obvious question: is it true?
1. How does the author support his ideas in the text?| A．By giving examples. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By doing scientific research. | D．By explaining statistical data. |
| A．Covid-19 is not real but may be man-made |
| B．plenty of false news crowds into people’s daily life |
| C．even well-educated people may not tell facts from lies |
| D．countries like China and Italy have suffered greatly these days |
| A．it’s unfamiliar to them | B．it’s attached with clear evidences |
| C．it carries several messages at a time | D．it includes pictures and repeated statements |
| A．Many people share false information to attract more followers. |
| B．Fake news peddlers have long tricked people into ignoring truth. |
| C．Some tricks prevent people from applying critical thinking skills. |
| D．It’s today’s social media that speed up the spread of misinformation. |
【推荐1】Particulate Matter
There are things floating around in the air. Most of them, you can not even see. They are a kind of air pollution called particles or particulate matter. In fact, particulate matter may be the air pollutant that most commonly affects people’s health.
Have a Look.
Particles can come in almost any shape or size, and can be solid particles or liquid droplets.
BIG.
The big particles are between 2.5 and 10 micrometers (from about 25 to 100 times thinner than a human hair). These particles are called PM 10 (we say ―PM ten, which stands for Particulate Matter up to 10 micrometers in size).
SMALL.
The small particles are smaller than 2.5 micrometers (100 times thinner than a human hair).
Particulate Matter and Your Health.
When you breathe, you take in the air along with any particles in the air, like heavy metal sand cancer causing organic compounds. Both PM 10 and PM 2.5 particles can cause health problems, specifically respiratory (呼吸的) health.
| A．These particles are called PM 2.5. |
| B．We divide particles into two major groups. |
| C．These particles cause less severe health effects. |
| D．PM 10 particles can travel as much as 30 miles. |
| E．Air pollution is a growing problem in the whole world. |
| F．PM 2.5 can have worse health effects than the bigger PM 10. |
| G．Air pollutants have great effects on our environment and our health. |
【推荐2】The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means. Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest problems is pollution. To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, man moved to another place. But this is no longer true. Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.
Air pollution is still the most serious. It’s bad for all living things in the world, but it is not the only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air. Pollution by S02 is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. We are sure that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must care about the rise in pollution at the same time.
1. Why is our world becoming much smaller?| A．Thanks to the development of science. |
| B．Because of the rise in pollution. |
| C．Because the earth is being polluted day and night. |
| D．Because the earth is blown away by the wind every year. |
| A．Rubbish. | B．Water pollution. |
| C．Air pollution. | D．Noise pollution. |
| A．Because it’s bad for all living things in the world. |
| B．Because it makes much noise. |
| C．Because it has made our rivers and lakes dirty. |
| D．Because it makes us become angry more easily. |
| A．Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. |
| B．The problem of pollution is not so serious because there are not so many people living on the earth. |
| C．The pollution of the earth grows as fast as the world population does. |
| D．If people could go to work by bus or bike instead of car or motorbike, it would be helpful in fighting against the problem of S02. |
【推荐3】Microplastics(MPS) are tiny bits or threads of plastic, which are often too small to be seen. The current study shows that MPS are constantly coming down in great numbers, even in remote, protected lands.
The scientists didn't set out to study MPS. Dr. Janice Brahney from Utah State University created the experiment to test her equipment, which was meant to track the way helpful chemicals travel to farms through the air. The experiment used buckets (桶)that opened and closed automatically depending on the weather. This allowed the researchers to separate dust that fell during rain storms from dust that was carried in dry air. These "wet" and "dry" buckets were set up at 11 different protected, remote areas in the western US and checked regularly for over a year.
But when Dr. Brahney and her team began to study the dust they had collected, they got a surprise-MPS. By figuring out how much plastic was falling per square meter, the scientists were able to get a good idea of how much plastic was falling in all of the protected areas in the western US every year. The answer was a shocking 907,185 kilograms, which is enough plastic to make over 123 million plastic bottles.
MPS have been found in tap waler, bottled water, and in sea animals that people eat. Now there is growing proof that we are also breathing MPS all the time. Scientists still don't know how eating or breathing MPS will affect people, though many of the chemicals from plastics are known to cause health problems. There are concerns that MPS can get stuck in the lungs, where they may lead to long-term problems.
Dr. Brahney says that for these reasons, it’s important to slop producing and using plastic. She points out that much of the dust the scientists collected was too small to lest. Also, she says that the scientists only studied MPS that fell in protected areas in die western US - about 6% of the US land area.
1. How did Dr. Brahney and her team find microplastics?| A．By comparison. | B．By chance. | C．By origin. | D．By design. |
| A．How to get MPS' helpful chemicals. | B．How to separate wet and dry MPS. |
| C．How taking in MPS will affect people. | D．How MPS travel a long distance. |
| A．Most of them stay in the dust. |
| B．They fall mainly in the Western US. |
| C．They'll lead to the end of plastic use. |
| D．Their actual amount is higher than that tested. |
| A．Researchers Arc Observing MPS. | B．People Used to Ignore MPS Problem. |
| C．MPS Are Traveling all over the World. | D．MPS Rain Down in Protected Lands. |
【推荐1】The “diet” in diet drinks may be a false promise for some soda lovers. A study published recently in JAMA Network Open adds to the evidence that drinks made with sucralose (蔗糖素) may stimulate the appetite, at least among some people.
“We found that females and people with obesity (肥胖)had greater brain reward activity” after consuming the artificial sweetener, says study author Katie Page, “What was most surprising was the impact of body weight and biological sex. They were very important factors in the way that the brain responded to the artificial sweetener.”
Both groups also had a reduction in the hormone that inhibits (抑制) appetite, and they ate more food after they consumed drinks with sucralose, compared with after regular sugar-sweetened drinks. In contrast, the study found males and people of healthy weight did not have an increase. in either brain reward activity or hunger response, suggesting they’re not affected in the same way.
Page and her team measured the response to diet soda in three ways. They used brain images of the 74 study participants to record the activities of parts of the brain linked to appetite. They used blood samples to measure blood sugar and hormones that can drive hunger. And they also tracked how much participants ate at a buffet table at the end of each study session.
“These results are consistent with patterns that we’ve actually seen in my lab in animal studies,” says Susan Swithers, a behavioral scientist at Purdue University.
“You are supposed to get sugar after something tastes sweet. Your body has been accustomed to that,” explains Swithers. But diet soda may lead to a disconnect. The sugar never arrives, and “that could decrease the body’s efficiency in metabolizing (新陈代谢)sugar the next time.”
1. What did Page find might affect the brain’s response to diet soda?| A．The artificial sweetener. | B．The reduction in hormones. |
| C．The drinker’s sex and weight. | D．The amount of sweet drinks. |
| A．The methods of the study. | B．The impacts of diet soda. |
| C．The causes of overeating. | D．The responses of participants. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Approving. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unsatisfied. |
| A．A story collection. | B．A travel journal. |
| C．A consumer guide. | D．A health magazine. |
【推荐2】Even if you are naturally shy, these three tricks will help you to quickly build a new social circle in any new city.
1. Take pictures
One of the great things about taking pictures at an event or party is that it gives you an excuse to get in touch with the person later. Everybody loves seeing pictures of themselves, and it’s very easy after taking a picture to say “if you’d like I can email it to you”. This can be the seed that leads to new connections. The next time you hear about a fun event email your new contacts to let them know about it.
2. Eat alone in public
You might feel self-conscious eating by yourself but it has an important benefit: you are much easier to approach when you are alone. People may be afraid of interrupting you or being rude if you are in a conversation with someone else. Bring a book or newspaper to read (this will make you feel less self-conscious). Plus, having an interesting book with you will give others an excuse to start a conversation if they’ve read it.
3. Join a class, sports team, or club
Yoga, salsa dancing, volleyball, Toastmasters (a public speaking club), a class for work, etc. Take up a new hobby or continue an old one!
These are all great places to meet new people, primarily because you will be forced to see the same people over and over again in the class. You will automatically make friends with them if you have a common interest and are forced to see each other again.
Tips:
*In the beginning, never turn down an invitation from someone, even if it’s something you wouldn’t normally do.
*Email your new friends with fun things to do instead of always asking what their plans are. If they have a better plan you can drop yours and join them. This will help establish you as someone who is contributing value instead of just taking it (people want this in a friend).
*Don’t let little things in life upset you or be a negative person. People don’t want to be around someone like that!
1. _______ can give you an excuse to get in touch with the person later.| A．Taking pictures of others |
| B．Eating by yourself in public |
| C．Reading interesting books |
| D．Joining group activities |
| A．approach others to show conscious friendliness |
| B．start a conversation with those who have friends aside |
| C．invite others to your apartment to eat together |
| D．sit on your own in public places |
| A．It helps you find out people who share a common interest with you. |
| B．It helps you find out your interest and take up a new hobby. |
| C．It offers an opportunity to meet the same people repeatedly. |
| D．It is a good way to meet new people and make friends in a new city. |
| A．Try to be outgoing and talkative instead of being shy. |
| B．Never turn down an invitation from your friends. |
| C．Offer suggestions on how to spend time together. |
| D．Always give a positive response to any request. |
| A．why you should change when you move to a new city |
| B．how you can make new friends in a new city |
| C．why you should make new friends in a new city |
| D．how you can keep in touch with strangers |
【推荐3】“Some inconspicuous (不起眼的) artifacts, once unearthed and cleaned, can transport me back across time as I touch them. It’s as though I were in the same space with ancient people who lived millions of years ago.” This is what Xu Danyang, a young member of the Communist Party of China responsible for excavation of the No. 4 sacrificial pit (祭祀坑) at the Sanxingdui ruins site in Deyang, Sichuan province, says of his view of his job.
Archaeology used to be a field few university students wanted to study, Xu says. However, discoveries at Sanxingdui have changed students’ preconceptions. The increasing popularity of Sanxingdui is a good thing, Xu says. The reason why the site has attracted international attention is that bronze ware and gold decorations unearthed there have given people fresh glimpses of the ancient Shu Kingdom, illustrating the inclusiveness of Chinese civilization.
Speaking of the pit team, Xu says more than half the members were born in the 1990s. The daily work of Xu and his team can be split into two parts: the indoor work of reorganizing materials and conducting research, and the outdoor archaeological fieldwork, both of which require great meticulousness (谨小慎微). The process of dig needs careful teamwork, and everyone performs their duties extremely. One does not expect quick success or instant rewards. So patience is a must. The infinite nature of human history can be reflected as one connects seemingly insignificant discoveries.
1. What does the underlined words “excavation” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Discovery. | B．Dig. | C．Invention. | D．Breakthrough. |
| A．Decreased interest in studying archaeology. |
| B．No change in people’s view. |
| C．Decreased attention on Sanxingdui. |
| D．Increased interest in studying archaeology. |
| A．Unearthed bronze ware and gold decorations. |
| B．Careful teamwork. |
| C．Xu Danyang’s view of his job. |
| D．The inclusive nature of Chinese civilization. |
| A．Quick success and instant rewards. |
| B．Careful teamwork and patience. |
| C．Decreased attention. |
| D．Reorganizing materials. |
