1 . Objects in the night sky are disappearing from view because of light pollution, according to a new study. Outdoor lighting from street lamps, office buildings and vehicle headlights leads to sky less bright, which is when the night sky gets brighter. The brighter it is at night, the harder it is to see stars and planets from Earth.
Christopher Kyba, an astronomer with the GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, led his team studying 50,000 star observations between 2011 and 2022. “If the brightening of the night sky continues at the current rate,” Kyba said, “a child born in a place where 250 stars are visible will only be able to see 100 stars by the time he or she turned 18.”
The issue is global but particularly common in North America, where 80% of people cannot see the Milky Way galaxy(银河系). This huge group of billions of stars should look like a wide strip of light in the dark night sky. However, only very remote places, such as the Sahara Desert and the Amazon rainforest, have a truly dark night sky.
Light pollution makes it harder for astronomers to study stars and planets. It also causes problems for animals. Animals active at night like bats become confused and crash into objects. Turtles that hatch(孵化) at night need moonlight to find the sea, but artificial lights can confuse them and make them head inland instead. Birds in cities often wake up and start singing earlier than they should. Human lights also cause themselves to produce less of a chemical called melatonin (褪黑激素). This can lead to sleep problems, headaches, tiredness, and mood issues.
To help, scientists want to raise awareness of light pollution. They suggest that people use outdoor lighting that causes less light pollution, such as motion-sensitive lights that switch on only when they’re needed.
1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text?| A．By asking a question. |
| B．By referring to a study. |
| C．By making comparisons. |
| D．By showing experiments. |
| A．Light pollution is becoming serious. |
| B．Stars are becoming fewer year by year. |
| C．Kids are losing interest in watching stars. |
| D．It’s easier for adults to see stars than kids. |
| A．Humans produce more melatonin. |
| B．Turtles are forced to hatch at sea. |
| C．Birds in cities wake up much later. |
| D．Bats can get lost during the flight. |
| A．Pollution does affect children. |
| B．Light causes human sleep problems. |
| C．Light pollution is making stars disappear. |
| D．There are some ways to deal with light pollution. |
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