1 . Microplastic pollution is increasing dramatically around the globe, according to a study of airborne (空气传播的) plastic particles(粒子).

People are already known to breathe, drink and eat microplastics, and research suggests that pollution levels will continue to rise rapidly. The researchers said that inhaling (吸入) these particles can irritate (刺激) lung tissue and lead to serious diseases.

Professor Natalie Mahowald, at Cornell University in the US and part of the research team, said: “But maybe we could solve this before it becomes a huge problem, if we manage our plastics better, before they accumulate (积聚) in the environment and swirl (打旋) around everywhere.”

The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined airborne microplastics, which have been far less studied than plastic in oceans and rivers.

The team gathered more than 300 samples of airborne microplastics from 11 sites across the western US. These were the basis for atmospheric modeling that estimated the contribution from different sources, and was the first such study to do so.

They found that roads were the dominant factor in the western US, linked to about 85 percent of the microplastics in the air. These are likely to include particles from tires and brake pads on vehicles, and plastics from litter that had been broken down.

The researchers extended their modeling work to a global level and this suggested that while roads are also likely to be the dominant driver of airborne plastics in Europe, South America and Australia, plastic particles blown up from fields may be a much bigger factor in Africa and Asia.

Professor Andreas Stohl of the University of Vienna’s Faculty of Earth Sciences, and not part of the study team, said: “The study confirms the global-scale nature of microplastic transport in the atmosphere and does a good job in highlighting highly relevant and concerning possibilities, but more measurement data is needed to get a better idea of the sources.”

7 . Baggy has become the first dog in the UK — and potentially the world — to join the fight against air pollution by recording pollutant levels (污染水平) near the ground.

Baggy_______a pollution monitor (监测器) on her collar (颈圈) so she can _______data measurements close to the ground. Her monitor has shown that air pollution levels are_______closer to ground level, which has helped highlight (强调，突出) _______that babies and young kids may be at higher_______of developing lung problems.

Conventional (传统的) air pollution monitors are normally _______on lampposts (灯柱) at about nine feet in the air. However, since Baggy stands at about the same height as a child in a pushchair (婴儿车), she frequently _______pollution levels which are much higher than the data gathered by the Environment Agency.

The doggy data research was the idea of Baggy’s 13-year-old owner Tom Hunt and his dad Matt. The English youngster _______that pollution levels are around two-thirds higher close to the ground than they are in the air at the height where they are recorded by the agency. Tom has since reported the _______findings to the government in an attempt to emphasize (强调) that babies are at higher risk of developing asthma (哮喘).

Matt Hunt said he was “very proud” of his son ________“when the boy gets an idea, he keeps his head down and gets on with it, and he really does want to do some good and stop young kids from getting asthma.”

9 . Microplastic pollution is increasing dramatically around the globe, according to a study of airborne (空气传播的) plastic particles (粒子).

People are already known to breathe, drink and eat microplastics, and research suggests that pollution levels will continue to rise rapidly. The researchers said that breathing in these particles can damage lung tissue and lead to serious diseases.

Professor Natalie Mahowald, at Cornell University in the US and part of the research team, said, “But maybe we could solve this before it becomes a huge problem, if we manage our plastics better, before they accumulate (积聚) in the environment and move around quickly everywhere.”

The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined airborne microplastics, which have been far less studied than plastic in oceans and rivers.

The team gathered more than 300 samples of airborne microplastics from 11 sites across the western US. These were the basis for atmospheric modeling that estimated (估计) the contribution from different sources, and was the first such study to do so.

They found that roads were the main factor in the western US, linked to about 85 percent of the microplastics in the air. These are likely to include particles from tires on vehicles, and plastics from litter that had been broken down.

The researchers enlarged their modeling work to a global level and this suggested that while roads are also likely to be the main driver of airborne plastics in Europe, South America and Australia, plastic particles blown up from fields may be a much bigger factor in Africa and Asia.

Professor Andreas Stohl of the University of Vienna’s Faculty of Earth Sciences, and not part of the study team, said, “The study confirms the global-scale nature of microplastic transport in the atmosphere and does a good job in highlighting highly relevant and concerning possibilities, but more measurement data is needed to get a better idea of the sources.”

Light pollution     1    (define) by the Lighting Research Center as the adverse consequence of outdoor lighting such as street lights. Too much man-made light at night disturbs     2    (nature) cycles, and also prevents the     3     (observe) of stars and planets at night. But its effects     4     the environment go beyond that.

By     5     (study) some trees, researchers found out that trees that were more     6     (expose) to artificial lighting at night budded (发芽) up to 7.5 days earlier than those at the normal night-time setting. And they found out that light had a more significant effect than temperatures     7     the buds came out. The early budding may cause problems for insects, which feed on     8     (leaf), and the birds which feed on them in turn.   

Migratory birds (候鸟) are also     9    (negative) affected by light pollution. The glare might confuse them and make them lose     10     (they) flying sense. The phenomenon might explain why some birds accidentally knock on buildings.