PASSAGE 30: SMOG IN BEIJING
Earlier this week, / a thick layer of smog / rolled into China’s capital city, / turning skyscrapers / into shadows / and clear air / into a yellow fog. /
Why does smog / keep blanketing Beijing? / Smog in China / has many causes, / including pollution / from industries / and traffic, / but it tends to happen / more often in the winter, / when plummeting temperatures / cause electricity demand to soar, / and coal-fired power plants / send more tiny particles / of dust into the air. /
Particles smaller than 10 micrometers / are of particular concern / to health experts, / as particles that small / can damage the lungs, / aggravate asthma, / and even cause heart attacks. /
China is taking steps / to address the issue. / The government / has restricted driving / in an effort to curb air pollution / from cars. / But it has a long way to go. / China is still / the world’s largest consumer / of coal by far, / and plans to continue / using the sooty source / of power. /
There is some cause / for optimism. / Like Beijing, / Los Angeles also had / a serious smog problem. / But strict regulations / implemented over the past few decades / have helped reduce / the amount of smog / in Los Angeles, / bringing back blue skies. / There’s hope / that they could return / to China too, / though residents / shouldn't expect / to breathe easy / any time soon. /
【实用例句】
roll into：涌入，进入（某地）
A storm rolled into the city last night.
昨晚一场风暴席卷了这座城市。
keep blanketing：持续覆盖
Snow kept blanketing the mountains.
雪持续覆盖着山峦。
plummeting temperatures：急剧下降的温度
Plummeting temperatures led to a freeze in the region.
急剧下降的温度导致该地区结冰。
send particles into the air：将微粒排入空气
The factory sends harmful particles into the air.
工厂将有害微粒排入空气。
of particular concern：特别令人担忧的
The rise in crime is of particular concern to the community.
犯罪率的上升特别令社区担忧。
aggravate asthma：加剧哮喘
Exposure to air pollution can aggravate asthma.
接触空气污染会加剧哮喘。
tend to：倾向于，往往
People tend to eat more during the holidays.
人们在假期往往会吃得更多。
cause heart attacks：导致心脏病发作
Smoking and poor diet can cause heart attacks.
吸烟和不良饮食可能导致心脏病发作。
curb air pollution：遏制空气污染
The government is taking measures to curb air pollution.
政府正在采取措施遏制空气污染。
take steps：采取措施
The government is taking steps to reduce crime.
政府正在采取措施减少犯罪。
address the issue：解决问题
We need to address the issue of climate change.
我们需要解决气候变化的问题。
it has a long way to go：还有很长的路要走
Although we've made progress, we still have a long way to go.
虽然我们已经取得了进步，但还有很长的路要走。
by far：到目前为止（用于强调程度或数量上的差距）
China is by far the largest market for smartphones.
到目前为止，中国是智能手机最大的市场。
strict regulations：严格的法规
Strict regulations are needed to protect the environment.
需要严格的法规来保护环境。
bring back blue skies：重现蓝天
The new environmental policies helped bring back blue skies.
新的环保政策有助于重现蓝天。
expect to：期望，预料
I expect to finish the project by Friday.
加入我们，一起学习吧！
