Question

Last night’s meteor (流星) shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothschild, Emerald Valley’s mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.

“My family was so frustrated,” admitted town resident Duane Cosby, “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment.”

Astronomers—scientists who study stars and planets—have been complaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.

There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats, frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating (遷徙的) birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, “100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers.”

Countless more animal casualties (傷亡) result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings. But some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase a person’s chances of getting cancer.

Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.

1.It happened last night that _____.

A．the city’s lights affected the meteor watching

B．the meteors flew past before being noticed

C．the city light show attracted many people

D．the meteor watching ended up a social outing

2.What do the astronomers complain about?

A．Meteor showers occur less often than before.

B．Their observation equipment is in poor repair.

C．Light pollution has remained unsolved for years.

D．Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting.

3.What is the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?

A．Birds may take other migration paths.

B．Animals’ living habits may change suddenly

C．Varieties of animals will become sharply reduced

D．Animals’ survival is threatened by outdoor lighting.

4.Lighting regulations in Flagstaff, Arizona are put into effect to _____.

A．lessen the chance of getting cancer

B．create an ideal observation condition

C．ensure citizens a good sleep at night

D．enable all creatures to live in harmony

5.What message does the author most want to give us?

A．Saving wildlife is saving ourselves.

B．Great efforts should be made to save energy.

C．Human activities should be environmentally friendly.

D．New equipment should be introduced for space study..

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.A

2.C

3.D

4.B

5.C

【解析】

【文章大意】許多人想在晚上看流星雨，結果由于光線太亮，影響了他們的觀看效果。由此引發了人們對光污染的思考。本文是一篇議論文，文章由一個事例引發出要討論的話題。

1.第一段的最后一句話a sky so brightened by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead表明答案為A。

2.題干中的Astronomers出現在第三段，文中有一句話have been complaining about this problem for decades，第一段就提到了光線太亮，這句話的后面又提到了light pollution。結合選項，答案為C。

3.第四段第一句話就告訴我們除了專業及業余的觀星者之外，還有些群體也收到了光污染的影響。而這些群體指的就是birds、bats等動物。D項的意思是“動物的生存受到戶外燈光的影響”。

4.題干中的信息告訴我們答案應該出現在最后一段，根據“in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory”，答案顯然為B。

5.文中作者反復強調光污染問題對人類的一些活動和動物的影響。這顯然是強調環境問題。