新高级阅读前（双语）59（903）

PASSAGE FIFTY-NINE

Light Pollution

1.Last night’s meteor shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. 

2.According to Gabe Rothsclild, 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. 

3.What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.

4.“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.”

5.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. 

6.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. 

7.This population consists of birds, bats, frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association. “100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers.”

8.Countless more animals casualties 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. 

9.They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase person’s chances of getting cancer. Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. 

10.For years, Flagstaff, Arizona, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. 

11.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.

第五十九篇

光污染

1.昨晚的流星雨让社区里很多人不满，并要求得到答案。

2.据翡翠谷市长加布·罗斯柴尔德说，人们聚集在城市的郊区，拿着沉重的望远镜，期待着观看明亮燃烧的流星划过天空。

3.相反，他们发现天空被城市的灯光照得如此明亮，以至于头顶划过的流星的光线都变暗了。

4.“我的家人都很沮丧，”小镇居民杜安·科斯比承认，“我们想让这次家庭出游成为一次难忘的经历，但结果却让我们非常失望。”

5.天文学家，研究恒星和行星的科学家，几十年来一直在抱怨这个问题。他们说，光污染使他们无法看到天空中的物体，而在过去，他们可以很容易地看到这些物体。

6.他们呼吁人们和政府采取措施来对抗它。除了专业和业余的天文观测者之外，还有一群人受到光污染的影响更大。

7.这个种群包括鸟、蝙蝠、青蛙、蛇等。例如，户外照明严重影响候鸟。根据国际暗天协会的说法。“在北美，每年有1亿只鸟死于与灯火通明的建筑物和塔楼相撞。”

8.更多的动物伤亡是由于使用人工照明造成的。显然，人们享受晚上照明的好处，但一些科学家认为它也可能对人类有害。

9.他们担心睡觉时暴露在光线下会增加人们患癌症的几率。翡翠谷是唯一一个意识到光污染负面影响的社区。

10.多年来，为了帮助洛厄尔天文台的天文学家，亚利桑那州的弗拉格斯塔夫一直在该市实施照明规定。

11.世界各地都在做类似的努力，一项运动正在进行中，提醒我们在不使用灯的时候关灯，这样其他生物就能共享夜晚。