A new study links heavy air pollution from coal burning to shorter lives in northern China. Researchers estimate that the half-billion people alive there in the 1990s will live an average of 5 years less than their southern counterparts because they breathed dirtier air.
China itself made the comparison possible: for decades, a now-discontinued government policy provided free coal for heating, but only in the colder north. Researchers found significant differences in both particulate pollution of the air and life expectancy in the two regions.
While previous studies have found that pollution affects human health, "the deeper and ultimately more important question is the impact on life expectancy," said one of the researchers, Michael Greenstone, a professor of environmental economics at Massachusetts Institute of 一Technology. "This study provides a unique setting to answer the life expectancy question because the(heating) policy dramatically changes pollution concentrations（含量），，，Greenstone said in an email. "Further, due to the low rates of migration in China in this period, we can know people's exposure over long time periods," he said.
The policy gave free coal for fuel boilers to heat homes and offices to cities north of the Huai Riv饥which divides China into north and south. It was in effect for much of the 1950-198,0 period of central planning, and, though discontinued after 1980, it has left a legacy（遗留） in the north of heavy coal burning, which releases particulate pollutants into the air that can harm human health. Researchers found no other government policies that treated China's north differently from the south.
The researchers collected data for 90 cities, from 1981 to 2000, on the annual daily average concentration of total suspended（悬浮的）particulates. In China, those are considered to be particulates that are 100 micrometers or less in diameter, sent out from sources including power stations, construction sites and vehicles. Among them, PM2.5 is of especially great health concern because it can go deep into the lungs.
The researchers estimated the impact on life expectancies using death data from 1991-2000． They found that in the north, the concentration of particulates was 184 micrograms per cubic meter一or 55 percent higher than in the south, and life expectancies were 5.5 years lower on average across all age ranges.
1.The main idea of this passage is that＿·
A. research in China finds air pollution shortened life expectancy
B．the government provided free coal for heating in North China
C．coal burning causes bad air quality across China
D. a new study finds different particulates in South China
2.According to Greenstone,＿greatly contributed to the high pollution concentrations in North China.
A. power stations B. construction sites
C. the free heating policy D. gases from vehicles
3.It is implied in the passage that＿·
A. coal is no longer used for heating in North China
B．air quality was comparatively better in South China
C. southerners burned coals for heating in the 1980s
D．people preferred to live in South China after 1980
4.The underlined word "particulates" most probably means＿．
A. dirty clouds B. particular smoke
C. harmful dust D. dangerous bacteria
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
A new study links heavy air pollution from coal burning to shorter lives in northern China. Researchers estimate that the half-billion people alive there in the 1990s will live an average of 5 years less than their southern counterparts because they breathed dirtier air.
China itself made the comparison possible: for decades, a now-discontinued government policy provided free coal for heating, but only in the colder north. Researchers found significant differences in both particulate pollution of the air and life expectancy in the two regions.
While previous studies have found that pollution affects human health, "the deeper and ultimately more important question is the impact on life expectancy," said one of the researchers, Michael Greenstone, a professor of environmental economics at Massachusetts Institute of 一Technology. "This study provides a unique setting to answer the life expectancy question because the(heating) policy dramatically changes pollution concentrations（含量），，，Greenstone said in an email. "Further, due to the low rates of migration in China in this period, we can know people's exposure over long time periods," he said.
The policy gave free coal for fuel boilers to heat homes and offices to cities north of the Huai Riv饥which divides China into north and south. It was in effect for much of the 1950-198,0 period of central planning, and, though discontinued after 1980, it has left a legacy（遗留） in the north of heavy coal burning, which releases particulate pollutants into the air that can harm human health. Researchers found no other government policies that treated China's north differently from the south.
The researchers collected data for 90 cities, from 1981 to 2000, on the annual daily average concentration of total suspended（悬浮的）particulates. In China, those are considered to be particulates that are 100 micrometers or less in diameter, sent out from sources including power stations, construction sites and vehicles. Among them, PM2.5 is of especially great health concern because it can go deep into the lungs.
The researchers estimated the impact on life expectancies using death data from 1991-2000． They found that in the north, the concentration of particulates was 184 micrograms per cubic meter一or 55 percent higher than in the south, and life expectancies were 5.5 years lower on average across all age ranges.
1.The main idea of this passage is that＿·
A. research in China finds air pollution shortened life expectancy
B．the government provided free coal for heating in North China
C．coal burning causes bad air quality across China
D. a new study finds different particulates in South China
2.According to Greenstone,＿greatly contributed to the high pollution concentrations in North China.
A. power stations B. construction sites
C. the free heating policy D. gases from vehicles
3.It is implied in the passage that＿·
A. coal is no longer used for heating in North China
B．air quality was comparatively better in South China
C. southerners burned coals for heating in the 1980s
D．people preferred to live in South China after 1980
4.The underlined word "particulates" most probably means＿．
A. dirty clouds B. particular smoke
C. harmful dust D. dangerous bacteria
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Air pollution shortens human lives by more than a year, according to a new study from a team of leading environmental engineers and public health researchers. Better air quality could lead to a significant extension of lifespan(寿命) around the world.
It is the first time that data on air pollution and the lifespan has been studied together in order to check how air pollution affects overall life expectancy.
The researchers looked at outdoor air pollution from particulate matter (PM)(颗粒物) smaller than 2.5 microns. These particulates can enter deep into the lungs, and breathing PM 2.5 is associated with the increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancers. PM 2.5 pollution comes from power plants, cars and trucks, fires, agriculture and industrial emissions(排放物).
Led by Joshua Apte, the team used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study to measure PM 2.5 air pollution exposure and its consequences in 185 countries. They then quantified the national impact on life expectancy for each individual country as well as on a global scale.
“The fact that air pollution is a major global killer is already wellknown,” said Apte. “And we all care about how long we can live. Here, we were able to systematically identify how air pollution shortens lives around the world. What we found is that air pollution has a very large effect on survival — on average about a year globally.”
In the context of other significant phenomena negatively affecting human survival rates, Apte said this is a big number. “For example, it’s considerably larger than the benefit in survival we might see if we found cures for both lung and breast cancer combined,” he said. “In countries like India and China, the benefit for elderly people of improving air quality would be especially large. For much of Asia, if air pollution were removed as a risk for death, 60yearolds would have a 15 percent to 20 percent higher chance of living to age 85 or older.”
1.What do we know about PM 2.5?
A.It has a bad effect on human health. B.It will be controlled in the future.
C.It only comes from industrial emissions. D.It spreads to the world from Asian countries.
2.What did the researchers do to study how air pollution affects the lifespan?
A.They collected accurate information from all the Asian countries.
B.They employed the research data to calculate the effect.
C.They studied the disease and lifespan together time and time again.
D.They measured particulate matter much more carefully than before.
3.What can be inferred from the text?
A.The key to people living longer is good air quality.
B.People think air pollution is the most dangerous killer to them.
C.Apte will agree that people should take action to deal with air pollution.
D.Factories should decrease the production of cars to stop air pollution.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.The Way Human Beings Enjoy a Longer Lifespan
B.The Importance of Getting Rid of Air Pollution
C.Asian People Are Suffering from Serious Air Pollution
D.Air Pollution Reduces the Lifespan by More than One Year
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Most air pollution is caused by the burning of ____ like coal, gas and oil.
A. fuels B. articles C. goods D. products
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Most air pollution is caused by the burning of ____ like coal, gas and oil.
A. fuels B. articles C. goods D. products
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
A woman wears a face mask to protect her from polluted air in Lanzhou, China, in December.
A new study showed air pollution might put people more at risk for heart disease than scientists had thought. Kristin Miller, a doctoral student at the University of Washington, said chances of getting the disease were related to not only which city a woman lived in, but also where in the city. The study found that the effects of air pollution were often larger within cities than between cities.
The new findings make experts suspect that current pollution limits may be inadequate. Scientists examined rates of heart attack, stroke (中风) and other cardiovascular (心脏血管的) events in women with long-term exposure to air pollution.
The study involved women over the age of fifty who had no sign of cardiovascular disease at the start of the research. The study followed the women for as long as nine years to see how they would develop cardiovascular problems.
The researchers also examined levels of fine particles (粒子，微粒) in the air in 36 areas across the country. That information came from the Environmental Protection Agency. The extremely small particles came from industrial smoke and traffic, along with things like wood-burning fireplaces in houses.
In the study, every ten-microgram increase in pollution was linked to a twenty-four percent increase in the risk of a cardiovascular event. But it was related to a seventy-six percent increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
But just how do particles in the air damage the cardiovascular system? The particles may cause the lungs to swell and release chemicals from the pollutants into the blood. The chemicals then could damage the heart.
1.The passage mainly talks about______.
A. the effects of pollution on women
B. how to protect women from air pollution
C. how air pollution damages a person’s heart
D. the relationship between air pollution and heart diseases
2.The case of the woman wearing a face mask shows ______.
A. people are paying more and more attention to their health
B. the woman is afraid of getting heart disease
C. Lanzhou city is more heavily polluted than other cities
D. air pollution is becoming more and more serious
3.We can learn from the passage that _______.
A. air pollution is more serious than scientists thought
B. the control of air pollution is effective in some cities
C. people throughout a city have the same risk of getting heart diseases
D. air pollution affects women more than men
4.The study implies that ______.
A. air pollution has a bigger effect on older women than younger women
B. small particles in the air mainly come from industrial smoke
C. the rise in air pollution may lead to a higher death rate from cardiovascular disease
D. air pollution has been affecting people for as long as nine years in the city of Lanzhou
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A woman wears a face mask to protect her from polluted air in Lanzhou, China, in December．
A new study showed air pollution might put people more at risk for heart disease than scientists had thought．Kristin Miller, a doctoral student at the University of Washington, said chances of getting the disease were related to not only which city a woman lived in, but also where in the city．The study found that the effects of air pollution were often larger within cities than between cities．
The new findings make experts suspect that current pollution limits may be inadequate．Scientists examined rates of heart attack, stroke （中风） and other cardiovascular （心脏血管的） events in women with long-term exposure to air pollution．
The study involved women over the age of fifty who had no sign of cardiovascular disease at the start of the research．The study followed the women for as long as nine years to see how they would develop cardiovascular problems．
The researchers also examined levels of fine particles （粒子，微粒） in the air in 36 areas across the country．That information came from the Environmental Protection Agency．The extremely small particles came from industrial smoke and traffic, along with things like wood-burning fireplaces in houses．
In the study, every ten-microgram increase in pollution was linked to a twenty-four percent increase in the risk of a cardiovascular event．But it was related to a seventy-six percent increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease．
But just how do particles in the air damage the cardiovascular system? The particles may cause the lungs to swell and release chemicals from the pollutants into the blood．The chemicals then could damage the heart．
1．The passage mainly talks about______．
A．the effects of pollution on women
B．how to protect women from air pollution
C．how air pollution damages a person’s heart
D．the relationship between air pollution and heart diseases
2．The case of the woman wearing a face mask shows ______．
A．people are paying more and more attention to their health
B．the woman is afraid of getting heart disease
C．Lanzhou city is more heavily polluted than other cities
D．air pollution is becoming more and more serious
3．We can learn from the passage that _______．
A．air pollution is more serious than scientists thought
B．the control of air pollution is effective in some cities
C．people throughout a city have the same risk of getting heart diseases
D．air pollution affects women more than men
4．The study implies that ______．
A．air pollution has a bigger effect on older women than younger women
B．small particles in the air mainly come from industrial smoke
C．the rise in air pollution may lead to a higher death rate from cardiovascular disease
D．air pollution has been affecting people for as long as nine years in the city of Lanzhou
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
A new study shows that air pollution can cause a huge reduction in our intelligence. The study was a project involving researchers at Peking University in China and Yale University in the United States.
The researchers reported that long-term exposure to air pollution can affect a person's mental abilities in two areas: Language and math.
The researchers studied about 25,000 people from across China. Between 2010 and 2014, these Chinese men, women and children were given language and math tests. Then researchers compared the test results with measurements of pollution in the air, namely nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide （二氧化硫）.
Xi Chen of the Yale School of Public Health led the study. He and his team found that breathing polluted air can reduce a person's education level by about one year.
Chen said that the effect generally is worse for those over 64 years of age, for men and for those with little or no education.
“The older persons—they are more affected. And we find, quite amazingly, males are more affected than females. And people working outdoors are more affected than people working indoors.
He noted that the youngest people in the study were 10 years old, while the oldest was 90 years old. They came from China's 33 provinces. In his words, the data and facts are convincing and this range of ages and locations across the country provided a real, objective and representative sample.
The researchers noted that the effect of air pollution on verbal ability is even more serious as people age, especially among men and the less educated. The researchers also stressed that every country, whether developed, developing or poor, should focus on air pollution or humans will face a bad situation.
1.What is the result of the study?
A.Air pollution has a bad effect on people's intelligence.
B.Females are more affected by air pollution than males.
C.Americans are more affected by air pollution than Chinese.
D.People working indoors are actually not affected by air pollution.
2.What did Chen say about the study?
A.It is doubtful.
B.It is extremely unfair.
C.It is common and not representative.
D.It is relatively objective and persuasive.
3.What did the researchers emphasize in the last paragraph?
A.The data from the 33 provinces is convincing.
B.The whole world should pay attention to air pollution.
C.The less educated take more responsibility for air pollution.
D.Air pollution's influence on verbal ability is less serious as people age.
4.Where is the text most likely taken from?
A.A life diary. B.A guidebook.
C.A science magazine. D.A biography.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
B vitamins（维生素）may offer some protection against the effect of air pollution,a new study suggests.
The scientists say the effect is real but stress the limitations of their work.Follow-up studies are urgently needed, they say,in heavily polluted cities like Mexico.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO),over 90% of the world's population live in heavily-polluted areas.The one of the pollutants that is considered the most dangerous is very fine particulate matter, referred to as PM2.5.At around 1/30 the width of a human hair,PM2.5 can go deep into the human lung and contribute to lung and heart health problems in the young and old.
Scientists have long suspected that PM2.5 causes what are termed epigenetic（表观遗传）changes in our cells that can damage our health.Now in this new human trial,an international team of scientists wanted to see if exposure to concentrations of PM2.5 could be mitigated by daily B vitamins.
Ten volunteers were tested initially exposed to clean air and their basic responses were measured.The same volunteers were later tested with large doses（剂量）of B vitamins while exposed to air containing high levels of PM2.5.The researchers found that a four-week B vitamin intake limited the PM2.5 effect by between 28-76% at ten gene locations.They found a similar reduction in effect on the mitochondrial DNA,the parts of cells that produce energy.
However,the researchers caution that their study,while observing a real effect,has limitations.As well as the small number of participants,there was little information on the size of the B vitamin dose that caused the response.
1.What is the main idea of the text?
A. B vitamins may fight against PM2.5.
B. PM2.5 can lead to epigenetic changes.
C. Further studies should be done on PM2.5.
D. Exposure to PM2.5 is more and more serious.
2.Which can replace the underlined word "mitigated" in Paragraph 4?
A. measured B. ignored
C. reduced D. observed
3.How many limitations does the text mention about the new study?
A. 2. B. 3.
C. 4. D. 5.
4.How does the writer of the text like the new study?
A. He believes it deeply. B. He criticizes it strongly.
C. He thinks it needs testing again. D. He shows no opinion about it.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
The pollution is likely to reach its peak on Monday, and some parts ________ heavy air pollution, the environmental watchdog told the newspaper.
A. see B. will see C. would see D. saw
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
This new kind of chemical will help keep the air, soil and water________ from pollution．
A．empty B．loose C．free D．short
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析