Lastnight’smeteor(流星)showerleftmanypeopleinthecommunitydissatisfiedanddemandinganswers.AccordingtoGabeRothschild,EmeraldValley’smayor,peoplegatheredinthesuburbsofthecity,carryingheavytelescopes,expecting
Lastnight’smeteor(流星)showerleftmanypeopleinthecommunitydissatisfiedanddemandinganswers.AccordingtoGabeRothschild,EmeraldValley’smayor,peoplegatheredinthesuburbsofthecity,carryingheavytelescopes,expectingtowatchthebrightlyburningmeteorspassingthroughthesky.Whattheyfoundinsteadwasaskysobrightenedbythecity’slightsthatitdarkenedthelightofthemeteorspassingoverhead.
“Myfamilywassofrustrated,”admittedtownresidentDuaneCosby,“Wewantedtomakethisanunforgettablefamilyouting,butitturnedouttobeahugedisappointment.”
Astronomers—scientistswhostudystarsandplanets—havebeencomplainingaboutthisproblemfordecades.Theysaythatlightpollutionpreventsthemfromseeingobjectsintheskythattheycouldseequiteeasilyinthepast.Theycallonpeopleandthegovernmenttotakemeasurestofightagainstit.
Thereisyetapopulationbesidesprofessionalandamateurstarobserversthatsuffersevenmorefromlightpollution.Thispopulationconsistsofbirds,bats,frogs,snakes,etc.Forexample,outdoorlightingseverelyaffectsmigrating(迁徙的)birds.AccordingtotheInternationalDark-SkyAssociation,“100millionbirdsayearthroughoutNorthAmericadieincrasheswithlightedbuildingsandtowers.”
Countlessmoreanimalcasualties(伤亡)resultfromtheuseofartificiallighting.Clearly,peopleenjoythebenefitsoflightingtheirevenings.Butsomescientiststhinkitcanbeharmfulforhumans,too.Theyworrythatexposuretolightwhilesleepingcanincreaseaperson’schancesofgettingcancer.
EmeraldValleyisonlyonecommunitythatisbecomingawareofthenegativeeffectsoflightpollution.Foryears,Flagstaff,Arizona,hasenforcedlightingregulationsinitscityinordertoassistastronomersattheLowellObservatory.Similareffortshavebeenmadeworldwide,andamovementisunderwaytoremindustoturnofflightswhenwearenotusingthem,sothatothercreaturescansharethenight.
小题1:Ithappenedlastnightthat_____.A.thecity’slightsaffectedthemeteorwatchingB.themeteorsflewpastbeforebeingnoticedC.thecitylightshowattractedmanypeopleD.themeteorwatching