C
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.”
8．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.
9．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.
10．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.
11．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
阅读理解C
【解题导语】 本文是一篇说明文。研究表明，良好的空气质量有益于延长寿命，但是空气污染导致细颗粒物进入人体肺部，导致心脏病、中风、癌症的发病率升高，从而影响人的寿命。
8．A 解析：细节理解题。根据第三段第二句“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.”可知，PM 2.5影响人体健康，故A项正确。
9．B 解析：细节理解题。根据第二段内容可知，这是首次将空气污染和寿命数据结合起来研究，以查明空气污染如何影响总体预期寿命。故B项正确。
10．C 解析：推理判断题。根据尾段内容，尤其是“In countries like India and China, the benefit for elderly people of improving air quality would be especially large.”可知，Apte认为改善空气质量对老年人有好处；据此可推知，他会同意人们采取措施应对空气污染，故C项正确。
11．D 解析：标题归纳题。通读全文可知，文章第一段第一句“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.”为全文的主题句，结合全文内容可知，文章通过介绍科学研究，说明空气污染导致人的寿命减少一年以上。故D项最适合作本文的标题。
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.”
8．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.
9．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.
10．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.
11．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
阅读理解C
【解题导语】 本文是一篇说明文。研究表明，良好的空气质量有益于延长寿命，但是空气污染导致细颗粒物进入人体肺部，导致心脏病、中风、癌症的发病率升高，从而影响人的寿命。
8．A 解析：细节理解题。根据第三段第二句“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.”可知，PM 2.5影响人体健康，故A项正确。
9．B 解析：细节理解题。根据第二段内容可知，这是首次将空气污染和寿命数据结合起来研究，以查明空气污染如何影响总体预期寿命。故B项正确。
10．C 解析：推理判断题。根据尾段内容，尤其是“In countries like India and China, the benefit for elderly people of improving air quality would be especially large.”可知，Apte认为改善空气质量对老年人有好处；据此可推知，他会同意人们采取措施应对空气污染，故C项正确。
11．D 解析：标题归纳题。通读全文可知，文章第一段第一句“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.”为全文的主题句，结合全文内容可知，文章通过介绍科学研究，说明空气污染导致人的寿命减少一年以上。故D项最适合作本文的标题。
