英闻天下——125 Severe Smog Sparks Rise in Respiratory Health Cases

 　　Beijing Children's Hospital has seen the number of sick children increase following days of air pollution in the city.

 

　　Jiang Ziyu is a nine year old girl.

 

　　"My hands are red, my body has had a strange reaction too. I am coughing a lot and my stomach is not well."

 

　　But for children like Jiang there is some relief in sight.

 

　　The weather forecasts say a cold front swept across the north of the country Monday night and has helped to reduce the haze¹ which has covered the region.

 

　　The Beijing Municipal Government removed its orange-colour early warning on fog and haze on Tuesday after sleet² from the cold front fell across the city.

 

　　Besides the light snowfall, the reduction in the number of private vehicles on the roads also helped to improve air quality.

 

　　The PM 2.5 index in Beijing has reduced nearly 10 folds to around 100, indicating that air quality has improved.

 

　　The wave of pollution peaked on Saturday with off-the-charts levels which shrouded³ Beijing's skyscrapers⁴ in a thick gray haze.

 

　　Expected to last through Tuesday, it was the severest smog since the government began releasing figures on PM 2.5 particles last year.

1 haze   

n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊

参考例句：

• I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。
• He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

2 sleet   

n.雨雪；v.下雨雪，下冰雹

参考例句：

• There was a great deal of sleet last night.昨夜雨夹雪下得真大。
• When winter comes,we get sleet and frost.冬天来到时我们这儿会有雨夹雪和霜冻。

3 shrouded   

v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密

参考例句：

• The hills were shrouded in mist . 这些小山被笼罩在薄雾之中。
• The towers were shrouded in mist. 城楼被蒙上薄雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 skyscrapers   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• A lot of skyscrapers in Manhattan are rising up to the skies. 曼哈顿有许多摩天大楼耸入云霄。
• On all sides, skyscrapers rose like jagged teeth. 四周耸起的摩天大楼参差不齐。