英语听力精选进阶版 7288

本周发表的一份学术报告调查显示，香港是全世界最严重的照明污染城市之一。香港某些地区的照明度检测结果为普通黑夜天空光亮程度的1,200倍。有关调研专家表示，照明污染危害健康。

This is the Central District and it's 11 o'clock at night time but if I put on my sunglasses it wouldn't be too dark at all and that's because there are lights everywhere. There's a neon sign across the street at an old antique¹ shop. It's closed but there are one, two, three signs lit up and it's the same thing all down the street.

Now, researchers say that the signs are contributing to what is known as light pollution - you can tell by looking up into the sky. Not a single star in sight. In fact the sky is a light shade of grey because of the amount of light in this area and this is affecting people's lives because above these businesses and signs are apartment blocks. So these neon lights are reflecting off of the windows and bouncing into people's homes. Christine Siu lives near the area. She says sometimes the lights are so bright it makes it hard to fall asleep.

Well, researchers are asking businesses to dim their lights and to turn them off earlier in the evening. Except it's not going to be an easy thing to do. Hong Kong is a place where businesses can offer the same services or sell the same products side-by-side.

The only way they can distinguish² themselves from their competitors are through these neon signs to grab³ customers' attention. The bigger, the brighter, the better. Hong Kong is known to be a place that never sleeps. Well now it seems that's because they never allow the sky to go dark.

Quiz 听力测验

True or false? At 11 O'clock at night, in central Hong Kong it is a very dark place.

False: In Hong Kong's Central District at 11 o'clock at night time, even with your sunglasses on, it wouldn't be too dark at all because there are lights everywhere.

What colour is the night sky over Hong Kong?

The sky is a light shade of grey.

Why are some residents finding it hard to sleep at night?

Because neon lights are reflecting off of the windows and bouncing into people's homes.

Why do the shops use neon signs?

So they can distinguish themselves from their competitors and grab customers' attention.

Glossary 词汇表

neon sign 霓虹灯标志

contributing to 构成

to dim 去调暗

side-by-side 并驾齐驱

to distinguish 去区分开

competitors 竞争者

to grab 去抓住

a place that never sleeps 不眠之地

1 antique   

adj.古时的，古代的；n.古物，古器，古玩

参考例句：

• The Sunday antique market is a happy hunting ground for collectors.周日的古董市场是收藏家的淘物乐园。
• I saw the vase in the window of an antique shop.我在一家古玩店的橱窗里看见了这个花瓶。

2 distinguish   

vt.区别，辩明，识别，辨认出；vi.区别，辨别，识别

参考例句：

• It is not easy to distinguish cultured pearls from genuine pearls.辨别真正的珍珠与养殖的珍珠不容易。
• Some people find it difficult to distinguish right from wrong.一些人认为很难辨对与错。

3 grab   

vt./n.攫取，抓取；vi.攫取，抓住(at)

参考例句：

• It is rude to grab a seat.抢占座位是不礼貌的。
• The thief made a grab at my bag but I pushed him away.贼想抢我的手提包，但被我推开了。