Question

Smog is a big problem in many Chinese cities. But it seems that besides wearing a mask (口罩), few of us know what has caused the smog and what to do to beat it. Chai Jing, former news anchor with Chinese Central Television, discussed the questions in her documentary Under the Dome (穹顶之下).

The 103-minute film was released on major Chinese video-sharing websites on Feb 28. In the film, Chai visits polluted places and talks to officials and scientists. She concludes that burning too much coal and oil are the main causes of PM2.5 and smog.

To make things worse, according to Chai, the coal and oil we are burning is of poor quality and doesn’t meet the standards (标准) for environmental protection. Therefore Chai says more harmful gas and particles (颗粒) have been produced to pollute the air. To solve the problem, Chai suggests that we should clean our coal and oil or replace(代替) them with cleaner energy such as natural gas.

In her film, Chai also suggested that we should do something to help control smog too. For example, she says we can live a greener life by using more public transportation. Or if we see things that harm the environment, we will try to stop it. In one scene from the film, Chai saw a dirt mound in a building site exposed in the air, she asked the person in charge to cover it. When she saw a restaurant cooking without any suitable filter facilities (过滤设备), she called the hotline 12369. The restaurant installed the filter a week later.

Chen Jining, the new minister of environmental protection, praised Chai. “This film encourages ordinary people to care for the environment. This is what we need in the future.”

1.Many people in China know the causes of smog, don’t they?

2.How long does the film Under the Dome last ?

3.What are the main causes of PM2.5 and smog?

4.Why does Chai say more harmful gas and particles have been produced to pollute the air ?

5.What energy can replace coal and oil to reduce air pollution?

6.What do you think of Chai’s film? How should we control smog as an ordinary person? (at least two suggestions)

Answer 1