Pollution in nation worse last month than in May 2013

By Wu Wencong (China Daily)

Some motorcyclists in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, wear masks on Wednesday for protection from the smog. The air was heavily polluted in the city. Li Bo / Xinhua

Motorcyclists: [ˈməʊtəˌsaɪklɪsts]

n. 骑摩托车的人( motorcyclist的名词复数 )

Air quality in May around the country was slightly worse than it was the same period last year, with air quality in the Yangtze River Delta deteriorating the most, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Yangtze River Delta:长江三角洲地区

Deteriorating：[diˈtiəriəreitɪŋ]

v. 恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

The ministry released air quality statistics for May for 74 major cities on Wednesday. These showed that the number of days with good air quality for the 25 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region was only 18 out of the total of 31 - five days fewer than in May of last year.

Released：英 [rɪ'li:st] 美 [rɪ'li:st]

v. 释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

Of the six major pollutants that are included in the calculation of air quality, only the readings for carbon monoxide were unchanged compared with the 2013 figures for the region.

Pollutants：英 [pə'lu:tənts] 美 [pə'lu:tənts]

n. 污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

calculation：英 [ˌkælkjuˈleɪʃn] 美 [ˌkælkjəˈleʃən]

n. 计算，盘算；估计；计算的结果；深思熟虑，慎重的计划

readings：[ˈri:diŋz]

n. 阅读( reading的名词复数 )；读书；读物；读数

carbon monoxide：英 [ˈkɑ:bən məˈnɔkˌsaɪd] 美 [ˈkɑrbən məˈnɑkˌsaɪd]

n. 一氧化碳

Concentrations of the five others - PM2.5, which is particulate matter that is smaller than 2.5 microns and penetrates the lungs; PM10; sulfur dioxide(二氧化硫); nitrogen dioxide（二氧化氮）; and ozone（臭氧） - all increased.

Particulate：英 [pɑ:ˈtɪkjələt] 美 [pɚˈtɪkjəlɪt, -ˌlet, pɑr-]

adj. 微粒的，粒子的

n. 微粒，粒子

matter：英 ['mætə(r)] 美 [ˈmætɚ]

n. 事件；（讨论、考虑等的）问题；重要性；物质

vi. 要紧，重要；化脓；有重大影响；有重要性

microns: [ˈmaikrɔnz]

n. 微米( micron的名词复数 )

penetrates: [ˈpenitreits]

v. 穿过( penetrate的第三人称单数 )；刺入；了解；渗透

lungs: 英 ['lʌŋz] 美 ['lʌŋz]

n. 肺( lung的名词复数 )；肺脏

"Stronger sunshine, warmer temperatures and burning straw within the region are the three major reasons for the area's apparently deteriorated air quality," said an official from the ministry who requested anonymity.

Straw：英 [strɔ:] 美 [strɔ]

n. 稻草；麦秆；吸管；毫无价值的东西

adj. 稻草的，麦秆的；稻草[麦秆]做的；假的，假想的；无价值的

Nanjing, Changzhou and Zhenjiang, all in Jiangsu province in the Yangtze River Delta region, were among the top 10 cities with the worst air quality in May.

This is the first time that three cities at once from the region have made the monthly list. The previous months' lists only saw two cities from the region at most at the same time.

The 13 cities from the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei cluster had slightly better air quality in May compared with figures from May of last year, with three additional days with good air.

Cluster：英 ['klʌstə(r)] 美 [ˈklʌstɚ]

n. 丛；簇，串；群；[语言]辅音群

vi. 丛生；群聚

vt. 使密集，使聚集

The situation for the nine cities from the Pearl River Delta（珠江三角洲） region was virtually unchanged.

Virtually：英 [ˈvɜ:tʃuəli] 美 [ˈvɚtʃuəli]

adv. 实际上，实质上，事实上，几乎；无形中；无形

Nationwide, air quality in May grew slightly worse than in April and was worse than May of last year as well.

PM2.5, PM10 and ozone were the top three pollutants, with each accounting for about one-third of high- pollution days.

"The growing concentration of ozone is typical when the temperature gets higher, especially during the period from May to September," said Chai Fahe, deputy head of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences(中国环境科学研究院).

Chai said pollution caused by PM10 played a significant role in May, partly because of sandstorm weather that is normal in April and May. But he said the concentration of both PM2.5 and PM10 have actually decreased compared with the previous month's figures because of vegetation growth at this time of year.

Sandstorm：英 [ˈsændstɔ:m] 美 [ˈsændˌstɔrm]

n. 沙暴，尘暴

vegetation：英 [ˌvedʒəˈteɪʃn] 美 [ˌvɛdʒɪˈteʃən]

n. 植物（总称），草木；[医]赘生物，增殖体；无所作为的生活，单调的生活；[植]营养体生长，发育

大意：据环保部的相关人事称，2014年5月份的空气质量与往年同期相比略微较差，长三角地区空气质量相对最差，就5月而言，25个城市，31天中只有18天空气质量良好。PM2.5、PM10、臭氧为三大污染源，5月份PM10为五月份的空气主要污染源。于今年先前月份相比，PM2.5、PM10对空气的影响相对较轻，这是因为春天沙尘暴频发，而近期，植被相对茂盛，对空气起到了一定程度的净化作用。