A new analysis of photographs from the International Space Station has identified a shift in the kind of lighting technologies that European countries are using at night to brighten streets and buildings. Researchers have found that the old warm high-pressure street lights are rapidly being replaced by cooler LED lights. The University of Exeter study, published in Science Advances, claimed that “this phenomenon is widely increasing the risk of harmful effects to ecosystems”.

LED lighting was promoted as being intended to reduce emissions, but its usage has raised energy consumption. One explanation of this is that the increase in power efficiency and the associated decrease in economic cost have driven increased demand for lighting, therefore, any efficiency gains have been counteracted by increased consumption of light.

The study also claimed that previous research into the effects of light pollution have underestimated the impacts of blue light radiation. Chief among the health consequences of blue light is its ability to reduce the production of melatonin(褪黑素)that regulates sleep patterns in humans and other organisms. Scientific studies have warned that increased exposure to artificial blue light can worsen people’s sleeping habits.

The increase in blue light radiation in Europe has also reduced the visibility of stars in the night sky, which may have impacts on people’s sense of nature. Blue light can also alter the behavioral patterns of animals including bats and moths, as it can change their movements towards or away from light sources.

David Smith, of the conservation charity Buglife, said, “Light pollution can dramatically impact animals. We should consider light from a wider biological perspective than that of just humans and focus on better quality lighting that is harmonious with our natural world. Better quality and lower levels of lighting would help save energy, and lower financial costs, while also making our environment safer for living beings. Authorities can dim the lights during night hours, and change the bandwidths(带宽值)of their LED bulbs to produce less harmful blue light.”

【小题1】What is the phenomenon described in paragraph 1?

A．The rising demand for public lighting.

B．The increasing use of LED lights.

C．Old street lights producing lots of emissions.

D．Artificial lights at night wasting much energy.

【小题2】What does the underlined word “counteracted” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Judged.	B．Maintained.
C．Balanced.	D．Strengthened.

【小题3】In which aspect are people influenced by blue lights?

A．Sleep patterns.	B．Eyesight.
C．Learning ability.	D．Social behaviors.

【小题4】Why does the author mention David Smith?

A．To stress the importance of saving energy.

B．To persuade authorities to avoid using LED lights.

C．To show ways of improving the quality of LED bulbs.

D．To provide suggestions on reducing light pollution.