More than 200,000 members of Beijing’s driving associations (协会) are being asked to leave their cars at home at least one day a month in the hope of improving air quality in the capital. Their aim is to reduce traffic jams and noise, and improve air-quality as well.
“I love driving, but I’m ready to make more blue-sky days in Beijing,” said Lu Chuan, a film director and a former environmental ambassador (大使). Lu plans to ride his bicycle and walk more often in the future to protect the environment.
“Motor vehicle emissions (排放) are the main cause of Beijing’s air pollution,” said Du Shaozhong, from the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau (环保局). According to the city’s environment department research, Beijing’s vehicles give out 3,600 tons of pollution each day.
The “no-car day” activity comes as Beijing tries to achieve 238 “blue-sky days”, or days with good air quality this year, five days more than last year.
The “no-car day” was first introduced by 34 French cities that started the world’s first “no-car day” on September 22, 1998.
【小题1】How often are members of Beijing’s driving associations asked to leave their cars at home?【小题2】Lu Chuan agrees to help make more blue-sky days in Beijing, doesn’t he?
【小题3】What’s Lu’s plan to protect the environment?
【小题4】What are the main cause of Beijing’s air pollution?
【小题5】How many “blue-sky days” did Beijing achieve last year?
【小题6】What do you think the writer of this passage tries to tell us?
