Smog choking swaths of China thinning out

 　　BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Smog blanketing large swaths of China was thinning out on Thursday, with air pollution in some cities easing, the Ministry¹ of Environmental Protection (MEP) said.

　　According to monitoring by 10 a.m., smog-hit regions had seen lower readings of PM 2.5, or airborne particles measuring less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter.

　　However, cities like Jinan and Xi'an were still rated as "gravely polluted".

　　Other cities including, Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Tianjin, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Chengdu, Shenyang, Changchun and Harbin were rated one level lower, as "seriously polluted".

　　Major pollutant², PM 2.5, had reduced in Beijing, with the concentration lowering to 213 micrograms per cubic meter at 10 a.m., from 310 micrograms per cubic meter on Wednesday.

　　The smog has covered 1.15 million square kilometers of China.

　　The meteorological authorities forecast that the smog will gradually disperse³ due to rain and snow in central and eastern regions from Thursday through Saturday.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 pollutant   

n.污染物质，散布污染物质者

参考例句：

• Coal itself is a heavy pollutant.煤本身就是一种严重的污染物。
• Carbon dioxide may not be a typical air pollutant.二氧化碳可能不是一种典型的污染物。

3 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。