Smog has affected Beijing for at least a week and the Great Hall of the People, where lawmakers will meet next week for the country's parliamentary session , is hardly visible. Much of north and central China, or one-seventh of the country, was covered in it over the weekend.     Responses have included reduced industrial activities, a ban on fireworks and barbecues, raised pollution alerts and reduced vehicles travelling on the roads. Citizens are advised to stay indoors while schools have either stopped classes or suspended outdoor activities.     And Chinese officials, after a long period of prioritizing economic development over environmental protection, are now likely to see their future career shaped by how effectively they handle the serious pollution. "Even as a foreigner, I know the pollution has a lot to do with too much focus on economic indicators in evaluating Chinese officials," said Florian Kessler, an executive director with German law firm WZR Consulting. The German executive speaks fluent Chinese, loves Beijing food and is a big fan of Beijing Guo'an Football Club, but after staying in the city for eight years, he now wants to leave. "Since I smoke, I'm okay with the pollution, but I can't let my kid breathe in the polluted air. That's why I'm leaving," Kessler explained.     He also said that German companies operating in Beijing, such as BMW, Benz and Volkswagen, have all had a hard time finding staff willing to work here.     China has repeated in the past that we would not follow the old path of industrialized nations to develop first and deal with pollution afterward. But the smog is an awkward reminder that our country is already on that path. Whether we can change route depends on the choice Chinese officials make between environment and growth in the years ahead. What's the author's purpose to write this passage?
To announce that smog has stayed in Beijing for more than a week. To state the responses of the people. To state the tips of surviving smog. To appeal to the Chinese government to protect the environment.