题目内容
4．Our planet Earth is comparatively small，with only about 24，902miles around the equator （赤道）．Its surface area may seem largest at 196，935，000sq．miles，but of this，70% is covered by sea．The actual land surface covers some 57，500，000sq．miles-29% of the total surface area．Once again，this seems vast until we take into account the largely uninhabited（未居住的）regions such as the huge wastes of the Arctic and Antarctic，the deserts and wetlands．These regions are not always totally uninhabited，but they can usually support only very small populations．
At present there is still enough space on Earth for humans and wildlife，but what of the future？Our world cannot grow any larger，yet the human population keeps growing every year!As of July 2008，there were almost 6.7billion people on the planet，and current estimates （估计） suggest that the population could be as high as 9.1billion by as soon as 2050．
While the birthrate is slowing a little in parts of the Northern Hemisphere（半球），in many other parts of the world，including developing countries，populations continue to grow．This population explosion is responsible for most world environmental problems today； so whether our main concern is to breathe cleaner air，to drink purer water，to eliminate （消除） pollution，to protect wildlife and countryside，to produce more food to eat or to reach a higher standard of living generally，our chances of achieving any of these things become faint as the population increases sharply．The Earth's resources are vast but limited．We have a tendency to look to the short-term，rather than seeing the bigger picture of the future．
This is why it is so important that young people learn about looking after the planet-so that future generations of adults act responsibly with regard to（关于） the environment and create a future that is continuable，both for humans and all the other species with which we share our world．
29．What does the author worry aboutA
A．Whether there is enough space for creatures in the future．
B．The Earth is turning smaller and smaller．
C．How to find ways to live in uninhabited regions．
D．What people will live on in the future．
30．According to the text，we can infer thatA．
A．the population will increase by 0.6billion every ten years
B．the birthrate around the equator is a little low
C．population explosion is caused by environmental problems
D．more population brings more resources
31．What does the underlined word"faint"meanC
A．Important．
B．Necessary．
C．Slight．
D．Interesting．
32．Which of the following ideas is suggested by the authorB
A．Taking strong measures to control the birthrate．
B．Calling on the young to care for the planet．
C．Saving the Earth's natural resources．
D．Protecting the endangered species．
分析 本文属于说明文阅读，作者通过这篇文章主要向我们描述了作者担心未来是否有足够的生物空间，号召年轻人爱护地球．
解答 AACB
29．A．细节理解题．根据第三段：At present there is still enough space on Earth for humans and wildlife，but what of the future？Our world cannot grow any larger，yet the human population keeps growing every year可知作者担心未来是否有足够的生物空间；所以A选项是正确的．
30．A．推理判断题．根据第三段：As of July 2008，there were almost 6.7billion（十亿） people on the planet，and current estimates（估计） suggest that the population could be as high as 9.1billion by as soon as 2050可知．人口将增加0.6billion每十年；所以A选项是正确的．
31．C．词义猜测题．根据倒数第二段：our chances of achieving any of these things become faint as the population increases sharply可知我们获得这些东西的机会变得微弱的人口的急剧增加；意为微弱；所以C选项是正确的．
32．B．推理判断题．根据最后一段：adults act responsibly with regard to the environment and create a future that is continuable，both for humans and all the other species with which we share our world可知作者号召年轻人爱护地球；所以B选项是正确的．
点评 阅读理解题测试考生在阅读基础上的逻辑推理能力，要求考生根据文章所述事件的逻辑关系，对未说明的趋势或结局作出合理的推断；或根据作者所阐述的观点理论，对文章未涉及的现象、事例给以解释．考生首先要仔细阅读短文，完整了解信息，准确把握作者观点．
