题目内容
Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the only measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.
To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a popularly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had smallest effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.
Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to decreasing biodiversity.
What’s more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050.yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.
All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require complete thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are unavoidably more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the idea that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and unchangeable measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.
Instead we need a more dynamic explanation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.
What is critical is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.
1.How do people often measure progress in agriculture?
A.By its productivity.
B.By its impact on the environment.
C.By its sustainability.
D.By its contribution to economic growth.
2.What does the author think of traditional farming practices?
A.They have remained the same over the centuries.
B.They have not kept pace with population growth.
C.They are not necessarily sustainable.
D.They are environmentally friendly.
3.What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?
A.It will go through thorough changes.
B.It will supply more animal products.
C.It will abandon traditional farming practices.
D.It will cause zero damage to the environment.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A.To remind people of the need of sustainable development.
B.To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production.
C.To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress.
D.To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is.
1.C2.C3.A4.D
【解析】略
With eco-tourism on the rise, eco-hotels are fast becoming the darling of the travel industry. These days, however, staying at an eco-hotel doesn’t necessarily mean vacationing in a tree house in the Costa Rican jungle, although that is certainly a choice.
The majority of eco-hotels fall into one of several categories: hotels and resorts that conserve ecologically important habitats; “green” hotels that reduce, recycle, minimize waste, and protect water; sustainable hotels that harvest food from gardens on the hotel property or get part of all their power from renewable energy; hotels that encourage community involvement such as guests taking part in trail clearing; and hotels that offer some form of environmental education to their guests.
As such, eco-hotels are a various group. Stylish urban hotels like the Willard Inter-Continental Washington focus on energy conservation whereas the Rosario Resort&Spa on Orcas Island in Washington State offers a wildly popular “green” vacation package where guests can “take a hike, clear a trail”.
No matter what you call them, eco-hotel, eco-lodge, eco-resort, or green hotel, they’re part of the “greening” of the tourism industry.
Part of what drives this greening of the hotel industry is no doubt competition. Going green is yet another way to distinguish a hotel from the mass of other excellent hotels that consumers have to choose from. But for many hotels, it’s also part of their philosophy. With the concept of “going green” firmly rooted in consumers’ minds, eco-hotels have taken it to the next level, and whether or not money is the driving factor behind the greening of the hotel industry doesn’t matter so much as it’s good for the planet.
【小题1】The underlined part in the first paragraph means _______.
A.lovers like staying at an eco-hotel when traveling |
B.eco-hotels are very much loved by the travel industry |
C.people choose to stay in a tree house while vacationing |
D.romantic love stories often happen in eco-hotels |
A.It has wall of glass. |
B.It is comfortable and fashionable. |
C.It uses renewable energy. |
D.It’s home to endangered species. |
A.conserves ecologically important habitats. |
B.encourages its guests to participate in its greening activities. |
C.harvests food from its own garden on its property |
D.has courses on the environment for its guests. |
A.love to take a hike |
B.enjoy the green atmosphere |
C.have environmental awareness. |
D.want to live comfortably |
可持续发展已成为全球共识,如何实行可持续发展是摆在世人面前的重大问题。请就下面表格所提供的内容进行陈述并谈谈你的看法。
目前的状况 |
自然资源日趋减少 环境问题依然严重 人的环保观念淡薄 贫富差距越来越大 |
已采取的措施 |
制定了相关的法律法规 投入了大量的资金改善环境 对民众进行教育 加强了国际间的相互合作 |
你的看法 |
…… |
注意:
不要逐条翻译,可适当发挥;
词数:150左右;
文章的开头部分已给出。
参考词汇:差距 gap;相关法律 relevant laws
The idea of sustainable development has been accepted by the world. How to keep sustainable development is a big problem facing our planet.