Several animal species including gorillas in Rwanda and tigers in Bangladesh could risk extinction if the impact of climate change and extreme weather on their habitats is not addressed, a UN report showed on Sunday.
Launched on the sidelines of global climate negotiations in Durban, the report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization shows how higher temperatures, the rise in sea levels, deforestation and excessive land use have damaged the habitats of certain species, especially in Africa.
“Many ecosystems have already been stressed by increasing population, historical and recent deforestation, unsustainable management practices and even invasive (入侵的) species,” Eduardo Rojas-Briales, assistant director general at the FAO's forestry department, said at the launch of the report.
The most affected areas include mountains, isolated islands and coastal areas, which limit the possibilities for animals to migrate elsewhere and create new habitats.
“The remaining populations become surrounded in very small ecosystems, they have inbreeding (近亲交配) problems ... and at the end these species may disappear,” he added.
Other examples of affected animals included elephants in Mali, lions in the Serengeti and crocodiles in Malawi.
The report said an estimated 20-30 percent of plant and animal species will be at higher risk of extinction due to global warming and a significant proportion of native species may become extinct by 2050 as a consequence.
Other consequences could include the spread of invasive species and infectious diseases, it said.
The report urges more focus on restoration of damaged ecosystems, especially those key to dealing with climate change such as mangroves(红树林), inland waters, forests, savannahs(非洲大草原) and grasslands.
The FAO also called for the creation of migration corridors for animals in areas where their movement was limited.
The organization said while more resources were flowing to biodiversity conservation, more action at the government and policy level was needed.
It also urged local communities to develop projects that mitigate the impact of climate change on wildlife, naming eco-tourism activities as an example.
【小题1】What does the author tell us in Paragraph 2?

The world economy has run into a brick wall. Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need to address a looming（逼近） hunger crisis in poor countries and a looming energy crisis worldwide, world leaders failed to think ahead. The result is a global food crisis. Wheat, corn and rice prices increases combined with soaring energy costs will slow if not stop economic growth in many parts of the world and will even undermine（破坏） political stability, as evidenced by the protest riots that have erupted in places like Haiti, Bangladesh and Burkina Faso. Practical solutions to these growing woes do exist, but we'll have to start thinking ahead and acting globally.

So, what should be done？Here are three steps to ease the current crisis and avert（防止, 避免） the potential for a global disaster. The first is to scale-up（按比例增加,扩大） the dramatic success of Malawi, a famine-prone（遭遇饥荒） country in southern Africa, which three years ago established a special fund to help its farmers get fertilizer and high-yield seeds. Malawi's harvest doubled after just one year. An international fund based on the Malawi model would cost a mere $10 per person annually in the rich world, or $10 billion in all.

Second, the U.S. and Europe should abandon their policies of subsidizing（给补助金） the conversion of food into biofuels（生物燃料）.

Third, we urgently need to weatherproof（使防风雨） the world's crops as soon and as effectively as possible. For a poor farmer, sometimes something as simple as a farm pond--which collects rainwater to be used for emergency irrigation in a dry spell--can make the difference between a bountiful crop and a famine. The world has already committed to establishing a Climate Adaptation Fund to help poor regions climate-proof vital economic activities such as food production and health care but has not yet acted upon the promise.

The food crisis provides not only a warning but also an opportunity. We need to invest vastly more in sustainable development in order to achieve true global security and economic growth.

Which of the following is the best title?

A. How to end the global food shortage

B. How to end the global disaster

C. How to help the farmers in the poor countries

D. How to subsidize the farmers to increase food products

The word “woes” in paragraph one is most likely to mean              .

A. hunger   B. things   C. matters   D. disasters

What does the author think of the global food shortage?

A. people in the world can do nothing.

B. The global food crisis will continue.

C. The food crisis provides not only a warning but also an opportunity.

D. We don’ know.

What measures should be taken to ease the current crisis and avert the potential for a global disaster?

A. to scale-up the dramatic success of Malawi

B. the U.S. and Europe should abandon their policies of subsidizing the conversion of food into biofuels

C. to prevent the world's crops from being destroyed by weather as soon and as effectively as possible.

D. All above .

Several animal species including gorillas in Rwanda and tigers in Bangladesh could risk extinction if the impact of climate change and extreme weather on their habitats is not addressed, a UN report showed on Sunday.
Launched on the sidelines of global climate negotiations in Durban, the report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization shows how higher temperatures, the rise in sea levels, deforestation and excessive land use have damaged the habitats of certain species, especially in Africa.
“Many ecosystems have already been stressed by increasing population, historical and recent deforestation, unsustainable management practices and even invasive (入侵的) species,” Eduardo Rojas-Briales, assistant director general at the FAO's forestry department, said at the launch of the report.
The most affected areas include mountains, isolated islands and coastal areas, which limit the possibilities for animals to migrate elsewhere and create new habitats.
“The remaining populations become surrounded in very small ecosystems, they have inbreeding (近亲交配) problems ... and at the end these species may disappear,” he added.
Other examples of affected animals included elephants in Mali, lions in the Serengeti and crocodiles in Malawi.
The report said an estimated 20-30 percent of plant and animal species will be at higher risk of extinction due to global warming and a significant proportion of native species may become extinct by 2050 as a consequence.
Other consequences could include the spread of invasive species and infectious diseases, it said.
The report urges more focus on restoration of damaged ecosystems, especially those key to dealing with climate change such as mangroves(红树林), inland waters, forests, savannahs(非洲大草原) and grasslands.
The FAO also called for the creation of migration corridors for animals in areas where their movement was limited.
The organization said while more resources were flowing to biodiversity conservation, more action at the government and policy level was needed.
It also urged local communities to develop projects that mitigate the impact of climate change on wildlife, naming eco-tourism activities as an example

1. 1.

   What does the author tell us in Paragraph 2?

   1. A.
      The theme of global climate negotiations in Durban
   2. B.
      The subject of research done by Eduardo Rojas
   3. C.
      Causes of damage done to ecosystems
   4. D.
      Harmful effects of damage done to ecosystems
2. 2.

   Why are animals living in mountains, islands and coastal areas most affected?

   1. A.
      They are frequently attacked by invasive species and infectious diseases
   2. B.
      They have difficulty finding enough food for survival
   3. C.
      They can hardly find mates to produce their young
   4. D.
      They have little chance of moving to other places
3. 3.

   To avoid extinction of some animal species, the UNFAO suggested all the following ways EXCEPT ______

   1. A.
      restoring damaged ecosystems
   2. B.
      limiting world population growth
   3. C.
      creating movement channels for animals
   4. D.
      urging governments and local communities to take action
4. 4.

   What does the underlined word “mitigate” in the last paragraph mean?

   1. A.
      increase or further improve something
   2. B.
      Make full use of something
   3. C.
      Make something become less serious
   4. D.
      Move from one place to another
5. 5.

   What would serve as the best title for the passage?

   1. A.
      Animals at risk due to climate change
   2. B.
      Global warming and its consequences
   3. C.
      Climate change and ecotourism
   4. D.
      Solutions to animal distinction