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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

【小題1】C【小題1】C【小題1】A【小題1】D


解析:

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All too often , a choice that seems sustainable(可持續(xù)的)turns out on closer examination to be problematic. Probably the best example is the rush to produce ethanol(乙醇)for fuel from corn . Corn is a renewable resource ―you can harvest it and grow more, almost limitlessly. So replacing gas with corn ethanol seems like a great idea .

One might get a bit more energy out of the ethanol than that used to make it, which could still make ethanol more sustainable than gas generally, but that’s not the end of the problem. Using corn to make ethanol means less corn is left to feed animals and people, which drives up the cost of food. That result leads to turning the fallow land ― including, in some cases, rain forest in places such as Brazil ― into farmland, which in turn gives off lots of carbon dioxide(CO2)into the air. Finally, over many years, the energy benefit from burning ethanol would make up for the forest loss. But by then, climate change would have progressed so far that it might not help.

You cannot really declare any practice “sustainable” until you have done a complete lift-cycle analysis of its environmental(環(huán)境的)costs. Even then, technology and public policy keep developing, and that development can lead to unforeseen and undesired results. The admirable goal of living sustainable requires plenty of thought on an ongoing basis.

 

57. What might directly cause the loss of the forest according to the text?

A. The growing demand for energy to make ethanol.

B. The increasing carbon dioxide in the air.

C. The greater need for farmland.

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58. The underline word “it” in the second paragraph refers to “              ” .

A. the energy benefit               B. the forest loss

C. climate change                  D. burning ethanol  

 

59. The author thinks that replacing gas with corn ethanol is               .

A. impractical   B. acceptable    C. admirable    D. useless

 

60. What does the author mainly discuss in the text?

A. Technology.                   B. Sustainability.

C. Ethanol energy.                D. Environmental protection.

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對(duì)民眾進(jìn)行教育

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      你的看法

……

注意:

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參考詞匯:差距 gap;相關(guān)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.                                        

                                                                              

                                                                              

                                                                              

                                                                              

                                                                              

                                                                              

 

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C

  A scientist who developed a way to calculate(計(jì)算) how much water is used in the produciton of anything form a cup of coffee to a hamburger was awarded the 2008 Stockholm Water Prize.

  Professor John Anthony Allan of the University of London in Britain won the award for introducing the idea of "virtual water(虛擬水)",a calculation method that has changed the nature of trade policy and research.

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   C.It helps us make use of water scientifically.

   D.It tells us how much water we use a day.

  67.What does the underlined word "it" in the last paragraph refer to?

   A.The University of London.

   B.The calculation method.

   C.The Stockholm International Water Institute.

   D.The trade policy and research.

 

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