Truth about the Environment
For many environmentalists, the world seems to be getting worse. They have developed a hit-list of our main fears: that natural resources are running out, that the population is ever growing, leaving less and less to eat; that species are becoming extinct in vast numbers, and that the planet's air and water are becoming ever more polluted.
But a quick look at the facts shows a different picture. First, energy and other natural resources have become more abundant, not less so, since the book The Limits to Growth was published in 1972 by a group of scientists. Second, more food is now produced per head of the world's population than at any time in history. Fewer people are starving. Third, although species are indeed becoming extinct, only about 0.7% of them are expected to disappear in the next 50 years, not 25%-50%, as has so often been predicteD.And finally, most forms of environmental pollution either appear to have been exaggerated, or are transient — associated with the early phases of industrialization and therefore best cured not by restricting economic growth, but by accelerating it. One form of pollution — the release of greenhouse gases that causes global warming — does appear to be a phenomenon that is going to extend well into our future, but its total impact is unlikely to pose a devastating problem. A bigger problem may well turn out to be an inappropriate response to it.
Yet opinion polls suggest that many people nurture the belief that environmental standards are declining and three factors seem to cause this disjunction between perception and reality.
One is the lopsidedness built into scientific research. Scientific funding goes mainly to areas with many problems. That may be a wise policy, but it will also create an impression that many more potential problems exist than is the case.
Secondly, environmental groups need to be noticed by the mass mediA.They also need to keep the money rolling in. Understandably, perhaps, they sometimes overstate their arguments. In 1997, for example, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a press release entitled: "Two thirds of the world's forests lost forever". The truth turns out to be nearer 20%.
The third factor is poor individual perception. People worry that the endless rise in the amount of stuff everyone throws away will cause the world to run out of places to dispose of waste. Yet, even if America's trash output continues to rise as it has done in the past, and even if the American population doubles by 2100, all the rubbish America produces through the entire 21st century will still take up only one-12,000th of the area of the entire United States.
1. The first paragraph intends to show that ___.
2. The facts and figures provided in paragraph two suggest that ___.
3. In paragraph four, the writer expresses his concerns about ___.
4. The writer quotes from the World Wide Fund for Nature to illustrate how___.
5. What is the writer's view of America's waste problem?
1.推理判断题。由题干可以定位到原文第一段 “They have developed a hit-list of our main fears: that natural resources are running out, that the population is ever growing, leaving less and less to eat; that species are becoming extinct in vast numbers, and that the planet's air and water are becoming ever more polluted.” 中文翻译为：他们列出了我们主要担心的一系列问题：自然资源正在枯竭，人口不断增长，留下越来越少的食物；物种正在大量地灭绝，地球的空气和水正变得越来越污染。因此答案为B选项：环境问题涉及很多方面。
2.推理判断题。由题干可以定位到文章第二段中“And finally, most forms of environmental pollution either appear to have been exaggerated, or are transient — associated with the early phases of industrialization and therefore best cured not by restricting economic growth, but by accelerating it.” 中文翻译为：最后，大多数形式的环境污染要么是被夸大了，要么是暂时的——与工业化的早期阶段有关，因此最好的解决办法不是限制经济增长，而是加速经济增长。可知D项“经济增长有助于缓解环境问题”符合题意。
3.推理判断题。由题干可以定位到文章第四段“One is the lopsidedness built into scientific research. Scientific funding goes mainly to areas with many problems. That may be a wise policy, but it will also create an impression that many more potential problems exist than is the case.” 中文翻译为：一是科学研究固有的不平衡。科学基金主要用于有很多问题的领域。这或许是一项明智的政策，但它也会给人留下这样一种印象，即存在的潜在问题要比实际情况多得多。因此，C选项“科学研究问题”最符合题意。
4.推理判断题。根据题干定位到原文第五段 “Secondly, environmental groups need to be noticed by the mass media. They also need to keep the money rolling in. Understandably, perhaps, they sometimes overstate their arguments. In 1997, for example, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a press release entitled: "Two thirds of the world's forests lost forever". The truth turns out to be nearer 20%.”，中文翻译为：其次，环保组织需要被大众媒体关注。他们还需要让资金源源不断地流入。或许可以理解，他们有时会夸大自己的论点。例如，1997年，世界自然基金会发表了一份题为“世界森林的三分之二永远消失”的新闻稿。事实是接近20%。
故D选项“环保人士可能会夸大他们的说法”最符合题意。
5.推理判断题。根据题干可以定位到尾段 “The third factor is poor individual perception. People worry that the endless rise in the amount of stuff everyone throws away will cause the world to run out of places to dispose of waste. Yet, even if America's trash output continues to rise as it has done in the past, and even if the American population doubles by 2100, all the rubbish America produces through the entire 21st century will still take up only one-12,000th of the area of the entire United States.” 中文翻译为：第三个因素是个体知觉差。人们担心，每个人都扔掉的东西的数量无止境的增加，将导致世界耗尽处理垃圾的地方。然而，即使美国的垃圾产量像过去一样继续增长，即使美国人口到2100年翻一番，美国在整个21世纪所产生的垃圾仍只占美国国土面积的1 / 12000。可以得知B项“它不像人们认为的那样严重”最符合。
