A bull grazes on dry wheat husks in Logan, Kansas, one of the regions hit by the record drought that has affected more than half of the US and is expected to drive up food prices.
Leading water scientists have issued one of the sternest warnings yet about global food supplies, saying that the world’s population may have to switch almost completely to a vegetarian diet over the next 40 years to avoid catastrophic shortages.
Adopting a vegetarian diet is one option to increase the amount of water available to grow more food in an increasingly climate-unstable world, the scientists said. Animal protein-rich food consumes 5 to 10 times more water than a vegetarian diet. One third of the world’s arable land is used to grow crops to feed animals. Other options to feed people include eliminating waste and increasing trade between countries in food surplus and those in deficit.
“900 million people already go hungry and 2 million people are malnourished in spite of the fact that per capita food production continues to increase.” they said. “With 70% of all available water being in agriculture, growing more food to feed an additional 2 billion people by 2050 will place pressure on available water and land.”
The report is being released at the start of the annual world water conference in Stockholm, Sweden, where 2,500 politicians, UN bodies, non-governmental groups and researchers from 120 countries meet to address global water supply problems.
Competition for water between food production and other uses will intensify pressure on essential resources, the scientists said. “The UN predicts that we must increase found production by 70% by mid 21th century. This will place additional pressure on our ‘already stressed water resources’ at a time when we also need to allocate more water to satisfy global energy demand…which is expected to rise 60% over the coming 30 years—and to generate electricity for the 1.3 billion people currently without it” said the report.
Overeating, undernourishment and waste are all on the rise and increased food production may face future constraints from water scarcity.
“We will need a new recipe to feed the world in the future,” said the report’s editor, Anders Jagerskog.
A separate report from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) said the best way for countries to protect millions of farmers from food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia was to help them invest in small pumps and simple technology, rather than to develop expensive, large-scale irrigation projects.
“Farmer across the developing world are increasingly relying on and benefiting from small-scale, locally-relevant water solutions. These techniques could increase yields up to 300% and add tens of billions of US dollars to household revenues across sub Saharan Africa and south Asia,” Said Dr. Colin Chartres, the director general.
56. What can be inferred from the water scientists’ warning?
57. What do the scientists say can be done to increase food supply?
58. According to the water scientists’ report, ______.
59. In regard to the problem of water supply, scientists believe ______.
60. What does the IWMI say is the best solution to food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia?
问题1选项
A.The record drought forces half of the US to go hungry.
B.The record drought drives up food prices in the US.
C.Severe food shortage may happen without proper measures.
D.A vegetarian diet is the only option to avoid disastrous shortages.
问题2选项
A.Grow more animal protein-rich food.
B.Turn pastures into arable lands.
C.Promote trade between countries self-sufficient in food.
D.Increase the amount of water for food production.
问题3选项
A.per capita food production has been increasing
B.reduced food supply will make more people malnourished
C.70% of water will be used to feed 2 billion people by 2050
D.researchers begin to seek solutions to tackle water problem
问题4选项
A.more water should be allocated to satisfy energy demand
B.food production must be increased to 70% by mid-century
C.energy demand will intensify pressure on water resources
D.electricity generation must be increased by 60% 30 years later
问题5选项
A.Applying small pumps and simple technology.
B.Launching large-scale irrigation projects.
C.Increase the local household revenues.
D.Investing in a new expensive irrigation project.
第1题:C
第2题:D
第3题:A
第4题:C
第5题:A
56.推理判断题。题干意思是“从水科学家的警告中可以推断出什么？”。根据第二段Leading water scientists have issued one of the sternest warnings yet about global food supplies, saying that the world’s population may have to switch almost completely to a vegetarian diet over the next 40 years to avoid catastrophic shortages.（主要的水科学家发布了迄今为止关于全球食物供应最严厉的警告之一，他们说，为了避免灾难性的食物短缺，世界人口可能不得不在未来40年几乎完全转向素食）可推断，如果不采取措施，人们就将面临食物短缺的问题；故C项“如果不采取适当措施，可能会发生严重的食物短缺”符合题意。A项“创纪录的干旱迫使一半的美国人挨饿”，文章只提到创世纪的干旱影响了美国一半以上的地区将提高食品价格，并没有明确提及挨饿；B项“创纪录的干旱抬高了美国的食品价格”，不只是美国，世界的食品价格将会提高；D项“素食是避免严重短缺的唯一选择”表述太绝对，素食只是其中一种办法。因此，该题选择C项正确。
57.细节事实题。题干意思是“科学家们说可以做些什么来增加食物供应？”。根据第三段第一句Adopting a vegetarian diet is one option to increase the amount of water available to grow more food in an increasingly climate-unstable world, the scientists said.（科学家们说，在一个气候日益不稳定的世界里，采用素食是增加水资源利用率以种植更多粮食的一种选择）可知，可以通过增加用于食物生产的水资源来增加食物供应，D项“增加粮食生产用水”正确。第三段第二句提到Animal protein-rich food consumes 5 to 10 times more water than a vegetarian diet.（富含动物蛋白质的食物比素食多消耗5到10倍的水）可知，A项“种植更多富含动物蛋白质的食物”错误；根据第三段倒数第二句One third of the world’s arable land is used to grow crops to feed animals.（世界上三分之一的可耕地被用来种植喂养动物的作物）可知，把可耕地变为牧场也是选择之一，B项“把牧场变成可耕地”错误；第三段最后一句提到Other options to feed people include eliminating waste and increasing trade between countries in food surplus and those in deficit.（养活人民的其他选择包括消除浪费和增加粮食盈余国家和粮食赤字国家之间的贸易），可知C项“促进粮食自给自足国家之间的贸易”也不正确。因此，该题选择D项正确。
58.细节事实题。题干意思是“根据水科学家的报告，……”。根据第四段第一句900 million people already go hungry and 2 million people are malnourished in spite of the fact that per capita food production continues to increase（尽管人均粮食产量继续增加，但已有9亿人在挨饿，200万人营养不良）可知，A项“人均粮食产量一直在增加”正确。B项“减少食物供应将使更多的人营养不良”文中没有提及；根据第四段最后一句With 70% of all available water being in agriculture, growing more food to feed an additional 2 billion people by 2050 will place pressure on available water and land.（由于70%的可用水资源用于农业，到2050年增加粮食以养活额外的20亿人口将给可用水资源和土地带来压力。）可知，C项“到2050年，70%的水将被用来养活20亿人”表述不准确；D项“研究人员开始寻找解决水问题的方法”文中也没有提及。因此，该题选择A项正确。
59.细节事实题。题干意思是“关于水的供应问题，科学家们相信……”。第六段第一句提到Competition for water between food production and other uses will intensify pressure on essential resources, the scientists said.（科学家们说，粮食生产和其他用途之间对水的争夺将加剧对基本资源的压力）可知，能源需求会加剧水资源的压力，故C项“能源需求将加大对水资源的压力”正确。根据This will place additional pressure on our ‘already stressed water resources’ at a time when we also need to allocate more water to satisfy global energy demand…（在我们还需要分配更多的水来满足全球能源需求的时候，这将给我们“已经紧张的水资源”带来额外的压力）可知，分配更多的水来满足全球能源需求使水资源更紧张，所以A项“应该分配更多的水来满足能源需求”错误；根据第六段The UN predicts that we must increase found production by 70% by mid 21th century.（联合国预测，到21世纪中期，我们必须将石油产量提高70%）可知B项“到本世纪中叶粮食产量必须增加到70%”错误；原文提到which is expected to rise 60% over the coming 30 years（预计在未来30年，这一数字将增长60%）可知，D项“发电量必须在30年后增加60%”错误，不是“30年后”，而是“未来30年”。因此，该题选择C项正确。
60.细节事实题。题干意思是“国际水管理研究所认为，解决撒哈拉以南非洲和南亚粮食不安全的最佳办法是什么？”。根据倒数第二段A separate report from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) said the best way for countries to protect millions of farmers from food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia was to help them invest in small pumps and simple technology, rather than to develop expensive, large-scale irrigation projects.（国际水管理研究所(IWMI)的另一份报告说，各国保护撒哈拉以南非洲和南亚数百万农民免受粮食不安全之害的最佳方式是帮助他们投资于小型水泵和简单技术，而不是开发昂贵的大规模灌溉项目）可知A项“采用小型水泵和简单技术”正确，B项“开展大规模灌溉工程”和D项“投资一项新的昂贵的灌溉工程”错误；C项“增加当地家庭收入”这是这些解决方案带来的好处，与题干不符。因此，该题选择A项正确。
