A paper published in Nature in July found that Estonia (爱沙尼亚) had one of the highest rates of forest loss in Europe. There had been a rapid increase in forest harvesting across many European countries, the authors of the study found, which seemed broadly linked to a growing demand for wood products.
Worldwide, as the area covered by forests has decreased by more than 440 million acres since 1990, tree plantations have increased by more than 300 million acres. Forests are increasingly being converted into industrial tree fields—and tiny Estonia has become a pointed case study in this global transformation. The loss of forests cuts deep into Estonian history and tradition.
The Estonian Cultural Association lists 80 sacred sites that have been cleared by industrial loggers. They have mapped 1,200 additional sites, many of which have no formal protection, putting them at risk of being logged. Many of the sites are in old-growth forests, which make up about 2 percent of Estonia’s remaining forest cover.
There is debate about the accuracy of the map; the Estonian Heritage Conservation Agency has not adopted it. But at the heart of Estonian culture, lies the idea of the forest as an active presence, a thing humans do not create but rather “get out of the way of”. The respect for nature here is powerful.
As foreign investment and logistical support poured in, Estonians driving the country’s highways began to see harvester machines on the edge of the forests, pulling trees out like grass. In their place have come evenly spaced rows of pine and spruce planted for the global market, a replacement of the forest with something far simpler and more profitable, as Estonian ecologist Asko Lohmus has said.
1. According to the study, forest loss in Europe appeared to be associated with ____.
2. The impact of forest loss on Estonia lies mainly in ____.
3. Why did the Estonia Cultural Association worry?
4. The reason for pines and spruces being planted is that ____.
问题1选项
A.reduced deforestation
B.rising need of timber
C.deteriorating environment
D.attacking of insects
问题2选项
A.the national economy
B.the working opportunities
C.the balance of political forces
D.the historical and cultural heritage
问题3选项
A.Because more than a thousand sites have been destroyed.
B.Because far less than one tenth of the old-growth forest remained
C.Because most of the forest has not been officially preserved.
D.Because many loggers lost their jobs due to forest loss.
问题4选项
A.they are environmentally adapted
B.they are economically efficient
C.they require less land and water
D.they have shorter growing period
第1题:
【选项释义】
According to the study, forest loss in Europe appeared to be associated with ________. 根据这项研究,欧洲的森林损失似乎与________有关。
A. reduced deforestation A. 减少森林砍伐
B. rising need of timber B. 木材需求上升
C. deteriorating environment C. 环境恶化
D. attacking of insects D. 昆虫的攻击
【答案】B
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词forest loss in Europe定位到原文第一段最后一句,该句提到“许多欧洲国家的森林采伐量迅速增加,这似乎与对木材产品日益增长的需求密切相关(linked to a growing demand for wood products)。”由此可知,B选项“木材需求上升”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“减少森林砍伐”,原文并未提及,根据常识判断可知,减少森林砍伐有利于保护森林,而不是造成森林损失,该选项属于无中生有;
C选项“环境恶化”,原文并未提及,该选项属于无中生有;
D选项“昆虫的攻击”,原文并未提及,该选项属于无中生有。
第2题:
【选项释义】
The impact of forest loss on Estonia lies mainly in ________. 森林损失对爱沙尼亚的影响主要体现在________。
A. the national economy A. 国民经济
B. the working opportunities B. 工作机会
C. the balance of political forces C. 政治力量的平衡
D. the historical and cultural heritage D. 历史文化遗产
【答案】D
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词forest loss和Estonia定位到原文第二段。本段最后一句提到“森林的消失深深影响着爱沙尼亚的历史和传统(cuts deep into Estonian history and tradition)。”由此可知,森林损失对爱沙尼亚的影响主要体现在D选项“历史文化遗产”上。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“国民经济”,原文虽然提到森林损失与木材需求上升有关,但因此认为森林损失对爱沙尼亚的影响主要体现在国民经济上,理由并不充分,该选项属于过度推理;
B选项“工作机会”,原文并未提及,该选项属于无中生有;
C选项“政治力量的平衡”,原文并未提及,该选项属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
Why did the Estonia Cultural Association worry? 爱沙尼亚文化协会为什么会担心?
A. Because more than a thousand sites have been destroyed. A. 因为有一千多处地址被毁。
B. Because far less than one tenth of the old-growth forest remained B. 因为保留下来的原始森林远少于十分之一。
C. Because most of the forest has not been officially preserved. C. 因为大部分森林没有得到官方的保护。
D. Because many loggers lost their jobs due to forest loss. D. 因为许多伐木工由于森林损失而失去了工作。
【答案】C
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Estonia Cultural Association定位到原文第三段。本段第二句提到“他们又绘制了1200个地点,其中很多都没有正式的保护措施(many of which have no formal protection),使它们面临被砍伐的风险。”由此可知,大部分的森林还没有受到正式的保护,面临被砍伐的风险,C选项“因为大部分森林没有得到官方的保护”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“因为有一千多处地址被毁”,可定位到原文第三段第一句,该句提到“爱沙尼亚文化协会列出了80个被工业伐木工清除的圣地。”由此可知,被毁的地址是80个,而不是一千多处,原文一千多处是他们另外绘制的一些地址,不是被毁的森林地址,该选项属于张冠李戴;
B选项“因为保留下来的原始森林远少于十分之一”,可定位到原文第三段最后一句,该句提到“许多遗址位于原始森林中,这些森林大约占爱沙尼亚剩余森林覆盖面积的2%”,由此可知,原文是说,爱沙尼亚现存的原始森林,占森林覆盖面积的2%,而不是说只有2%的原始森林保留下来了,该选项属于曲解原文;
D选项“因为许多伐木工由于森林损失而失去了工作”,原文并未提及,该选项属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
The reason for pines and spruces being planted is that ________. 种植松树和云杉的原因是________。
A. they are environmentally adapted A. 它们能适应环境
B. they are economically efficient B. 它们有经济效益
C. they require less land and water C. 它们需要更少的土地和水
D. they have shorter growing period D. 它们生长周期更短
【答案】B
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词pines and spruces定位到原文最后一段。本段最后一句提到“爱沙尼亚生态学家Asko Lohmus说,取而代之的是为全球市场种植的一排排均匀分布的松树和云杉,是更简单、更有利可图的森林(something far simpler and more profitable)。”由此可知,种植松树和云杉主要是为了谋取更多的经济利益,B选项“它们有经济效益”最符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“它们能适应环境”,原文虽然提到了它们更简单,但是无从得知是否是更能适应环境,该选项属于无中生有;
C选项“它们需要更少的土地和水”,原文虽然提到了它们更简单,但是无从得知是否是因为它们需要更少的土地和水,该选项属于无中生有;
D选项“它们生长周期更短”,原文虽然提到了它们更简单,但是无从得知是否是因为它们生长周期更短,该选项属于无中生有。
【文章来源】《国家地理》(National Geographic)2020
【参考译文】
《自然》杂志7月份发表的一篇论文发现,爱沙尼亚是欧洲森林损失率最高的国家之一。该研究的作者发现,欧洲许多国家的森林采伐量都在迅速增加,这似乎与对木材产品日益增长的需求有广泛联系。
在世界范围内,自1990年以来,森林覆盖面积减少了4.4亿多英亩,而植树造林面积增加了3亿多英亩。越来越多的森林被改造成工业树木场,而小小的爱沙尼亚已经成为这一全球转变中的一个典型案例。森林的消失深深破坏了爱沙尼亚的历史和传统。
爱沙尼亚文化协会列出了80处被工业伐木工清除的圣地。他们绘制了另外1200个地点的地图,其中许多没有正式的保护,使它们面临被砍伐的风险。许多遗址位于古老的森林中,这些森林占爱沙尼亚现存森林覆盖面积的2%左右。
关于地图的准确性存在争议;沙尼亚遗产保护局还没有采纳它。但爱沙尼亚文化的核心是森林,是一种积极存在的理念,它不是人类创造的,而是人类“让路的”。这里对自然的尊重是强大的。
随着外国投资和后勤支持的涌入,爱沙尼亚人在高速公路开始看到森林边缘的收割机,像拔草一样拔树。爱沙尼亚生态学家阿斯科•洛莫斯说,取而代之的是为全球市场种植的一排排松树和云杉,用更简单、更有利可图的东西取代了森林。