Air pollution is deteriorating in many places around the world. The fact that public parks in cities become crowded as soon as the sun shines proves that people long to breathe in green, open spaces. They do not all know what they are seeking but they flock there, nevertheless. And, in these surroundings, they are generally both peaceful and peaceable. It is rare to see people fighting in a garden. Perhaps struggle unfolds first, not at an economic or social level, but over the appropriation of air, essential to life itself.
If human beings can breathe and share air, they don’t need to struggle with one another. Unfortunately, in our western tradition, neither materialist nor idealist theoreticians give enough consideration to this basic condition for life. As for politicians, despite proposing curbs on environmental pollution, they have not yet called for it to be made a crime. Wealthy countries are even allowed to pollute if they pay for it.
But is our life worth anything other than money? The plant world shows us in silence what faithfulness to life consists of. It also helps us to a new beginning, urging us to care for our breath, not only at a vital but also at a spiritual level. The interdependence to which we must pay the closest attention is that which exists between ourselves and the plant world. Often described as “the lungs of the planet”, the woods that cover the earth offer us the gift of breathable air by releasing oxygen. But their capacity to renew the air polluted by industry has long reached its limit. If we lack the air necessary for a healthy life, it is because we have filled it with chemicals and undercut the ability of plants to regenerate it. As we know, rapid deforestation combined with the massive burning of fossil fuels is an explosive recipe for an irreversible disaster.
The fight over the appropriation of resources will lead the entire planet to hell unless humans learn to share life, both with each other and with plants. This task is simultaneously ethical and political because can be discharged only when each takes it upon herself or himself and only when it is accomplished together with others. The lesson taught by plants is that sharing life expands and enhances the sphere of the living, while dividing life into so-called natural or human resources diminishes it. We must come to view the air, the plants and ourselves as the contributors to the preservation of life and growth, rather than a web of quantifiable objects or productive potentialities at our disposal. Perhaps then we would finally begin to live, rather than being concerned with bare survival.
1. What does the author assume might be the primary reason that people would struggle with each other?
2. What does the author accuse western politicians of?
3. What does the author try to draw our closest attention to?
4. How can human beings accomplish the goal of protecting the planet according to the author?
5. What does the author suggest we do in order not just to survive?
问题1选项
A.To get their share of clean air.
B.To pursue a comfortable life.
C.To gain a higher social status.
D.To seek economic benefits.
问题2选项
A.Depriving common people of the right to clean air.
B.Giving priority to theory rather than practical action.
C.Offering preferential treatment to wealthy countries.
D.Failing to pass laws to curb environmental pollution.
问题3选项
A.The massive burning of fossil fuels.
B.Our relationship to the plant world.
C.The capacity of plants to renew polluted air.
D.Large-scale deforestation across the world.
问题4选项
A.By showing respect for plants.
B.By preserving all forms of life.
C.By tapping all natural resources.
D.By pooling their efforts together.
问题5选项
A.Expand the sphere of living.
B.Develop nature’s potentials.
C.Share life with nature.
D.Allocate the resources.
第1题:A
第2题:D
第3题:B
第4题:D
第5题:C
第1题:
【选项释义】
What does the author assume might be the primary reason that people would struggle with each other? 作者认为人们互相争斗的主要原因是什么?
A. To get their share of clean air. A. 来获得他们应得的清洁空气。
B. To pursue a comfortable life. B. 追求舒适的生活。
C. To gain a higher social status. C. 获得更高的社会地位。
D. To seek economic benefits. D. 寻求经济利益。
【答案】A
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第一段的最后一句“也许首先展开的不是经济或社会层面的斗争,而是对生命本身必不可少的空气的占有(the appropriation of air)”,由此可知,人们互相争斗的主要原因是“来获得他们应得的清洁空气”,选项A符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“追求舒适的生活”,原文没有提及,属于无中生有;
C、D选项,定位到原文第一段最后一句“首先展开的不是经济或社会层面的斗争(not at an economic or social level)”可知,选项属于反向干扰。
第2题:
【选项释义】
What does the author accuse western politicians of? 作者指责西方政治家什么?
A. Depriving common people of the right to clean air. A. 剥夺了老百姓享受清洁空气的权利。
B. Giving priority to theory rather than practical action. B. 优先考虑理论而不是实际行动。
C. Offering preferential treatment to wealthy countries. C. 向富裕国家提供优惠待遇。
D. Failing to pass laws to curb environmental pollution. D. 没有通过限制环境污染的法律。
【答案】D
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第二段倒数第二句“至于政客们(politicians),尽管他们提议限制环境污染(proposing curbs on environmental pollution),但他们还没有要求将其定为犯罪(have not yet called for it to be made a crime)”,由此可知,政客们并没有使“限制环境污染”的提议被立法,所以选项D符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、C选项原文没有提及,属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
What does the author try to draw our closest attention to? 作者试图引起我们对什么的密切关注?
A. The massive burning of fossil fuels. A. 大量燃烧化石燃料。
B. Our relationship to the plant world. B. 我们与植物世界的关系。
C. The capacity of plants to renew polluted air. C. 植物恢复被污染空气的能力。
D. Large-scale deforestation across the world. D. 世界范围内的大规模森林砍伐。
【答案】B
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第三段第四句“我们必须密切关注(pay the closest attention)的相互依赖关系是存在于我们和植物世界之间的(between ourselves and the plant world)”由此可知,我们必须密切关注我们与植物世界的关系,所以选项B正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、C、D选项都不是我们要密切关注的,属于曲解原文。
第4题:
【选项释义】
How can human beings accomplish the goal of protecting the planet according to the author? 作者认为人类怎样才能达到保护地球的目标呢?
A. By showing respect for plants. A. 通过尊重植物。
B. By preserving all forms of life. B. 通过保护所有形式的生命。
C. By tapping all natural resources. C. 通过开发所有自然资源。
D. By pooling their efforts together. D. 通过一起努力。
【答案】D
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文最后一段的第二句“这一任务同时是道德和政治的,因为只有当每个人自己承担起它,并且只有当他与他人一起完成时(together with others)才能完成”由此可知,这段话表达的中心思想是“together”,选项D符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、C选项原文没有提及,属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
What does the author suggest we do in order not just to survive? 不仅仅是为了生存,作者建议我们做什么?
A. Expand the sphere of living. A. 扩大生活范围。
B. Develop nature’s potentials. B. 发展自然的潜力。
C. Share life with nature. C. 与大自然分享生命。
D. Allocate the resources. D. 分配资源。
【答案】C
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文最后一段第一句“除非人类学会与他人和植物分享生命(share life),否则争夺资源的斗争将把整个地球引向地狱”由此可知,文章最后一段的论点主要是“分享生命”,所以选项C符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“扩大生活范围”,定位到原文最后一段第三句“从植物身上得到的教训是,分享生命可以扩展和增强生命的范围(expands and enhances the sphere of the living)”由此可知,该选项属于反向干扰;
B、D选项原文没有提及,属于无中生有。
【文章来源】2015年英语六级真题
【参考译文】
世界上许多地方的空气污染正在恶化。城市里的公园一旦阳光普照就会变得拥挤,这一事实证明人们渴望在绿色、开放的空间里呼吸。他们并不都知道自己在寻找什么,但还是蜂拥而至。而且,在这样的环境中,它们通常都是既和平又安宁的。很少看到人们在花园里打架。也许斗争首先不是在经济或社会层面展开,而是在对空气的占有上,空气对生命本身是必不可少的。
如果人类能够呼吸和共享空气,他们就不需要互相争斗。遗憾的是,在我们西方的传统中,无论是唯物主义还是唯心主义的理论家,都没有对这一生命的基本条件给予足够的考虑。至于政客们,尽管提出了限制环境污染的建议,但他们还没有要求将环境污染定为犯罪。富裕的国家甚至允许污染,如果他们付钱的话。
但是除了钱,我们的生命还有别的价值吗?植物世界无言地告诉我们,对生命的忠诚是由什么组成的。它也帮助我们进入一个新的起点,敦促我们关心我们的呼吸,不仅是在生命层面,而且是在精神层面。我们必须密切关注的相互依存关系是存在于我们和植物世界之间的。覆盖地球的森林经常被描述为“地球之肺”,通过释放氧气为我们提供了可呼吸的空气。但它们对被工业污染的空气的再生能力早已达到极限。如果我们缺少健康生活所必需的空气,那是因为我们用化学物质填满了空气,削弱了植物再生空气的能力。我们知道,快速的森林砍伐加上化石燃料的大量燃烧,是造成一场不可逆转的灾难的爆炸性因素。
除非人类学会与他人分享生命,也学会与植物分享生命,否则争夺资源的斗争将把整个地球引向地狱。这项任务同时具有道德性和政治性,因为只有当每个人自己承担起它,并且只有在与他人共同完成时,才能完成这项任务。植物给我们的教训是,共享生命扩大和增强了生命的范围,而将生命划分为所谓的自然资源或人力资源则削弱了它。我们必须把空气、植物和我们自己看作是维持生命和增长的贡献者,而不是一张由可量化的物体或可供我们支配的生产潜力组成的网。也许到那时,我们才会真正开始生活,而不是只顾着生存。