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 m
ore 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. |
Allan goes everywhere with Birgitta Anderson, a 54-year-old secretary. He moves around her office at work and goes shopping with her. ‘Most people don't seem to mind Allan,’ says Birgitta, who thinks he is wonderful. 'He's my fourth child,' she says. She may think of him and treat him that way, buying his food, paying his h
ealth bills and his taxes, but in fact Allan is a dog. Birgitta and Allan live in Sweden, a country where everyone is expected to lead an orderly life according to rules laid down by the government, which also provides （提供）a high level of care for its people. This level of care costs money. People in Sweden pay taxes on everything, so aren't surprised to find that owning a dog means yet more taxes. Some people are paying as much as 500 Swedish kronor in taxes a year for the right to keep their dog, money that is spent by the government on dog hospitals and sometimes medical treatment for a dog that falls ill. However, most such treatment is expensive, so owners often decide to pay health and even life insurance （保险）for their dog. In Sweden dog owners must pay for any damage （损坏）their dog does. A Swedish Kennel Club official explains what this means: if your dog runs out on the road and gets hit by a passing car you, as the owner, have to pay for any damage done to the car, even if your dog has been killed in the accident. Birgitta pays taxes for Allan because.
| A．he is her dog | B．he is her child | C．he follows her everywhere | D．he often falls ill |
The money pa
id as dog taxes is used to.
| A．keep a high level of care for the people | B．pay for damage done by dogs |
| C．provide medical care for dogs | D．buy insurance for dog owners |
If a dog causes a car accident and gets killed, who should pay for the damage done to the car?
| A．The owner of the car. | B．The owner of the dog. |
| C．The insurance company（公司）. | D．The government. |
From the text it can be inferred that in Sweden .
| A．dogs are welcome in public places | B．keeping dogs means asking for trouble |
| C．many car accidents are caused by dogs | D．people care much about dogs |
One of Britain’s bravest women told yesterday how she helped to catch suspected(可疑的) police killer David Bieber--and was thanked with flowers by the police. It was also said that she could be in line for a share of up to ￡30,000 reward money.
Vicki Brown, 30, played a very important role in ending the nationwide manhunt.
Vicki, who has worked at the Royal Hotel for four years, told of her terrible experience when she had to steal into Bieber’s bedroom and to watch him secretly. Then she waited alone for three hours while armed police prepared to storm the building.
She said,” I was very nervous. But when I opened the hotel door and saw 20 armed policemen lined up in the car park I was so glad they were there.”
The alarm had been raised because Vicki became suspicious(怀疑) of the guest who checked in at 3 pm the day before New Year’s Eve with little luggage and wearing
sunglasses and a hat pulled down over his face. She said, He didn’t seem to want to talk too much and make any eye contact(接触). Vicki, the only employee on duty, called her bosses Margaret, 64, and husband Stan McKale, 65, who phoned the police at 11 pm.Officers from Northumbria Police called Vicki at the hotel in Dunston, Gateshead, at about 11:30 pm to make sure that this was the wanted man. Then they kept in touch by phoning Vicki every 15 minutes.
“It was about ten past two in the morning when the phone went again and a policeman said ‘Would you go and make yourself known to the armed officers outside?’ My heart missed a beat.”
Vicki quietly showed eight armed officers through passages and staircases to the top floor room and handed over the key.
“I realized that my bedroom window overlooks that part of the hotel, so I went to
watch. I could not see into the man’s room, but I could see the passage. The police kept shouting at the man to come out with his hands showing. Then suddenly he must have come out because they shouted for him to lie down while he was handcuffed(带上手铐).”The underlined phrase “be in line for” (paragraph 1) means _______.
| A．get | B．be paid | C．ask for | D．own |
Vicki became suspicious of David Bieber because _______.
| A．the police called her | B．he looked very strange |
| C．he came to the hotel with little luggage | |
| D．he came to the hotel the day before New Year’s Eve |
Vicki’s heart missed a beat because _________.
| A．the phone went again | B．she would be famous |
| C．the policemen had already arrived | D．she saw 20 policemen in the car park |
David Bieber was most probably handcuffed in ________.
| A．the passage | B．the man’s room | C．Vicki’s bedroom | D．the top floor room |
The whole event probably lasted about _______ hours from the moment Bieber came to the hotel to the arrival of some armed officers.
| A．6 | B．8 | C．11 | D．14 |
The private automobile(私家车) has long played an important role in the United States. In fact, it has become a necessary and important part of the American way of life. In 1986, sixty-nine percent of American families owned at least one car, and t
hirty-eight percent had more than one. By giving workers rapid transportation, the automobile has freed them from having to live near their place of work. This has encouraged the growth of the cities, but it has also led to traffic problems.
For farm families the automobile is very helpful. It has made it possible for them to travel to town very often for business and for pleasure, and also to transport their children to distant schools.
Family life has been affected(影响) in various ways. The car helps to keep families together when it is used for picnics, outings, and other shared experiences. However, when teenage children have the use of the car, their parents can’t keep an eye on them. There is a great danger if the driver has been drinking alcohol or taking drugs, or showing off by speeding or breaking down traffic laws. Mothers of victims(受害者) of such accidents have formed an organization called MADD(Mothers Against Drunk Driving). These women want to prevent further tragedies(悲剧). They have worked to encourage the government to limit the youngest drinking age. Students have formed a similar organization, SADD(Students Against Drunk Driving) and are spreading the same message among their friends.
For many Americans the automobile is a necessity. But for some, it is also a mark of social position and for young people, a sign of becoming an adult. Altogether, cars mean very much to Americans. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?
| A．Cars have encouraged the growth of the cities. |
| B．Cars can bring families together when they go for picnics. |
| C．Cars have enabled people to live far from their place of work. |
| D．Cars help city families to transport their children to faraway schools. |
What has been done to deal with the problem of drunk driving?
| A．Parents have paid more attention to their children. |
| B．Some organizations have been set up against drunk driving. |
| C．Mothers have tried to persuade their children not to drink alcohol. |
| D．University students have asked the government to solve the problem. |
We can infer from the text that in America.
| A．it will be more difficult for people to get new cars |
| B．parents will not allow their children to have their own cars |
C．the government will encourage people to use public transportation |
| D．cars will still be popular though they have caused many problems |
Handshaking, though a European practice, is now often seen in big cities of China. Nobody knows exactly when the practice started in Europe. It is said that long long ago in Europe when people met, they showed their unarmed (无武器的) hands to each other as a sign of goodwill. As time went on and trade in cities grew rapidly, people in cities began to clap each other’s hands to make a deal or to reach an agreement. The practice was later changed into shaking hands among friends on meeting or leaving each other. “Let’s shake (hands) on it” sometimes means agreement reached.
Do the Europeans shake hands wherever they go and with whomever they meet? No. Sometimes the Chinese abroad reach out their hands too often to be polite. It is really very impolite to give your hand when the other party, especially when it is a woman,
shows little interest in shaking hands with you and when the meeting does not mean
anything to him or her. Even if, for politeness, he holds out his unwilling hand in answer to your uninvited hand, just touch it slightly. There is generally a misunderstanding(误解) among the Chinese that westerners are usually open and straightforward, while the Chinese are rather reserved (保守的) in manner. But in fact some people in western countries are more reserved than some Chinese today. So it is a good idea to shake hands with a westerner only when he shows interest in further relations with you.In the old days in Europe, people put out their unarmed hands to each other.
| A．to make a deal | B．to greet each other |
| C．to show friendliness | D．to reach an agreement |
The first paragraph mainly tells us ______.
| A．where handshaking was first practised |
| B．how handshaking came about |
| C．about the relationship between handshaking and trade |
| D．about the practice of handshaking both in Europe and in China |
According to the text, which of the following statements is true?
| A．Westerners are more reserved than the Chinese. |
| B．Westerners are unwilling to shake hands. |
| C．We should make a judgement before shaking hands. |
| D．We shouldn’t shake hands with European women. |
The main purpose of the text is______.
| A．to tell us some differences between the East and the West |
| B．to offer us some important facts about handshaking |
| C．to introduce us to some different customs in the West |
| D．to give us some advice before we travel abroad |
My teenage son Karl became withdrawn after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six falling grades for the year. At this rate he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.
One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and pleaded for help.“
Please God, I can’t do anything more for my son. I’m at the end of my rope. I’m
giving the whole thing up to you.” I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. “I want to talk to you about Karl’s absences.” Before he could say another word, I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. “I love my son but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It’s out of my hands.” For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, “Thank you for your time”, and hung up.
Karl’s next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll. In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, “Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?” I nodded. “That was me. I thought I’d play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That’s when I knew I had to make you proud.” By saying “Karl became withdrawn”, the author means that the boy changed entirely and ______.
| A．preferred to stay alone at home | B．lost interest in his studies |
| C．refused to talk to others | D．began to dislike his mother |
There was silence on the other end of the line because______.
| A．the speaker was too moved to say anything to the mother |
| B．the speaker waited for the mother to finish speaking |
| C．the speaker didn’t want the mother to recognize his voice |
| D．the speaker was unable to interrupt the mother |
The sentence “he even made the honor roll means that______”.
| A．he was even on the list to be praised at the parent-teacher meeting |
| B．he was even on the list of students who made progress in grades |
| C．he was even on the list of students who had turned themselves around |
D．he was even on the l ist of the best students at school |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Children in single-parent families often have mental problems. |
| B．Mother’s love plays an important role in teenagers’ life. |
| C．Being understood by parents is very important to teenagers. |
| D．School education doesn’t work without full support from parents. |