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  3. Degradation of the world’s natural resources by humans is rapidly outpacing the planet’s ability to absorb the damage, a recent

Degradation of the world’s natural resources by humans is rapidly outpacing the planet’s ability to absorb the damage, a recent

admin2023-01-31  31
问题     Degradation of the world’s natural resources by humans is rapidly outpacing the planet’s ability to absorb the damage, a recent UN environmental study has found. The study concludes that without radical action the level of prosperity that millions of people in the developed world count on will be impossible to maintain or extend to poorer countries.
    Water scarcity is the curse of some of the poorest regions on Earth, leaving developing countries increasingly unable to feed themselves, and causing hardship for millions of people. There appears little prospect of this desperate situation being remedied without radical action being taken. Water sources are under increasing threat from population growth, climate change, rapid urbanisation, rising levels of consumption, and the degradation of lands that previously provided a natural replenishment (补充) of water resources.
    The rate of damage to the natural environment was found to increase globally, despite concerted efforts to persuade governments to take measures to improve the condition. "If current trends continue, and the world fails to improve patterns of production and consumption, then the state of the world’s environment will continue to decline," warned UN executive director Achim Steiner.
    He said the tools for improving the environment for millions of people existed in developed countries, but were in danger of not being used.
    The study found that basic measures to tackle some of the key causes of environmental damage were still not being taken. These included measures to reduce air pollution; to control the damage to marine eco-systems, which can have a huge effect on fish stocks on which hundreds of millions of people depend; and to curb the degradation of land where modern agricultural methods were pursued without regard to the longer-term consequences.
    Despite the recent global agreement on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, global carbon output continues to rise. This will put a long-term strain on the ability of developing economies to feed their own people. Climate change is aggravated by the emissions of greenhouse gases from chemical and natural fertilisers used in agriculture which increased by more than a quarter between 2000 and 2010. Other problem areas identified in the report included glaciers, which provide vital water resources for millions of people, but which are shrinking as the climate warms.
    In rich countries, these problems have built up over decades and centuries while economic growth was pursued at the expense of the environment. Subsequent efforts to remedy the environment have met with partial success. But in developing countries, the path of future development has more potential to change, which has encouraged international institutions to devise more sustainable growth pathways that are supposed both to alleviate poverty and preserve the environment.
What is the dilemma developing countries face?
选项 A、They cannot modernise farming without causing land degradation.
B、They cannot promote industrialisation without polluting waterways.
C、They cannot boost crop yields without causing greenhouse gas emissions.
D、They cannot catch up with rich countries without sacrificing the environment.
答案C
解析 根据题干中的developing countries及出题顺序原则定位至第6段。本题询问发展中国家面临的困境是什么。第6段第2句指出发展中经济体在减排的背景下，养活本国人民的能力将承受长期压力。第3句说明原因：养活本国人民需要发展农业，而农业所使用的化学和天然肥料会排放温室气体，从而加剧气候变化。这是发展中国家需要面对的问题。C项“他们不可能在不排放温室气体的情况下提高作物产量”与此段描述相符，故为答案。文中没有提到采用现代农业方法导致土地退化是发展中国家特有的问题，故排除A项“他们不可能在不造成土地退化的情况下实现农业现代化”。本文未提及工业化，故B项“它们无法在不污染水道的情况下促进工业化”可排除。D项“他们不可能在不牺牲环境的情况下赶上富裕国家”在文中无相关信息，也可排除。
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